How To Choose Chords (Songwriting 101)

In this Songwriting 101 lesson, learn how to choose chords for your original song! Printable Cheat Sheet: / dylanlaine // Don't forget... ⬇︎
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Hi, my name is Dylan Laine and my mission is to inspire you to play, write, and spread the light! I create songwriting tutorials, ukulele tutorials, guitar tutorials, and piano tutorials. I also post original music, cover songs, and buying guides. In 2010 I received my degree in songwriting from Berklee College of Music, and enjoy teaching private music lessons in addition to making online content.
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*Some links are affiliate links, which means I get a small portion of what you spend at no additional cost to you. This helps support the channel and our music community!

[@DylanLaine]

Download the Song Sheet here! www.patreon.com/dylanlaine

[@maximusleonte1]

Your child-like happiness kinda scares me but your ability to deconstruct complex musical concepts is genius. Great job :) I love it.

[@DanteS-119]

I think it’s just the editing makes it look like she never blinks. Otherwise the cheerfulness is good imo

[@jacobjosephgoudreault3114]

ive nevet seen the circle of fifths used like that! Cool tip!

[@DylanLaine]

It's definitely a fun way to use the circle of fifths - glad you found it useful!

[@farmville69]

How is it typically used?

[@monicacimpoeru2446]

YOU ARE A BLESSING!

[@DylanLaine]

Thank you so much Monica!!!

[@angelinasouaidan2341]

You just teached me what my music teacher is trying to teach me! But his method takes 3 years yours take 6 minutes!! Verry helpful thank you😊😊

[@bobbyc.5889]

This video helped me so much! I am an 11 year old song writer, and I wanted to learn how to take my music a step farther. My dream is to be a singer when I grow up. This has and will help me throughout my songwriting journey! Thank you for this! And, despite it being made six years ago, rewards don’t come immediately! You earned a sub!

[@camilala1453]

OMG This was literally so needed in my life and i dont know how to thank you for your amazing help ly!!!!

[@davidhollyfield5148]

Really useful clear and lucid explanation of the circle of fifths. Best tutorial site I've come across. So many resources! Thank you Dylan! Please support her on Patreon!

[@topleetcoder8610]

Your explanations are so clear. Thank you so much for your videos!!!

[@ladykfilmartproductions273]

Thank you so much. This is really great! I have the Circle of Fifths poster and haven't delved into it yet, and now I am excited about my songwriting and finding the right chords! I also really appreciate how you keep straight to the point! So many other people tend to ramble and talk irrelevant and such, but you did this perfectly! Ah, it's refreshing to find such perfect tutorials..... :-)

[@calliep.5714]

Omg Dylan you're amazing! You've helped so much with writing music And I plan to one day be a small town musician. KZbin career! You are an important part of this thank you so so much I'm truly inspired! Keep being amazing!! ❤

[@emmamckown1760]

Thank you so much, this is so helpful, sometimes it’s very difficult to write the chords for a song, after you’ve already written the lyrics. So much help thx !!!

[@hirunseneviratne4155]

Thank you very much. This is the video that i was looking for years. Thankz again

[@pammcreynolds]

You are awesome!!! You are answering all my questions. Thank you so very much!!!

[@DylanLaine]

Thank you! I'm glad my videos have been answering your questions!

[@rubikulelerubiksandukulele4607]

Thank you so much Dylan. Great help. Luv ya!

[@deepugeorge819]

This is amazing no one has ever explained this so well

[@jypandeyji1064]

i love your vids.... they help me everytime i get stuck.. thnk you sooo much dylan

[@DylanLaine]

Aww yay!! That makes me smile :-)

[@Nani-Afinarte13]

Just found your channel. And i had to watch it twice to understand the philosophy about your point and i understood your chart. Super Nice technique. And Nice website too!! Love that you're hustling 🙏🙏🙏💯

[@DylanLaine]

Glad it was helpful!

[@radio.wolfman]

This is awesome. Thank you so much! :)

[@tonynguyen6871]

This is so great! Thank you!

[@RememberToLove]

Best circle of fifths explanation, ever! Each time I hear about the circle of fifths, I feel like I understand it a little bit more. Thanks Dylan!

[@DylanLaine]

So glad you found this useful!!

