What is the "spy/james bond" chord?

[John Till]

The chord mr. beaumont and jazzbow contributed sounds right to me.
It's a G Major 7th Sharp Five (GM7#5) which is the flat-three chord of E Melodic Minor, the scale I'd play over it.
chord = G B D# F#
E Melodic Minor scale = E F# G A B C# D#

[IAMMRBONGO]

Originally Posted by John Till

The chord mr. beaumont and jazzbow contributed sounds right to me.
It's a G Major 7th Sharp Five (GM7#5) which is the flat-three chord of E Melodic Minor, the scale I'd play over it.
chord = G B D# F#
E Melodic Minor scale = E F# G A B C# D#

I use mr beumont's second inversion i.e. E,G,B,D#,F#. I've been using it for years and it's one of my favourite chords

The E in the base means that it's probably more accurate to read it as e min / maj 9. Because of the way you have to ommit so many notes on the guitar I suspect it's kind of ambiguous anyway

I often play this kind of chord progression using it

EminMaj9 /// Em6add9 /// Em9 /// Em6add9 /// C# 7(#5,#9)// B# 7(#5,#9) /// EminMaj9 /// Em6add9 ///

mmm melancholy

[mr. beaumont]

It's an Em/maj9, the song is very obviously in a minor key.

[IAMMRBONGO]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

It's an Em/maj9, the song is very obviously in a minor key.

I know. I was agreeing with you. I use the same inversion as you too. Just to sort this out once and for all. I've registered http://www.thebondchord.com and I am going to post the chord inversion and myself playing kazoo to the bond theme just for your sanity.

At the moment it's pointing to my blog. I'll use you second inversion of the chord. Give me a few minutes.

[mr. beaumont]

Yeah, sorry if it sounded like I wasn't agreeing with you--I was just trying to back you up--there's no reason to name that chord from the G...

[pingu]

2 points to Mr B (ond)

going to the source
YouTube - VIC FLICK, JAMES BOND THEME LIVE (FILM 99)

2.36 there it is ! ...........end of

-------------------------------------------------

what do you reckon Vic's playing at 2.08 for the V chord ?
I reckon its (with a B in the bass)

7 (= root)
8 (= #9 )
11 ( = nat 9)
x
x
x


nice rub huh ?

[IAMMRBONGO]

Originally Posted by pingu

2 points to Mr B (ond)

going to the source
YouTube - VIC FLICK, JAMES BOND THEME LIVE (FILM 99)

2.36 there it is ! ...........end of

-------------------------------------------------

what do you reckon Vic's playing at 2.08 for the V chord ?
I reckon its (with a B in the bass)

7 (= root)
8 (= #9 )
11 ( = nat 9)
x
x
x


nice rub huh ?

nope. That's not what he plays. He plays

x
x
11 (maj9)
13 (maj7)
14 (5)
15 (b3)

Root implied (E)

in that clip. Which is EminMaj9 the root is implied by the fact the tune is in e minor admit ably rather than played. Having said that if you don't play the root then it doesn't sound like the bond chord anyway as you don't have the context underneath.

Often in the movies the chord is played with the root on violins or a fuller version of the chord is played if no context is given by the previous score.

[IAMMRBONGO]

Originally Posted by IAMMRBONGO

nope. That's not what he plays. He plays

x
x
11 (maj9)
13 (maj7)
14 (5)
15 (b3)

Root implied (E)

in that clip. Which is EminMaj9 the root is implied by the fact the tune is in e minor admit ably rather than played. Having said that if you don't play the root then it doesn't sound like the bond chord anyway as you don't have the context underneath.

Often in the movies the chord is played with the root on violins or a fuller version of the chord is played if no context is given by the previous score.

Sorry pingu, ignore me. I missed the 2:08 bit

[pingu]

No worries ......... love your NAME !

any thoughts on the 2.08 chord ?
(the V chord B7 alt something)

[IAMMRBONGO]

Originally Posted by IAMMRBONGO

Sorry pingu, ignore me. I missed the 2:08 bit

I make it out to be EMin6 with b in the bass

7
5
6
5
X
7

[John Till]

As IAMMRBONGO and mr.beaumont point out, With an E on the bottom, it becomes a very rich sounding 5 note chord containing a 1, b3, 5, 7, 9
After all, if the song is in E, why not put an E on the bottom of the final chord?

But it's not actually there in the Youtube link posted by pingu, nor is it in the MGM Home Entertainment video "The Sound of James Bond", which ends with a close up of Vic Flick playing a solo guitar version of 5 verses, a chorus and the final chord.
In both of those examples I hear a 4 note chord G MAJ 7#5 with a G on the bottom.

Since the low E is available as an open string,
and could have easily been played,
I find it interesting that Mr. Flick chose not to.

He did play much of the melody on the low E string,
so perhaps he wanted to lighten the sound on the final chord.

It's true that sometimes 'less is more"
and what you leave out can be as
important as what you play.

x
7
8
9
10
x

[IAMMRBONGO]

Originally Posted by John Till

As IAMMRBONGO and mr.beaumont point out, With an E on the bottom, it becomes a very rich sounding 5 note chord containing a 1, b3, 5, 7, 9
After all, if the song is in E, why not put an E on the bottom of the final chord?

But it's not actually there in the Youtube link posted by pingu, nor is it in the MGM Home Entertainment video "The Sound of James Bond", which ends with a close up of Vic Flick playing a solo guitar version of 5 verses, a chorus and the final chord.
In both of those examples I hear a 4 note chord G MAJ 7#5 with a G on the bottom.

