You are here
Great one-chord songs?
42 posts
• Page 2 of 3 • 1, 2, 3
Re: Great one-chord songs?
yeah. I managed about 2 minutes of that :)
-
blinddrew - Jedi Poster
- Posts: 8517
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am
- Location: York
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Most Krautrock, Bo Diddley, Leadbelly, loads of dance music..and many things written by me! The skill is in the lyrics and or the arrangement. Dave
-
turbodave - Frequent Poster
- Posts: 1623
- Joined: Fri Apr 25, 2008 12:00 am
- Location: derbyshire uk
My head hurts!
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Actually I think The Animals' The Story of Bo Diddley is a one chorder.turbodave wrote:Most Krautrock, Bo Diddley, Leadbelly, loads of dance music..and many things written by me! The skill is in the lyrics and or the arrangement. Dave
-
blinddrew - Jedi Poster
- Posts: 8517
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am
- Location: York
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Gents, this discussion was inspiring and I now just made my first one-chord song! :D
-
CS70 - Jedi Poster
- Posts: 4494
- Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 1:00 am
- Location: Oslo, Norway
Silver Spoon - Check out our latest video and the FB page
Re: Great one-chord songs?
CS70 wrote:Gents, this discussion was inspiring and I now just made my first one-chord song! :D
I was about to say that I wouldn't know where to start, but actually I think I might have already written one, this one.
Apologies for the general quality - my phone mic doesn't stand much of a chance with a DB and it was only recorded as a mental note.
-
blinddrew - Jedi Poster
- Posts: 8517
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am
- Location: York
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
Re: Great one-chord songs?
CS70 wrote:Gents, this discussion was inspiring and I now just made my first one-chord song! :D
I was inspired too. I have some lyrics lying around for one of my more throw-away punk songs. I'm thinking of just cranking up the fuzz and playing A-major over it for about 90 seconds with a really basic drumbeat.
-
garrettendi - Frequent Poster
- Posts: 1899
- Joined: Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:00 am
"I mean, Led Zeppelin didn't write tunes that everyone liked. They left that to the Bee Gees" - Wayne Campbell (Wayne's World)
Re: Great one-chord songs?
blinddrew wrote:
I was about to say that I wouldn't know where to start, but actually I think I might have already written one, this one.
Apologies for the general quality - my phone mic doesn't stand much of a chance with a DB and it was only recorded as a mental note.
I LIKE that a LOT! Do it!
-
The Bunk - Frequent Poster
- Posts: 1115
- Joined: Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:00 am
- Location: SW London
Re: Great one-chord songs?
I haven't given it any more thought at all really, but I might drag a mic or two out this weekend and give it a quick go. Recording the DB in my little room is always a bit interesting though...
-
blinddrew - Jedi Poster
- Posts: 8517
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am
- Location: York
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
Re: Great one-chord songs?
With rare exception at most, no.Mixedup wrote:But what about songs that use only a single chord. Can they really work?
You crazy? That's one of the exceptions. :) (Keeping it mind it's pointedly silly)There are plenty of examples of one-chord songs but most are awful (think Harry Nilson's 'Coconut'),
Not one chord (though you can get away w/it).Personally, I think Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up' works really well;
- bill555
- Regular
- Posts: 57
- Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2015 12:00 am
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Get Up Offa That Thing by James Brown: https://youtu.be/sRQoYCqEr_4?list=PL8AEE61E57D632A6F
- unitymusic
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2016 7:06 am
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Two I play regularly at gigs are;
Bob Dylan - Ballad of Hollis Brown (there is axuillary notes, but no change of chord)
Bill Landford and the Landfordaires - Run On for a Long Time (this was sampled my Moby)
I also have 2, "no" chord songs I play (no chordal accompaniment)
Bette Jones - Sometime (also sampled by Moby!)
