I was a big fan of Steppenwolf (still am), here is one of my favorites, Magic Carpet Ride.
This song is very easy and is a great lesson at playing solid rhythm guitar.
First, the music.
http://media.putfile.com/Magic-Carpet-Ride--Steppenwolf
That always helps. :D
Here is all the rhythm guitar parts. The section after the chorus is actually all played on keyboard, but you can play this part with long sustained barre chords.
I am not going to show the intro. That is played in E with distortion, a volume swell, and probably using the toggle switch on the guitar, perhaps a tremelo pedal could get this. The solo is played in E Major & Minor pentatonic scales, but just improvise for that.
I have tried to write out the G7, G5, and E7, E5 chord riff, probably not exactly right, but close. Listen to the recording to get it just right. Gotta put some funk in your playing for these parts.
D C G Bb G7 G5 E7 E5
e---5---3---3---1----------------------
b---7---5---3---3----6m---8p---3m---5p-
g---7---5---4---3----7r---7r---4r---4r-
d---7---5---5---3----5i---5i---2i---2i-
a---5---3---5---1----------------------
e-----------3--------------------------
Rhythm part 1
D C G
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
/ / / / / /
d d u d d d
D C G
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
/ / / / / / / /
d d u d d u d d
Rhythm part 2
Close… Look… Let…
G Bb C
e---3-------1-------3-----------
b---3-------3-------5-----------
g---4-------3-------5-----------
d---5-------3-------5-----------
a---5-------1-------3-----------
e---3---------------------------
Rhythm part 3
Away…
G7 G5 G7
e----------------------------------
b---6------------------8---6-------
g---7------------------7---7------- play 4X
d---5------------------5---5-------
a----------------------------------
e----------------------------------
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
/ / / / / / / / / /
d d u u d u d u d d
Intro to solo
E7 E5 E7
e----------------------------------
b---3------------------5---3-------
g---4------------------4---4------- play 4X
d---2------------------2---2-------
a----------------------------------
e----------------------------------
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
/ / / / / / / / / /
d d u u d u d u d d
Solo rhythm part
E5 E7
e---------------------------------
b---5----------------3------------
g---4----------------4------------
d---2----------------2------------
a---------------------------------
e---------------------------------
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
/ / / / / / / / / / / / / /
d d u u d u d u d u d u d u
And here's the lyrics.
(Part 1) I like to dream yes, yes, right between the sound machine
On a cloud of sound I drift in the night
Any place it goes is right
Goes far, flies near, to the stars away from here
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
You don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
(Part 2)Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away
(Rhythm part 3)
(Part 1)Last night I held Aladdin's lamp
And so I wished that I could stay
Before the thing could answer me
Well, someone came and took the lamp away
I looked a-round, a lousy candle's all I found
Well, you don't know what we can find
Why don't you come with me little girl
On a magic carpet ride
Well, you don't know what we can see
Why don't you tell your dreams to me
Fantasy will set you free
(Part 2)Close your eyes girl
Look inside girl
Let the sound take you away
(Rhythm part 3)
(Intro to solo)
(Solo rhythm part)
(Part 1) played over chorus and out
That's it, I've made it look much more difficult than it is. Just listen to the clip and get funky. 8)
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Thanks Wes, this is a cool song, definately going to try it out when I get home.
~Mike the Redneck Rocker.
"The only two things in life that make it worth living are guitars that tune good and firm feeling women" - Waylon
Awesome post! The rhythm you gave is perfect it sounds great! Thanks a ton!