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I Bought a Flat Guitar Tutor

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"I Bought a Flat Guitar Tutor"
Song by 10cc
from the album Deceptive Bends
ReleasedMay 1977 (1977-05)
RecordedStrawberry Studios South (Dorking, Surrey)
GenreNovelty
Length1:48
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)10cc

"I Bought a Flat Guitar Tutor" is a song by the British rock band 10cc appearing on their fifth studio album, Deceptive Bends (1977).

The song is quite short and often thought of as a novelty piece amongst fans. The lyrics to the song are all puns for musical terminology. Whenever Eric Stewart sings the name of a chord, that chord is played as part of the music to the song. The chart below attempts to explain this idea.

  • I bought A = A major (A C♯ E)
  • [A] flat = A Flat major (A♭ C E♭)
  • [A flat] diminished = A Flat diminished (A♭ Cb E♭♭)
  • Responsibility (responsibilitE)= E Major (E G♯ B)
  • You're de ninth = D9 (D F♯ A C E)
  • Person to see = C Major (C E G)
  • To be suspended = Bsus4 (B E F♯)
  • in a seventh = A7 (A C♯ E G)
  • [a seventh] major catastro- = A Major 7th (A C♯ E G♯)
  • phe = E major (E G# B)
  • It's a minor = A minor (A C E)
  • point, but Gee = G major (G B D)
  • [but gee,] Augmented = G augmented (G B D♯)
  • [Gee, augmented] by the sharpness of your = G sharp augmented (G♯ B♯ D♯♯)
  • See what I'm going through (C#) = C# Major
  • A (A) = A Major
  • to be (B) = B Major (B D♯ F♯) with you E major (E G# B)
  • in a = A Major
  • [in a] flat = A flat
  • by the sea = C Major, C Major7, C 7, C & ad g