#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------#
From: sprochi@phoenix.cis.ohio-state.edu (Keith Sprochi)

This is really reaching but I will try it anyway.  I think the chords are
c#m, A, B, f#m for the verse and then possibly c#m, A g#m or something like
that for the chorus.  When I played it with a band, my hand would ache after
a short time because of the barre chords so I now play it like this 
(although I haven't played it for months, so I don't know if this is right):


Verse (main riff)

---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------------------------------2--
-------14--------7-------9-------4-----
----14--------7-------9-------4--------
-12--------5-------7-------2-----------



I don't remember how the chorus goes;  I think I just strummed c#m, A, g#m
and f#m (but hearing it in my head, that last chord sounds like it should
be a seventh ???)

One thing to keep in mind is that chorus sounds great on this but with
a little distortion, the constant sliding around sounds pretty crappy if
you don't muffle the strings.  That is one problem I had anyway.

I hope that helps.









-- 
Keith D. Sprochi               "Hard times?  I'm used to them.  
CIS Hardware Staff              The speeding planet burns, I'm used to that.  
College of Engineering          My life's so common it disappears."
sprochi@cis.ohio-state.edu  


From uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!bu.edu!dartvax!coos.dartmouth.edu!mozart W
Article: 3632 of alt.guitar
Path: nevada.edu!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!bu.edu!dartvax!coos.dartmouth.
From: mozart@coos.dartmouth.edu (Sting)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar
Subject: Message in a Bottle
Message-ID: <1992May12.154616.24659@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
Date: 12 May 92 15:46:16 GMT
Sender: news@dartvax.dartmouth.edu (The News Manager)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 41

The chord outline for Message looks like this:

Verse:
C#add9  Aadd9  Badd9  F#add9 (sliding up to m3)  :|

"Chorus" 1  (I'll send an S.O.S....)
A   D  E   :|

"Chorus" 2  (I hope that some one gets my...)
F#m   D    :|

"Chorus" 3  (Message in a bottle...)
C#m   A   (repeat)  resolve to F#m then back to verse.

>From watching the old Police live tapes, you can see that
Andy plays the add9 chords something like this:

1---------------------------------------------------------------------1
2---------------------------------------------------------------------2
3----------8-----------4----------6-----------------------------------3
4------6-----------2----------4--------------6-7----------------------4
5--4-----------0----------2--------------4----------------------------5
6------------------------------------2--------------------------------6

I recommend doing the troups of three with fingers 1, 3, 4.  This way,
you can slide up from 6-7 on the final chord with your pinky and your
index will be in position over fret 4 to begin the cycle again.

I recommend barres for the chorus chords, to reproduce the original
feeling.  Try the 5th position A and D, 7th position E, 2nd position
F#m, and 4th position C#m.

Enjoy!
-Michael


--
Michael J. Fromberger| 
Composer, Guitarist| 
Sting@Dartmouth.EDU                     | 
|


From: "Donald W. Pope II" 


Message in a Bottle

The Police



This is the main riff:
                                                                               
E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|-------8--------4--------4-------------------------------------------------|
D-|----6--------2--------4-----------6-7--------------------------------------|
A-|-4--------0--------2-----------4-------------------------------------------|
E-|----------------------------2----------------------------------------------|

Play these lightly muted power chords next:

E-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B-|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G-|-----------------7-7-7-9-9-9-9-9-----------------7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----------|
D-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-9-9-9-9-9-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-----------|
A-|-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-7-5-5-5-7-7-7-7-7-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----------|
E-|-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-5-----------------2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2---------------------------|

Lightly strum these bar chords:
                                                                               
E-|-4---------------5---------------2-----------------------------------------|
B-|-5---------------5---------------2-----------------------------------------|
G-|-6---------------6---------------2-----------------------------------------|
D-|-6---------------7---------------4-----------------------------------------|
A-|-4-------------------------------4-----------------------------------------|
E-|---------------------------------2-----------------------------------------|

These are the basic parts to the song, just piece them together...

Don Pope