[BENharperROX]

So Ive been playin for about 7 months. Know alot of songs and whatnot. But when I write my own songs it seems i am only comfortable with the G,C,D progression. I hate it. I mean it sounds ok and all but it's like I'm stuck on those chords. When I practice I go back to those chords and really rely on them. I throw in an occasional Am, Em, etc and I know alot of other chords I just can't seem to get them to sound right within a song. Any suggestions? Has this happened to any other board members?

[Matty22]

I tend to get into the same rut a bit. What i do is pick a key, and play around with it.
I use C a lot, easy chords, and they sound good played as barres up the neck which i find adds spice to play an Am at thr 5th fret instead of open.

Another thing, to just add colour to the chords your using, is play with some suspended chords. Dsus4/sus2 type of thing. I sometimes pic a song with chords i dont use very often, just to remind myself they are there... Maybe picking some chords say A E D and just play around with them and see if you can comeup with something... Or adding little runs here and there like a-2-3-2-0 kinda thing....

[cshude]

Something that I've done before is to pick a chord (I picked Am7) and write a song that uses that chord somewhere in the progression. What you'll end up doing (at least until you can hear the chord in your head before you play it) is start playing every chord you know next the chord you picked to find something that sounds good, then move from there. It's a very organic way to create a progression. Yes, you can consult the Circle of 5ths charts to get some ideas, but by just sitting there and noodling around, you can come up with some unusual combinations that can sound great. Matty's also right about suspended chords adding a lot of spice to a tune.

[allthumbs]

Use the circle of 5ths and relative minors. You can also majorize minors and the opposite.

[Lcjones]

As well, mix up the combination of GCD. Start with a C. Start with a D...etc.etc.

Mix up the tempo, mix up the meter 4/4, 3/4, 6/8....

Many a pro have used three - four chords and made a life long career doing it. Case in point, John Prine - GCD , Gordon Ligthfoot, A,D,E, Neil Young, D,G,A .... and many more.


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[garydavis]

Ya, that used to happen to me... dont worry... Just learn different songs with different chords, and if that doesn't work, find a new tuning that you cant use thoes chords or something... and maybe even try learning different style of guitar, cause to me thoes chords sound like common folk chords, so maybe go for some blues or rock progressions. thats all I can think of, but keep writing.


Keep playing

[BENharperROX]

thanks fellas!

[Justapicker]

Grab yourself a Beatles songbook and sit down and work your way though it! They used really interesting chord progressions in unusual (for pop/rock music) ways and learning a bunch of their tunes is a lesson in the art of songwriting.

If you have the money, The Beatles-The Complete Scores has all the parts (guitar, bass drums, piano, strings, etc) to all their songs. At around $60U.S. it's a worthwhile investment.

[skinnybloke]

Originally Posted by Justapicker

Grab yourself a Beatles songbook and sit down and work your way though it! They used really interesting chord progressions in unusual (for pop/rock music) ways and learning a bunch of their tunes is a lesson in the art of songwriting.

This is really good advice, even their early stuff has simple twists that make a 3, or 4 chord song sound far more complicated than it really is.

[garydavis]

Originally Posted by Justapicker

Grab yourself a Beatles songbook and sit down and work your way though it! They used really interesting chord progressions in unusual (for pop/rock music) ways and learning a bunch of their tunes is a lesson in the art of songwriting.

If you have the money, The Beatles-The Complete Scores has all the parts (guitar, bass drums, piano, strings, etc) to all their songs. At around $60U.S. it's a worthwhile investment.

Ya, that is so true... I dont listen to much of them, but they do use some pretty cool chords.

[JWing]

Along the lines of garydavis's reply:

At 7 months of playing, you are just scratching the surface of what is possible. I recommend you look at some instructional material in different styles. I have been studying country blues fingerpicking and it's amazing how much music you can get out of one or two simple chords per song. Switching over to modern blues opens up a whole new world of possibilities, as does folk, bluegrass, etc. All with simple chords that you can probably handle with ease.

When you study a particular style, keep on improvising. You'll see what you are learning influences your writing and even when you play tunes you previously wrote, your new knowledge can be used to give it some variety. Music is so cool.