J.R.M.30! Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Can a song just have one chord in it? I say no. Lately I've been decomposing some rather crappe pieces of nothings. One song has a bluesy feel to it but it's not in the blues chord progression; it only has one chord in it, a G#m. Another song has mainly three chords in it but is too busy (too many notes) to have vocals with it. Fine. Okay by me if these thingies aren't music, references back to a thread started by the real Rabs on "Define Music". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbreslauer Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 You can do a lot with one chord, especially if you play with inversions, poly-chording, arpeggios, etc. Check the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows", and the classic "Coconut" by Harry Nilsson for examples. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShredAstaire Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 1 chord. Sure...i don't see why not. Have the bass do variations and add an interesting vocal line and you could have a real cool song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brad1 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I've written and recorded several songs with only one chord. It allows me to construct many different melody lines. And there are many examples of one chord songs. So I'm not quite sure why you would say "No". "The Beat Goes On”, recorded by Sonny and Cher, is an example of a one-chord song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 There are more than one??? I got some work to do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyMoon Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 There are more than one??? I got some work to do pppstt.....there's 2 .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Functionally a lot of "older" blues songs had only one "chord." Ditto old fiddle tunes. Consider that some of those tunes came out of a tradition that had bagpipe sorts of drones. The mountain dulcimer has two drones and a melody string. So there are two "traditions" of American music that functionally have not been thought out in terms of I-IV-V chords at all. Just for the heck of it, if you've ever heard the old "Muleskinner Blues," try playing just a root "E" chord, but muffing the G string 'stedda fingering for an E major or leaving it open for a E minor chord. If you want, drop a finger on the bass E string at "G" when normally you'd go into an A chord and at F# when you'd do a B7. Sing along and feel how southern rural black and rural white music found some easy crossover. Apparent dissonance is not necessarily a "no-no" much of the time when viewed along those lines. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowdyMoon Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 ...but if you play that one chord with your teeth, or behind your back you are considered a guitar god....now if you with your teeth and behind your back at the same time...well.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quapman Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 ...but if you play that one chord with your teeth, or behind your back you are considered a guitar god....now if you with your teeth and behind your back at the same time...well.... I think I'll be able to pull that off in a few years when I have dentures... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 I've got the dentures... No thanks anyway. <grin> m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Can a song just have one chord in it? I say no. Yes it can.. theres plenty of examples of songs with one chord The main guitar riff thats strumming is the same all the way through.. or go for the middle.. two chords ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan H Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 Keith Urban actually has a satirical kind of song that was a bonus on one of his albums...it's called "One Chord Song". It's G all the way through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thermionik Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihz3StHD-1c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted August 20, 2012 Share Posted August 20, 2012 Listen to Milo (as usual) - the drone could possibly be one of the most ancient forms of song. And are you calling these guys square?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJIqnXTqg8I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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