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...but wasn't I paying attention to how the second chord relates to the first chord with "Let it Go"? That's how I assumed that it was the "Four Chords of Alternative"
, since although it's not as common as THE four chords, it's still used by a lot of (faux/post-)alternative artists and even a few pop artists.
"Let it Go" unquestionably uses THE four chords in the chorus, though; I have no confusion about that.
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Speaking of Four Chords, here's The Axis Of Awesome's 2014 version from the YouTube Fanfest in Sydney, which actually acknowledges "Let it Go".
edited 18th Jun '14 10:29:38 AM by WaxingName
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Apparition in the Woods
Just saying. Sometimes the cues that you expect are not followed through on in the way that you expect them.
I would say that the slap bass bit in the descending progression in Wire's "Ahead" is a good example of this, but both of the chord progressions in that song are fairly ambiguous: Is it D A G G or D D G G in the guitars, or both played against each other? Is that bass part in the second half of the verse corresponding to the chords or to the dominant?
edited 18th Jun '14 4:04:47 PM by JHM
I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
Some songs don't even use full chords. Most of the accompaniment in, for example, "Rolling in the Deep" is just open fifths. Likewise, the riff throughout "Lover, Lover" by Jerrod Niemann doesn't contain a whole chord at any point, although you could just strum G-C over and over again and it would fit perfectly.
I think my favorite two-chord song is "Dreams" by the Buckingham-Nicks Fleetwood Mac.
...well, the bridge has different chords, but it's mostly FM 7 and GM 7.
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Apparition in the Woods
Look up Ligeti's Musica ricercata. Specifically the first movement. You will not be disappointed.
Well, I'll be...
Speaking of my strange love for the Two Chords used creatively, here is a very competent example. While the 2 chords are the root of the composition there are more elements in there that spice things up as the music keeps going on its 6 minute run.
Ellie Goulding's Burn is a Four Chords song right? I've been able to train myself to listen closely for the Chords, but I'm unsure of this one.
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Nope. A four chords song would go "Bbm Gb Db Ab", Burn goes "Bbm Gb Fm Ab".
To pity someone is to tell them "I feel bad about being better than you."
Apparition in the Woods
Which is admittedly quite close.
I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.
I'll have to take it off of The Four Chords of Pop page then, as I added it by mistake. But doesn't the Fm chord have Db as a bass note?
You know, shouldn't we add a section that has "similar" progressions to the Four Chords to that page? Like "Burn" for example is i-VI-V-VII and Katy Perry's "Firework" is I-ii-vi-IV (I think). I know that the page has a section for the chords rearranged, but it doesn't have a section for when one of the chords are changed.
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No.
Because when one of the chords are changed, it's not The Four Chords of Pop.
Then again, there are many similar instances with the "Humoresque" Progression, in which the second chord will be the relative minor of what it usually is.
edited 17th Jul '14 9:31:57 AM by PhysicalStamina
To pity someone is to tell them "I feel bad about being better than you."
Here's some stuff that I (mostly) posted in the "Songs that Sound Awfully Similar" thread:
- Music Sounds Better With You - Stardust
- Love at First Sight - Kylie Minogue
- Dreams of an Absolution from Sonic '06
- Tik Tok - Kesha
- California Gurls Katy Perry
- Speed of Love - Owl City
All of these songs share a certain infectious chord shift. Can anyone explain this? I can't really get it, but I know it's there.
edited 29th Jul '14 11:08:28 AM by WaxingName
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I think the progression you're thinking of is "v VI VII i" or "Gm AbM BbM Cm" in C minor.
"Speed of Love" I think forgoes the "v" chord and just holds "VI" for an extra bar.
edited 29th Jul '14 11:32:32 AM by PhysicalStamina
To pity someone is to tell them "I feel bad about being better than you."
According to this video, "Tik Tok" does the same.
I think that chord progression could seriously combat the Four Chords as the go-to catchy progression, at least for a short time. It's too bad Owl City didn't release "Speed of Love" as a single; it would have been a club hit at least.
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If what Physical Stamina says is correct, then you should find the following song to have the same progression.
I picked this out without having heard any of the ones youve listed before (except for Tik Tok).
This should match Tik Tok's progression (with an extra chord tacked onto the end).
Putting the fifth as the lowest note in a major chord is a fairly common inversion. You have to pay attention to how the chord relates to the previous one, not just what the bass note is.
I'll hide your name inside a word and paint your eyes with false perception.