How To Write A Four Chord Loop

Four-chord loops are easy, right? Well, not necessarily: Simplicity can be deadly, after all. It's true that you don't have a lot of decisions to make, but you also don't have anywhere to hide, so making an entire song work with just four chords can be a daunting task, especially once you move past the most famous examples which, let's face it, are kind of overused at this point. But Radiohead managed it with Creep, and plenty of other bands have made really cool songs with unconventional four-chord loops too, so... how?
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Also, thanks to Jareth Arnold and Jade Tan-Holmes for proofreading the script to make sure this all makes sense hopefully!

[@12tone]

One important disclaimer: Technically, Where Is My Mind doesn't meet the definition I set out because it includes a tag at the end of the chorus that uses different chords, but I decided to count it anyway 'cause all the major sections use the same loop, and it was a really good example of the sorts of harmonies I was trying to demonstrate.

[@johanneschristopherstahle3395]

Yes, but this dominant chord is really the climax of the song, very nice transition into the solo.

[@j3tztbassman123]

I'm so gonna use this. I've already got the bass line figured. And the rhythm guitar. Melody will be the fun part.

[@bagrat6085]

Do a Understanding video on any Pixies song please

[@MrPraffa]

It would be nice in my opinion comparing Where is my mind with Say it ain't so (Weezers), which has the same 4 chords progression (for most of the song), just starting in C#m, and in the intro it does a curious thing with the G# (it's major but they add the minor 3rd in the arpeggio creating a cool dissonance). Btw, great channel!

[@pelotasdad]

we will forgive you my son. now do three "proud mary's (ccr)," ten "heavenly fathers (by bon iver)," and listen with high volume to "roy's bluz" by roy buchanan as a reward/penance. go in peace, and may tom waits have mercy on your soul.

[@mattfry6769]

As a scientist who knows very little about music theory, those chemistry references made me feel at home. Thank you

[@persiab8808]

shut up

[@persiab8808]

@sanamdeep what?

[@Pookieluv831]

Scientists who are also musicians are cool because, they’d have so many words to choose from.

[@Torthrodhel]

As I've developed my songwriting, I find myself doing this less and less. Seeing a video about it now, I think of it less as a part of increased sophistication and more as a technique I've lost along the way. Perhaps something I should revisit deliberately. Neat video! :)

[@MiaMartel64]

I think you can also think of the Creep progression as having the "III" be considered a V/vi (secondary dominant, of vi) followed by a sorta meta deceptive cadence (in the form of the planing you mentioned). Then the IV to iv motion gives the whole thing the latter part of a line of sequential notes which, having moved up in chromatic steps, now steps chromatically back down again, as the emotional intensity slowly rises and falls. Great video btw. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

[@briann2911]

One thing I noticed that help me significantly, is that chords typically move relatively in either 3rds or 5ths (and rarely 7ths) in either direction, and the chord the chord that ends the loop typically does the same moving towards the first chord. If anybody's interested as to why the chord changes that have accidentals outside of their key still sound good, "modal modulation" should help you out.

[@GoatyGoY]

Every time I hear those chords for run-around, I can't help but think "God save the Queen"...

[@SorooshMhs]

One of my favorites: Radiohead - climbing up the walls (specifically the verse part) Bm - G - Em - Asus2 (i - VI - v - VIIsus2)

[@althealligator1467]

You forgot the flats

[@SorooshMhs]

@@althealligator1467 right

[@SorooshMhs]

@sanamdeep that’s true. This is from 3 years ago. I’m much better at this stuff now haha

[@1994savvas]

I had never paid attention to the riff stopping on Where is my mind. I went to listen to it again and realised that it always gave me the feeling that when the riff stops, that's the verse! It feels more at rest for me with the vocsls being softer, whereas the riff seems like pushing the song forward and gives me more of an impression of a chorus, or even a bridge movement kind of thing.

[@ozmorse7250]

Where is my mind isn’t the best example of a four chord loop because it does use the minor plagal as well at the end of the verse and also has that B for three E for one bridge thing

[@CoryMck]

Watch out, *Radiohead* has been known to sue people for using their chords.

