One-chord-progression songs suitable for jams or encores

bigjon · August 2013

Ain't talkin' 'bout love by Van Halen - ||Am .F. .G|. . . . ||
All Along The Watchtower by Hendrix - ||C#m . B .A|. . B . ||
Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol - ||A . . . |Amaj7/G# . . . |D . . . |. . . . ||
Creep by Radiohead - ||G . . . |B . . . |C . . . |Cm . . . ||
Dance The Night Away by The Mavericks - ||E . . . |B . . . ||
Free Fallin' by Tom Petty - ||F . Bb . |,F.C. . ||
Get Lucky by Daft Punk - ||Bm . . . |D . . . |F#m . . . |E . . . ||
Girl Like You by Edwyn Collins - ||Cm . . . |Fm . Gm . |Cm . . . |Fm . Cm . ||
Gloria by Them - ||E . D A||
Halo by Beyonce - ||Bb . . . |Cm . . . |Gm . . . |Eb . . . ||
Hey Joe by Hendrix - ||C . . . |G . . . |D . . . |A . . . ||E . . . |. . . . |. . . . |. . . . ||
High And Dry by Radiohead ||F#m . . . |A . . . |E . . . |. . . . ||

Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles - ||Fm . Eb . |Db . C . ||
Horse With No Name by America ||Em . . . |F#m . . . ||
Knocking On Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan - ||G . . . |D . . . |Am . . . |C . . . ||
Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield - ||Em . . . |. . A . |Bm . . . |. . F#m . ||
Passenger by Iggy Pop ||Am . F . |C . G . |Am . F . |C . E . ||

People Get Ready by Curtis Mayfield ||D . Bm . |G . D . ||
Price Tag by Jessie J ||F . . . |Am . . . |Dm . . . |Bb . . . ||
Roar by Katy Perry ||Bb . . . |. . Cm . |Gm . . . |. . Eb . ||
She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult - ||D . . . |. . . . |C . . . |G . . . ||

Sit Down by James - ||E . . . |. . . . |A . . . |B . . . ||
Stir It Up by Bob Marley - ||A . . . |D . E . ||
Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd - ||D . . . |C . . . |G . . . |. . . . ||
Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson with Bruno Mars - ||Dm |G ||
Wicked Game by Chris Isaak - ||Bm . . . |A . . . |E . . . |. . . . ||
With Or Without You by U2 - ||D . . . |A . . . |Bm . . . |G . . . ||
Zombie by The Cranberries - ||Em . . . |C . . . |G . . . |D/F# . . . ||

monquixote · August 2013

Sweet Home Alabama - D | C | G

American Boy by Estelle - EMaj7 | CMaj7 | Am7 | Dsus2

Chasing Cars - A | Ab | D

bigjon · August 2013

monquixote said:

Sweet Home Alabama - D | C | G
American Boy by Estelle - EMaj7 | CMaj7 | Am7 | Dsus2
Chasing Cars - A | Ab | D

Cheers, edited to add SHA.

I don't think American Boy is long-lasting or famous enough to include - I left out No Air by Jordin Sparks feat. Chris Brown ||G . . . |Dm . . . |Am . . . |C . . . || for that reason.

The Chasing Cars progression doesn't look right - think it must be ||A . . . |Amaj7 . . . |D . . . |. . . . ||

monquixote · August 2013

I've only ever played it on bass the bass notes go A, Ab, D

I think the guitar is pedaling so it's probably an Ab Augmented.

bigjon · August 2013

monquixote said:

I've only ever played it on bass the bass notes go A, Ab, D
I think the guitar is pedaling so it's probably an Ab Augmented.

Let's try Amaj7/G# then

monquixote · August 2013

Are we allowed instrumentals?

bigjon · August 2013

monquixote said:

Are we allowed instrumentals?

