Istanbul (Not Constantinople) chords by
They Might Be Giants (Official Version)
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Key: F minorDifficulty: Intermediate

Intro 1
[Violin]
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Bbm Bbm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Bbm Bbm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Fm/C Fm/C 
 
Bbm Bbm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
C/G C/G 
 
Fm Fm 
 
Db Db 
 
C C

Verse 1
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Istanbul was Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
C7 C7 
 
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Now it's Turkish delight on a moonlit  night
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Every gal in Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Lives in Istanbul, not Constantinople
C7 C7 
 
So if you've a date in Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
C7 C7 
 
Fm Fm 
 
She'll be waiting in Istanbul

Bridge 1
Fm Fm 
 
Even old New York
was once New Amsterdam
C7 C7 
 
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
So, take me back to Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
C7 C7 
 
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
C7 C7 
 
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
but the Turks

Interlude 1

Fm

Fm

C7

Fm

Istanbul, Istanbul

Fm

Fm

C7

Fm

Istanbul, Istanbul

Bridge 2
Fm Fm 
 
Even old New York
was once New Amsterdam
C7 C7 
 
Why they changed it I can't say
People just liked it better that way
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Istanbul was Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
Now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople
C7 C7 
 
Been a long time gone, oh Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
C7 C7 
 
Why did Constantinople get the works?
That's nobody's business
Fm Fm 
 
Fm/Ab Fm/Ab 
 
but the Turks

Interlude 2

Fm

Fm

C7

Fm

Fm

Fm

C7

Fm

Fm

Fm

C7

C7

Outro 1
Fm Fm 
 
So, take me back to Constantinople
No, you can't go back to Constantinople
C7 C7 
 
Been a long time gone, Constantinople
Fm Fm 
 
C7 C7 
 
Why did Constantinople get the works?
Fm Fm 
 
That's nobody's business but the Turks
FmMaj7 FmMaj7 
 
Istanbul

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TunerE A D G B E

ChordsFm Fm/Ab Bbm Fm/C C/G...

Chords

Fm
Fm/Ab
Bbm
Fm/C
C/G
Db
C
C7
FmMaj7

Finger positions, low to high (E A D G B e). 0 is open, x is muted.

Fm: x-x-3-1-1-1
Fm/Ab: 4-x-3-5-x-x
Bbm: x-1-3-3-2-x
Fm/C: x-3-3-1-1-x
C/G: 3-x-2-0-1-0
Db: x-4-6-6-6-x
C: x-3-2-0-1-0
C7: x-3-2-3-1-x
FmMaj7: 1-x-2-1-1-x

Capo: No capo

Transpose: 0

0

Accurately transcribed by the GuitarTuna team.

F is one of the chords beginners ask about the most. A short walkthrough on how to fret it cleanly and switch in and out of it. Learn the F chord

Barre chords ask a lot of the fretting hand. The barre course walks through hand position, pressure, and the cleanest way to land each shape. Practice barre chords

This is the definitive original version of Istanbul (Not Constantinople) by They Might Be Giants, transcribed exactly as it was recorded in the studio. Unlike our simplified arrangement, this chart preserves the precise chord voicings and progressions in the original key of F minor. It is designed for guitarists ready to move past the basics and capture the true feel of They Might Be Giants's performance.

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