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Great one-chord songs?
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Great one-chord songs?
Is anyone else fascinated by great songs that use the fewest chords possible?
I've always love the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want', for example, and that's really simple.
But what about songs that use only a single chord. Can they really work? There are plenty of examples of one-chord songs but most are awful (think Harry Nilson's 'Coconut'), or rely on the novelty of the production techniques to make them work (Beatles, 'Tomorrow Never Knows').
Personally, I think Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up' works really well; I love that track.
So... what others do people here appreciate and why?
I've always love the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want', for example, and that's really simple.
But what about songs that use only a single chord. Can they really work? There are plenty of examples of one-chord songs but most are awful (think Harry Nilson's 'Coconut'), or rely on the novelty of the production techniques to make them work (Beatles, 'Tomorrow Never Knows').
Personally, I think Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up' works really well; I love that track.
So... what others do people here appreciate and why?
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Mixedup - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
If I recall rightly Stereo MCs' Connected was pretty much a one chord song wasn't it?
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blinddrew - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" is one riff all the way through, as is George Thorogood's "Bad to The Bone".
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Wonks - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" sounds like a single chord song to me.
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Wonks - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Yeah, there are loads of them. But do you like those you mentioned and if so what is it about them that you like?
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Mixedup - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Well, actually I find them all a bit dull after about 90 sec - 2 mins.
Well, all the ones listed in this thread - I'm not writing the whole canon off! ;)
Well, all the ones listed in this thread - I'm not writing the whole canon off! ;)
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blinddrew - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Pablo Picasso, by The Modern Lovers. The best four minutes of E minor ever.
- Sam Inglis
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Whole Lotta Love.
(Ignore that 3 seconds
(Ignore that 3 seconds
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alexis - Frequent Poster (Level2)
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
I do really like the tracks I mentioned, plus Tomorrow Never Knows, except for the George Thorogood one, where I really want a chord change by about halfway through.
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Wonks - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Wonks wrote:Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools" sounds like a single chord song to me.
Great one! So good I never realized it was monochordal!
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alexis - Frequent Poster (Level2)
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
It's only when you've played it on guitar in a covers band that you realise that you just go 'chink' on the same chord al the way through.
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Wonks - Jedi Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Some sources consider there are in fact TWO chords. Cm and Cm7. A bit like "We play Country AND Western" :-)
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/a/aretha_franklin/chain_of_...
https://youtu.be/vS-zEH8YmiM
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/a/aretha_franklin/chain_of_...
https://youtu.be/vS-zEH8YmiM
- Exalted Wombat
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You don't have to write songs. The world doesn't want you to write songs. It would probably prefer it if you didn't. So write songs if you want to. Otherwise, dont bore us with beefing about it. Go fishing instead.
Re: Great one-chord songs?
There's a great one on John Fogerty's first (eponymous) solo album called "The Wall". Really does chug along and never makes me feel like it needs a change. Highly recommended (as is the whole album).
Bruce Springsteen's "Seeds" which I've only ever heard on a live album/DVD. The guitar riff kind of involves some implied/different chords but the root's E all the way through.
Isn't Placebo's "Pure Morning" a one-chorder?
Bruce Springsteen's "Seeds" which I've only ever heard on a live album/DVD. The guitar riff kind of involves some implied/different chords but the root's E all the way through.
Isn't Placebo's "Pure Morning" a one-chorder?
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The Bunk - Frequent Poster
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Would Cliff Richard's 'Move It' count?
- petev3.1
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
I have always loved Donovan's 'There Is A Mountain', but he ruins it by introducing a second chord in the middle eight.
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
The Bunk wrote:Isn't Placebo's "Pure Morning" a one-chorder?
Now that you mention it, yes, I think it is!
There's a Monster Magnet song, called 'Tab', that is one chord for the first 20 minutes or so (it goes up to the fourth after that for a few minutes, but then back to the original chord again for the last 10 or so).
- The Korff
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
How about these oldies?
1. "Jump Into the Fire" Harry Nillson (Nillson Schmillson)
2. "Electric Avenue" Eddie Grant
3. "When Doves Cry" Prince
I love 'em all. Very creative (yet different) ways to maintain interest over a "droning" harmony.
1. "Jump Into the Fire" Harry Nillson (Nillson Schmillson)
2. "Electric Avenue" Eddie Grant
3. "When Doves Cry" Prince
I love 'em all. Very creative (yet different) ways to maintain interest over a "droning" harmony.
- Dude16
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Sorry! It's Harry Nilsson - and "Nilsson [b]Schmilsson[b]"!
- Dude16
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Re: Great one-chord songs?
Bo Diddley's 'Who Do You Love'
- Ramirez
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Bill Withers while Tom Waits, and Stan Getz
Re: Great one-chord songs?
blinddrew wrote:Well, actually I find them all a bit dull after about 90 sec - 2 mins.
Try "Spoonful" by Cream. :D
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InactiveX - Regular
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