[@rydayanmusic8909]

OMG! Thank you so much!! You helped us a lot!!!!!! God bless you

[@MarielleMimes]

Hi Ma'am Dylan! Thank you for teaching me some basic stuff about music. I just want you to know that I'm learning and thank you for that. :D

[@DylanLaine]

Hello! You are so welcome! Thank you for taking the time to write this sweet message! 😊

[@ketanshah6613]

Very helpful. You rock ❤

[@xfireblazexx8571]

This video was really helpful! I'm thinking of writing my own songs soon and posting them on my channel. Your videos are really nice because I'm a beginner at song writing and I can get help really easily! :)

[@DylanLaine]

That's so wonderful, Melody! I'm so pleased to know that my videos are inspiring you to keep writing

[@medgirl17]

Excellent! Thank you Dylan!! 👍❤️ I was able to Quickly figure out the chords to a song on the piano which I’ve been mulling over before I found your video!!! Who hoo!! I am So Excited!!! 😃👏👌Thanks A Lot for your help! Btw, you explain this concept of writing your chords much better than some other with higher views, which I didn’t understand at all! They went over my head..

[@DylanLaine]

Awesome! I'm so glad you found this video helpful! :-)

[@tanuverma9553]

Great tutorial I really needed this info Thnks

[@AzeemKhan-xt4ck]

You helped Me the most Thank You , Dylan ❤

[@DylanLaine]

Awesome! Thanks for telling me! :)

[@katherineyong1024]

this is amazing!! Mind blown! 🤯

[@bribrizoomzz2026]

Her personality is so pure I love it 😊

[@battlechurchapostolicminis200]

Thank you I have many songs I want to sing n wrote but didn’t know how or where to put chords thanks so much

[@JosietheEpic]

I appreciate this so much!

[@alexishadfield]

Thank you so much!!! I understand the circle of fiths now and why it's called that! Thank you!

[@DylanLaine]

You're so welcome!! Great job putting in the hard work of learning all about it!!

[@zehnass]

this actually helped a lot. thanks :)

[@rosalee7227]

Excellent explanation, especially for a beginner like me!

[@moonlight2987]

Thank you soo much ! I didn’t know what circle of fifths was and it’s a really awesome method to use ! 😀

[@DylanLaine]

You're so welcome! Glad you liked it!

[@UnKn0wNx4]

UR AWESOME THANK U

[@kairulikhwan99]

good video, no mumbling and just straight to the point,

[@VamsyMudilimusic]

Hii my friend love your videos and Tutorials all the time helped me lot thank you so much for making this Awesome Videos I appreciate your work 😊 and I always wish you get success all the time 😊

[@heitoralthmann]

AWESOME! Thank you :)

[@luissimon9423]

Omg! This answer my whole life question on playing. Ty great vids. Can you make a video about how to find your voice key?

[@songthepeople9059]

Very nice.

[@matthewg666]

I've been self-teaching myself on piano for about a year and a half. There's very few covers that I can do. Simple stuff like "Imagine". But I have learned enough that I compose my own material. One of the problems I have is my material seems to be outside the norm. For example, one of the first ones that I wrote started while messing around (as most of mine). I played a Bm with my right. However, with my left, I played a G octave. Sounded smooth. From there, I went to a C chord with my right and a F octave with my left. Again smooth. According to scales-chords.com, what I did was go from a Gmaj7 to a Fmaj9sus2. Now, I have since learned what the first would be. You're simply adding the 7th. The latter? Beats me, particularly when scales-chords shows Fmaj9sus2 as "F-G-C-E". I played it as "F-C-E-G". My problem becomes two-fold. When I come up with something, it works but I don't understand why it works. Secondly, when stumbling onto unusual chords or using an unusual bass octave, trying to figure out other chords that have the same vibe is pain-staking.

[@iosonomalik]

good job, thanks a lot.x

[@Mueleski]

Thanks!

[@emily3916]

Thank you! :D

[@isaacwu4995]

I love you thank you

[@ameeche7]

So great to know about this easy way to choose chords Dylan! Thanks so much! I'm going to start with these tips, but I wonder if you've experimented outside of the box like added a random chord into your music and it still sounded cool? Otherwise, I'm also curious how you got started in music - does everyone in your family also play music? My parents didn't really play instruments but they really wanted me and my brothers to play stringed instruments, I so I play violin and am so excited to learn the ukelele through your videos! :) - Amy

[@rohithoro3837]

I am in love 😍

[@cerealinalmondmilk6702]

thank you this helped so much :)

[@DylanLaine]

You're welcome!

[@zsashing18]

Thank you so much Dylan i was trying to make a song from the bible verses coz its easy to memorize them by singing it and i play ukulele so i was trying to make a chords for them this is very helpful God bless u

[@jermaine8107]

why are you this awesome ? *+1 subscriber*

[@fladoodleflamy]

Thank you :3

[@LizzieDeanMakes]

I have a wheel graphic for ukulele chords that sound good together - it makes choosing chords pretty idiot proof which I like - I understand about choosing the I-V-vi-IV chords from a scale but that requires counting and half note intervals and just sort of puts me off because it’s not immediately obvious - so the wheel graphic definitely helps me xx

[@LizzieDeanMakes]

Hey that’s just like me graphic!! He he

[@LizzieDeanMakes]

So sometimes I throw a 7 chord - as I understand it that is the major key chord with the root note 7 notes higher? So I use C, Am, F, G, Dm, Am and E7 - so why do they sound so good because E major isn’t anywhere near them in the graphic? Is E7 closer to Em? Xx

[@karolypirate7660]

Thanks

[@Greengoblin2345]

Will this translate to guitar?