[@diegocano5756]

Cory Mck lorde used the melody as well so...

[@shanekim28]

Dangit! Just when I thought I found a cool, original 4 chord loop, I just discovered Radiohead's Creep. But mine starts on Emaj so hah. Take that.

[@Ripper15ltd]

I feel like 'The Streets' are a brilliant example of this, with even less chords used. I recently played for my friends dissertation, and he used two of their songs; Fit But You Know It (which only uses TWO power chords for the whole thing) and Could Well Be In which only uses 3 chords for the whole song. They're absolutely brilliant songs and I still don't understand how they got away with it! Great video again, thank you!

[@BrunoWiebelt]

a very interesting, inspirational one thank you so much ...keep on the good work

[@zozzy4630]

I think another important piece of the puzzle you could have touched more on is voice leading - for example, the progression in "Creep" feels pretty connected because of the D-D#-E-Eb line (I'd probably have to look at a transcription to see how the chords are voiced, so I'm not sure if it's technically voiced as a single line, but I definitely hear it that way).

[@FelipeTellez]

G - B - C - Cm = Tonic - V/vi - VI/vi (deceptive resolution in context of VI....It *should* resolve to Em, but resolves to C) ...VI/vi = IV then Cm (iv) being just a flat 6, modal mixture....no planing....a lot of these have tonal interpretations, and do feel tonal (in a sense), but I definitely agree on the fact that stretching the time they are played makes each chord feel like an island...."modal planing".

[@nebulaeandstars]

I’m a year late but can we just appreciate the irony a channel called “12Tone” making a video about chord progressions

[@jhonlawrencebulosan6440]

I love this type of style of video teaching, which is used by asapscience, minutephysics, etc. I also love music, so when I found this channel, you get that I would get excited. I just wanted to say that this channel is amazing and I hope that this channel does very well in its future.

[@seveneightsixone5992]

I fucking love this channel. I'm actually satisfied with my songs and I feel like I have a better understanding of the median of music. Thankyou, 12tone.

[@mr7clay]

U2 about perfected this with "With or Without You" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)".

[@AlexisGelinas]

Incredibly helpful video! Thanks

[@UrThysis]

This channel is great..liked every video..f**ing great job man .\m/

[@HUNHali]

HCl to break down the harmonic structure? :D Rad!

[@JAllan-sp2xt]

Thank you for making these.

[@cutspud]

Congratulations on your shot out from Adam Nealy. Soon you will be up to a half million subscribers too. Glad that I came aboard earl in the journey :-) Keep up the good work.

[@42Eierkuchen]

thank you for this video, I was just yesterday sitting in front of the piano, just playing some chords and thinking about why they work in some combinations and not in other, basically exactly what you were talking about in this video. I have just a very basic grasp of music theory and your videos open up worlds I didn't even knew existed (or how you would call them in English, cause I learned music theory in German) :D

[@persiab8808]

':D' stfu

[@cotton7960]

my favourite four chord loop ever is probably the 'you gotta be crazy' section in dogs by pink floyd: Dm9 Bbadd11 Asus2add11 Absus2/+11 full of so many unexpected shifts, and the way each chord is held for such a long time makes the release of tension between each chord change extra special. it repeats for a whole 3 minutes and doesn't get boring to me at any point, before then suddenly launching into one of the most beautiful guitar solos i've ever heard as the next section of the song kicks in. gilmour was one of a kind

[@LouisSerieusement]

This is awesome I love your videos and I love that you speak really fast ! It's just perfect

[@persiab8808]

stfu why do u have a crush on this guy

[@PavelVolodkov]

In the Aeroplane Over the Sea has your regular doo-wop changes, but the instrumentation and overall delivery make it such great of a song

[@Brok3nC4rrot]

I've never (to my knowledge) heard "Run Around" but the chords sound like the opening to God Save The Queen (the UK anthem, not the Sex Pistols song)

[@brettonjohansen1619]

Brok3nC4rrot yeah I thot that too

[@stevenedwards4470]

God Save the Queen has less harmonica

[@brettonjohansen1619]

Steven Edwards pretty sure instrumentation doesn't really matter for an anthem, it would evoke the same thing either way

[@stevenedwards4470]

I was being facetious Bretton

[@NamesElliot]

You mean they’re different songs? I never realised, I’ve been singing the Pistols at every opportunity. Oops.