I'd say not, they deserve their own separate thread, but you've got mod powers, have you not, so I can't stop you! :-)

Tell you what, I'll start another thread mesen'

monquixote · August 2013

bigjon said:

I'd say not, they deserve their own separate thread, but you've got mod powers, have you not, so I can't stop you! :-)
Tell you what, I'll start another thread mesen'

I've sworn a secret administrator oath never to use my powers for evil.

bigjon · August 2013

Instrumental thread duly started. So far, it's a list of one . . .

bigjon · August 2013

Also not making the longevity criterion are

Fallin' by Alicia Keys - ||Em . Bm . || (I've pulled it from the main list)

Crazy by Gnarls Barkley - ||Cm . . . |Eb . . . |Ab . . . |G . . . ||

Dontcha by Pussycat Dolls - ||Em . . . |. . . . |. . . . |. . . .|Bm . . . |. . . . |. . . . |. . . . ||

monquixote · August 2013

How about

Use Me by Bill Withers - E7 | A7 (and the occasional drop out)

Creep by Radiohead - G | B | C | Cm

No Scrubs by TLC - Dm7 | Am7 | E7 | Am7

Don't Let Go by En Vogue - Em | C | D |

Baby One More Time - Am | E | C | D | E |

bigjon · August 2013

monquixote said:

How about
Use Me by Bill Withers - E7 | A7 (and the occasional drop out)
Creep by Radiohead - G | B | C | Cm
No Scrubs by TLC - Dm7 | Am7 | E7 | Am7
Don't Let Go by En Vogue - Em | C | D |
Baby One More Time - Am | E | C | D | E |

Added Creep - good one! Also Horse With No Name by America ||Em . . . |F#m . . . ||

Use Me not well-enough known I reckon. Hasn't Baby One More Time got a B-section with a different chord-sequence?

monquixote · August 2013

bigjon said:

monquixote said:

How about
Use Me by Bill Withers - E7 | A7 (and the occasional drop out)
Creep by Radiohead - G | B | C | Cm
No Scrubs by TLC - Dm7 | Am7 | E7 | Am7
Don't Let Go by En Vogue - Em | C | D |
Baby One More Time - Am | E | C | D | E |

Added Creep - good one! Also Horse With No Name by America ||Em . . . |F#m . . . ||
Use Me not well-enough known I reckon. Hasn't Baby One More Time got a B-section with a different chord-sequence?

No I think it's still the same chords over the other section.

I would think Use Me is pretty well known

bigjon · August 2013

3 from the 90s that aren't all-time classics, but would probably evoke a spark of recognition if you stuck them in as an encore, are:-

Stay Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry ||Am . F . |C . G . ||

What's Up by Four Non-Blondes ||D . . . |Em . . . |G . . . |D . . . ||

Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz ||Am . C . |G . D . ||

bigjon · August 2013

This, however, from the 90s is a stone-cold classic and I will add it to the main list

High And Dry by Radiohead ||F#m . . . |A . . . |E . . . |. . . . ||

bigjon · August 2013

Don't know why I forgot Wicked Game by Chris Isaak - ||Bm . . . |A . . . |E . . . |. . . . || - it's on the setlist for two of the my bands! Also works for Dark Therapy by Echobelly, which is a lovely song though not so well-known :-)

bigjon · August 2013

Just added Dance The Night Away by The Mavericks - E and B for a bar each :-)

mike_l · August 2013

from memory......alternate tuning on original noted)

@bigjon, All along the watchtower is C#m/B/A not as in your original post (not that I'm pedantic or anything...)

Also,Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak is (intro/verse) A/E/F# and chorus B/E, the breakdown bit is basically E - A (Eb tuning)

And for Hey Joe, where the E is, an E7#9 (Hendrix chord) is a nice alternative to a straight E.

And using the Cadd9/Gadd9 shapes from The Police's "Message in a bottle" could be the start of a nice solo, or a variation on the rhthm for a second guitarist.

Knockin on Heavens door -G'N'R intro/Verse is G/D/Am/G/D/C (twice through) Chorus is G5/D5/C5. (Eb tuning)

Another brick in the wall (Pt2) - Pink Floyd has the chord Dm/G/F/C Mostly Dm the G the "all in all" is F-C

Comfortably numb Is Bm-A-G-(D)/F#-Em intro/verse & chorus is D-A-D-A-C-G-C-G

Lynyrd Skynyrd - That Smell is F-Am (IIRC)

Purple Haze - E7#9 - G- A

Pink Floyd - Money F#m - A - E (IIRC)

Any number of Iron Maiden songs are Em(7)- D-C

UFO - Doctor Doctor only has the chords Dm-C-Bb-F-G-A (all played as power chords) F-G-A in the chorus only (Same chords for Fear of the Dark)

G'n'R - Paradise City G-C-F (Ok - Fadd9 in the intro), and a simple G-F-F# riff (Eb tuning)

Van Halen - Ain't talkin' bout Love - Am - F-G (Eb tuning)

Johnny B. Goode - F-Bb-C (although it's been played in most keys)

Bad Company (5 finger death punch cover) intro Em B/D(single notes), Verse Em - D Chorus E5/B5, open E +C- D-E riff (FFDP is played in drop B!)

