Members stickboymusic Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 Hello As discussed on a previous post this is a new monthly feature to hopefully "bust" the writers "block" (see what i did there!?) Every month I will give a topic/theme/task to which you have the move to record/write something on that subject. Your posting can be a set of lyrics to a rough recording into a phone or a full blown production depending on your time and need. Please post your results on this thread: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ So the first challenge is this: Many songs these days (especially in pop, but it stretches to many genres) seem to be based around the chord progression C/G/Am/F (im not a theory person, there is probably a better way of saying this) So the challenge is to write a song using ONLY these chords in this order (transposition/capos are allowed to get the song into a key suitable for you) EDIT: Let stick to these rules - this is a challenge in melody alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted August 11, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 11, 2011 How about... you can vary the chords for other sections only by omitting chords. The remaining chords must stay in the same order. One section of the tune however must contain all the chords in the exact order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickboymusic Posted August 11, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 How about... you can vary the chords for other sections only by omitting chords. The remaining chords must stay in the same order. One section of the tune however must contain all the chords in the exact order. Ok - lets do that So for clarity you can NOT use any other chords but you may drop chords from the progression to form other sections should you wish. At least one section of the song MUST contain all 4 chords in the correct order Get to it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 Whew... this is all getting so complicated... can anyone show me how to play those chords? Seriously, though, since many of us have different vocal ranges (not everyone is blessed with my 3 full octaves of keening whine)... how about we allow transposition? So that, if someone isn't good with C, G, Am, F, they could do D, A, Bm, G? Or any other similar progression... For the Romans among us, that would, of course, be I, V, VIm, IV (or would that be I, V, vi, IV?) And for our banjo-lovin' Nashville brethren, 1, 5, 6m, 4. Confused enough? Here's one forum pal Eddie Boston's handy online Chord utility suite which can let you work out all kinds of variations on this harmonic theme: http://www.chorderator.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 How about... you can vary the chords for other sections only by omitting chords. The remaining chords must stay in the same order. One section of the tune however must contain all the chords in the exact order. Steady on there.......the OP is a pretty tight parameter already. This may make the task too prescriptive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickboymusic Posted August 11, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 Whew... this is all getting so complicated... can anyone show me how to play those chords? Seriously, though, since many of us have different vocal ranges (not everyone is blessed with my 3 full octaves of keening whine)... how about we allow transposition? So that, if someone isn't good with C, G, Am, F, they could do D, A, Bm, G? Or any other similar progression... For the Romans among us, that would, of course, be I, V, VIm, IV (or would that be I, V, vi, IV?) And for our banjo-lovin' Nashville brethren, 1, 5, 6m, 4. Confused enough? Here's one forum pal Eddie Boston's handy online Chord utility suite which can let you work out all kinds of variations on this harmonic theme: http://www.chorderator.com/ The original post states the allowance of transposition/capos for this exact reason! Come on blue keep up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 The original post states the allowance of transposition/capos for this exact reason! Come on blue keep up See... Lee confused me already. I went looking for a progression modulator calculator thingie but couldn't find one so I thought I'd just hard code the chords for other folks who, like me, are easily confused... C G Am F C# G# Am# F# (Db Ab Bbm Gb) D A Bm G D# A# Cm G# (Eb Bb Cm Ab ) E B C#m A F C Dm Bb F# C# D#m B (Gb Db Ebm B) G D Em C G# D# Fm C# (Ab Eb Fm Db) A E F#m D A# F Gm D# (Bb F Gm Eb) B F#m G#m E and back around to C, of course... [And if any of you sharp-eyed musically literate types wants to cast a quick eye over that to make sure I didn't make a stupid mistake, that would be super.] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted August 11, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 11, 2011 Ah well!!!! I am one confusing son of a bitch. Mine will be in the key of H minus Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickboymusic Posted August 11, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 Ah well!!!! I am one confusing son of a bitch. Mine will be in the key of H minus Majus lee - rebel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 Majus lee - rebel! A rebel without a chord? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 11, 2011 Members Share Posted August 11, 2011 A rebel without a chorus... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rsadasiv Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Doo-wop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members eeglug Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Doo-wop! The minor chord comes second in a doo wop progression (C Am F G = doo wop). