Song made up of only chords ?

[A.M. Gold]

Waddaumean huh?! So a song is only chords if it also has a melodic bass line and drums!!!?? Have a lay down

I'll have the lay-down if I find a good partner.

I interpreted the OP's question to be asking if a melody line is absolutely necessary on top of chords. If that isn't what they are asking then I would respond by saying that only having homophonic chords with no percussion is a bit shy of a complete arrangement.

[Gamma-UT]

Can a song be made up of only chords? Can somebody provide some examples?

For instance, is it a good idea using chords for bass and for leads at the same time?

Erik Satie's four Ogives use only chords played on a piano.

[yellowfever]

So, there may be the odd example, but not very mainstream or popular huh? A song consisting of JUST chords, isn't a song - it's a work in progress!!!

[ZombyWoof]

So, there may be the odd example, but not very mainstream or popular huh? A song consisting of JUST chords, isn't a song - it's a work in progress!!!

That's like saying a song without vocals isn't a song (although the word song implies singing, I guess). In that case, Barbershop Quartet or a capella sacred choral music is a musical form usually consisting entirely of chords. There were periods in which this was a dominant musical form. Or you can take Abba's arrangements as a popular music example with instruments.

If you are only discussing musical pieces, and not necessarily 'songs', consider the painter who uses a variety of media or techniques. Sometimes they may use the whole palette, or sometimes they may, for example, create a painting using only different shades of blue, as Picasso did in his famous 'blue period'. Or in film, black-and-white can often be more expressive than color. Limiting your choices from the palette is often preferable to using all the colors and techniques together.

[A.M. Gold]

So, there may be the odd example, but not very mainstream or popular huh? A song consisting of JUST chords, isn't a song - it's a work in progress!!!

I disagree to some extent. You can make a very dynamic, moving chordal composition, say on piano or using a choir, and it wouldn't necessarily sound unfinished. Really just depends on how interesting the chord progression is.

[A.M. Gold]

In that case, Barbershop Quartet or a capella sacred choral music is a musical form usually consisting entirely of chords. There were periods in which this was a dominant musical form. Or you can take Abba's arrangements as a popular music example with instruments.

I'm sure there's many examples. One that comes to mind is the choir piece John Williams wrote for the battle between Darth Maul and the two Jedi near the end of Star Wars Episode I. There's other elements in it but the main theme is really just a big choir singing a chord progression.

[yellowfever]

I disagree totally; define song - from answers.com "A brief composition written or adapted for singing". So how can blah blah blah.....you get me bruv?

[Emerald Tablet]

anything goes in time pitch pace
even without pitch and pace

the answer. sure. just chords / just melody is all just fine

[MaxSynths]

From the ethimologic dictionary: "song - a kind of lyrical poetry composed by different parts which mantains the same order of rhymes and verses [...]" (roughly translated from italian).

EDIT: the problem is the use of the adjective "lyrical" otherwise the answer to the original post, according to this definition, would be "yes!"

[jancivil]

I disagree totally; define song - from answers.com "A brief composition written or adapted for singing". So how can blah blah blah.....you get me bruv?

I get that you have a very limited exposure to the world, let alone the worlds of art and music.

[A.M. Gold]

I disagree totally; define song - from answers.com "A brief composition written or adapted for singing". So how can blah blah blah.....you get me bruv?

I get that you have a very limited exposure to the world, let alone the worlds of art and music.

No, he is here to teach all of us.

How is a choir piece not adapted for singing, bruv?

[MaxSynths]

I disagree totally; define song - from answers.com "A brief composition written or adapted for singing". So how can blah blah blah.....you get me bruv?

I get that you have a very limited exposure to the world, let alone the worlds of art and music.

No, he is here to teach all of us.

How is a choir piece not adapted for singing, bruv?

Is not a song, is a composition.

[yellowfever]

I disagree totally; define song - from answers.com "A brief composition written or adapted for singing". So how can blah blah blah.....you get me bruv?

I get that you have a very limited exposure to the world, let alone the worlds of art and music.

and you can leave out with the personal quips. Idiot. The OP asked a question and I gave what I consider a constructive answer; if you don't like what I write, don't read it.

[ksky]

I think I've been playing around with music too much and single notes just sound too thin to me. Does anyone feel the same?

So there are no popular songs that have only chords?

What instrument do you play? Tone has allot to do with motivation and of course the sound. It's all about the tone for single notes. If you have a Micky Mouse guitar setup your not going to get a single line melody that encompasses emotions like Eric Johnson, Steve Vai or Joe Satriani's setup. Better instruments, not always but most always better sound when dealing with single melody lines.

[jancivil]

I disagree totally; define song - from answers.com "A brief composition written or adapted for singing". So how can blah blah blah.....you get me bruv?

I get that you have a very limited exposure to the world, let alone the worlds of art and music.

and you can leave out with the personal quips. Idiot. The OP asked a question and I gave what I consider a constructive answer; if you don't like what I write, don't read it.

that's a constructive answer? NO, it's somebody saying "I read something once, it's answers.dot com, so I know that's "The Answer", everybody shut up". What are you, eleven?

"DEFINE SONG": when I put a frame around something and say: 'a song'.

In common usage, when you upload a thing to many sites for perusal, the button will be labeled 'upload song'.
IT'S A LABEL. Labels don't mean anything other than they label something.

There is a tradition in art music, of songs that aren't sung, "Song Without Words", it goes on and on, what things have been labeled throughout history. You're born like yesterday on the internet, and paste something from the internet as if it defines something for every person; who to you are just saying "blah blah blah". When the chances are high that the other people have thought more about it than you.