Play The Police: Walking On The Moon

[konked]

It was some tribute band where the guitarist let the first stroke on "Giant steps are.." shimmer almost up to "what you" only then playing the high string rhytm chords for "take, walking on the moon" In a way that sounded closer to the studioversion than how Andy Summers himself played it live. I am non musician so I can not tell the chords he used to fill in the rhytm part.

[Antonivs]

Dm7 Gm7 and Am7... The main chord is right!!!

[Donaldfossedal]

if you want to play those backing verse chords correctly, you want to use a barred D-chord shape, like these: XX3565, XX8.10.11.10, and XX10.12.13.12. In open form, those chords would translate to Fmaj, A#maj, and Cmaj. Try using those first two chords I wrote out, and for that highest one, the Cmaj, drop down to the basic open chord. Also, don't forget to mute each chord immediately after each strum. CHEERS!

[synthesizer301]

great guitar teaching thank you : )

[geraberl]

@overandout58 so too, by his own admission, does Andy Summers, so I think we are in good company ;)

[OurTemi]

a crispy song...i now want a pizza

[iamRottenRon]

Thanks for the lesson - Ron

[TheMarktalbot]

How do you play the opening bass line, the dum, da dum...

Can't seem to get it right. Cheers Mate.

[geraberl]

@TheMarktalbot 2 on the A string at the 3rd fret (C) then one on the 5th string of the A string (D) - Dad Dad-Dah He sometimes throws in the open A then 2 Cs and then the D which creates the slight variation Dah-Dad-Dad - dah which he usually plays live. The answer phrase on the guitar is 1 on the D string at the third fret (F) then second fret on D string (E) ending on 3rd fret of A string (C). (Three notes: Dum-da-da).

[believin13]

dam just play it will ya,

[sid77777]

bloody hel they millions from these chords!! good vid man

[206151]

vid actually starts at 2:30

[nicholaslebasi]

Nice! thx.

[baldonion08]

good lesson cheer bud. greets from the uk. hope you are enjoying life in the states?

[vzuani]

Excellent job, thank you for your time in teaching and expose your knowledge, what a marvelous song!

[angiebrad1]

awesome!

[MusicalManchild77]

Thanks very much for posting!!!! Can I ask what the delay setting is in ms?

[geraberl]

Couldn't really tell you for sure, just something you'll have to experiment with to what you think sounds about right, it was too long ago when I did this and can't really remember

[Antonivs]

"When Sting brought in the basic chord, it was a D minor," Andy Summers told Guitar World in December 1997. "But if I'd just play a minor triad, we'd have been down in the dumps. So I constructed an extended chord that would be a cry of joy and surprise, a clear declaration of the song's intention. I put a G note on top of a Dm7 chord, which is actually a Dm11(no9) . . .

(Note: This chord was transcribed wrong in "Message In A Box: The Complete Transcriptions.")

[HiggsFenderU2]

Hi, do you know how Andy Summers makes the first chord ring out, while he plays the shortrer chords??? Thanks, Matt.

[geraberl]

I've a feeling that on the the actual recording it's double tracked, i.e he plays it over the top of the G9 progression as a separate take, I find it's virtually impossible to get the footwork together to get the delay on and off and back to the G9 progression. In fact, virtually all of the live vids I've seen of him playing it, even he leaves it out until the bridge into the chorus where there is more space and time to kick in the delay. The delay is key in giving it that ringing sound.

[HiggsFenderU2]

I think so aswell....Thanks, Matt.

[Antonivs]

@geraberl It's true... Normally, in The Police recorded versions Andy plays more than a single track, examples are a lot: next to you, so lonely in the solo, message in a bottle with the harmony, de do do do in the bridge with 3 guitars, etc...

[Antonivs]

@HiggsFenderU2 In recorded version it's a simple overdub, first plays the whole sections of delays and then plays the other section. You can make it with a looper.

[abc123gpl]

2:30 til the first Chord......

blablabla...

[FunkyAl76]

Great sound and great lessons!

But I think that the second and the third

chord in the verse are wrong. You play

the following progression : Dm7, Gm7, Am7

I think that the right progression is: Dm7, Bb, C

Cheers

[Antonivs]

@FunkyAl76 Nope, the progression is right, but... the trick is other: in the Dm7, is not a Dm7, it's a position sure, but Andy don't play de D note

position: x57565

played: xx7565

In other words it' a F/A chord

Same for the other 2 chords.

Try this way and tell me if its right ;)

[FunkyAl76]

Ok. now I figured it out. The position of your left hand suggested me you're playing Dm7, Gm7, Am7. But actually you don't play the root note of each chord, so they become F/A, Bb/D, C/E.

I got it! Thanks for the explanation. Bye

[Antonivs]

Fine man ;)

Andy is an expert to cheat with the chord positions, hehehe...

[sonico86]

what setting delay?

[Antonivs]

@sonico86 280 miliseconds

[synthesizer301]

respect man. Thank you very much for this

very usefull guitar lesson