[@jackpepperpwb]

You'll get at ;least one like explicitly for Ratchet.

[@nickdrexler-art]

GREAT VIDEO!!!

[@michawrzosek5417]

Tom Petty - Learning to Fly. That's another great example of a four chord song (except for the break before the solo and in one or two more places in the song where it stays on a G for a few bars) which sounds very interesting despite its repetitivness.

[@tdtom1376]

F, C, Am, G. wor,s for TP.

[@mannkiefer6183]

The progression for runaround can be definitely extended with an additional Bm-Em-F-C. Mac Demarco uses a similar version of this in ‘The way you’d love her’.

[@mashewm]

I think it's worth pointing out that the III and iv chord have the same #5 of the tonic. In the iv-I it creates a stronger resolution than a IV-I with the #5 resolving to the 5. Ive noticed a lot of times they introduce a 6th to the iv to create a trione to further strengthen the resolution.

[@mei-jw4hy]

i nEEDED THis thank you so much!

[@gbdaeye]

I am really enjoying learning from your wonderful videos. I have only recently come across your channel so have the pleasure a full library to experience for the first time. Have you considered doing an analysis on could have lied by RHCP? It always puzzled me how the chord progression goes from Bm Bm A G in verse then B Major D A G in pre chorus. I wonder if it has something to do with what you talk about in this video. Love your channel : )

[@GeoffNelson]

Really cool video

[@chadshaw1188]

Solid! Keep up the good work. I love your videos!

[@persiab8808]

i dont

[@chetruane]

A good four chord loop song is the heart of the ball by the rolling nuggets

[@daadadada]

Hello there, interesting video as always! But I have a question unrelated to this video. I recently learned about microtime in jazz music and I have a hard time getting my head around that concept. I'm sure one of your videos would be of great help! Thanks!

[@nerothos]

Yay for Clank!

[@mudmusic1399]

Thank you

[@Hoyalio2k]

Our House by Madness has a really unique 4 chord loop! :)

[@The_Rising_Dragon]

You should analyse Harry Potter's main track, Hedwig's Theme someday :)

[@ottodude555]

It's minor. That's it lol.

[@PebProductions46]

Whelp, pack up boys. I guess that's all we'll ever get out of this piece. There just can't possibly be anything else to it.

[@EvilSapphireR]

I was trying to arrange the piece the guitar just the other day and realised how brilliant a minor scale composition it is. Would love to see 8tone cover it!

[@brockmulhearn3490]

EvilSapphireR whos 8 tone

[@Cassace]

@@brockmulhearn3490 12tone's lil dumb brother?

[@justusotter5388]

Could you make a video about the concept of hexany? I read about it, and found it really interesting. ☺

[@sammy3212321]

Aw heck, I've been hungry for a harmonic analysis on Creep for a while now and I am at last somewhat satiated.

[@persiab8808]

'aw heck' r u 4 years old?

[@tashafellman]

One loop that I’ve used in a lot of the pieces I’ve written is Dm Bb Cm G. Does this imply a Bb Ionian mode or a D Phrygian mode?

[@happybanjodude]

"Creep" and "Where Is My Mind?" both invoke the same common chord substitution - the iii minor is substituted for a major - yet you explain them in drastically different ways - a "chromatic mediant" and a brief transition to C#m V chord - both reasons I find overly confusing. I always hear that substitution (minor iii becoming major) as invoking that keys relative harmonic minor scale. In the case of "Creep", the B major chord uses the note D#, which belongs in E Harmonic Minor. I find the explanation of borrowing a note from Harmonic Minor more appropriate since that chord substitution just sounds "harmonic minor-ey" no matter where it's used. Cool vid!

