I've been trying to understand Paul Butterfield's solo in Mary Mary and I just can't understand how it works. The chord progression during the solo is G-A-D. Given those three chords, the fact that the D comes last, and just the way it feels to me, the key is D. But he plays the solo on a D harp and it sounds solidly in 2nd position (key of A). For example, the opening riff he repeats a couple times is basically 4 draw sliding down to a 2 draw.
So it appears that he's playing a D harp in second position in the key of A, over a chord progression in the key of D. Or perhaps he's being crafty and choosing his notes more carefully than is apparent and is really soloing in first position in the key of D.
In any case, it sounds great. But it bugs me that I can't quite put my finger on why.
@greyOwl Yes, I've watched this before. Ronnie breaks down the solo and its solidly in second position. Note that Ronnie says he's playing a D harp in 2nd which is key of A. But clearly the chord progression is in D under the solo. I'm just trying to get a feel for why it works so well.
Everyone uses the word "attack" when talking about Butterfield's playing. And I agree!
Last Edited by jpmcbride on Feb 25, 2021 7:01 AM
I am stretching my theory limits here, but this may be what is going on. Please forgive me if I am mistaken in this.
Consider the G-A-D progression to be the flat 7, 1, 4 notes building a chord. That would make the G-A-D note progression behind the solo be an arpeggiated A7sus4 chord. If that is the case, this is a second position solo on a D harp over an A chord.
The scale/mode usually associated with A7sus4 chord is the Mixolydian scale, which fits crossharp on a D harmonica.
Just one way to look at it that might make sense. ----------
@dougharps Yes, I considered the idea of considering the progression to be in A. But it really feels like D to me.
But this just shows the ambiguity of the concept of the key of a song. In this case the GAD progression feels like D all by itself. But with a solo in A laying over the top of it, I guess it the progression might be considered in the key of A. I suppose you have to take all the elements of the harmony together when considering the key. Thanks @dougharps, your comments helped.
I have always considered this song to be in the key of A. After all, the melody is in A. A little bit of trivia - the Monkees also did this song. It was written by the guys who wrote most (all?) of the Monkees' songs; I wonder how Butterfield got hold of it. He sure made it sound funky.
Not exactly . . . https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Nesmith He wrote more Monkees’ songs than the other three, but most of their early stuff was by outside writers— He became wealthy because his mom invented Liquid Paper.
The main riff underlying it is clearly in D. But the little piano fill and Butterfield's vocal are decidedly in A.
The end of the bridge, though, presents the A chord at the end like it's arriving at the home chord (as opposed to the V chord, about to be resolved to the D I chord at the start of the following verse). The piano riff and organ swell that follow make it clear that the tonality is A.
Butterfield's solo is over that D riff, but partly by force of energy and party due to the previous hints, it comes out as sounding like second position.
I wonder whether this sort of sophisticated treatment was the band's idea or came from one of the producers. I remember at the time everyone was going - What? A Monkees song on a Butterfield album? And of course, this album departed radically from the white-boy-blues-band sound that had been the main MO of the previous album, what with recording a jazz tune (Work Song) and the modal jam East West, which some credit with starting the whole Acid Rock style.
Just gave the track a good listen. The riff is G A D, but that’s an A tonality. The cognitive dissonance comes from the placement of the tonic note on a weak beat, but it’s like in Salsa, where the bass player doesn’t anchor the beat. The A tonality is implied, but it’s tangible.
Edit: referring to the chords for the original (Monkees) version—
The movement for the verse is I IV—they put it in B— That fits with the riff on the PB version—G A is the I7, D is the IV.
"The Monkees' "Mary Mary" was not released as a single in the USA in the 1960s" According to Wiki-- Doesn't mean they didn't play it on the radio . . .
The Monkees obviously did this song first and I was very surprised that Butterfield recorded this song. I remember thinking what the hell is going on here. A blues musician coming out with a Monkees'song.
Agree with Gnarly's assessment. When I listen to the tune it seems "chords" are not really G-A-D rather that just the "riff" or the bass line is playing those notes. If I was going to play chords behind it I'd just be alternating between A and D every two beats. So it's really just key of A alternating between the 1 and 4 chords for the verse. ---------- AJ Silverberg www.hearaj.com