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Money (That’s What I Want) chords by Barrett Strong

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Money (That’s What I Want) | Chords + Lyrics

Intro

||: N.C :|| x4
||: F riff | F riff :||
| C | Bb | F riff | C5 |

Verse 1

Verse 2

Solo

| F7 | F7 | F7 | F7 |
| Bb7 | Bb7 | F7 | F7 |
| C7 | Bb7 | F7 | C7 |

Verse 3

| F N.C | N.C Bb5 |
Money don’t get everything it’s true,
| F N.C | N.C F7 |
but what it don’t get, I can’t use,
| Bb7 | Bb7 |
I need money (that’s what I want).
| F7 | F7 |
That’s what I want (that’s what I want).
| C | Bb | F7 | C5 |
That’s what I want (that’s what I want). That’s what I want (that’s what I want).

Outro chorus 1

| F7 | F7 | F7 | F7 |
Money (that’s what I want). Lots of money (that’s what I want).
| Bb7 | Bb7 | F7 | F7 |
Whole lot of money (that’s what I want). That’s what I want (that’s what I want).
| C | Bb | F riff | C5 |
That’s what I want (that’s what I want, that’s what I want).

Outro chorus 2

Money (That’s What I Want) Chords: Learn the progressions

To explain what the chords are is complicated as on the original recording of Money (That’s What I Want), the guitar plays the riff and stays with it as the band moves from F to Bb.

In cover versions of Money (That’s What I Want) (The Beatles, Roy Orbison, etc.) this rarely happens, instead, they move the riff with the progression.

What I ended up playing myself was a hybrid of all the influences I got as I learned the song.

By being open like this, I look for what the song wants in my particular band setup, rather than how to play what I copied and memorized from a single source.

All this means there is room here for you to design your part. Start with what I do, then consider your options.

Anyway, the chords are based on the 12-bar Blues, with and without stops. As the band moves to Bb (chord IV) you decide if you want to play the F riff or move the riff to Bb.

Thinking in Roman Numerals, F is chord I, Bb is IV and C is V. Here’s a chord chart I made for you.

Money (That’s What I Want) Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro

Once you know the riff and have decided if you’re going to move with the chords or not, all you need is a chord chart to remind you of what’s going on.

The A section is the verse with stops, the B section is the solo and the C section is the outro chorus where we play without stops. I feel this is a good place to start moving the riff to Bb.

Should you want to download my chart, here’s a PDF: Money (That’s What I Want) Chord Chart PDF.

This chart was created using iRealPro, here’s a link to that file: Money (That’s What I Want) iReal Pro.

Below, you get a preview of how I designed the solo, it incorporates and develops the vocal melody.

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Money (That’s What I Want) TAB | Course Preview

In the course, we go through everything I play in the video and discuss other options.

We also study the Minor Pentatonic and blues language and even play the vocal melody in all shapes.

In the play-along TAB loop video above, you’ll find the solo. I came up with this by using this methodology:

Start with learning to play the actual vocal melody in as many areas of the neck as possible
Use the melody’s note choices for your solo, change the rhythm
Use the melody’s rhythm, change the notes
Use the note choices of the riffs
Combine suitable chord licks with ideas from the song’s melody

Here’s the TAB for what I play (there’s also a TAB loop you can play along with above).

Here’s a link to the 8 step-by-step guitar lessons: Money (That’s What I Want) – Guitar Lessons with TAB.

Money (That’s What I Want) was Motown’s first hit!

Money (That’s What I Want) was the first successful single released by Motown, back in 1959.

Written by the founder of Motown himself and performed by Barrett Strong, it would mark the beginnings of the most important musical movement in the history of popular music.

Before the label had even found its sound, this blues-inspired pop tune crossed over from black musicians to white radio, and the money started to roll in for Berry Gordy to build his musical empire.

It wasn’t plain sailing straight away, Money (That’s What I Want) had to be released twice and so did the label’s second successful single, Shop Around (1960).

The first #1 came the following year with Please Mr. Postman by The Marvelettes, and in 1962 another Berry Gordy tune, Do You Love Me was a success.

Before the end of 1962 one more hit came in You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me.

This may sound great, five big tunes but considering the label had released 140 singles in four years, and Berry Gordy had written two of them, he must have had some doubt.

The following year when Stevie Wonder, Martha and the Vandellas, and Marvin Gaye started releasing tunes it was pretty much full steam ahead so if Money was what Berry wanted, he certainly got it!

Money (That’s What I Want) Chords | Related Pages

Money (That’s What I Want) | 8 Step-by-step Guitar Lessons + TAB

As well as learning the very interesting main riff of Money (That’s What I Want), there’s plenty more going on in these lessons.

As well as varying the turnaround, we also have a solo to get our teeth into. This is an important lesson as we can build any solo using this concept.

Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics

When you can play Money (That's What I Want)'s chords, try these five tunes from the songbook.

Berry Gordy tunes

Berry Gordy wrote Money (That's What I Want)

Berry Gordy is the man behind the hit factory that was Motown. The idea behind the label came from working in a car factory.

Housing the label, the studio, and a house band all in the same building proved to be a masterstroke as Berry set out to discover the greatest superstars of our time.

Berry Gordy on the web

Barrett Strong tunes

Barrett Strong wrote Money (That's What I Want).

Barrett Strong was the first artist on the Motown label to have a hit. The song was Money (That’s What I Want). Performed by Barrett, it was written by the president of the label and a sign of what was to come.

As well as his own solo career, Barrett also wrote many of Motown’s biggest hits.

Barrett Strong on the web

About me | Dan Lundholm

Dan Lundholm wrote this guitar lesson on Money (That's What I Want)'s chords.

This was a guitar lesson about Money (That’s What I Want) chords, by Dan Lundholm. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.

Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.