[@ABJr229]

Could you please explain "Hey Joe"? I never understood how many major chords feet so well with the minor pentatonic.

[@federico7748]

Hi , for a Q&A can you talk about the role of the bass in free jazz? thank you a lot for your lessons!

[@sunsetyellow]

One of my favourite four-chord loops is Behind The Wheel by Depeche Mode. I think it's Bm-Dm-Gm-Bb - how does that work?

[@HazmanFTW]

I see what you did there at 5:56, mm mm hee hee hee I'd love to see some analysis on some R&C music

[@chrisgumb8986]

Nick Drake's River Man is almost entirely made up of a very dramatic 4 chord loop. That's a nice one :)

[@ronaldo.araujo]

Yeah, really cool, you should make a video about planing/parallelism

[@aadityakiran_s]

I really don't think those dudes knew all this before writing those songs. But still, very fun to watch

[@daicon2k6]

Is that bridge for the subdominant a new illustration or have you used that before? I like it!

[@Daniel-ly7vk]

Hiya, love the vid, ever think about analysing a dire straights song, maybe Romeo and Juliet because that has an interesting tuning.

[@neo-eclesiastul9386]

" a bit overused " is a little said.

[@thealientree3821]

Very overused.

[@palebreath]

The arrangement of Where is My Mind by Maxence Cyrin is fantastic

[@Weston_Guidero]

@ 3:00 "Where is my mind" also does something cool with the G# & A major. Not only does the tempo help the major III chord (which is diatonically minor), it helps that the next chord is the same type of major chord up a half step. Using the same type of chords (common in some jazz) sequentially in either half or whole steps sort of just works. I forgot the proper term for this... I know it's not continually going up in half or whole steps after that, but hearing the same chord type a half or whole step lower or higher has a certain memory our ears take to.

[@definitelynotofficial7350]

Weston Guidero He talked about it in about 03:30

[@PedroJunRodrigues]

nice one

[@OurgasmComrade]

The Sonic head adds a great touch haha

[@1oolabob]

I really get a lot out of the way you explain the principles of how simple methods can be used. Here are a couple of my thoughts about how I might use a four chord loop: --Four chords played over the course of 8 measures--with only one change every two measures--is a slow-moving progression of harmony that can allow a lot of non-repetitive development of melody while making a simple statement of a basic harmonic structure. --The same four chords changing quicker--like in one or two measures instead of eight--is a riff that can be used to focus in on a simpler melodic statement, such as for a chorus/hook. --Those two simple possibilities used together over the course of a musical piece can provide resolutions or tension in the places I would want tension or resolution, and allow me to build a piece out of simple parts just by working with the rhythm of the cadences. Once the chords/harmonic structure are determined, my rhythmic sense can flow with my music without my needing to wonder what the next chord should be. That's a really practical working method to let me "paint (musically) with just a few colors" but have lots of control of my composition through rhythmic choices. I could arrange sections in half-time, straight-time and double time without losing continuity in the piece as a whole. So yeah, part of my insights are coming from my own developing musicianship, but I feel like these insights would take a lot longer for me without your guidance. As always, thank you so much for the great content. This is actually my music academy, and something I never thought I could have. I'm just a poor boy from a poor family.

[@OnlyUkeThatMatters]

Randomly watched this the same week I’ve been singing/playing Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road… Ab B Gb Db …now I’m having more fun thinking about how this progression feels/works/sounds🙏🏻

[@jakemauger8377]

Dunno if this is asking too much, but could you take a quick look at a progression I wrote years ago? My theory is limited and I couldn't make sense of it. Standard tuning, capo 3rd, a bar each with the (note) added on 1st string just before beat 3: G, B flat(9), F(sus4), E flat(5). Sorry if this is tough to understand.

[@alejandronavarrete3997]

Hi, I have a question for you that I was recently asked in University (I'm studying lyrical singing): Who is the music? yes, it says who. Do you have any idea of how to answer this question?

