Start Off With Simpler SongsĪ little tip when tracking these chord progressions is that the more mainstream the music, the more simple the structure and chord progressions will be. With a capo on fret 2 it used just G, Em, C, D throughout. ![]() Some simple pop songs will have a simple structure and use the exact same chord progression throughout the whole song. Most songs will have different chord progressions for these different sections to represent the different flavours of each section and to break each section up. Do this over and over until you get the sound and flavour of the chord progressions ingrained in your head Listen and compare the sections that use the same chord progressions.Look for and spot the similarities between the different songs’ chord progressions.Split the song into Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge (and any other extra sections the song contains).On the right hand side write down the chord progressions that each song uses.Make a list of all the songs you know how to play on the left hand side.Use a word document, Excel Spreadsheet, Evernote, or a piece of paper in your guitar folder.How to track your most used chord progressions ![]() Ideally you will want a list of about 10 really common chord progressions that you know inside out. Here is my guide on how to analyse and keep track of all the chord progressions you know. Like I said with the Stereophonics track, it made learning it a piece of cake. Yes, there are a lot of songs that sound like rip offs of other songs, but that’s usually where the artists has stolen a vocal melody or riff.Ĭhord progressions are more the underlying flavour of a song. Once I started to see the patterns between songs, I started to hear the patterns and with a bit (but not a huge amount) I could recognise these patterns anywhere.įor example, I got that Am, F, C, G sound drilled into my head as I must of learnt and taught at least 10 other songs that use it. For instance, there are a lot of songs that use the exact same chords progressions, and you know what, they don’t sound much like each other. I started to see a lot of patterns between songs. (The Roman Numeral system can be complex at first but once understood is a very useful too. No book I ever read or video I ever watched explained any of this or the uses doing so possesses so I had to work it out for myself.Įvery time I learnt a new song, I would now go into my Evernote note and write the song down and the chord progression alongside it.Īt first I just put the chords alongside the song name and artist and then eventually I started using the Roman Numeral system but this isn’t necessary. “Why don’t I actually start tracking the chord progressions for different songs? Surely, it will make learning new songs easier”. Quite a few years ago, I thought to myself: I wouldn’t of been able to do this years ago. Years ago, when working a song out for myself I would have messed about with lots of random chords until I eventually stumbled across the correct sequence.Įither that, or worse, I would have looked up the chords on the internet. I was able to do this simply because I trained myself to recognise chord progressions by listening to them and therefore it only took a few seconds to hear it and work it out. If anything, it’s more of a trick – albeit a very useful one. It’s not some sixth sense or superpower I possess. A Powerful Trick That Will Save Lots Of Time He was surprised by how easy I made it look. Therefore I was quickly able to show him how to play it. I hadn’t yet heard this one so we put it on, and within a few seconds I recognised the chord progression as being the Am, F, C, G chord progression as heard in The Passenger and lot of other songs. One of my students named Josh asked me the other day to teach him the song ‘Indian Summer’ by the band Stereophonics. The main chord progression of C, Em, Am, D for ‘Space Oddity’ is one that you won’t see a huge amount in songs, but the Am, F, C, G chord progression for ‘The Passenger’ is really common. (On the second time round the G is replaced with an E which is unusual.) The chord progression for this one is Am, F, C, G. Now, let’s take Iggy Pop’s classic song ‘The Passenger’. (The C and Em go back and forth before the Am and D come in). ![]() The chords for the verse are C, Em, Am, D. ![]() The main reason is, doing so will save you a lot of time and make you a better guitarist in the long run.įor those of you not sure, a chord progression is basically a bunch of chords played in a certain order.įor example let’s take David Bowie’s classic ‘Space Oddity’. Every guitarist should learn at least 10 famous chord progressions and know them inside out.
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