What chords do you hear here?

Anyone have a guitar handy and think they could figure out these three chords I can't quite put my finger on? I'm playing this version tomorrow and haven't been able to figure out the soft electric guitar parts 100%.

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I can't figure out this second chord (played at :04):

- (F)Come, they (?)told me pa (Bb)rum pa rum (F)pum.

It's definitely a variation on F, and I'm thinking it's Fmaj7, but that sounds a little off to me.

The seconon part I'm struggling with is a transition into the C chord (at 0:21), and two chords later at (at 0:27):

- ...par rum (F)pum (?) Our finest (C)gifts we bring pa (?)rum pa rum (C)pum


Any help you can provide is much appreciated! Thanks!

I thought it was F /// Fmaj7/A /// Gm7/ F/ //// until I put the headphones on ..and then realised - this is a little weird - two acoustic guitars doing some weird stuff - but the combination of the guitars brings that ambiguity to the sound (see Hard days night chord thread) :shock:

There's a bit of fun random stuff here I reckon...

F/// Fmaj7/A///(Am) Ebmaj7/G F/ //// :||

C/// Am/// Ebmaj7/ C///

C/// Am/ F/ Bb/ Ebmaj7/ Ebmaj7/ F/ F/ C// C/// (that Bb is just in the wrong place I reckon ! :grin:)


The electric guitar chords are the only ones I can hear clearly on this btw

--5-- --5-- --3-- --5-- etc
--6-- --5-- --3-- ---6--
--5-- --5-- --3-- ---5--
--7-- --7-- --5-- ---7--
--8-- --7-- --6-- --8--
--x-- --5-- --x--- --x--

I hear F, Am, Ebmaj7, F for the first line "Come they told me etc".

The other part you mentioned sounds like: C, Am, Ebmaj7, C.

As slowpinky mentioned there is a Bb in there on the last line "To lay before the King etc"...the pattern there sounds like C, Am, Ebmaj7, Bb, F, C. The Ebmaj7 has only a two count before it changes to the Bb for four. That's what I hear anyway. Hope it helps.

jonsongz is gettin there. Here's what I think it is:

F Am Ebmaj7/Bb F X2

C Am Eb Csus4
Am F Bb Ebmaj7 F Csus4

F Am Ebmaj7/Bb F C F

The song works great if you capo 3 and play it open D chord shapes.
Chords used in the song capoed on the third fret:
D F#m Cmaj7/G Asus4 G A C

IF you are old enough to remember The Association back in the '60's, you will recognize the simularity of this arrangement and their sound. IF they ever did a Christmas album with this song, it would have sounded just like this.
If you listen to the very end, you will hear the basic rhythm guitar part for the verse being played in the background...very clearly. IT is very basic....
F/// Am/// Ebmaj7/ F/

The chorus....basic....
C/// Am/// Ebmaj7/// C7////////
Am///Bbmaj7//Ebmaj7//F///C7

This is what I hear for the basis of what is going on.

excuse me if I am repeating what someone already posted..

but it sounds like..to me

F at the first fret sliding to Am at the 5th fret....then a slide up a fret to Bb at the 6th fret..

I don't think there are any C7ths in there. The strumming acoustic is doing Csus4. I guess the electric could be playing a Bb note in its chord.

you're right jbmando...there are suspended 4ths in there..I didn't include them as they don't seem to run consistently. Sounds nice though when you incorporate them

excuse me if I am repeating what someone already posted..

but it sounds like..to me

F at the first fret sliding to Am at the 5th fret....then a slide up a fret to Bb at the 6th fret..


That chord is an Ebmaj7 with Bb in the bass. I believe they could be capoed. It works well out of open D shapes capoed 3.

Upon listening again, I agree with the Csus4 versus the 7th, jb.

Vox are nice.
But I'm not convinced about the 'harmony'. I say there's something not right between the guitars. "fun, random stuff' is being very polite. I don't like it much.

This is the latest, Ken. Unresolved suspensions and weird changes are the norm for "Indie" stuff these days.

Great, I'm glad I don't pay attention to that stuff then.
It just sounds kind of ignorant and meandering to me.

Great, I'm glad I don't pay attention to that stuff then.
It just sounds kind of ignorant and meandering to me.

and funny ......on another day I 'd call it half assed reharmonisation, but my Christmas spirit won over. ;)

I'm with Klasaine- it sounds like no two players agree on any of the chords.

Oh come on guys. Granted there's a fair bit of "tension" sometimes on the chord changes with those vocal harmonies. But overall I think it sounds cool...a little different from your old and boring Little Drummer Boy. It has a nice feel with some innovation and certainly doesn't sound terribly off key or sour..(unlike some comments here no names mentioned lol) It's Christmas time...cut em some slack lol

Oh come on guys. It's Christmas time...cut em some slack lol

Good point! I'll trade them some guitar lessons for some voice lessons straight up :)

vol iv by then the rum balls must have taken effect and they were getting low on recording funds so they just ad- libbed it to cut the track and get it in

good call ken

the sleigh bells were a nice touch

Oh come on guys. Granted there's a fair bit of "tension" sometimes on the chord changes with those vocal harmonies. But overall I think it sounds cool...a little different from your old and boring Little Drummer Boy. It has a nice feel with some innovation and certainly doesn't sound terribly off key or sour..(unlike some comments here no names mentioned lol) It's Christmas time...cut em some slack lol

All the regulars here know I'm the champion for modern harmony and unconventional re-harmonization but in this case, IMO, the emperor has no clothes. Plus I'm Jewish so no one gets a pass just because it's Xmas:wink:. And hey, I said the vocals were cool.

Thanks so much for all the replies! All the attempts to nail down the chords have definitely pointed me in the right direction!

I'm on the side of 'I don't care too much for this arrangement', also.
For my taste, I think they have lost the percussive rhythm that drives this song....the "pa rumpa pa pa" thing. Where's the drummer boy, I say! (;^)
IF I wanted to arrange something different for this song, that rhythm of the age-old arrangement suggests to me that it makes for a great hard rock rhythm approach....even if played acoustically. What these folks have done for the song is to dose both the chord arrangement and the rhythm with big doses of sachyrine (?sp). Like I said, it should get the folks who still remember '60's pop radio with that "The Association " approach to things.

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they were probably trying to out gun the beach boys with this one :lol:

Brewwagon, it has been a looooong time since I last heard that one. I used to play the guitar for this one in a small choral group our high school choir director put together for local entertainment....school and civic functions.