[@dejikimoritzgztyuixc7227]

As a person who only uses 2 or 8 chord loops I find this vidja amuzin.

[@lucascisneros8147]

Also in Creep the Cminor happens just as the singer says “I don’t belong here” as if the chord is repeating what the lyrics say

[@engelbertschoormans]

4:00 the III Major chord: I’ll see it as a secondary dominant to C#m, but it doesn’t resolve forewards.

[@eljestLiv]

One question? Does a 4 chord loop like F-G-Am-C sound like F Lydian or C Aeolian (EDIT: C Ionian) to you? C to F feels like a resolution but still F feels very subdominant. How can I make it feel more stable? It's one of my favorite four chord loops and its a shame I can only use it in bridges and stuff because it feels like it's moving. Oh, and that iv-I in Creep is sooo nice!

[@MisterAppleEsq]

I think you mean C Ionian, which is what it sounds like to me. The C to F to G sounds like the classic I-IV-V.

[@eljestLiv]

exactly, and thats what I don't like about it! i love lydian mode so much but it always sounds like im writing it starting on IV in ionian

[@bryce_duncan]

Good question, I played your progression and yes I can see why you think it is always moving. Part of it is understanding each FEEL of the modes, for one this progression would be something considered to be F Lydian. Lydian is a beautiful, bright mode that can never have the stability of Ionian just because we are constantly brainwashed with songs being in either "major" or "minor." But to fix your problem of finding stability actually rests in the voicing. My best tip would be to play the second inversion of G and play around with the Am. I found that moving to the second inversion of the Am led the E being a leading tone (in function) and the C being your Sol back waiting for Do (in function) but the A is a voice that can be lowered to a G when you hit the C chord. This means that your middle voice's pull back to F gets MOST of the stability you are looking for. I wrote it out like this to notate their inversions: F G^6/4 Am^6/4 C^6

[@eljestLiv]

Thanks, Bryce! Very well written answer, I'll be sure to test it out!

[@sprK92]

For me it all depends on the melody, if you highlight the #4 it suddenly becomes clearly lydian

[@rapscallion52]

if you change the harmonic rhythm between different movements, is it still a 4 chord loop?

[@xylophone897]

If you want interesting 4 chord loops listen to Sparks by Röyksopp. It starts as E♭m7+9-B♭m-B-G♭ and somehow pulls of a transition to A♭m-Gm-G♭m-F∅7.

[@diebydeath]

Super nitpicky, but I wouldn't consider Creep's G -> B a chromatic mediant. Its notes meet the criteria, but my understanding of chromatic mediants (and I may be wrong) was to call it a chromatic mediant if its purpose is to modulate or to be like a mediant/submediant (e.g. a tonic function). The sort of things I heard described as chromatic mediants were always things like C major to Eb major back to C major, where the Eb major sounds more like an altered tonic. But I definitely hear the B in Creep as a secondary dominant, V/vi, that resolves deceptively to IV.

[@ericrakestraw664]

I would argue that "Creep" is technically only a three-chord song. C to C minor isn't really a chord change since the bass note never changes - more of a chord mutation.

[@MaggaraMarine]

Yeah, the B is definitely a V/vi. If we look at it as a brief modulation to the key of Em, C is the VI chord of Em. B resolving to C is a V-VI in the key of Em, so it's really not weird at all - it's a typical deceptive resolution.

[@glass_parton]

You drew a penguin diagram! My worlds are colliding!

[@visitur4914]

Two of my favorite songs are four chord patterns: "Romulus" by Sufjan Stevens and "Hole in the Ocean Floor" by Andrew Bird. I bet there are others among my favorites, too.

[@visitur4914]

I don't know whether it should really count when you throw in the arrangments and stuff, but close enough, I say.

[@Marie-ov6dn]

Please analyse Creep!!! That would be so awesome!

