I know lots of chords... E5, A5, G5, F5, B5.. the list is endless!

[Armistice]

Is it just me or is every guitar based rock song I hear these days just working off basic power chords?

Of course, they're recorded with 4 guitars and 27 microphones so they sound really great but it all seems to be:

Chord 2 3 4 Change 2 3 4 Change 2 3 4 Change 2 3 4

these days.

I always tell people to ignore the vocals when they're "listening" to "music" - just for the sake of the exercise... often they'll find it will bore them rigid in 30 seconds.

Is there any melody in popular music these days except vocal melody?

We seem to have extremes of really simple guitar playing with really bad solo/instrumental sections and over the top shredding. Not much in the middle, where I live.

Sorry to rant, I know this has nothing to do with recording guitars, but Jesus H Christ, I've been on this board for almost 4 years now and I've only posted a smidge under 200 times, that's like once a week. You all owe me a OT rant damnit!!!

What's wrong with me??

Merry Christmas all....

 

[BrettB]

Is it just me or is every guitar based rock song I hear these days just working off basic power chords?

Of course, they're recorded with 4 guitars and 27 microphones so they sound really great but it all seems to be:

It is just you listening toi the wrong music.

serious, there's nothing wrong with power chords or single note riffs if they are used tastefully. They can never have the harmonic wealth of other chords, but it all depends what you want.

 

[joro]

I hear ya man....

Every tune should have at least twelve chords in it....and six solos....
this whole verse verse chorus verse verse chorus bridge chorus thing sucks....
so what if it sells albums...
so what if it is what the audience wants to hear...

so what?

I always tell people to ignore the vocals when they're "listening" to "music" - just for the sake of the exercise... often they'll find it will bore them rigid in 30 seconds.

I have a problem with this statement man....





















do you really think it takes all of thirty seconds?

 

[dwillis45]

I have to agree that 90 percent of pop music is based on vocals and, to some extent, beats. The average listener wants to hum along or dance along and the record industry seems willing to oblige. Luckily, however, there are lots of alternatives out there. Turn off the radio and listen to some old Pell Mell or whatever band you can find that relies largely on instrumentals. Or, for a real change, take a dive into American Roots Music and pull out some old Robert Johnson and listen to the origin of it all. When I get bored with the status quo, I listen to Bluegrass or Old-time music. There is nothing like three chords (G,C,D) surrounded by rapid, hellfire instrumental virtuosity. And, when the weather gets cold, I go for a little of the discordant, anti-pop sound of bands like Pavement. There is nothing like a little “lull-rock.”
You can also give in and just look for vocalists who have something to say (personally, I like Robyn Hitchcock). Or wander on over to CD baby and listen to some unsigned acts or people who are just recording for the sake of making music. Who needs TV when you have T-Rex or some recent favorites of mine off CD Baby:

MATT KEATING: tiltawhirl
DEADMAN: cuatro canciones
ADAM LIPPMAN: lo-fi, high maintenance
PLEASANT GROVE: pleasant grove
BEDBUG: happiest of hours

 

[87PRS]

My cousin plays in a band called Mudvayne, and his band gets outta this common 123, chorus, steady structure that has plagued pop music, and his band intentionally does off counts and mis interpretation of structure to get away from this. Vocally, well that's another persons preference, I'm 54, love a lot of music, so it's in the heart of the musician. Music is an art, get some abstracts, get a hook, always have a melody and a story, and crank it out when needed. WOMD Happy Holidays Ralph

 

[tjohnston]

nu metal is the fucking worst. Its not ever power chords, its just guitar noises. When using heavy distortion the only chords that sound good are power chords. Technically power chords are not ever chords. AC/DC is one of the bands that take simple power chords to a new level. Check out some tab and you’ll see what I mean.

 

[AcidRain]

Is there any melody in popular music these days except vocal melody?

Not really. I've come to the conclusion that most guitars have been turned into percussion instruments.

 

[Jimbo Jones]

Ok folks here's my disclaimer:
I AM NOT DEFENDING POPULAR MUSIC, IT SUCKS!

However: There is nothing wrong with simple music.
I like minimalism. However I think prog rock is cool too.

I have noticed a lot, at least with stuff on the radio that there is a lot of 4 chord riffs out there, and the chord progression is usually pretty predictable too. Why are radio songs like this? The band is trying to be safe and go with what sells.

