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.
Alternative guitar chords and tabs for Message In A Bottle by The Police