[@pdg887]

Note that Where Is My Mind has the same progression as Creep in the chorus, except in E instead of G: E-G#-A-Am (This is the “way out in the water, see it swimming” part) (Or maybe it’s the other way around, since WIMM predates Creep)

[@violet_broregarde]

This doesn't really go into how to write a four-chord loop, it mostly just analyzes existing 4-chord loops.

[@NonJohns]

There's no one way to write a four chord loop which is why it's not easy to teach The gist of this video is to lay down experimental basics to mess with and conceptually teach four chord loops This way YOU make your own four chords and not this guy through another pair of hands

[@BenvolioZF]

I think he's saying the first chord is tonal, the second and third build interest and the fourth relates back to the first in a simple way

[@randomguy263]

I think just play around with different chords and use what sounds good

[@jameswhitley4101]

tl;dr-- arguably, while he didn't lay out a list of rules or processes, he did teach us how to learn how to write four chord loops When it comes to writing, music, drawing, painting, cinematography, or any artistic endeavour, there are two main things you need to do to improve. First, create. You can never become a better poet or pianist if you don't write any poetry or play any piano. The second, however, is studying the greats. If you want to be a writer, read good writers and see how they do what they do. If you want to be a good filmmaker, study good filmakers and figure out what makes them good. Having a teacher helps, since they can help you develop technique and avoid unhelpful pitfalls, and point you to good muses, but without creating and studying art you will not progress. All this to say, you're right he could've spent more time on writing the loops, but instead he showed us how good songwriters wrote four-chord loops and why what they did worked.

[@iopvixens]

0:37 literally just first 4 notes of god save the queen.

[@sydrose13]

Woo hoo you got an Adam Neely mention. My favorite music worlds colliding

[@maestrorafaelribeiro]

And there are a Brazilian four chord loop. Here, there are thousands of music being played like this: Dm - Bb - F - C. Over and over.

[@MrNotYet1]

3:30 but wouldn't the 5 of C#m be a G#minor chord aswell?

[@gavinwarner3480]

Is there any specific name for the major 5, minor 5, 1 progression? I feel like there would be and it works really well but I’m not sure.

[@augusto7681]

Like : G - Gminor - C ? i dont know.... but if it is : F - Fminor - C is a plagal cadence.

[@gavinwarner3480]

Augusto Oh ok. Yeah just curious. Thanks

[@gavinwarner3480]

Augusto Oh wait yeah I did mean like F f C. Thanks again

[@hunterterrell9930]

I feel like I don't quite understand enough about music to appreciate his videos, but I can't find a good KZbin channel about music for beginners, not idiots

[@Holobrine]

How about "Say something"? I think it's one of the usual four chord progressions except it has a D on the top of every chord, which makes it B minor to G Major to D major to A Major fourth. I think the A Major fourth makes it kind of different, and the fact that the progression feels dark and sad in a minor chord way even though stopping it on the D major feels like the right thing to do.

[@drawntothefire]

Playing Run-Around like that just turns it into the beginning of "God Save the Queen"!

[@KostyaKanishev]

What a hell? A penguin diagram in my music theory?

[@richarddoan9172]

IMO, the major III functions like an augmented I, which is a V augmented to IV. It's just missing the 1 in the bass.

[@PeterBarnes2]

