Taken Care of Business Chords: Why This 3-Chord Classic Is Harder Than It Looks

You think you know it. Honestly, everyone does. You hear that opening chug—that syncopated, greasy riff—and your brain instantly fills in the rest. It's Bachman-Turner Overdrive. It’s 1973. It’s Randy Bachman’s masterpiece of blue-collar rock. But when you actually sit down with a guitar to play the taken care of business chords, things usually fall apart faster than a cheap amp.

Most people just play three bar chords and call it a day. They’re wrong.

The song is deceptively simple, yet remarkably nuanced. It sits in that sweet spot of Canadian classic rock where jazz sensibilities meet garage band grit. Randy Bachman wasn't just some guy banging out power chords; he was a guy who studied under jazz legend Lenny Breau. That influence is all over this track, even if it’s buried under layers of distortion and Fred Turner’s gravelly vocals. If you want to play it right, you have to stop thinking like a rock star and start thinking like a rhythm section.

The Basic Skeleton: What Chords Are We Actually Using?

At its core, the song is built on a Mixolydian foundation. We’re in the key of C. Sorta.

The main progression follows a I - bVII - IV pattern. In plain English for the key of C, that means you’re looking at C Major, Bb Major, and F Major. If you look at a lead sheet, that’s what you’ll see. But if you just strum those as standard open chords or even standard E-shape bar chords, it sounds like a campfire cover. It lacks the "stank."

The magic of the taken care of business chords isn't just the notes; it's the voicing and the rhythmic "chug." Bachman uses a specific "boogie-woogie" pattern on the lower strings. For the C chord, you aren't just holding a shape. You’re alternating between the 5th and the 6th of the scale. You’re hitting that C5 power chord and then stretching your pinky to hit the A note on the D string. It gives it that moving, train-like momentum.

1. C Major (The Root): Focus on the A and D strings.
2. Bb Major (The Flat Seven): This provides the "bluesy" lift.
3. F Major (The Four): The resolution back to the start.

Interestingly, many transcriptions forget the piano’s role. Norman Durkee, the session player who famously walked in and nailed the piano part in one take, added those gospel-inspired clusters that make the chords feel much "thicker" than they actually are on guitar. If you're playing solo, you have to mimic that density.

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Why Your Rhythm Is Killing the Vibe

You’ve got the fingers in the right place. Great. Now, why does it sound stiff?

The rhythm of "Takin' Care of Business" is heavily syncopated. It’s not a straight 4/4 "down-up-down-up" strum. It’s a shuffle. There is a "swing" to it that most modern rock players miss because they’re used to straight eighth notes. Bachman-Turner Overdrive was essentially a heavy blues band.

Listen to the way the drums and the guitar lock in. It’s a "push." You hit the C, then there’s a slight hesitation before the Bb. That Bb is often played as a quick "up-hit" or a grace note before landing hard on the F. It’s about the space between the notes. If you don't leave the silence, the chords don't breathe.

Then there's the "work" factor. The song is literally about working. The rhythm should feel mechanical but human—like a factory line that has a little bit of a soul. You’re palm-muting the lower strings slightly to keep the resonance from getting muddy. If you let those low strings ring out too much, the taken care of business chords turn into a wash of noise that loses the hook.

The "Secret" Chord in the Pre-Chorus

Everyone remembers the main riff. Nobody pays attention to the transition.

When the song moves toward the "and I'll be taking care of business" hook, there is a subtle shift. It’s not just the same three chords looped forever. There is a tension-building section where the band hangs on a chord to create anticipation.

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In some live versions, Randy plays around with a G chord or a suspended feel before dropping back into the C. It creates a "V" (five) chord tension that demands a resolution. Without that tension, the chorus doesn't "hit" when it returns to the root. It’s basic music theory, but in the heat of a loud rock song, it’s the first thing people forget.

Also, let's talk about the solo. People think the solo is just blues scale wailing. It’s not. It’s melodic. Bachman focuses on chord tones. He plays over the changes. When the rhythm hits the Bb, he’s highlighting notes from the Bb triad. This is why the song feels so cohesive; the lead and the rhythm are speaking the same language.

Gear and Tone: Getting the "BTO" Sound

You can have the perfect taken care of business chords and still sound wrong if your tone is too "modern." This isn't high-gain metal. It’s not "clean" country either.

It’s "edge of breakup."

Randy Bachman famously used a 1959 Gibson Les Paul (the "Bird" guitar) through a variety of setups, but the key was often a small amp pushed to its limits. Think of a Fender Tweed or a Marshall Plexi with the volume rolled back just a hair. You want enough distortion that the chords sustain, but enough clarity that you can hear the individual notes in the Bb and F.

• The Pickup: Use the bridge pickup for the bite.
• The Tone Knob: Roll it back to about 7 or 8. This removes the ice-pick highs and gives it that "woody" 70s resonance.
• The Attack: Hit the strings hard. This is blue-collar rock. You aren't tickling the guitar; you're working it.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

One of the biggest mistakes is playing it too fast. In the studio, the track sits at a comfortable, driving tempo—roughly 128 BPM. Most cover bands get excited and push it to 140 BPM. At that speed, the shuffle feel disappears and it becomes a punk song. It loses the "swing."

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Another mistake? The Bb chord. People often play a Bb5 power chord. While that works, the original recording has a lot of "major" flavor. If you include that D note (the major third of Bb), it brightens the whole progression.

Lastly, the ending. The "fade out" on the record is legendary, featuring those frantic piano runs and vocal ad-libs. If you’re playing this live, you need a "big rock" ending. Most pros end on a sustained C Major chord with a lot of feedback. Simple, but effective.

Real-World Practice Steps

If you want to actually master this, don't just play along to the track once and quit.

First, practice the "boogie" stretch. If your hand cramps up, you're doing it right—at first. You have to build that muscle memory in your pinky to hit the 6th interval on the C and F chords. It’s a classic Chuck Berry move, and it’s the engine of the song.

Second, record yourself playing the main riff. Listen back. Are you rushing the Bb? Are you hitting the strings too softly? The taken care of business chords require a specific "thump." Compare your recording to the original 1973 "Bachman-Turner Overdrive II" album track. Notice how the bass and guitar are almost indistinguishable in the low-end frequencies.

Finally, try playing it with just a drummer. If it sounds "empty," your chord voicings are too thin. Use full bar chords but focus the energy on the D, G, and B strings. This provides the "meat" of the sound without the muddiness of the low E string overstaying its welcome.

The beauty of this song is its accessibility. It’s one of the first songs many guitarists learn, but it’s also a song that professional session players respect for its rock-solid construction. It’s an anthem for a reason.

Actionable Next Steps:

1. Isolate the Shuffle: Practice the C to Bb to F transition with a metronome set to a "swing" or "shuffle" setting to ensure you aren't playing straight eighths.
2. Voicing Check: Swap your standard E-shape bar chords for "A-shape" bar chords on the 3rd and 8th frets to see how the different string tension changes the "bark" of the riff.
3. Dynamic Control: Practice the verses at a lower volume (palm-muted) and "open up" the chords fully during the chorus to mimic the song's natural build.
4. Tone Dial-In: Set your gain so that the chord is clean when you pick lightly and breaks up into distortion when you dig in hard.