have you ever thought that songs sound the same? Of course you have. A lot of the top pop and even classic rock songs are the same cords or very similar. most use the same 3 or 4 cord patterns. The difference is the rhythm and style they are played in.
Now believe it or not songs like Cant you see and sweet home alabama are the same 3 cords. The difference is how the cords are played. They can be played in power cords or whole cords but the rhythm changes what they are. The way they are played make the other difference. strum or picked in different styles. This is very common in so many of our favorite hits.
This can be said about 4 cord songs too. 4 note or 4 cord songs make up many of the top 100 pop hits of the past 25 years or better. some sond the same and other completely different. The cords can be played the same or in different patterns and the songs are completely different. Some are played in the same order and patterns but the rhythm and speed of the song makes a huge difference in what the outcome is.
There are so many ways that a musician can play the same cords that the options are almost infinite on how they will sound together. The way they are played and used too. Some its the difference between strumming and sweeping and others its the picking style. Other times its the difference of playing a power or bar cord vs the whole cord position. many people say the power cord makes it easier to play but in reality its playing a song in whats known as the 5th. This is a simple position because of the fingering but its got its lacking of song like the ring out. the full cord played to ring out has a brighter sounds and even that full position in the 5th rings out better than the partial that a power cord leaves limits to.
The next is weather the musician plays by picking or hammering or playing partial notes and the full note or cord. Example is the difference in Cant You See vs Sweet Home Alabama where there is a partial not played almost hammered or rolled into. the other is just the note played. Bands tend to play with multiple guitar players and when they are both playing the same rhythms they either play octaves different or one will play the cord and the other the power cord of the same thing.
Now there are many songs and bands we all know that play 4 cord songs. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Greenday, Bob Marley. All have hits that are the 4 cord patterns. they may not be the same patterns but same cords. Outside, When I come Around, No Woman No Cry. All 4 cord hit examples. The biggest difference other than cord order is the styles they are played. Chilli Peppers are partials and picking and whole cords, Greenday uses primarily power cords and bib marley was whole cords in general. These are just a few of the groups and songs that do this.
I was inspired to this because I was out playing at an open jam the other day and was thinking about the songs I was playing and how its basically the same thing. I remembered a video I watched few years back that I had to look up again and have attached it to the end of this blog. Its right so many songs fall under the 4 cord progression that we never realised.
The biggest thing as said is the rhythm being different but the speed of the songs can make all the difference. Some played slow and others fast can change it as much as the way its played. Some have a point in the middle where they become the same and others don't. Its unbelievable how so many songs use the same cords and are completely different and some completely different and using just the different rhythm patterns and same cord pattern. There's so may options we don't even realise it until its pointed out. W just think oh it sounded like it could have been another song for that quick moment.
The other thing was I played bass in a band over the past couple years and most the songs we played were 3 and 4 cord songs and none sounded the same. I recently moved back from the bass to the guitar and find myself playing a lot of power cords because its an easy move over from the bass. I have found moving from those power cords to Full cords is a bit more difficult but really make things sound better. not easier to play just sounds better.
See there is a difference in these hits that use the 3 and 4 cord patterns compared to what we know as the guitar gods or the epic musicians like Hendrix or Joe Satriani or Jeff beck or steve Vai. All great musicians and even Hendrix wrote some 3 and 4 cord songs. Watchtower is one of those. its very basic but can be played very advanced because its played in multiple positions. Satriani and Vai use the 3 and 4 cord and do whats called a progression using and mixing both but playing with sweeps and scales and arpeggios that make it super advanced to play. some parts are not as hard as others but that only comes with extreme amounts of practicing.
The styles that make a differences can range from hammer-ons and pull-offs, sweeping and strumming and picking and rolling and bending. all different actions that can change the sound by using style. And this is what makes us recognise the musicians playing the songs because they favor some of these styles in their playing. We recognise Dimebag Darrel Abbot because he is a string bender. Nuno Bettencourt for hamerons and strumming styles like Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee or More Than Words. Via and Satrani we know from advanced soloing techniques where they are constantly playing scales and arpeggios over cords.
To all musicians learning to play guitar I say keep practicing and playing. It took me 20 years to make it to a stage. I had to stop and go back to basics and even on a different instrument than I was originally playing. I Went from guitar to bass and now back to guitar without leaving the bass behind. Find yourself some easy songs and learn them. popular songs people like to hear. just learn like 3 of them to start. then goto open mic or open jams and play with people. play with everyone. keep finding more people to play with whether its just to jam or to make a band. learn from everyone and see where it goes. Don't give up and keep playing.
The next lesson is pick 1 or 2 easy songs and learn them and learn to play them with others. Pick a few other songs you like beyond that and one that will be a challenge. when you think you have one of those songs down learn another and keep playing. Dont quit. Practice whenever you can find anyone that wants to play. support others and others will support you. Its not an easy road and takes a lot of time. just keep at it. if you do this and learn 3 basic 3 or 4 cord songs you can play anywhere occasionally. you can only get better by doing it. it will only take a couple months to get started on that path then you can continue to network and grow your playing abilities.
Keep Playing! Don't give up.
Practice, Practice, Practice...
This is not my video but what inspired me to write this.