[funkypadre]

I was at a party the other day and this gent was playing his guitar through a loop station. He laid down some nice rhythm "rounds" over which he played a lead. Suddenly, I became aware of another deficiency in my playing (too many to name), I really don't know a good set of chords that can be manipulated to form a repetitive rhythm.

I usually vary a G-C-D structure or a an E-A-Bminor sometimes E-A-D and sometimes G-E-A-D for rhythms that are generally rock or blues oriented.

He appeared to be using variations on G7-C7-and A.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had any good references or recommended patterns that I could practice that would add to my current repetoire of rhythm chords.

I hope that makes sense... I guess it would help if I became better at fingerpicking too...

[cshude]

You can lay out pretty much any progression you want. i've seen some players that simply lay out a rhythm based around a single chord and play over that, although that gets awful old pretty quick. A couple guys that are really good at using looping equipment are Leo Kottke and Keller Williams, among others. Check out some of their stuff on youtube if you want to be impressed.

[Fretsource]

Here are some great repeating chord progressions from songs:

G - F - C - G This is the same as the end sequence of Hey Jude, although I can't remember what key Hey Jude is in.

G - D - F - C - This is from "Fat old sun" by Pink Floyd.

G - Eb - C - C This is Wurm from the Yes album. Steve Howe plays a great solo over this. It's an unusual chromatic progression.

Am7 - D7 is a common two chord progression that I like. You hear it quite a lot in Santana's solos.

C - G - D - A - E - E - Hey Joe (Hendrix)

Am - G - F - F - This is the end section of Stairway to Heaven and Ziggy Stardust.

And don't forget the twelve bar blues (major and minor versions)

[Stratrat]

Originally Posted by funkypadre

I usually vary a G-C-D structure or a an E-A-Bminor....

Both of those are basically I-IV-V progressions in their respective keys - pretty hard to go wrong with that progression, it's very prevalent in a lot of songs. As Fretsource said, 12-bar blues are good ones too - simple ones still use the I-IV-V chords, but just in a different progression....I-I-I-I-IV-IV-I-I-V-IV-I-I (or V7 for a "turnaround" in the 12th bar.)