02.07.07 Four Chords
There seems to be a bevy of songs recently hitting the charts using the same chord pattern for both verse and chorus. This is just one. The only variation in the pattern I can spot happens on the bridge ("Put Sufjan Stevens on...") where we go from a four chord pattern to just one chord with moving lines overtop alluding to chord changes that don’t really exist.
A composition professor of mine once said that the greatest composer is the one who makes the most from the least. I don’t know how we judge great from greatest or if we can or if Snow Patrol would make onto my prof’s great list, but it’s always miraculous to me how some people can get so much pop nougatty goodness come from so few chords and so much repetition. That must be a skill all its own.
Brody Harper said:
I think that’s where a strong melody comes in, along with some good story telling. Then it doesn’t really matter what you are playing.
john said:
You know what they say - “less is more”.
Are you really pining for the good old days of songs like “Sing Your Praise To The Lord” (Rich Mullins)? I’ve been playing music for going on 20 years, and I don’t know if I could follow that song without a chart in front of me.
euphrony said:
I would agree that it is more the lyrics, voices, and harmony that carries the song. Those four chords are soil they are planted in: always present, but never changing.
David Martin said:
I tend to find songs that just repeat the same chord progression (however many chords there are through the whole thing) to be rather boring unless there’s a good amount of musical variance, rising and falling, that sort of thing, going on while the chords repeat. Sufjan Stevens is actually a good example of that - well, most of the time. Sometimes he’s just tiresomely repetitive, but for the most part, I find myself fascinated by all of the busy layers in his music. Trying to play some of his songs on solo acoustic guitar, even if I can play the chords and sing the words along to the same melody, just sucks all of the life out of them. I guess he made a lot out of a little.
But I like elaborate chord progressions that change up for the chorus and the bridge and whatever other parts of a song are present, too, as long as they’re not too overly contrived. I get really tired of bands that stick to the same old G, C, D, and E minor (or modulated to whatever key they’re in). Especially so if they’re worship bands. Which reminds me of a parody song I wrote once:
Open E on my guitar, Lord
Open E on my guitar
That’s all I know how to do
That’s all I know how to do
Open E on my guitar, Lord
Open E on my guitar
That’s all I know how to do
That’s all I know how to do
One day I’ll learn a few more chords
Then leading worship won’t be so boring
‘Til then, I’ll feign emotion
By singing slowly, slowly, slowly
Slowly, slowly, slowly
Slowly, slowly, slowly
Slowly, slowly, slowly
That’s all I know how to do
Just sing that over and over again until you’re blue in the face, and you’ll get the idea.