The MYSTERY Chord in Don't Look Back in Anger! | Friday Fretworks

After 28 years, the mystery's solved! What chord Noel Gallagher REALLY plays in Don't Look Back in Anger...

Key points:

0:00 Intro
0:12 JAM!
0:48 We've all been there!
1:00 The options
1:42 What's a diminished chord?
2:26 What does it sound like without the chord?
3:06 What's the mystery?
3:48 What does Noel play live?
4:05 Enter That Pedal Show
4:52 The Mystery SOLVED!
5:05 What is that chord?
5:26 Conclusion
6:13 Guitar Isolated

[ChrisBuckGuitar]

Just a quick one to address the comments highlighting the similarity to @JamesHargreavesGuitar's video - I've messaged James directly and offered my sincerest apologies for having made a video so close to his. Hand-on-heart, it wasn't a conscious process but having watched (re-watched?) his video today, it seems probable that I've seen it at some point in the last few years and passively absorbed its content which then subconsciously informed the making of my video. Honestly, I watch so much stuff on YouTube, even with it on in the background sometimes while I'm working, it seems likely this is the case. Either way, I hope those of you who are regular viewers will attest to me not being in the business of lifting content - I've been on the receiving end of such situations and know it's not pleasant - so I've offered to remove this video in addition to a credit. I'll keep you posted but if this suddenly disappears, I'll see you on Friday :)

Best,

Chris

[JKGuitar]

James Hargreaves made a similar video a few years ago solving it but it's great to visibly see the chord in TPS

[odoherty]

It was incredible just to have Noel sit down with his favourite guitars ❤

[msmoniz]

I noticed right away as soon as Noel got to that part of the song, Mick leaned in and the physical reaction he had was priceless, like"finally I can see what chord/voicing it is!"

[seanzinger]

What a great interview that was. I also noticed that moment and have been trying to figure out the chord for ages. It’s so simple!

[CarloRegadasGuitar]

The G# isn't the root as it's a chord inversion. The G# is the major 3rd in E major and it's an inversion of E7, with the G# as its lowest note in the bass. To put more simply, if any note from the chord is played below its root, it's an inversion. Sometimes, if a chromatic line is being used in a chord progression, in this case it's the walk up from G, G# to A, the middle chord is using its 3rd as the lowest note, whereas the G and A have regular voicings, with the root as the lowest note in the chord. I'm not much of an Oasis fan but I have been playing guitar for 41 years and really enjoyed the show. Noel is a really good value guest.

Edit, I meant to add that the chromatic walk up and using the major 3rd as the lowest note in the middle chord, is a very popular baroque figure and is used a lot in classical music. It's a clever trick and adds a really 'sophisticated' sound to songwriting, as you invariably have a really interesting chord, that obviously grabs the listener's ears that creates a sound of 'intrigue'.

[fleshbhones]

I didn't notice Mick's face when i first watched their video, that's hilarious!

[jeffrey.a.hanson]

I’ve seen Brad Paisley use a similar chard to move from the V-iv, but usually it’s quick and only partially picked.
Noel’s reasoning for never playing barre chords was brilliant btw.

[chrislancaster]

5:01! Micks face when he clocks the chord! 😂

[JasonWharton]

The TPS episode was really great, I was a massive oasis fan as a teenager, it’s what me want to play guitar, seeing that Noel still seems to love the process was great and that he too is like the rest of us and watches gear vids on here!

[musicmann]

I agree, it was so cool to watch Noel so excited about music and songwriting still. I loved when he recalled asking Dan for bigger buttons on the GigRig switches a couple of years ago, but Dan refused. The Noel says something like "That's okay, I only wrote Wonderwall!!" I had such a laugh at that! I guess the lesson from this episode is, if you need chord, make one up! lol

[jamesmunro]

Another little thing i noticed is he doesn't play a G as the second chord of the chorus. He plays a Cmaj9/B. The classic passing chord we often use to get to an Am from a C. Then later in the chorus he plays a C with the G as the root. Very cool.

[akwamarsunzal]

That PEdal Show/Noel Gallagher video is fantastic! Best video this year by far!

[anthonymichael]

My 90’s band here in the States does DLBiA, however we’ve always done it as Noel does it when he’s singing it solo, capo on 4, played very similarly to how Whatever is done. I picked it up that way after watching him play it at River Plate stadium

[nathanchan]

As much as I enjoyed watching Noel play his guitars on that pedal show and something I never thought I needed,
to me it was James Hargreaves Guitar who really solved the mystery chord before That Pedal Show.

[DanteDiCarloMusic]

James Hargreaves who runs a channel on here did work this out a couple of years back but it's cool to see someone also arrive at this chord shape

[geoffebuckle]

I've bin playing along to "Tell me how it feels, " and "Jump In, " on my new Fender Mustang Micro this week. Absolutely brilliant songs to play along with..!!👍😁🎶🎸

[arthurblackhistoric]

I always played the E/G# chord. It just seemed right to me. You're spot on in saying how much instrumentation is going on. Noel laid down track upon track for Oasis' trademark wall of sound.

[evanmiller]

So great you did this video. As I watched TPS I wondered if anyone else was thinking what I was thinking about that chord. Nearly 30 years and the mystery is over.

[yuribillones]

Guitar World Magazine nailed it back in the late 90s. I saw it as a hybrid E7 with an inversion. STP used chords like this all the time. AiC had some crazy voicings too. It really was an exciting time in music.