Son House - Grinnin' in you Face
Bob Dylan - Ballad of Hollis Brown (there is axuillary notes, but no change of chord)
Bill Landford and the Landfordaires - Run On for a Long Time (this was sampled my Moby)
I also have 2, "no" chord songs I play (no chordal accompaniment)
Bette Jones - Sometime (also sampled by Moby!)
Son House - Grinnin' in you Face
-
Aurongroove - Regular
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2012 12:00 am
- Location: West Ireland
I'm hope I'm alive to see the 70's
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Also becasue of the tradition of drone instrument in Celtic music, there are any number of "one Chord" traditional Irish and Scottish songs,
I say one chord, they'd even just be "One power chord" as they can be sang all the way through with a Open 5th drone.
I say one chord, they'd even just be "One power chord" as they can be sang all the way through with a Open 5th drone.
-
Aurongroove - Regular
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Sun Aug 26, 2012 12:00 am
- Location: West Ireland
I'm hope I'm alive to see the 70's
Re: Great one-chord songs?
blinddrew wrote:CS70 wrote:Gents, this discussion was inspiring and I now just made my first one-chord song! :D
I was about to say that I wouldn't know where to start, but actually I think I might have already written one, this one.
Apologies for the general quality - my phone mic doesn't stand much of a chance with a DB and it was only recorded as a mental note.
Got to finish that one Drew, great voice, very much like Chris Wood who I love....and an upright bass....who could want more?
Jules
-
Julian Walker - Regular
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:00 am
- Location: Wiltshire UK
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Thanks Julian, it is on the list to do, I started recording it a few weeks ago but I recall having a few problems with it and I've forgotten where I got to.
-
blinddrew - Jedi Poster
- Posts: 8517
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am
- Location: York
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
Re: Great one-chord songs?
blinddrew wrote:Thanks Julian, it is on the list to do, I started recording it a few weeks ago but I recall having a few problems with it and I've forgotten where I got to.
Been there my friend, it'll come
-
Julian Walker - Regular
- Posts: 80
- Joined: Mon Sep 29, 2008 12:00 am
- Location: Wiltshire UK
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Well, I now have the bass recorded and the vocal, and absolutely no idea about what to do with it.
There's a completely dry draft here if anyone wants to proffer any (polite!) suggestions: https://soundcloud.com/blinddrew/stone- ... e-20161106 ;)
There's a completely dry draft here if anyone wants to proffer any (polite!) suggestions: https://soundcloud.com/blinddrew/stone- ... e-20161106 ;)
-
blinddrew - Jedi Poster
- Posts: 8517
- Joined: Sun Jul 05, 2015 12:00 am
- Location: York
Ignore the post count, I have no idea what I'm doing...
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Just from memory, I think Sly and The Family Stone great slap bass funk icon "Thank-you-for-letting-me-be-myself-again" is just E all the way... :bouncy:
- regulocastro
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Fri Nov 11, 2016 6:23 pm
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Most psytrance ....
It was always an uplifting moment when the sun rose on Sunday morning, and about half an hour later they changed the chord.
It was always an uplifting moment when the sun rose on Sunday morning, and about half an hour later they changed the chord.
- SecretSam
- Frequent Poster
- Posts: 1320
- Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 1:00 am
- Location: Officially, I do not exist.
Instant gratification is actually pretty good. It's fast as well.
Re: Great one-chord songs?
I think the entirety of Kasabian's first album were one-chord songs. Not great songs mind. The producer added bits in-between the songs to distract you - which is about the only way the album remains listenable.
- TheMiller
- New here
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Aug 24, 2018 4:58 pm
Re: Great one-chord songs?
Lou Reed wrote:One chord is fine. Two chords is pushing it. Three chords and you're into jazz.
Papa Was A Rolling Stone gets my vote. Twelve minutes on Bbm flies past.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJV2pWFyfn4
-
BJG145 - Frequent Poster (Level2)
- Posts: 3917
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 12:00 am
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users