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted August 12, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 12, 2011 OK... I'm on mine. To be clear, I can use: C G Am F ( or any transposition of that progression) and... I can vary it by dropping any and as many chords as I want, as long as the remaining chords stay in the same order and are one of those four. So I could use the original then go G Am... for a different section, or C F, or C, G, F... or just F for any other section. As long as I use the C G Am F in that order at least once? Or do I need to circle that for at least one section over and over? Either is fine, I just want to know the rules. Or does it matter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 I just want to know the rules. Or does it matter? Competitions are usually won by someone who stretches or breaks the rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Doo-wop!I'd had have to say that C, Am, F, Gis more the classic doo wop chord progression. But, you know, you use C, G, Am, F for your follow up hit... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 The minor chord comes second in a doo wop progression (C Am F G = doo wop).Great minds clearly think alike. And... so do we. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 OK... I'm on mine. To be clear, I can use: C G Am F ( or any transposition of that progression) and... I can vary it by dropping any and as many chords as I want, as long as the remaining chords stay in the same order and are one of those four. So I could use the original then go G Am... for a different section, or C F, or C, G, F... or just F for any other section. As long as I use the C G Am F in that order at least once? Or do I need to circle that for at least one section over and over? Either is fine, I just want to know the rules. Or does it matter? I was under the impression that the verse had to have the original progression -- but that durations were up in the air -- and that the chorus or any bridge could drop chords out but still needed to use the original order for the remainder... but I think I got that impression from your post. Anyhow, I think that makes pretty good sense. We really need some kind of flexibility for the change up -- I think that's where some of the creativity will come in, along, of course, with being able to draw different melodies from the same progression. (But, of course, if one has 2 bars of C, a half bar of Am, and a half of G and then a bar of F or something, we should see some variation in melodies, anyhow. Hell, we could probably spend 3 weeks discussing the parameters and have a ball... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LCK Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 So the first challenge is this:write a song using ONLY these chords in this order C/G/Am/F (transposition/capos are allowed ) So am I automatically disqualified if I write a song using the following sequence? CMaj7 - Gm - Am(#5) - F6 - G7 - Cmaj9 LCK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 I love this thread. If I remember my history correctly - After Martin Luther took his hammer and nails to the church door, and Protestantism spread through Europe, the Vatican considered the new movement to be a threat, and decided that the bishops of Europe should meet and discuss what might be done. It was 100 years before the meeting took place, because agreement couldn't be reached on where the meeting should be held. I don't have that long Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickboymusic Posted August 12, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Right folks, ok this thread was to set a challenge and suddenly there is an uprising Im keeping this one strict (sorry!!) You can ONLY use C/G/Am/F (or any transposition/capo) and that is it NO 7ths ect....NO missing chords out..... this is a test in melody, and listen to these pop songs, they dont need to cheat so lets see how we get on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members oldgitplayer Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Right folks, ok this thread was to set a challenge and suddenly there is an uprising Im keeping this one strict (sorry!!) You can ONLY use C/G/Am/F (or any transposition/capo) and that is it NO 7ths ect....NO missing chords out..... this is a test in melody, and listen to these pop songs, they dont need to cheat so lets see how we get on Stickboy gets tough - so it has to be C/G/Am/F through verse, chorus & bridge. We'll just have to get our extreme creativity rhythm boots on for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators davie Posted August 12, 2011 Moderators Share Posted August 12, 2011 Sounds like a fun idea, Stickboy. Count me in. And I might as well use this next song for my collaboration with oldgitplayer. Alright, stay tuned for a melody. oldgitplayer is gonna do the lyrics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members stickboymusic Posted August 12, 2011 Author Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 Sounds like a fun idea, Stickboy.Count me in.And I might as well use this next song for my collaboration with oldgitplayer.Alright, stay tuned for a melody. oldgitplayer is gonna do the lyrics! look forward to that!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bee3 Posted August 12, 2011 Members Share Posted August 12, 2011 I'm in. Don't be surprised when I write the next Tomorrow Never Knows with a G/Am/F "outro". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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