Motorhead - We are the Roadcrew - A5(3 bars) G5 F5 (1/2 bar each) 3times then A5 (3 bars) F5 G5 (1/2 bar each) Riff (single notes) a-g-e-d a-g-e-d a-g-e-d d-e-g-a-c-a (A pent 5th fret) (Eb tuning)

Led Zeppelin Communication breakdown E5 D5-A5-D5 (possibly Eb - not certain)

Hawkwind Silvermachine A5/6 B5/6 C5/6 D5/6 E5/6 (Possibly Eb- not certain can't find the CD with it on to check.....)

Black Magic Woman - Dm7/Am7*/Gm7 *Viz did suggest A7, I think different, and will accept if I'm wrong

bigjon · August 2013

mike_l said:

@bigjon, All along the watchtower is C#m/B/A not as in your original post (not that I'm pedantic or anything...)

Tricky one - because it was played (in C#m) on a guitar tuned down half a step, it sounds in Cm, so you'll have to play it in Cm if you want to jam along to the record. I realise I didn't put Hey Joe into Eb, though, so for consistency's sake and in deference to your TheFB frettage, O Cambridge Cartel Ringleader Supreme, I'll edit the original post :-)

mike_l · August 2013

@bigjon I was going on what actual chords were played, rather than whether the guitars were down-tuned. So in that case my Thin Lizzy suggestions should be noted to be played a semi-tone down-tuned. As should the G'n'R..

I've noted on my suggestions where the original recording is in a different tuning.

hywelg · August 2013

mike_l said:

UFO - Doctor Doctor only has the chords Dm-C-Bb-F-G-A (all played as power chords) F-G-A in the chorus only (Same chords for Fear of the Dark)

'tis more complicated than that.

Verse
D5 - - - ¦Bb5 - - - ¦F5 - - -¦C5- - - ¦
D5 - - - ¦Bb5 - - - ¦F5 - - -¦A5- - - ¦
D5 - - - ¦Bb5 - - - ¦F5 - - -¦C5- - - ¦
D5 - - - ¦Bb5 - - - ¦F5 - - -¦G5- A5 - ¦

Chorus
D5 - Bb5 - ¦ C5 - F5 - ¦ G5- A5 - ¦D5 - - -¦

mike_l · August 2013

@hywelg ; I didn't comment on the full arrangement, but thanks for expanding on the suggestion. Although I did forget the F5/A5/G5 in the verse. My memory aint what it was........ :-O

bigjon · August 2013

mike_l said:
Van Halen - Ain't talkin' bout Love - Am - F-G (Eb tuning)

I'll add that one to the main list as it's a genuine one-progression song and always goes down well at the Earl of Derby jam on a Saturday night

mike_l · August 2013

@bigjon, I'll probably be there this week........

It could be amusing to play it on Sunday though (Yes that my evil streak coming out)

bigjon · August 2013

Just added

Passenger by Iggy Pop ||Am . F . |C . G . |Am . F . |C . E . ||

mike_l · August 2013

@bigjon I always struggle with the timing on "The Passenger"

not_the_dj · August 2013

Just thought of another one, Fisherman's Blues by The Waterboys G F Am C

(also being pedantic about Sweet Home Alabama there is that pesky F that crops up on the "birmingham we love the governor" line and at the start of the first solo)

RocknRollDave · August 2013

Price Tag by Jessie J is the same chords all the way through.

No idea what the original key is, but when my band have played it, it has been:

Bb // Dm // Gm // Eb

Crack out the wah and have a nice, lazy, funky solo, drop the rhythm down to a reggae feel...all sorts you can do with it.

hywelg · August 2013

Guitar solo chords from My Sharona

¦C – G - ¦ Fsus2 – C G¦

bigjon · August 2013

RocknRollDave said:

Price Tag by Jessie J is the same chords all the way through.

No idea what the original key is, but when my band have played it, it has been:

Bb // Dm // Gm // Eb

Good call. My memory says it's in F, will add to the list

EricTheWeary · August 2013

Price Tag reminded me of I Kissed a Girl, another 4 chord one : Am C Dm F IIRC Must be loads from my ska band days, although probably not many that were hits - Message to You Rudy ( C C F G)

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One-chord-progression songs suitable for jams or encores

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