Money
by Pink Floyd
Difficulty Profile
Skill LevelOverall
AdvancedRhythm
AdvancedLead
AdvancedBass
IntermediateWhy "Money" Works Harmonically
Beyond standard guitar tabs and chord charts, discover the exact music theory mechanics, modal interchange, and voice leading choices that give Pink Floyd's classic its unforgettable emotional power.
7/4 Asymmetric Time Signature Minor Blues Shifting to Straight 4/4 for Three-Stage Solo Mastery
Roger Waters and David Gilmour created one of the only global hit singles written in 7/4 time. Accompanied by the rhythmic loops of cash registers and jingling coins, the 7-beat walking bass riff drives a modified 12-bar minor blues in B. When the guitar solo arrives, the rhythm section drops the 7th beat and shifts into straight 4/4 rock, giving Gilmour's screaming three-stage blues solo staggering momentum and release.
Harmonic Progression (Roman Numerals)
7/4 Minor Blues (Bm - Em - F#m) | 4/4 Straight Rock Solo (Bm - Em - F#m)Step-by-Step Movement
- •7/4 Bass Riff: Asymmetric 7-beat walking line in B Dorian/minor.
- •Bm (i): Heavy, swaggering minor tonic anchored by the 7/4 bassline.
- •Em (iv) to F#m (v): Minor subdominant and dominant completing the 12-bar blues cycle.
- •4/4 Solo Shift: Sudden metric transformation into straight 4/4 rock for Gilmour's iconic three-stage guitar solo.
Voice Leading & Counterpoint
- ›The 7/4 meter divides as 4 beats + 3 beats, creating a walking gait that feels perpetually on the move.
- ›The transition to 4/4 removes the 3-beat tail, creating an exhilarating rush of rock speed without actually changing tempo.
- ›Gilmour structured the solo in three acts: dry and compressed, double-tracked through custom fuzz, and soaring in wet tape delay.
Fretboard Mechanics
Count 7/4 as 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3 while playing the walking riff on the 5th and 4th strings. When the solo hits, lock into the straight 4/4 groove, dig in with 7th-position B minor pentatonic bends, and let your Stratocaster roar.
Shift time signatures at your song's climax. Moving from an odd meter (like 7/4) into straight 4/4 for an instrumental solo creates an explosive sensation of acceleration and freedom.
The foundation for Gilmour's screaming three-part solo.
Supplies the bright major sixth (G#) in the walking bass riff.
The progressive blues mode with smooth major-sixth color.
Staccato Bm7 chord stabs in 7/4 time.
Root-5 and Root-6 minor barre chords across the 12-bar blues.
Musical Analysis
🎹 Key & Tonality
⏱️ Song Structure
💡 Understanding B minor:
B minor has a darker, more introspective character. The Tour-de-force 7/4 time signature progressive blues rock that unexpectedly shifts into straight 4/4 for one of the greatest guitar solos of all time mode creates tension and emotion. This key is perfect for expressing melancholy or aggressive themes in rock music.
Primary Chords Used
Scale Patterns in B minor
B minor pentatonic / blues scale
Notes: B - D - E - F - F# - A
Application: The core vocabulary for David Gilmour's legendary three-stage guitar solo
Interactive Fretboard Map
Chord Progressions & Movement
Main Progression
12-bar minor blues progression played in an asymmetric 7/4 time signature, shifting to 4/4 for the solo.
💡 Theory Insight:
The I-IV-V progression is the foundation of rock, blues, and countless other genres. The I chord (tonic) establishes home, IV (subdominant) creates movement, and V (dominant) builds tension that resolves back to I.
