If you’re a fan of popular music, or even a listener of the radio, you may start to notice a few patterns pop up. Every song has a verse or two, every song has a chorus, and underneath it all: a chord pattern. That’s because chords are the building blocks of music, even when we don’t realize it.
If you’ve ever picked up an instrument, or you’re about to, you may have seen resource after resource, video upon video (and yes, blog after blog) touting the benefits of The Four Chords. But what are they? How do you use them? And most importantly: why do they work?
The Four Chords Recipe
Each chord is comprised of three parts: the root, the third, and the fifth. The root note is most important; it’s the name of our chord as well. The C chord’s root is C, G’s is G and so on. The third lives not at the next note on the keyboard, but the note after that. If we start with C as the root, our third would skip D and land on E. Finally, we continue that pattern by skipping one more letter to land on our fifth – C d E f G. Mix these ingredients together and serve warm.
C: C + E + G
G: G + B + D
Am: A + C + E
F: F + A + C
Play those groups of notes, three at the same time, in the above pattern and you’ve got yourself a chord progression! If you’ve got a guitar or ukulele, search up the chord shapes for C, G, Am (A minor), and F.
Why It Works
It’s no secret that music inspires emotions and vice versa. Yes, the lyrics of a song can resonate, but have you ever felt moved by a song without any words? We have chords to thank for that.
Take our above recipe, for example. We start with C Major (C + E + G) and it’s a very happy sound. That’s our home chord, the place we start our journey. Then we move to G Major (G + B + D) which carries many of the same qualities as C did, but now with a hint of longing. We’ve journeyed slightly away from home and encountered something different. Notice how the G chord contains the B note, which lives right next to C. This adds a bit of tension and a sense of adventure.
Now, what’s an adventure without conflict? Enter: Am (A + C + E) which comes with an extra letter in its name. That lowercase ‘m’ tells us that the chord is minor or “spooky” sounding. Our journey has turned dark! Finally, our tale ends with F (F + A + C). Another happy chord, but this time with a hopeful sound to it. Notice how it contains the note C which is our home chord’s root! That taste of home is enough to keep us going until we arrive at C once more and the pattern continues.
Songs with The Four Chords
Journey – “Don’t Stop Believin'” | James Blunt – “You’re Beautiful” | Alphaville – “Forever Young” | Jason Mraz – “I’m Yours” | Train – “Hey, Soul Sister”| The Calling – “Wherever You Will Go”| Elton John – “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (from The Lion King)| John Denver – “Take Me Home, Country Roads”| Lady Gaga – “Paparazzi”| U2 – “With or Without You”| The Last Goodnight – “Pictures of You”| Maroon 5 – “She Will Be Loved”| The Beatles – “Let It Be”| Bob Marley – “No Woman, No Cry”| Men At Work – “Down Under”| Jill Colucci – “The Funny Things You Do” (Theme from America’s Funniest Home Videos)| Jack Johnson – “Taylor”| A-ha – “Take On Me”| Green Day – “When I Come Around”| Eagle Eye Cherry – “Save Tonight”| Toto – “Africa”| Beyoncé – “If I Were A Boy”| Kelly Clarkson – “Behind These Hazel Eyes”| Jason Derulo – “In My Head”| Joan Osborne – “One of Us”| Avril Lavigne – “Complicated”| OneRepublic – “Apologize”| Eminem (feat. Rihanna) – “Love the Way You Lie”| Bon Jovi – “It’s My Life”| Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”| Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Otherside”| MGMT – “Kids”| Andrea Bocelli – “Time to Say Goodbye”| Robert Burns – “Auld Lang Syne”| Five for Fighting – “Superman”
And many, many, many more. Memorize this progression and you’ll be able to play your favorites in no time! You may also start to recognize this pattern everywhere you listen.
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