He goes to church

[cooper4205]

anyone know the chord progression to "He Goes to Church"? any help would be appreciated.

[Jim Broyles]

<span style='font-family:Courier'>He Goes to Church
Intro: B E B E

B F# E B F# E
He wakes up early in the mornin' puts on his only blue suit
B F#/A# G#m C#m7 E
He hasn’t quite mastered tyin’ his tie on the way his sweet Sarah used to
B E B F#
It’s been years since he’s talked to the good Lord, he’s not sure he even knows how
B F# E B
But he won’t be mowin’ the front yard today
F# E B
He goes to church on Sundays now

F# C#m7
No, he don’t know the words to The Old Rugged Cross
B F#
But he sings them the best that he can
C#m7
‘Cause he knows that his angel is up there in Heaven
E F#
And he sure wants to see her again

B F# E B F# E
For thirty-one years they were married, she never could get him to go
B F#/A# G#m C#m7 E
Now he’s up bright and early, there by nine-thirty and sits on the very front row
B E B F#
He bows his head with the members and he shouts Amen good and loud
B F# E B
If only his Sarah could see him today
F# E B
He goes to church on Sundays now

B F# E
His kids can’t believe how he’s changing
B F# E
They tell him their mama’d be proud
B F# E B
And he’s always asking them all to go with him
F# E B
He goes to church on Sundays now

B F# E
He woke up early this morning
B F# E E (not B)
He goes to church on Sundays now</span>

[Jim Broyles]

Transcribed by me, I hope all the chords are right. If not, the song can at least be played with these. The F#/A# could be D#m. There could be a few 7ths here and there.

[cooper4205]

thanks, jb- looks like i have some chords to learn!

[Jim Broyles]

Coop, what chords don't you know?

[cooper4205]

the C#m7- is there a good shape for chopping this chord? and the F#/A#- is that an F# with a A# in the bass or something else entirely?

other than that i was talking more about where the changes are and remembering the progression- we've be doing the three-chord songs for the last bit and i haven't had to think that much playing back up on 'em and you don't see those chords too much in Big Mon's music (which is what i have been tying to study for the most part right now).

i don't know what key we are doing it in, so using the Nashville Numbers what number would the C#m7 chord be in the Key of E?

still got a lot to work on in the theory department, but Rome wasn't built in a day http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Jim Broyles]

the C#m7- is there a good shape for chopping this chord?
Well, it would probably sound okay as a chop chord played 1-2-4-x or 9-6-4-x.


F#/A#- is that an F# with a A# in the bass...?
Yes, because the song's bass line walks down there. You can just do the F# and let another instrument take care of the bass notes if you want.If you play B (4-1-2-x), F# (3-4-1-x), G#m (1-1-2-4), you'll get the desired sound.

C#m7 is the 6m7 in the key of E, but this song is in B, so in this one it's the 2m7 chord. For E you'd play an F#m7 there.

I didn't think the mandolin was chopping much in this song; more like doing open chords and tremolo fills, etc.

[cooper4205]

I just noticed where you put E (not B) up there at the end of the song, i missed it earlier- that's why i though it was in E (and i'm not really familiar with playing too much beside 1-4-5 progressions in those keys)


i heard some chopping in the Cherryholmes version, but not too much. thanks for your help

one more thing, on the 2m7 chord are you adding the flatted 7th note of the scale like making a G major a G7 chord?

[Jim Broyles]

Well sort of. In a natural minor, the 7th is a whole step lower than the root, however, we are using a minor chord which is built off the B major scale, so the note which is the 7th of the 2m chord is already a whole step lower than the root of that chord - in this case the 7th is B natural. Clear that right up for ya?? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Jim Broyles]

It always helps me to think of unusual chords as being in the key of C where there are no sharps or flats, and whose relative minor is A minor. If you just count out :
<span style='font-family:courier'>1-2-3-4-5-6-7-1
C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C</span>, then find the notes on the fretboard, you can see how they fit together. See how in this case a D minor 7th would have a C for the 7th?