Music Lesson: "Happy Again"

That's a tune titled Happy Again.

I wrote that after the Grim Reaper swung at me once, and he swung at me several times, really. I ducked, as Mark Twain said. So, I was happy to get all that sickness over with. I wrote that tune called Happy Again.

I think probably I should have called it Lucky Again because that's what I was. I was very lucky.

Overview of the Tune

It's just a simple little tune. A lot of the finger pickers are playing it, and Tom Bresh plays the heck out of it. I wish I could play it as well as he does.

Chord Progression

The tune starts out with an E augmented ninth. You know, the way you figure out what chords are is:

• 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
• You flat it. That's a flat 9 to a major sound.

See, what I do is get that going in the chord, and then while you keep the alternate bass going. Easy, simple, if you practice.

Now, let's break down the chord progression:

1. G flat 9 to D minor
2. Play a G flat 9 flat 5 to G7 to B minor
   (I don't know what that is. I just like it.)
3. Leave the second string open (B second, I guess you'd call it). I mean an A with a second in it.
4. Then,
   • C
   • It's a little hard to grab that.

Next, I don't know what that chord is, but it's an E augmented with a D in the bass.

1. Then it transitions to D major 7 to E.

2. C sharp 7th with an A flattened bass back to G to G9.

3. This would be to F sharp minor to B minor.

4. Finally, to B and then to a C with a 9 in it.

Practice Tips

I usually play these things a little faster than I'm playing on the tape because I want you to learn the things and see what I'm doing.

Ending

And the ending is... and then a B in the bass.