Chord Shapes In This Section:
Bm
Em
F#m
Harmonic Functions & Roles:
- Bm (i)Heavy, swaggering minor tonic anchored by the 7/4 bassline
- Em (iv)Minor subdominant raising the tension in the 12-bar blues cycle
- F#m (v)Minor dominant providing dark, brooding turnaround resolution
Key Techniques
7/4 Asymmetric Meter & Three-Stage Solo Dynamics
AdvancedInternalizing the 7/4 time signature (counted as 1-2-3-4-1-2-3) while locking tight with cash register sound effects, followed by a sudden shift to straight 4/4 for epic blues-rock soloing
Uses chords:
Progression:
Bm - Em - F#m
Technique Tips:
- •Gilmour structured the solo in three distinct sonic textures: dry and compressed, double-tracked through a custom fuzz, and wide open with rich reverb/delay
- •The shift from 7/4 to 4/4 creates an immense feeling of acceleration and release
- •Count 7/4 as two groups: a measure of 4/4 plus a measure of 3/4
Practice Exercises
Scale and technique exercises in the key of B minor. Switch instrument sounds (Acoustic Steel, Nylon, Clean Electric, Piano) and practice at your own tempo.
7/4 Main Bass & Guitar Riff
7/4 Walking Riff Hook
One of the most famous odd-meter guitar and bass riffs in music history.
- •Count 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 per measure
- •Crisp pick articulation on the single notes
- •Lock tightly with the rhythmic cash register sound effects
7/4 Verse Chord Stabs
7/4 Verse Chord Stabs
Tight staccato chord stabs on Bm7 supporting David Gilmour's vocal lines.
- •Kill note duration instantly with fretting fingers
- •Hit beats 1, 3, 5, and 7 with precision
- •Leave space for the vocal narrative
4/4 Guitar Solo Fire
4/4 Blues Solo Lead
Gilmour's legendary three-stage guitar solo shifting into driving 4/4 blues-rock.
- •Sudden shift to straight 4/4 feel
- •Aggressive blues pentatonic bends in 7th position
- •Screaming pick harmonics and singing vibrato
Equipment & Tone Setup
🎸 Guitar
Recommended Model:
Pickup Type:
Bridge single-coil for cutting 7/4 riff and searing 4/4 solo lead
⚡ Amplifier & Settings
Recommended Amp:
Tone Stack Dial-In:
Gain: 5.5 (clean punch with aggressive pick response)
Treble: 7
Middle: 7
Bass: 6
Presence: 6.5
🎛️ Effects Pedals
Overdrive / Distortion:
Colorsound Power Boost & Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face (Silicon)
Reverb / Delay:
Abbey Road studio chamber reverb
Modulation / Other:
Dunlop 0.88mm tortex plectrum
Recommended Learning Path
The 7/4 Riff Notes
⏱️ 1-2 weeks
- •Learn the exact note sequence of the walking riff on strings 5, 4, and 6
- •Count 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 slowly at 80 BPM
- •Lock the riff into continuous loops without hesitating on beat 1
7/4 Chords & 4/4 Solo Shift
⏱️ 2-4 weeks
- •Master the staccato Bm7 chord stabs in 7/4 time
- •Practice the metric transition from 7/4 verse into straight 4/4 rock
- •Play along with the studio track at 120 BPM
The Complete Three-Stage Solo
⏱️ 4-6 weeks
- •Learn all three choruses of Gilmour's 4/4 solo note-for-note
- •Replicate the sonic progression: dry compressed clean → double-tracked fuzz → soaring wet delay
- •Master Gilmour's aggressive full-step bends, pinch harmonics, and wide vibrato
Practice Notes & Routine
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- •Dropping the 7th beat in the 7/4 riff (turning it accidentally into 6/4 or 4/4)
- •Getting thrown by the sudden time signature shift from 7/4 to 4/4 at the solo
- •Under-bending on the 10th fret high E string in the solo
⏱️Targeted Practice Routine
0/4 Completed (0%)Check off each segment during your session to track your practice progress:
- 5 minutes: 7/4 counting drill out loud (1-2-3-4, 1-2-3)
- 10 minutes: 7/4 walking riff at 90 BPM → 120 BPM with metronome
- 5 minutes: Metric transition drill (4 bars of 7/4 into 4 bars of 4/4)
- 5 minutes: 4/4 solo phrasing and bending practice
🎯 Key Focus Areas
- •7/4 time signature stability
- •Clean staccato muting on chord stabs
- •Pitch precision on high blues bends
⏱️ Metronome Drills
- •Set metronome to 7/4 at 100 BPM, counting 1-2-3-4-5-6-7 with accents on beats 1 and 5