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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | This is interesting, although I'm seeing a lot of titles that are really 4-Chord tunes, not three.
I see some mentions of groups like CCR, Kinks and the Stones and I'd be curious of the tunes, cause the ones I know of/think of have way more than 3-chords.
Bobbo you are right, I typo'd the G C D.. |
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Location: Japan | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
This is interesting, although I'm seeing a lot of titles that are really 4-Chord tunes, not three.
I see some mentions of groups like CCR, Kinks and the Stones and I'd be curious of the tunes, cause the ones I know of/think of have way more than 3-chords.
Bobbo you are right, I typo'd the G C D.. Me too, especially "Horse With No Name" being listed as 2-chords when I've always played it with 4.
Everytime I thought of posting some 3-chord songs I realized there were more.
Cherry Cherry definitely though and also Longfellow Serenade and I Am I Said. Probably lots of Neil Diamonds. |
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Location: indianapolis | Thanks for the welcome, Slipkid. (Big Who fan here too.)
Maybe we should be more specific about being less specific, and make this "songs that aren't necessarily three chords but can be performed well with two or three chords." |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by felonius funk:
Maybe we should be more specific about being less specific, and make this "songs that aren't necessarily three chords but can be performed well with two or three chords." Welcome FF.. We could change the rules a little, but this was a specific challenge given to me. I get something I really want if I can teach this person 3 Chords and give them a list of songs they actually may have heard of, that then can then play with those 3 chords.
My initial reaction was, like many here, that it would be a piece of cake.... Then I started playing or looking up the chords for what I thought were 3-chord tunes... and most were not.
Then, I find there are 3-Chord tunes, but making a list of songs that use those same 3-chords presents a challenge.
The further I dig, it seems the sayings surrounding "3-chord ROck'nROll" or "It only takes 3-CHords to play 100's of tunes" are a bit exaggerated to say the least... |
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Location: Japan | Originally posted by Mr. Ovation:
Originally posted by felonius funk:
Maybe we should be more specific about being less specific, and make this "songs that aren't necessarily three chords but can be performed well with two or three chords." Welcome FF.. We could change the rules a little, but this was a specific challenge given to me. I get something I really want if I can teach this person 3 Chords and give them a list of songs they actually may have heard of, that then can then play with those 3 chords.
My initial reaction was, like many here, that it would be a piece of cake.... Then I started playing or looking up the chords for what I thought were 3-chord tunes... and most were not.
Then, I find there are 3-Chord tunes, but making a list of songs that use those same 3-chords presents a challenge.
The further I dig, it seems the sayings surrounding "3-chord ROck'nROll" or "It only takes 3-CHords to play 100's of tunes" are a bit exaggerated to say the least... |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | And why doesn't Moody pipe in here with the definitive list?!? |
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| End of the Line – The Traveling Wilburys (D A G)
Down on the Corner – CCR (C G & F)
Proud Mary - CCR (skipping the intro & outro, D A Bm) |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Originally posted by g8r:
Proud Mary - CCR (skipping the intro & outro, D A Bm) ...and without those bits, it's just Mary. |
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Location: NJ | funny, whenever we used t'do a Creedence song, we never referred t'them as "CCR" . . it was always "CGD" . . . |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | "The further I dig, it seems the sayings surrounding "3-chord ROck'nROll" or "It only takes 3-CHords to play 100's of tunes" are a bit exaggerated to say the least..." --Mr O quote-
I thought that was Punk Rock, that only needed three chords :confused:
And anyway, I read somewhere that to have a complete tune, you need three Majors, and one Minor.*
It is just my luck that it is usually a Bm!
*[I read that in a lesson about composing your own simple songs] |
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Location: indianapolis | It's so much harder to sing "three chords, an augmented seventh, a turn-around minor, and the truth."
Pink Houses - john mellonhead
What I like about you - Romantics (cheat the intro)
That's Alright Mama - Elvis & others
Probably a few more elvis now that I think about it. Hound Dog, Too Much, sort of Jailhouse Rock.
Now this is buggin me - I may be forced to pick up the guitar... |
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Location: The Great Pacific Northwest | Originally posted by cliff:
funny, whenever we used t'do a Creedence song, we never referred t'them as "CCR" . . it was always "CGD" . . . I KNOW I'm gonna hate myself for this... but.. does CGD stand for the chords they used??? |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Coincidentally, I watched Bob Dylan 1963 - 1965 on PBS last night. Most of his songs were DCG, in some form or another. I know his guitar styling got more sophisticated as he got older and more experienced.
[I always watch guitarists fingers on TV]
But he's more of a poet than a musician. |
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Location: indianapolis | That's a really good point Arthur. There really are a ton of three chord songs. The three chord 145 progression is written in our DNA. What makes them really work after a century or so, are the embellishments and voicings around those three chords. Dylan is a really good example.
Anyway, still without picking up the guitar here's some more (I think).
Rosie - Jackson Browne
Shambala - Three Dog Night
Move it On Over - Hank Williams/Lonesome George etc..
Wherewolves (how DO you spell that)of London - Zevon |
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Location: big island | there are many songs that are played with a 1-4-5 progression but also modulate to another key if played as the original recording. two popular ones i can think of right away are: "mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys" and "the gambler". i suppose if the song changes key in the midst of it, it will not qualify though. |
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Location: indianapolis | Another good point. And frankly, I see nothing wrong with pausing in mid song to put on the capo!
Sweet Home Ambulanca - Skynyrd
Can't You See - Marshall Tucker
Dreams I'll Never See - Allman Bros.
Ramblin Man - Allmans |
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Location: Maple Shade, NJ. | What are the chords for Wherewolves of London? |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | Some of the early Beach Boys . . . Fun, Fun, Fun; Surfin' Safari; Surfin' USA . . . |
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Location: enid, ok | Now you've done it! Goin' to get myself a big dish of beef chow mein! |
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Location: indianapolis | Wherewolf? Therewolf!
It's just DCG over and over and over for a long time. Incidently it contains the hardest line to sing in all of music. "Little old lady got mutilated late last night." I always mangle that.
I always feel so incredibly guilty when I overlook Brian Wilson. |
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Location: Reno, NV | Maybe instead of jsut 3 chord songs. We should look into 1st postion open chord songs. Personally, when I was new, I was totally OK with A,Am,E,Em,G,C,D, Cowboy F, ...no B though. |
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Location: Atlanta GA | Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want... D,G & E |
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Location: Chicago | My 7th grade music director was rather mean was rather mean(Covington, Los Altos CA; 1969). He cheerfully asked if I'd like to audition as guitar accompanist for choir: you know, the occasional strum-along voice-cum-guitar thing. Well he put the full chart of "Good Morning Starshine" in front of me. I remember thinking WHERE ARE THE THREE CHORDS???? I got through it, but is sounded like Ewok doo-doo. Only later did I appreciate what a cool composition that tune really is, despite the bubble-gum factor. |
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Location: Omaha, NE | Found the perfect book. Check this out.
If you look close, you will see that that's an O on the cover. What could be more perfect? |
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Posts: 1118
Location: NW Washington State | An old thread, but here's a book that looks like it's at my level:
3-Chord Rock |
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"All you need are 3-chords.."
