Whatmysay
New member
What about 'Wild Thing', 'Cherry Cherry' or the above mentioned 'What I like about you' or 'Rocking in the USA' - all chords, but pretty riffy to me
What about 'Wild Thing', 'Cherry Cherry' or the above mentioned 'What I like about you' or 'Rocking in the USA' - all chords, but pretty riffy to me
famous beagle
Well-known member
Yeah there's certainly a gray area as to what's a riff and what's simply a chord progression.
ido1957
9K Gold Member
Don't worry so much about what others think. Write for yourself first...you can't please everybody... You sound inspired to write and I'm sure it will be reflected in the result. I look forward to hearing the end result...
R
robbysaudio
New member
Hi
Great topic and well picked up by so many. You've had most of the answers I would had given and a few that seemed fairly random. I could add a couple more things:
Someone above wrote about the standard practise of being given a set of chords and the task of writing something within them for college - Great exampl! Plus, it defines just how difficult it can be - if not impossible - to copyright a chord progression. This is where the melody becomes the signature that defines the music.
There are many reasons given why particular song structures are often repeated and indeed, some of these progressions; e.g. the ii,v,i (2,5,1) in jazz and blues have become hackneyed old cliches. Even in classical music, there are harmonic structures used as vehicles for specific musical actions. there really is nothing that original.
Years ago, I decided only to write music which didn't follow any harmonic patterns which I considered corny or overused. I found myself bending my fingers into contortions trying to, er ... 'develop' a chord shapes. After years of listening and learning I realised that there's more goes on in a song's arrangement than in the writing. The chords of a piece of music might be lifted straight out of a million songs, but the melody, tempo, time signature, arrangement, rhythm, musical stress and, of course, performance are what define it.
Incidentally, there is the chord progression, which can be overlaid for:
Stairway to Heaven
Feelings (Albert Hammond)
My Funny Valentine
Various Beatles tunes
The Sweeny Theme Tune (UK viewers)
given time, I bet could find a whole lot more
Great topic and well picked up by so many. You've had most of the answers I would had given and a few that seemed fairly random. I could add a couple more things:
Someone above wrote about the standard practise of being given a set of chords and the task of writing something within them for college - Great exampl! Plus, it defines just how difficult it can be - if not impossible - to copyright a chord progression. This is where the melody becomes the signature that defines the music.
There are many reasons given why particular song structures are often repeated and indeed, some of these progressions; e.g. the ii,v,i (2,5,1) in jazz and blues have become hackneyed old cliches. Even in classical music, there are harmonic structures used as vehicles for specific musical actions. there really is nothing that original.
Years ago, I decided only to write music which didn't follow any harmonic patterns which I considered corny or overused. I found myself bending my fingers into contortions trying to, er ... 'develop' a chord shapes. After years of listening and learning I realised that there's more goes on in a song's arrangement than in the writing. The chords of a piece of music might be lifted straight out of a million songs, but the melody, tempo, time signature, arrangement, rhythm, musical stress and, of course, performance are what define it.
Incidentally, there is the chord progression, which can be overlaid for:
Stairway to Heaven
Feelings (Albert Hammond)
My Funny Valentine
Various Beatles tunes
The Sweeny Theme Tune (UK viewers)
given time, I bet could find a whole lot more
famous beagle
Well-known member
Ah yes ... the ole' minor - m(maj7) - m7 - m6 progression and variations thereof. Basically taking a minor chord and moving the bass note down chromatically.
It's featured also in Petty's "Into the Great Wide Open," as well as Beatles tunes (as mentioned) like "Fixing a Hole," "Cry Baby Cry," and "Michelle."
Y
Yammie072
Not a Newbie
If you're writing pop songs (and by pop songs I mean songs with pop arrangments and melodic structure... not pop in the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears sense), you're going to use cliche chord progressions. Its what you do with them that makes it stand out. Melodically, these chord progressions are used simply because you can do sooo much with the melody, so take advantage of that. What is equally important is what you do with accompaniment. Lead guitar, bass, drums, keys, strings, percussion, pedal steel, blues harp, whatever. Be wary of having more than one instrument playing the chord progression (excluding bass)... allow the other instruments to augment and color the progression in a unique way. An artist who does an amazing job of this is Butch Walker, check him out.
If you want an example of somebody who writes amazing pop songs without relying on cliche chord progressions, check out Elliott Smith. A lot of his progressions will leave you scratching your head... he sets you up for a familiar progression and breaks the rules - in a catchy, non-melodicaly intrusive way. Amazing.
If you want an example of somebody who writes amazing pop songs without relying on cliche chord progressions, check out Elliott Smith. A lot of his progressions will leave you scratching your head... he sets you up for a familiar progression and breaks the rules - in a catchy, non-melodicaly intrusive way. Amazing.
Supercreep
Lizard People
Great question.
I like to write music that I like to listen to.
It's rare that I'll hear another artist and like what they're doing 100 percent of the time.
With that in mind, I try to determine what exactly it is about the other artist's song that works for me. It's never just the progression, it's probably a combination of progression, phrasing, and chord voicing (by way of example).
Or perhaps its a pedal tone and a chord progression that works around that.
Or maybe a complex phrase of chords with a very simple melody that works across all of them.
My point is, if you're going to borrow, borrow the essence and not the literal substance.
Take what makes it work and make it work for you.
There. Now it's yours.
I like to write music that I like to listen to.
It's rare that I'll hear another artist and like what they're doing 100 percent of the time.
With that in mind, I try to determine what exactly it is about the other artist's song that works for me. It's never just the progression, it's probably a combination of progression, phrasing, and chord voicing (by way of example).
Or perhaps its a pedal tone and a chord progression that works around that.
Or maybe a complex phrase of chords with a very simple melody that works across all of them.
My point is, if you're going to borrow, borrow the essence and not the literal substance.
Take what makes it work and make it work for you.
There. Now it's yours.
R
robbysaudio
New member
Precisely, sir!
I wasn't trying to show off, just show anyone who might be interested, how the same harmonic phrase can be used, yet each has it's own unique sound because of the melody, rhythmic device, arrangement, instrumentation etc. etc.
Thanks for those other great examples
Rob
D
DarkFriend
New member
It is practically impossible to "create" a chord progression that hasn't already been done.
The best ways to change around an existing chord progression:
1) Change minor to major or vice versa
2) Change the root bass note - for example for a C Major chord, play a D for the bass note rather than the C
3) Change the time signature
4) Change the instrumentation
5) Change the length of each chord in the progression to mix it up
6) Add a major or minor 7th note to the chord
The best ways to change around an existing chord progression:
1) Change minor to major or vice versa
2) Change the root bass note - for example for a C Major chord, play a D for the bass note rather than the C
3) Change the time signature
4) Change the instrumentation
5) Change the length of each chord in the progression to mix it up
6) Add a major or minor 7th note to the chord