What if you had something like: 1 : F dom7 2 : Cmin M7 2.5: Eb aug add9 3 : Db aug M7 4 : B half-dim 7 bb3 1 : F (Dom7) (Admittedly this is actually 5 chords, but the motion from Cmin M7 to Eb aug add9 is smooth enough to feel like one-ish chord.) But what if I were to tell you that these all fit within one 7-note scale? The only mode of the scale with an official name is Major Locrian, which is the second mode of this scale. The naming, however, doesn't really give a good idea of how these modes work, because it's exotic and really cool. What this means is that there are only 2 real major or minor triads on the modes, and no enharmonic major or minor triads. The major triad allows a sus 2, the minor allows a sus 4. The remaining triads are 'interesting.' There are 2 augmented triads, a diminished, a Major b5, and a diminished bb3 (enharmonic to dim sus 2). The 7s allow for interesting motions, indeed there are both dom7 and min-M7 chords that function normally (they are not enharmonic). There are only 14 groups of modes that have this property out of all ~66 groups of modes of heptatonic scales. Many of those 14 are not as inviting, or don't have other harmonic structures to make quite such effective use of motions between dom7 and min-M7. Both the modes of harmonic minor and harmonic major have real (not enharmonic) dom7 and min-M7 chords, but their relationship to between those and other chords makes usage more difficult, at least for my purposes. As you can see from the chord progression I mentioned at the beginning, and as you might find with improvising, motions between dom7 and min-M7 are useful and necessary when working within this scale. And still, despite carrying some remarkably exotic and useful harmony, there is not one augmented 2nd. Indeed, 6 of the modes happen to be the whole tone scale with an added note. In the case of this F scale, it's the perfect 5th that's added. The remaining mode is like a sort of 'altered whole tone' scale. As a child of the scale that has exclusively major 2nds, this group of modes does not disappoint. Just as well, the consecutive minor 2nds can be used to create exotic new melodies. This is the only group of modes that has consecutive minor 2nds and no augmented 2nds. Negative harmony? Well, reflecting the modes of this scale will give you other modes of this scale, just as the modes of Natural Major and Melodic Major do. There are not very many other scales that do this, and it allows for interesting combinations of negative motions and modal interchange-type motions while maintaining a level of structure. I think an appropriate name for this group of modes might be the Super-Melodic or Melodic-Harmonic modes, but no individual mode has a good claim to particular greek names (Ionian, Aeolian, Lydian, Locrian etc.) because of how different they are and the fact that the names don't line up correctly. I think it would also be odd to name modes after persons, so they'll probably be unnamed until they get some kind of broad usage.

[@juliancomposer13]

Have you heard 505 from the Arctic Monkeys? It has a 2 chord loop (Dm-Em) in a 4 minute song. Thanks to your video now I understand how that song works.

[@PresidentHeartbeat]

Karma Police by Radiohead would actually be really interesting for an in depth analysis.

[@ACompetitiveHalo]

Ok, here's my question. If playing chords in an 'odd' sequence slowly is the key to having it not sound strange, then how are songs where the chords DO move fast but still sound good explained? For example, I love the band The Reign of Kindo, but if you listen to the beginning of their song 'Just Wait' - literally the first 10 seconds - there are chords in that beginning sequence that don't match up in terms of key, yet it doesn't sound jarring or bad (obviously personal taste is involved but still, I'm sure there are other examples of the same thing)... What's your take on this? Song for reference: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qnq9g3ycZrGhibs

[@garethevans2650]

An interesting example may be the French favourite Les Lacs du Connemara with 7 key changes at the end of each 8 bar section?

[@gettingkilt]

When you play the chords from RunAround that fast, it just sounds like God Save the Queen!

[@dejesusrussell]

Could you analyse Pyramid Song? It's baffled me for ages

[@muziekjoep]

I have used a weird 4 chord loop in a song. C#m D b5 F#m Eb b5 . I dont know why it works. Anyone have a good idea? The voicing of the flat five is 1 b5 1 3.

[@piter4595]

Wait how do you hold your pen?

[@whycantiremainanonymous8091]

It's not Radiohead's 'Creep'. It's The Holies' 'The Air that I Breathe'. The progression in 'Creep' is cribbed from there, as is one bit of the melody. The Holies do have a chorus with different chords, though, to their credit...

[@elwynransom4076]

You should do "Walking on the Sun" by SmashMouth

[@arthurmee]

Isn't 'dynamics' more to do with not just how loud you make your song but in the difference between the loud and quiet passages?

