I need some tips on writing 50's style music. I know its maily I-IV-V chords but I keep making the same thing. I just need someone to "Point the way" lol thanks!
Bstguitarist
KB1LQC
No matter what anyone says, these four men were the Innovators! of modern Rock & Roll!
Morse Code... Music on it's own
bstguitarist
The big progression of the 50's was the I-VIm-IV-V progression or slight variations of it. So in the key of:
C- C-Am-F-G
D- D-Bm-G-A
E- E-C#m-A-B
F- F-Dm-Bb-C
G- G-Em-C-D
A- A-F#m-D-E
B- B-G#m-E-F#
When I say variations, you might have chords like this in C
C-Am-Dm(or Dm7)-G(or G7)
So here the Dm or Dm7 which is the relative minor of F Major is substituted. You can substitute a G7 for the G, or a G9 or G6 (or even an Em the relative minor of G Major) etc....
All of the chords can be altered.
With this one progression alone you can play probably 75% of all the songs played in the 50's.
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Here's a couple more, like Wes said change or substitute a chord here and there, add s passing chord, or chost chord.
Am-C-F-G chorus->F-C-G-D
Am-Dm
G-C-D
D-Bm-G-A
G-Bm-C-D
Joe
One other thing they did was vary where the chord changes happened. Take the tune 'Peggy Sue', which is primarily I-IV-V... each letter represents one bar...
Intro:
A-D-A-E-A-D-A-E
Verse:
A-A-D-D-A-D-A-A-D-D-D-D-A-D-A-A-E-E-D-D-A-D-A-E
Chorus:
A-A-A-A-F-F-A-A-D-D-D-D-A-D-A-A-E-E-D-D-A-D-A-E
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