One-chord songs

mjl · Post by **mjl** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:25 am

ludwig_van, thanks for the link, that's a good site. I didn't know about non-harmonic tones, at least from the theory end of things.

Anyway, one chord, two chords, or one-chord-with-some-non-harmonic-tones, anything you can do to strip your songwriting down to the basics is a good excercise, in my book.

Knights Who Say Neve · Post by **Knights Who Say Neve** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 7:21 pm

John Coltrane- India

swelle · Post by **swelle** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:21 pm

Born in the U.S.A? Can't remember if there's a bridge or not.

ndstgmoe · Post by **ndstgmoe** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 2:29 pm

Don't know if this got mentioned yet, but I just found it and its supergood.
Panda Bear - Comfy in Nautica

http://downloads.pitchforkmedia.com/Pan ... autica.mp3

lg · Post by lg » Sun Feb 11, 2007 3:22 am

'Shotgun', Jr. Walker & the All Stars...no bridge, right?

pwrb · Post by **pwrb** » Sat Feb 24, 2007 8:47 pm

Not sure if these have been mentioned yet...

Political World by Bob Dylan (Oh Mercy album)

One Thing Leads To Another by The Fixx

This is a fun challenge.

-Pete
www.weissy.com

thesneakyjesus · Post by **thesneakyjesus** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:52 am

swelle wrote:Born in the U.S.A? Can't remember if there's a bridge or not.

born in the U.S.A is 2 chords

kinda

it's an interesteing concept

A V chod, and then a I with a 5th and a 9th

neither have a 3rd...

this is at least what I'm hearing.

thesneakyjesus · Post by **thesneakyjesus** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 10:54 am

Tatertot wrote:
lg wrote:aretha: chain of fools

DANG - Somehow I never noticed that was only one chord. Kind of reminds me of the time I realized there's no bass in "When Doves Cry".

that's really cool about doves cry.. the prince version

if you want to hear something cool,

check out ginuine's version

it has a bass line. It's only two chords, but it's cool

it sort of reporoves what a good melodist can do with simple harmonies

JGriffin · Post by **JGriffin** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 3:12 pm

"Show Biz Kids," Steely Dan. That may have been mentioned before.

DeluxeReverb · Post by **DeluxeReverb** » Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:33 pm

Run Through the Jungle - CCR

swelle · Post by **swelle** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:34 am

I can't verify this, but in my head I hear:

Sister Ray - VU
We Will Fall - Stooges

...as one chord tunes... very long one chord tunes... is this right?

lg · Post by lg » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:06 pm

swelle wrote:I can't verify this, but in my head I hear:

Sister Ray - VU
We Will Fall - Stooges

...as one chord tunes... very long one chord tunes... is this right?

while on VU, i guess 'the gift' qualifies. at least the left channel. and if i recall, beck's "devil's haircut" pretty much just hangs in d the whole way thru...

0xeneye · Post by **0xeneye** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 1:54 pm

I don't think any of the songs on the Talking Heads release Remain in Light have a chord change.

cwileyriser · Post by **cwileyriser** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:39 pm

"Honky Tonkin" - Hank Williams - definitely one of the greatest one-chord songs.

"Rainy Day Sunshine Girl" - Faust

"(Licking is) What They Really Do" - Summer Hymns - (the band I play in, but I do think that it's a pretty fine one-chorder - I didn't write it, so I can say that, right?) http://www.misrarecords.com/Summer%20Hy ... lly_Do.MP3

lifeintime · Post by **lifeintime** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 3:13 pm

"One Chord Song" from Keith Urban's Golden Road release.

Ya gotta look to find this one, It is a hidden track - the last one - on the CD release. Some players go right by it because it starts with several minutes of digital silence.

"This is my one chord song, Hope it don't last too long......."

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