Question about the opening of "Tear it up" live.

I have been scratching my noggin' over this one for a while. Does anyone know what chords or technique is being used just after the intro notes of TEAR IT UP (live)? It is something of a "wobbly shuffle", Brian is stationary on one chord and using the bigsby at the beginning of the song. He has used this technique for years, even at the 1984 New Year's Eve ball on MTV.

Niblos wrote:

I have been scratching my noggin' over this one for a while. Does anyone know what chords or technique is being used just after the intro notes of TEAR IT UP (live)? It is something of a "wobbly shuffle", Brian is stationary on one chord and using the bigsby at the beginning of the song. He has used this technique for years, even at the 1984 New Year's Eve ball on MTV.

I did not seen that video but as you explain i think it's a 9 chord (maybe E9 because Tear it Up is in E)as that D9 chord that he actually uses in ROCK THIS TOWN live version (before the refrain " rock this town,rock it inside out...").It's a Western Swing tecnique,very funny.

I agree that it probably is a 9 chord, however be aware that there are a few different videos of Tear It Up Live currently on Youtube, each of which Brian Setzer plays the intro. slightly differently. As I'm not sure which video you're referring to, I'll mention that the chord could be an E9, E6, E6/9 or E played around the 12th fret, or down at the 7th fret. In one of the videos, Brian Setzer plays practically the same chord quality (i.e. 9, 6, or major) but changes to A and B as the song does as it's a blues progression. The key thing that he does in technique is either via the bigsby or by sliding the whole chord back and forth from a half-step below (i.e. E-Eb-E-Eb-E) he develops that half-step tension-resolution thing (sort of like vibratoing a note only with the whole chord). Other notable examples of this include the solo from "Built for Speed" and "Twenty Flight Rock" from the 2004 Rumble In Brixton show (Stray Cats DVD).

I haven't really searched on youtube (he does a version with D. Edmunds) but you are describing exactly what I mean. I thought in the 1984 ball is stayed on one chord or perhaps was moving it a half step, like you said, but there seems to be something going on with the bigsby. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing something. I'll try it some more. Thanks! Setzer is something else!

Davy Jones wrote:

I agree that it probably is a 9 chord, however be aware that there are a few different videos of Tear It Up Live currently on Youtube, each of which Brian Setzer plays the intro. slightly differently. As I'm not sure which video you're referring to, I'll mention that the chord could be an E9, E6, E6/9 or E played around the 12th fret, or down at the 7th fret. In one of the videos, Brian Setzer plays practically the same chord quality (i.e. 9, 6, or major) but changes to A and B as the song does as it's a blues progression. The key thing that he does in technique is either via the bigsby or by sliding the whole chord back and forth from a half-step below (i.e. E-Eb-E-Eb-E) he develops that half-step tension-resolution thing (sort of like vibratoing a note only with the whole chord). Other notable examples of this include the solo from "Built for Speed" and "Twenty Flight Rock" from the 2004 Rumble In Brixton show (Stray Cats DVD).

You're right! he plays the same chord in ROCK THIS TOWN at the 10th fret.
sorry for my english,i'm from Italy!!!