I've heard it said that a sign of genius is being able to take something very complicated and say it very simply.
Some people (such as myself) may use this mindset when composing.

So really, is what makes the new crap out there so bad the fact that it may not be technically complex, or is it just that it's not new, it's a copy of something we have already heard.

Well that was me posting for all the simpletons out there.
(E5 chord rings out)

 

[dragonworks]

E5, A5, G5, F5, B5.

I know alot of chords and I know how to build chords. So, with that said, can someone please tell me what chords these are because I have never heard of them or played them!!

 

[tjohnston]

They are not really chords since they are only 2 notes E5 would be played as E B. F5 would be played F C.. F#5 would be played F# C#. Its mostly more heavily distorted guitars.

 

[dragonworks]

Oh, harmonic fifths, two notes are a harmonty, three notes are a chord. Now I understand what he means, but does he???

 

[soundphaRm]

Yes, you are correct, technically. Harmony...but since we're mostly talking about radio friendly "pop music" here, let's not confuse the kiddies just yet (j/k)...

I just saw a performer on Austin City Limits that was really good (they've really been playing some great stuff this year: Phish, Tracy Chapman, Nickel Creek, Tom Waits, Beck, etc..)!!
His name was Jason Mraz. He had kind of a G. Love/D. Matthews/Jack Johnson kind of thing going on (for lack of a better description). But he definitely manipulated the "stew" to create his own sound at the same time. Lots of energy, too...pretty damn good!

I've found that if you can find the "right" radio stations (not the big wattage broadcasters, usually), you can get to the good stuff. Usually college (the right college) stations, some guy/gal pushing waves from his/her own digs, and even NPR (at the right time of day/night- whatever you call it when it's kind of hard to see outside and the sun is not around.. ) has some good programs.

 

[cellardweller]

I'm so confused...

 

[Armistice]

Yes gumshoe, I understand what I'm talking about.

I was using the popular parlance for power chords.

I'm Australian, so I've been listening to AC/DC for about 30 years now, and unfortunately the radio stations here aren't all that crash hot.

I mainly listen to the national "youth" station, JJJ, which plays anything and everything, irrespective of whether it has merit or not. Swearing in songs will get you airplay too, I've noticed.

My rant was more based on spending an hour in front of the TV the other morning watching "Rage", a film clip show - they were doing the top 50. In that hour I heard a lot of "R&B" songs that featured vocal melody but no actual music, and a lot of bands that just did the chord 2 3 4 stuff using power chords, or even normal chords. Didn't hear anything much I liked.

Dull, dull, dull.

I used to argue with my father, who was a classical musician, when I was growing up, trying to make him understand that rock music was real music made by people that had some degree of mastery of their instruments, so I'd play him Deep Purple, Emerson Lake and Palmer, and even (gasp) Queen to try to prove my point.

He never agreed with me, but at least there was the basis for a healthy discussion there.

There may well be these days too, but I'm not hearing the bands on which I could base it. I'm sure they're out there somewhere!

Rant over.

Merry Christmas all.

Incidentally..... three notes... G,D, and G an octave higher. Harmony or chord?

 

[tjohnston]

Nope not a chord. It has to be 3 different notes.

 

[87PRS]

triads
Happy Holidays

 

[DJL]

I'm a bassist, but I screw a-round on guitar... anyway, ALL cords are made from the major scale... with the basic cords being 1, 3, and 5. Scale example... root, next fret up min 2nd, next fret up maj 2nd, next fret up min 3rd, next fret up maj 3rd and etc, etc. Oh, and there is the perfect 4th, tritone, and perfect 5th also.

 

[soundphaRm]

Cha-ching!
Someone give that person a medal.
Right on the nose DJL..

 

[Armistice]

Without wanting to upset the theorists, I tend to regard any combination of notes (ie. more than one) as a chord of some type - for instance: playing an "open" tuned guitar it's quite possible, and indeed quite common, to strum 5 or 6 strings at the same time, that together may only be two discrete notes, some octaves, some the same - if you have a meaningful word for what I've just played, that would be understood by a layman, other than "chord", then I'd be interested to know it.

That was why I asked the question, although I understand and appreciate the "3 notes make a chord" theory.

Cheers

 

[soundphaRm]

In this way (open tuned guitar), if you are hitting more than 2 notes at the same time, you are indeed playing a chord. It probably doesn't hurt to call 2 notes played a chord (I guess call it what you will), but, technically...