Composing & chord progressions

Ricklh

New member
Here's something I find myself running into all the time: coming up with a decent chord progression consisting of maybe 4 or 5 chords but then not being able to change it up with a good bridge. Anyone else have a problem with this? Any suggestions about overcoming this stumbling block?
 
Here's something I find myself running into all the time: coming up with a decent chord progression consisting of maybe 4 or 5 chords but then not being able to change it up with a good bridge. Anyone else have a problem with this? Any suggestions about overcoming this stumbling block?

Maybe change keys? Go from C to D, or C to G, or whatever. That might be a start.

Maybe pick different chords within the key you're currently in and see if they fit?
 
I usually let the melody dictate stuff like that.

If I just try to build a song from chord progressions without also having some semblance of a melody line (and/or lyrics)...it's kinda hard to decide what to do after you hit those 4-5 chords.

Yeah, there are times when I can come up with almost the entire song structure/chord progressions all by itself...but almost always, even if I don't have a clear melody or lyrics, I can sorta’ already hear it in my head, or at least I can sense the mood/vibe of the song, and then that guides me in the chord progressions.

Plus...there are times when you really don't need a bridge or anything too complicated. Sometimes it is just 2-3 chords....but again, I think you need to have some of the melody/lyric/vibe already forming…otherwise it’s just a bunch of empty chords.

I probably have about a dozen chord progressions written down that I came up with, but each one also has some piece of melody to trigger the direction of the chords.
 
Just go to the minor 6th like everyone else and be done with it. :D

I usually save the bridge for the very last thing to work out. Hopefully, by that time, I will have a clue what I'm going to do. If not, minor 6th, baby!!!
 
Or simply suspend one or more of the chords you've been working with. It's a great way to add a little drama. I just love the sound of going back and forth between a straight chord and a suspended chord. Seconds are fun, too.
 
There's no rules.

If I am stumped on something like that I leave it and usually, out of the blue, something will pop into my head in a few days or maybe years, and that's ok.

Here's the thing: when I do my best work, it feels like I am a channel for the other side, all the spirits that have ever lived. I can't effect them, all I can do is be a channel, and when I do my best work I feel I have little to do with it. It's like something comes "through" me.

It's very much like having a dream. And what you are asking is similar to "I want to dream that I'm in France tonight when I fall asleep, how do I do that?".

So the best thing for me is to not try and let it come.
 
Here's something I find myself running into all the time: coming up with a decent chord progression consisting of maybe 4 or 5 chords but then not being able to change it up with a good bridge. Anyone else have a problem with this? Any suggestions about overcoming this stumbling block?

If you're struggling like this on EVERY song, you need to re-evaluate your songwriting method.

If it's just one song every now and then, just jam on them until the bridge comes out naturally.
 
I agree that less is more, but usually you need more than 3 chords to say what you wanna say. Usually.
 
Less is more.

"Less is more" is generally true, but keeping to three chords is not a rule that follows automatically. Were composers to have heeded this, we would have wiped out the best part of the world's greatest music.

Allow the song to tell you what it wants to do musically. If you don't have the bits of the song available for this, this could be tricky. You have to come up with them somehow.
 
I agree that less is more, but usually you need more than 3 chords to say what you wanna say. Usually.

When you start extending the tonality to 7th, 9th and 11th and stacking 4ths you don't actually changes chords anymore so much as alter the intervals. Bass lines become melodies with suspended notes and harmonies become independent melodies of their own and altered intervals are passing tones. That said the every thing you do can be interpreted as I, IV, V.
 
When you start extending the tonality to 7th, 9th and 11th and stacking 4ths you don't actually changes chords anymore so much as alter the intervals. Bass lines become melodies with suspended notes and harmonies become independent melodies of their own and altered intervals are passing tones. That said the every thing you do can be interpreted as I, IV, V.

Unless you're playing a ii IV I VI
 
You can avoid bridge problems by not having a bridge...just go intro, verse, verse, chorus, solo, chorus, verse, outro.

Or...don't worry about chords...use the same ones again...it doesn't have to be the same melody if you use the same chords again. Or use a variation of the chords you've already used.

Just keep on truckin'
 
The relative minor to the key of the song is always a good start for a bridge chord progression. Possibilities are endless from that one chord and easy to get yourself back to your key chord.

An example of a song I wrote recently. 6/8 Timing to make a little change from the standard 4/4

Verse and Pre-Chorus - Different melodies, same chords.

E - B - F#m - A x8

Chorus

B - A x3

Bridge

C#m - F#m - C#m - F#m x2 and back to E



The good thing about music is there are no rules. so there's nothing to break ;-)

Try and feel for what you want. Hear you melody first and find your chords. That's what I do. Songwriting is a personal thing and what works for one may not work for others. Find your own way of devoloping a middle8/bridge but remember that not all songs will need one.

Enjoy writing ;-) It's marvellous!
 
Here's something I find myself running into all the time: coming up with a decent chord progression consisting of maybe 4 or 5 chords but then not being able to change it up with a good bridge. Anyone else have a problem with this? Any suggestions about overcoming this stumbling block?

what you need is something like this.
 
When you start extending the tonality to 7th, 9th and 11th and stacking 4ths you don't actually changes chords anymore so much as alter the intervals. Bass lines become melodies with suspended notes and harmonies become independent melodies of their own and altered intervals are passing tones. That said the every thing you do can be interpreted as I, IV, V.

This is one shiny load of sh*t. :)

But you knew that, right? You're just trolling.
 
The Universal Default Bridge

Whenever you can't find a bridge, just go up to the IV chord and sing "then one foggy".

There are a few songs like Low Rider, Horse With No Name or Snowbird by Ann Murray that have no bridge.
If you're playing one on stage, when you get near the end of an 8 bar phrase turn around to everybody and yell "Bridge!" and watch 'em scramble. I used to be playing drums and do that to this bass player... but in the end he figured "do the default bridge", which is go up to the IV chord and sing "then one foggy".
 
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