C Am F G
- 1. C Am F G
- 2. That piano piece…Almost everyone can play this on piano:C Am F G C E G A C E G B D F A C
- 3. TheoryThe tonic chord I C It’s relative minor VI AmThe sub-dominant IV FThe dominant V G
- 4. TranspositionThe harmonic pattern is fixed regardless of how low/high the song is pitched: G Em C D F Dm Bb C D Bm G A
- 5. Doo WopThe chord pattern was most common in the 1950’s, especially in vocal harmony ‘doo wop’ pop:‘Goodnight Sweetheart’ The Spaniels‘Blue Moon’ The Marcels‘Why Do Fools Fall in Love’ Frankie Lyman‘Lollipop’ The Chordettes‘Runaround Sue’ Dion
- 6. Those magic changesThe same chord pattern works in:‘Return to Sender’ Elvis Presley‘Mr Postman’ The Marvellettes‘Unchained Melody’ The Righteous Brothers‘Stand By Me’ Ben E King‘We Go Together’ Grease Soundtrack‘Every Breath You Take’ The Police
- 7. Super-tonicA variation on the standard pattern is to replace the assertive sub-dominant F chord with the softer super-tonic: C Am Dm G‘Last Xmas’ Wham‘Heaven Knows I’m Miserable’ The Smiths‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Queen‘Hungry Heart’ Bruce Springsteen‘Fluorescent Adolescent’ Artic Monkeys
- 8. Other variations…‘Teenage Kicks’ The Undertones: C // Am // C// Am// F// G //‘Back For Good’ Take That: C Dm / F G / ‘Let’s Get It On’ Marvin Gaye: C Em/ F G/
- 9. Other variations… ‘No Woman No Cry’ Bob Marley: C G /Am F ‘With Or Without You’ U2: C /G /Am /F ‘One’ U2: Am/Dm/F /G / x2 C /Am /F /C / x2
- 10. Other variations…‘Viva la Vida’ Coldplay:F /G /C /Am/‘Monkey Wrench’ Foo Fighters:C /Am /GF /GF C#/ (Chorus)