This is because there are subtleties in the voicings of the harmony that sometimes bringing entirely new colors to the way a usually boring chord progression sounds.These subtleties include chord inversions, open vs. closed voicings, specific voice leading, and added suspensions and color notes. To play a song correctly, one must not only play accurate chords, but try to replicate these harmonic subtleties found in the recording. Then you can bring some of that magic back to life in your playing. Or, you could just learn how to play better… =p

This song is, essentially, a “groove” song, in that there is a steady groove and 4-chord progression that remains constant throughout the entire track.

The Harmony

The guitar, which plays rhythmically on the ‘ands’ of each beat, and the bass (which lies the foundation), provide the best look at these chords. The basic structure of the chord progression is extremely common, and certainly nothing special. With a quick listen, it seems the progression is simply I-IV-V-V, or I-IV-ii-V. However, there are some important subtleties that make the difference.

First of all, every 2^nd set of the chord progression contains a suspended 3 in the bass, giving the chord a I6 (as notated in classical theory) sound. The chords are basic and anchored enough as it is, so this move does not throw off the listener.

Second, during the prechorus and chorus, when the background synths enter, the third chord is voiced as a sus4… a typical, cliché move for a pop song. However, the bass is the 2, not the 5, creating yet another interesting suspended color… it is a chord that cannot be easily labeled.

So why the adjustments?
These suspensions in the harmony work together with the rhythmic groove to enhance the Reggae concept. Reggae’s groove is about creating this sense of suspension, certainly in a rhythmic sense—a persistent avoidance of downbeats, emphasis of the offbeat. The suspensions of chords, through use of inversions, further this concept in the harmony as well.

The Groove

Here’s a look at what the guitar and bass are doing throughout the song (I did this quickly, so it may not be 100% correct, but it demonstrates the groove):

Guitar & Bass
The guitar plays on the ‘and’s of each beat, following a typical reggae style. The bass, with the exception of the downbeat of every two measures, anticipates each downbeat. The bass notes are not held throughout the measure, creating a more percussive feel. The sixteenth note subdivision of the groove is created in part by this bassline. At the end of every four measures is an anchored dominant to land the listener on the tonic at the start of the groove again.

The Drums
During the breakdown and a small part of the intro, the drummer (computer samples) simply plays on the 2 and 4. This is cool. Again, enforcing the reggae concept of avoiding the downbeat. However, the main drum beat played through the song is not as hip (in my opinion). Hi-hat plays the sixteenth note subdivision, and the drum beat is reminiscent of that annoying white boy beat you often hear amateur drummers playing. An extra track of two or three clapping on the 2 and 4 is also a nice addition to the groove (not an uncommon trick). Whenever I hear that, I know I want to clap with them =)

The Funky Guitar Line
There is also a funky, percussive single-line groove played on guitar, on the choruses and throughout the end of the song. In my experience, this always does wonders, adding that special funky touch to a groove. Just have the guitarist play the root of the tonic, throughout all the chords (assuming there aren’t any harmonic modulations or really out chords), rhythmically at the smallest subdivision level in the groove. He should alternate a bit with the 7 or 6 of the scale (depends if minor or major), and sometimes follow the pentatonic scale to add other notes, just for a little bit of variation. But not too much—this is not supposed to steal the spotlight, but simply add to the groove. An experienced studio guitarist will know what you’re talking about if you begin to describe this to him.