Off of the early Santana album, Abraxas, “Black Magic Woman” has one of the more memorable guitar intros ever recorded. Though written by Peter Green for Fleetwood Mac, Santana took the song and made it his own.
The use of slides in the lead is so simple, but makes for such a mellow and moody part. At the end it goes into a major jam called “Gypsy Queen”.
“Black Magic Woman” arranges for ʻukulele nicely, provided you can pull off some sort of spin on the big electric tone that Santana has. To do this, try picking with the flesh of your finger instead of a fingernail or pick.
One of the main features of the picking part are the slides up and down. These are all played as fast transitions between the notes so be sure to push through them quickly instead of bumping your finger along, one fret at a time.
The chords are a minor blues in Dm that’s a fun change for your standard 12-bar pattern. You can simplify each chord for an easier version of the song by playing a plain minor chord instead of the minor 7th shape. For example, Dm7 would become Dm.
You can find charts for these minor ʻukulele chords here.
Intro:
Dm
|------------|--------------|-------------|------------|----------|
|-3s1--------|--------------|-------------|------------|-1h3p1----|
|------------|------------2s|=4s2---------|------------|----------|
|------------|--------------|-------------|------------|----------|
|--------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
|------------1-|----------------|-------------|-5----3----1p0--|
|--------------|-2s4s2----------|-------------|----------------|
|--------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
Gm Dm7
|-------------|---------------|-------------|---------------|
|-------------|-3----1--------|-------------|-5----3----1p0-|
|-------------|-----------4s2-|-------------|---------------|
|-------------|---------------|-------------|---------------|
Gm Dm7
|-----------|-------------|-----0-5-8-12-17-|
|-----------|-3---1-------|-----------------|
|-----------|---------4---|---2-------------|
|-----------|-------------|-----------------|
Guitar Solo:
Dm7 //// //// Am7 //// //// Dm7 //// ////
Gm7 //// //// Dm7 //// Am7 //// Dm7 //// //// /...
Piano Solo:
Dm7 //// //// //// //// //// //// //// /...
Dm7 Am7
I got a black magic woman, I got a black magic woman
Dm7 Gm7
I got a black magic woman, got me so blind I can't see
Dm7 Am7 Dm7
That she’s a black magic woman, she’s tryin' to make a devil out of me
Dm7 Am7
Don’t turn your back on me baby, don’t turn your back on me baby
Dm7 Gm7
Yes, don’t turn your back on me baby, stop messin’ round with your tricks
Dm7 Am7 Dm7
Don’t turn your back on me baby, you might just pick up my magic sticks
Guitar Solo:
Dm7 //// //// Am7 //// //// Dm7 //// ////
Gm7 //// //// Dm7 //// Am7 //// Dm7 //// //// /... (repeat)
Dm7 Am7
Got your spell on me baby, got your spell on me baby
Dm7 Gm7
Got your spell on me baby, turnin’ my heart into stone
Dm7 Am7 Dm7
I need you so bad, magic woman I can't leave you alone
Outro/Segue:
Dm
|------------|--------------|-------------|------------|----------|
|-3s1--------|--------------|-------------|------------|-1h3p1----|
|------------|------------2s|=4s2---------|------------|----------|
|------------|--------------|-------------|------------|----------|
|--------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
|------------1-|----------------|-------------|----------------|
|--------------|-2s4s2----------|-------------|----------------|
|--------------|----------------|-------------|----------------|
Gypsy Queen (Key change to D):
D
|-------------|-------------|----------|--------|----------|
|-------------|-------------|----------|--------|----------|
|-2---2---2---|-2---2---2---|-2--------|--------|----------|
|---2---2---2-|---2---2---2-|-2--------|--------|----------|
|--------------|------------|------------|---------------|---------|
|--------2h3p2-|------2-----|------------|---2h3p2-----2-|---------|
|--------------|-2----2-----|------------|---------2---2-|---------|
|--------------|------2-----|------------|-----------2-2-|---------|
|------------|-------------|-----------------|----------------|-------|
|----------0-|-2/5---------|---------2h3p2p0-|---2------------|-------|
|--------2---|-------------|-----------------|-2-2------------|-------|
|------------|-------------|-----------------|---2------------|-------|
|---------------|--------------|-----------------|--------------|-----|
|---------------|--------------|-------3-3-2-2p0-|---2----------|-----|
|---2---0---0-0-|--------------|-----------------|-2-2----------|-----|
|-2---2---2-----|-0h2----------|-----------------|---2----------|-----|
Solo on repeat. (D)
D /... /... /... C / G / D / .... C / G / D / .... C / G / D / ....
|-------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|
|-----------0-|-----------0-|-----------0-|-----------0-|
|-2---0-2-----|-2---0-2-----|-2---0-2-----|-2---0-2-----|
|---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---2-----2---|---2-----2---| repeat
C/ G / A/ .... (feedback into Oye Como Va)