Chords + Lyrics | Sir Duke
Intro
||: B | G#m(add9addb5) | G | F#7 :||
Verse 1
| B | G#m | G | F#7 |
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand.
| B | G#m | G | F#7 F7 |
With an equal opportunity for all to sing, dance, and clap their hands.
Bridge 1
| E9 Eb9 D9 Db9 | D9 Eb9 E9 |
But just because a record has a groove don’t make it in the groove.
| E9 Eb9 D9 Db9 | D9 Eb9 E9 F#7 |
But you can tell right away at letter A, when the people start to move.
Chorus 1
||: B | Fm7 | Emaj7 B/D# | C#m7 F#7 F#7sus4 :||
They can feel it all over, but they can feel it all over people.
They can feel it all over, they can feel it all over people, no.
Instrumental 1
||: B Major Blues riff :|| x7
Yeah. Ha ha ha!
| (B Major Blues riff) F# |
Verse 2
Music knows that it is and always will be one of the things that life just won’t quit.
But here are some of music’s pioneers that time will not allow us to forget now.
Bridge 2
For there’s Basie, Miller, Satchmo and the king of all, Sir Duke.
And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out there’s no way the band could lose.
Chorus 2
You can feel it all over. You can feel it all over people.
You can feel it all over. You can feel it all over people.
You can feel it all over. You can feel it all over people.
You can feel it all over. You can feel it all over, yeah go!
Instrumental 2
||: B Major Blues riff :|| x7
| (B Major Blues riff) F# |
Chorus 3
You can feel it all over. You can feel it all over people.
You can feel it all over. You can feel it all over people.
You can feel it all over. You can feel it all over people.
You can feel it all over. I can feel it all, all, all-all-all over now people.
Can’t you feel it all over? Come on, let’s feel it all over people.
You can feel it all over. Everybody all over people, go!
Instrumental 3
||: B Major Blues riff :|| x7
Don’t wanna look. Ha ha.
| (B Major Blues riff) F# |
Sir Duke Chords: Exploring Stevie Wonder’s Harmonic Genius
Another Stevie Wonder masterpiece, Sir Duke is filled with rich, sophisticated chord movements.
Intro + Verse
The song starts in B major, with an intro that follows the verse progression but is played using arpeggios rather than full chords. The progression itself follows I – VI – bVIx – V, with the VI chord voiced as a minor add9 with a b5 to reflect the intro’s distinctive intervals:
||: B | G#m(add9addb5) | G | F#7 :||
To nail the intro, you’ll need TAB, as the exact voicings are essential. In the verse, the chords remain the same but without the elaborate extensions.
Here’s the TAB lesson: Sir Duke – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Bridge
The bridge introduces a chromatic sequence, moving from IV down to bIIIx, then back up, before resolving on V:
| E9 Eb9 D9 Db9 | D9 Eb9 E9 |
| E9 Eb9 D9 Db9 | D9 Eb9 E9 F#7 |
This is a textbook example of tritone substitutions, a concept I cover in my chord progression mini-course, using Sir Duke as an example.
Chorus
If the chords have felt intense so far, the chorus takes things even further:
||: B (I) | Fm7 (#IVm) | Emaj7 (IV) B/D# (I/3) | C#m7 (II) F#7 (V) F#7sus4 :||
That Fm7 is particularly intriguing—if it were F7, we could call it a tritone substitution, but as it stands, it’s simply a classic Stevie Wonder chord that only he can get a way with!
Finally, the instrumental section is based on the B major blues scale—essentially a major pentatonic with a b5. To get this part right, you’ll need TAB (linked above).
Once you’ve mastered the parts, this chord chart will help keep you on track when playing Sir Duke live.
Sir Duke Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: Sir Duke chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: Sir Duke iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key which sometimes happens as most sax players prefer the key of Bb, you have been warned…
Sir Duke TAB | Course Preview
In the course, you get TAB for Sir Duke, including that legendary breakdown section.
As a preview, here’s the super simple bridge—try experimenting with string choices. For example, skip the 5th string and leave that to the bass player. Or take it further: play strings 2–4 on the beat, and just strings 2 and 3 off the beat!
About Stevie Wonder’s musical heroes
Written as a tribute to Duke Ellington and other jazz greats who influenced Stevie Wonder—including Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, and Glenn Miller—Sir Duke is a love letter to the legends of music.
This wasn’t the only time Stevie honoured his inspirations. Master Blaster paid tribute to Bob Marley, while Happy Birthday was dedicated to Martin Luther King Jr.
Released in 1977 as a single from Songs in the Key of Life, Sir Duke has become one of Stevie Wonder’s signature songs. It’s a must-know for any serious musician looking to play in a soul band.
The song’s instrumental section is a great test of your major blues scale knowledge—just as Master Blaster challenges your minor pentatonic skills.
Sir Duke Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: Sir Duke (Stevie Wonder) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
