Date: Fri, 18 May 2001 13:12:07 -0400
From: Bruce.Packett@equiscorp.com
Subject: p/police/tea_in_the_sahara.crd

"Tea in the Sahara" - by The Police from Synchronicity
   words & music by Sting

That being said, it hardly needs to be pointed out that only
ambient guitar exists in this song and that it only implies a certain chord
structure.  The bass guitar and the vocal melody can gives us clues,
however, as to what should or could be "strummed" or implied by your own
unique parts.  The song begins with a partly syncopated bass riff that goes
... (C# C# B C#) with variations.  The ambience (and the bass) strictly
implies an unchanging C#m chord throughout the opening measures.

The verses kick in with a change of key from C#m to F#m and basically
rotate only 2 chords.  The melody almost makes you think F#m to Bmajor, but
the second bass root is an A.  That being said, you want to play an A
tonic, but also sneak in the 9th (B) on the change (keeping in line with
Summers' repeated use of the 9th on a slew of Police hits - c.f. Message in
a Bottle, Every Breath You Take, et al.).  So the verses go:

F#m
My ...
Amaj9
Have ...
F#m
And it ...
Amaj9
As if ...

... etc., etc., for each verse.

The verse chords can be voiced as:
-2-     -0-
-2-     -5-
-2-     -6-
-4-     -9-
-4-     -0-
-2-     ---

The voices are changeable, obviously, esp. the Amaj9, which you can strum
or voice or imply a number of ways.

The chorus chords are mostly implied (as the rest) by the bass root.  It is
an extremely basic progression.  E major for 2 bars, A major for 1 and B
major for 1.  So it goes:

E                       A        B
Tea in the Sahara, with you

... and as such for each line of the chorus.

A neat way to voice the chorus chords if you are strumming along is:

-0-   -0-   -0-
-0-   -0-   -0-
-9-   -6-   -8-
-9-   -7-   -9-
-7-   -7-   -9-
-0-   -5-   -7-

This way you can follow the bass progression and melody while harmonically
insisting on the tonic (E) with the open E and B strings.

As with many Police tunes, the rhythm is halting and slightly irregular.
And in this case the harmonic ambience is acting as an interesting fluid
backdrop; therefore, the rhythmic aspects of any implied or expressed
guitar parts are dependent on your function.

Keep in mind that after one of the latter choruses the C# intro is
reinstated and the bass sits on the B for a half-measure before going back
to the F#m verse.

Very nice, spacey tune - have fun with it.

The preceding transcription comes from no known publication and is strictly
the interpretation of its author.

Submitted by B.J. Packett II
brjulian@aol.com