The Real Chords for "Diamond Dust" by Bernie Holland

Recorded live in his home studio, Bernie Holland, composer of "Diamond Dust" demonstrates the chord changes for this composition and gives an explanation of the harmonic structures which underlie this unusual chord sequence.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• BERNIE
• HOLLAND
• JEFF
• BECK
• DIAMOND
• DUST
• BLOW
• By

[Tonavid]

Bernie,

Like the others here, I have been mesmerized by the mood of this song for 33 years. I have been searching youtube for ages for this song in hopes of finding what I found today. Can't wait for you to post your completed version. One of the most unique songs ever. Maybe then you can fill us in of any background behind the title :-)

[bernieholland775]

Hi There

Just to let you know that my version of Diamond Dust has now been uploaded to You Tube as "Diamond Dust" - The Bernie Holland version.

Hope you like it - if you do, then tell your friends.

Regards

Bernie

[philgar5]

I heard this piece over 20 years ago. I was knocked out by it. I still am ! One of my absolute favourites. Now I can play it . Thanks Bernie. You're a legend.

[bernieholland775]

Glad to help you my friend ! By the way watch out for my own version of the complete tune which I am currently recording and will post to you tube when finished

[bernieholland775]

Hi There

Just to let you know that my version of Diamond Dust has now been uploaded to You Tube as "Diamond Dust" - The Bernie Holland version.

Hope you like it - if you do, then tell your friends.

Regards

Bernie

[1Emeraldcity]

So nice to hear those beautiful chords. I first heard this on Blow By Blow and was so moved by it. Later on, I heard a bootleg of Jeff Beck (I believe with Jan Hammer) and he was really "on" that particular night, and his solo just made me burst into tears. To this day that song still does it to me. Thank you Bernie, for a truly heavenly experience.

[taildragger53]

3 years later this still remains a wonderful video.

[taildragger53]

@bernieholland775 Hope you are Bernie. haven't heard from you for awhile...i take it you're not on "facebook"? (ha ha) Best wishes to you and yours, peter.

[lonegroover]

@lonegroover .. and I did. Thanks, Bernie.

[flattened9th]

Bernie, I've been mesmerized by your hauntingly beautiful composition since I bought Blow by Blow when it first came out. I figured out the changes 30 odd years ago by wearing out the vinyl and I still find myself humming it while I'm pottering about the house. This masterpiece of yours has become one of the musical screensavers in my mind. Thanks for harmonically enriching my playing at an early age when I could easily have been learning Slade tunes!

[lonegroover]

That's my Wednesday evening sorted if the Smirnoff Black in the fridge doesn't intervene ;-)

You're a star for doing this Bernie - thanks. Wonderful tune. Hope to post my own version on YouTube one day.

[rcagianese]

Great tune I learned it and played it with Mp3 backup tracks!

[stratoleft]

I'm so glad you left this up Bernie so I could get back to doing this. I have it turned down and I can actually hear an orchestra in my mind which is the way it should be. Just like Allan Holdsworth's 4.15 Bradford Executive, Diamond Dust needs to be played with Bernie on guitar and an orchestra. It doesn't matter who; Boston or where I am in Louisiana. Indianapolis has a symphony too and they need to learn this so I could go see it happen. This song has too much graceful energy to do otherwise.

[stratoleft]

Wow! I finally got around to doing this. The happy part is that minor ninth thing just goes to other positions which makes things not so many different type of chords to remember. Just like the first open chord there for example, played also on the third fret, the 8th position and also the first position which is the Eb one. I got the Bmajb5 to Gbmaj9 with the Db transition real smooth, which is amazing how Bernie actually came up with this! How on earth did you dream up such a masterpiece?