Since the low E is available as an open string,
and could have easily been played,
I find it interesting that Mr. Flick chose not to.

He did play much of the melody on the low E string,
so perhaps he wanted to lighten the sound on the final chord.

It's true that sometimes 'less is more"
and what you leave out can be as
important as what you play.

x
7
8
9
10
x

I agree in some respects but I still see it as EMinMaj9 (ommit 1) for the simple reason that implication is as important as the notes you decide to play. I wonder what it said in the original score. Neither one of us is wrong I don't think. You could view either as a substitution

It's good to hear different perspectives on these things as I tend to look at things from a piano player point of view where you have the tendency to cram as many notes in as you can.

Personally if I was to play the chord in isolation and try to make people think of bond I'd add the e as it just doesn't sound like bond without the tune before it.

[Jazz Junior]

Here's the theme, I transcribed it from the video above

YouTube Video

the end chords are wrong, and the intro's not perfect, but they work...


------12-----12---12-----------------------------------------------------------
---8----------------------------------------8h9p8------------------------------
-9--------9-----9----------------------10-----------7/8/9------10---11----12
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------7---------7-8--2--9----------------------8----10----11---12----

----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------- x2
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
-0---2-2-2--2---0-0-0--0---3-3-3--3---2-2-2--2

----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
-0---2-2-2--2---0-0-0--0---3-3-3--3---2-1-0----

---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
-6-5---2-0-2-------------------------------
---------------------------------------------

x2

---------11-10------6-7--------------------------------
-----8-----------8-------------8h10p8/7------5--------
--9------------------------------------------4----6-----
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------

--------11-10-----6-7-----------------------------
----8-----------8----------8h10p8/7--------------
-9---------------------------------------4---7--9--
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------

------------------------------------------------------------------
-5-5---5-7-5-7--8-8--8-7-5-7--5-5---5-7-5-7---8-8-8-7-5-7-
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------

----7---7-------7---7-------7--7--7--7--7-
----7---7-------7---7-------7--7--7--7--7-
----5---5-------5---5-------5--5--5--5--5-
---------------------------------------------
----7---7-------7---7-------7--7--7--7--7-
------------7-----------7--------------------


Then the E min/Maj 9???

[IAMMRBONGO]

Looks like John Barry has passed away today

[pingu]

Yes RIP John Barry ...... a GREAT writer and arranger

[paynow]

?James Bond Theme? Composer and Arranger John Barry Dies

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by IAMMRBONGO

Looks like John Barry has passed away today

Well, may the composer of one of the most recognizable themes of all time rest in peace.

I suppose this means we'll never know the answer to this question.

[matt.guitarteacher]

Fantastic film composer. I really never realized he was the James Bond guy. We listened to Out of Africa and Dances With Wolves for years though.

[Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D]

yes... the spy chord is Em maj9... something like...




---2------------------------------------------
---0------------------------------------------
---0------------------------------------------
---1------------------------------------------
---2------------------------------------------
---0------------------------------------------



...but what I want to know is Stravinsky's "rite of spring chord"!!!

...is it something like this? chunk chunk CHUNK chunk...




---x------------------------------------------
---5------------------------------------------
---7------------------------------------------
---6------------------------------------------
---8------------------------------------------
---x------------------------------------------

[jazzninja]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

try 0 10 9 8 7 x (you can also play the high E open, if you choose....)

it's an Em/maj9

Yeah, that's it. It also works well as an ending for minor key tunes

[dbennett]

Originally Posted by Bluezdog999

Hi, new here to this forum, the guitarist for the bond films is a guy named Vic Flick, he came up with that chord. He also scored music for the pink Panther films and the Beatles. Check his website out Vic Flick Guitarman.

Sorry I'm very late to this conversation, but I've just recently found this site. Vic Flick may have doodled around and found this chord, but the "James Bond" sound of moving it up and down is found in the 1958, Wes Montgomery song Mr. Walker on "The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery".

[Sky Harbor]

The famous 'James Bond' chord is an Em9#7 [or Em9(maj7)]:


||---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|



Another good (and a bit easier) voicing is:


||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|-•-|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-•-|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-•-|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|-•-|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|



(BTW: Is there a better character to use for the finger stops?)

An excellent chord for that 'sinister' effect!

Hope that helps!
- Sky

[Sky Harbor]

I've seen an incorrect version of the chord at 8notes.com using a C# instead of a D# like this:



||---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|-•-|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
||---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|



It's an interesting chord, but it's NOT the right one! Just play this one and then my version (above) and decide for yourself!

[jazzbow]

Aaaaarrgghhhh!

Its the Vic Flick Zombie thread........

[TruthHertz]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

It's an Em/maj9, the song is very obviously in a minor key.

Minor key? Are you sure? It doesn't sound sad to me. Not a sad chord, kinda like an angry spy-ee chord. What mode is the spy mode?

It's a secret spy chord. SECRET. If you post what it actually was, somebody would have to come and kill you or slice out your gonads with a laser beam.
David

[mr. beaumont]

I'm just bummed that so many years later we've still never gotten the right answer to this question.

[jazzbow]

Perhaps it was to be played with a Goldfinger? (sorry)

Thanks for the tabs, Diagrams are Forever! (ouch)

[mike g]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

try 0 10 9 8 7 x (you can also play the high E open, if you choose....)

it's an Em/maj9

Thats the chord....period...3rd post of this thread

[voxwerx]

e b d# g c# f#

[Fletch]

Am I allowed to mention The Beatles used the m +5 6 groove to great effect in Hey Bulldog over two minor chords ? !
James Bond groove fans check it out!