KVR Audio

Nicksaf · Post by **Nicksaf** » Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:47 am

There's a song that it's first chords are Gm Am Dm Gm Am Dm repeated twice through all the song, chorus and verse same chords. Theres also a Refrain: Gm C F D/F# G
How do you know which chords to pick according to the chorus and verse?
And how do you make it sound intresting with not so much chords?

Thanks guys!

bbell · Post by **bbell** » Sun Dec 25, 2011 9:31 pm

The choice of chords for the chorus is your choice

You dont want us to take out all the fun for you, do you?

And to keep minimal chord changes interesting voice lead them. Also interesting melodies go a long way... think of how many songs revolve around the I-IV-V progression

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 1:43 am

A few things.

Rhyhtmic variation, Arrangement practices, melodic variances, accentuation.
Also tempo.

Regarding arrangment. Even one guitar or one piano can have an arrangement value. How you shape the chords, inversions, ommisions (poqwer chords extentions, inversions. arpeggios, Alternating patterns. You don't have to throw the whole kitchen sink in the first measure and keep it there throughout.

As well a 3 or 6 bar progression isn't really a good idea in a jazz, blues, rock, country, gospel, pop, folk settings. Usually you want to round them in fours.

Also starting on the 5th and ending on the root while it works for turnarounds really doesn't work well as a main progression. It's okay to use common progressions everyone does.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Mon Dec 26, 2011 5:47 am

Nicksaf wrote: And how do you make it sound intresting with not so much chords

Melody, rhythm.

Nicksaf · Post by **Nicksaf** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:25 am

Thanks guys! It's really helpful. It's intresting how songs with a common progression, stil has the power to be unique and original. Do you know a good source to leaarn the things mentioned here?

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 9:28 am

Beatles records.

Nicksaf · Post by **Nicksaf** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 10:13 am

Hello again!

As usual still don't have enough basis to understand what im hearing, but it builds up slowly...

tapper mike · Post by **tapper mike** » Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:13 pm

Nicksaf wrote:Hello again! As usual still don't have enough basis to understand what im hearing, but it builds up slowly...

You actually have too much information and not enough ability.
You are thinking too much and not practicing enough. You need to develop a sense of rhythm that stands on it's own.

It's like lifting wieghts. You can read all about lifting wieghts watch movies about wieght lifters but you'll never gain any mass or tone unless you actually lift wieghts. Practice, practice some more and after that practice some more. Practice different rhythms at different tempo's. A good guitarist or keyboard player can do more with two chords and a solid sense of rhythm then a bad one with hundreds of chords.

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 12:27 am

'a basis'. What I did when I was around 15, once I could get around a little bit on a guitar, I copied things off of records. I had no real basis in theory, as far as picking up the particular notes and chords off these records, the little bit of book learning I had wasn't so relevant. I didn't know from roman numbers or any of that. Trial and error. After a bit, you understand from patterns, predictable things you encountered just before. The relevant thing was enough time getting my hands (with my head/ears) to know where common things were on a guitar. By the time I did chance upon a little booklet with a list of common chord progressions, the formualaic kind of ones that you hear all the time... and then a theory course... so 'ii-V-I' made complete sense. For me there goes three if not four years, which a person today doesn't want, I understand that.

The point is the descriptions of what happens was more tha cart [of understanding]; rather than asking it to pull the horse, the horse was already in motion.

Nowadays people think it's all on the internet for free, a click away. Mike's analogy is spot on, like you get on a bicycle; until you can stay balanced on one by doing it (and falling down at first), you aren't riding a bicycle.

Information is not knowledge.

Nicksaf · Post by **Nicksaf** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 5:19 pm

I totally understand and acknowledge everything you say. Certainly not expecting things to come free and easy.
Yes, I'm looking for help in the internet, but, it's more of an effect than a cause. Not much time ago I was wondering how things were done and couldn't really do something practical.
Then when I decided to start finally doing things,no matter how they turned out, something started moving, and I started asking questions. Otherwise, I just couldn't ask these questions.

So I totally understand what you mean!

I admire your thoroughness, and not trying to argue. Thanks!

jancivil · Post by **jancivil** » Sat Dec 31, 2011 8:54 pm

I'm just saying that the internet with all of this information right in front of you, produces a situation where it's attractive to depend on information per se. information you need, but until it's applied it doesn't have meaning per se (in and of itself).

Nicksaf · Post by **Nicksaf** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 12:44 pm

Yeah you're right, I actually feel much better and able, after comleting one full song. Still diving with a snorkel on top of the music ocean though!

Ja.x · Post by **Ja.x** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 1:14 pm

With talent, you can make a beautiful song just in 3 chords:

Nicksaf · Post by **Nicksaf** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 2:44 pm

Thanks that's a great insight!!! Great example, I should keep it in mind!

wrench45us · Post by **wrench45us** » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:47 pm

I'm pretty sure in one of the Neil Young music DVD , he's talking about how he hired the bass player for his acoustic work and he says he likes a player who's not afraid to play simple.

Then again Neil does some very clever, but simple chord substitutions.
and textures and some small groups do an outstanding job of arranging parts.

Few chords but intresting song, how?