[@kellythielen2369]

Hi XD could you do a tutorial for the song Hills and Valleys(the valleys version) btw you have a beautiful voice!

[@DylanLaine]

Hi Kelly, thanks for the request - I'll write it down!

[@ritumalani7211]

Hey...can you make a video about ur journey af berklee college of music....😘

[@redwanhossain5181]

very useful

[@thetruekzan7525]

I realy love your songs i want to do the same but im bad and cant afford instruments

[@DylanLaine]

You could write lyrics and melodies! :)

[@rivaldyralnuari1211]

thanks

[@lisaygsfavourite6002]

Can i choose any key that i want to be my song in or there is any rules to choose it?

[@kianflorendo8673]

Aspiring song writer here. Thanks 😙

[@yehiawalid6664]

thank you :)

[@DylanLaine]

You're welcome!

[@Cyber_N-7660]

Currently trying to make my first original song, I hope this video would help 😅

[@shubhampareek3000]

Thank you so very much mam God bless you 😇🙏👼❤

[@DylanLaine]

You're welcome!

[@biancadias4272]

você é linda, parabéns 👏😍 eu amo seus vídeos de couvers❤❤

[@DylanLaine]

[@ernestomartinez4236]

Great Video, Thank you! I would say my biggest problem is chord structure... lets say I have 4 chords looped in 8 bars. ( the same chords will loop for the next 8 bars to conplete a verse, or part one of a verse) how would you arrange a progression of 4 chords or more for the pre chorus and then into the chorus from your point of view? I find that my writing becomes extremely repetetive or perhaps the melody begins to "drift" away although it is still in key.. Have you found any interest in "studying" the great Max Martin? He's one of the guys that truly understands intricate and simple songwriting which I've been searching for, for a very long time. Hopefully you can reply! Thanks for the video once again!

[@DylanLaine]

Hi Ernesto, I typically avoid pre-choruses and get straight to the chorus. But if I were to write a pre chorus, I might start the verse chord progression on the vi, the chorus pre-chorus chord progression on the IV, the chorus chord progression on the I, and the bridge chord progression on the V. This helps the chord progression feel fresh throughout the entire song. Thanks for telling me about Max Martin - I had not heard of him until now. I look forward to studying about him!

[@adrikaghosh9818]

Thanks mam

[@DylanLaine]

You're welcome!

[@elifpekedis5495]

you look exactly like lily from how i met your mother, you are both so cute and thank you your video is so helpfull 🌼🥰

[@s.samanthaa._]

You need more subcribers!! You are a big help ♡♡

[@DylanLaine]

Aww thanks Samantha!!

[@anweshmishra6206]

can i write a song by my feeling only?....i mean no music theory.....u know singers like kurt cobain used 2 do that....

[@DylanLaine]

Of course! There is no "right" or "wrong" with songwriting - it all just depends on what your goal for the song is. With each goal is a certain set of suggested practices in order to reach that goal more efficiently. You might find this video interesting: kzbin.info/www/bejne/amnUpZ-onrCtoM0 ... it's all about writing a song based on your feelings!

[@johnmooney6565]

But even Kurt followed some basic theory rules even if he didn't know he was doing it. They become rules because they are used so often that we hear them as sounding "good". Atonal music (music without a key) doesn't generally sound that great to most people, and certainly doesn't work in most pop song settings.

[@rishabhsharma6279]

ma'am you are not a doll right!!! thanks for this knowledge

[@kerennoyman1988]

Composing my songs is a dream of mine but composing feels impossible to me 😢

[@siddhantaryal01]

Can you give me your of the best guitars

[@charmi3809]

Ahh! I know this is a long while ago but you’re so cute!

[@csengevarga8831]

This video makes me want to sing.. Do.. A deer.. A female deer.. Ray.. A drop of golden sun..

[@mr.trunks1747]

You sound like Marzia.

[@pedrooliveiralima3035]

Where's Jerry, George and Kramer?

[@AnkCaravan]

why are u so cute ?😚💗

[@zenyor2299]

Can you search a chord for me __mixed personalitie - ynw melly ft kanye west

[@darlajcullen4673]

Thanks

[@DylanLaine]

You're welcome!