[@MaggaraMarine]

When it comes to four chord loops, I like ones that are a bit more ambiguous and don't start on the major key I chord. To me they work a lot better for looping purposes since the beginning of the progression doesn't sound like a resolution which is why the looping of the chord progression doesn't get so tiresome, whereas if we compare it to the typical I-vi-ii-V progression, each repeat of the progression ends with the dominant and starts with the tonic. This makes the progression a lot more predictable and "safe" sounding, and it just gets old pretty fast. It seems like in modern pop this kind of tonally more ambiguous progressions are a bit more common. A lot of them start on the ii or IV chords in a major key or iv or VI chords in a minor key. For example the chorus of "Domino" by Jessie J is IV-ii-vi-V. What makes it interesting is also the fact that it doesn't include the tonic chord. The chorus has this tension that in the end resolves to the I chord in the verse. Then there are songs like "Sorry" by Justin Bieber and "Teenage Dream" that are basically just IV and V chords over and over again - they don't even have a tonic chord in them. And I don't think they sound like Lydian or Mixolydian either. To me the progressions in both songs sound like unresolved IV-V. Then there's also "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk which I can hear in either B Dorian or F# minor, depending on the day. Another weird one is "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue that I could once hear in A minor (that was a cover version), but typically hear it in D minor (and it has a bit of a Dorian vibe because of the melody and the Am9 chord that has a B in it).

[@augusto7681]

The IV-ii-vi-V if is F - Dm - Am - G can be G mixolidyan. If something sound dorian is probably dorian it is unusual for a pop music but some composer do it anyway.

[@MaggaraMarine]

_"The IV-ii-vi-V if is F - Dm - Am - G can be G mixolidyan"_ Not very likely. Out of context it would probably sound like A minor (VI-iv-i-VII). F-Dm-Am, while not the strongest progression out there, is still pretty strong. Dm-Am-G on the other hand is a pretty weak resolution if you want to hear G as the tonal center. But in the context of the song ("Domino" by Jessie J), it's functioning as IV-ii-vi-V because the only chord in the verse is the I chord. If you listen to the song, this is pretty obvious. The chorus of the song works as the "tension" and the verse of the song works as the "release". _"If something sound dorian is probably dorian it is unusual for a pop music but some composer do it anyway."_ I don't think it's really that unusual. There are plenty of pop songs that are based on a i-IV progression. But when it comes to the two songs I mentioned, I can sometimes hear them in a different way (with a different tonal center). Today I heard "Get Lucky" as iv-VI-i-VII because before listening to the song I listened to a F#m chord (and now the F#m sound is very clear). But yesterday I just started listening to the song and heard the first chord as the tonic (so B Dorian). I did the same thing with the Kylie Minogue song (played an Am chord before listening to the song) and now hear Am as the tonal center. Strangely, not even the clearly functional B section of the song (Bbmaj7 A G#dim7 A Gm7 Asus4 A, resolving to Dm) doesn't change how I hear it now. But again, normally I would hear the song in Dm with some "Dorian vibes".

[@augusto7681]

My ears normally just accept the first or the last chord as the tonic even when it dont have a strong cadence. (when i first played i made an inversion with Am and probably i am not that good to guessing chords) I always assumed the i - IV was dorian because of the 6th note. It is a borrowed chord ?

[@MaggaraMarine]

Yeah, i - IV is Dorian. _"My ears normally just accept the first or the last chord as the tonic even when it dont have a strong cadence."_ This is natural since the first and last chords get a lot of emphasis. And especially when there are no strong cadences, the order of the chords is even more important, and just by placing a different chord as the first chord can completely change the key of the progression. For example if you have the chords E, G, D and A, you will probably hear E major as the key center (I-bIII-bVII-IV - for example "Fly Away" by Lenny Kravitz and "Calling Dr. Love" by Kiss). But if you play A as the first chord, it will sound more like A major (I-V-bVII-IV - for example "Rio" and "Last Chance on the Stairway" by Duran Duran and the intro of "Women in Love" by Van Halen). But this depends on how tonally ambiguous the progression is. If it has a clear cadence in it, then the chord that you start with doesn't really matter that much. Actually, I think it would also be possible to hear D as the tonic (I-V-II-IV). This would be a more common progression if the II chord was minor (for example "Run Riot" by Def Leppard uses it), but it works with a major II too.