Songs That Only Use 3 Chords

[@DavidBennettPiano]

📌 CORRECTION: “Brown Eyed Girl” does actually feature one other chord briefly in the chorus! Oops! Thanks to the commenter who pointed this out, and sorry for any confusion caused!

[@martifingers]

Just about to make that very correction! It may be a brief appearance but the little phrase that precedes the chord (a relative minor I believe) is arguably a very distinctive part of the song's appeal.

[@klaxoncow]

Hmm, the (additive) primary colours are red, green and blue. Not red, yellow and blue. That's more of a chemical thing to do with mixing paints (and note that when you mix paints together, you actually get a brown colour, not black). I know it's taught in schools that way, but it's not strictly correct. Screens use red, green and blue subpixels, as this actually matches our colour receptors in our eyes. Yellow is close to green - and has green within it - so you can get away with it. But there's too much red that way - hence mixed paints going to brown and not black. There's also the difference between additive and subtractive colour. With a TV screen, it's emitting coloured light directly - so when you add extra colours, it's "additive" as they built up more light. But with ink on a page, the ink and the paper are not emitting light themselves. They are reflecting light - from the Sun or a lightbulb in your room - absorbing some of that light and what you see is what's not absorbed and is reflected back into your eyes. This is "subtractive" because we start with white light then the different coloured inks are absorbing - taking away - some of the colour. So, in printing, they actually use cyan, magenta and yellow - which would be the secondary colours to red, green and blue, you'll notice - to "subtract" from white to get the colour they want. Printers also use black ink too (for CMYK - the "K" is "key / keystone" but it's just black ink). Technically, if you perfectly mix cyan, magenta and yellow together in equal parts, you should get black. But they have a dedicated black ink because CMY black is often just not strong enough a black. Particularly because, when you're printing text, you want a good strong black-on-white text to be able to read it comfortably. So they also add black to the cyan, magenta and yellow, but it's practical thing to just get really strong blacks by having a dedicated black ink. CMY alone is theoretically enough for any colour, including black. But it's just, in practice, a bit of a wimpy grey-ish black (as mixing inks is not a perfect science). Well, hey, you teach us about music, so here's some colour theory in return. :)

[@jacksonsay37]

That’s not a big mistake, though. It’s like the ii and vi chords in 500 Miles.

[@DMSProduktions]

Has a m6th in it!

[@jansmitowiczauthor78]

I'm SO CONFUSED

[@Tiemewitte]

I don't know why, but this video has unlocked a deeper understanding of functional harmony for me. just the idea of the I, IV and V being the primary colors of harmony is the thing I needed for a lot of theory I already knew to fall into place and finally understand it a bit better. crazy that simple things like this aren't often taught, let alone taught so well! Thank you David!

[@niloo_atribecalledlove]

Me too!!!!🎉🎉🎉

[@JackBealeGuitar]

@@Tiemewitte I didn't think the relation works. Primary colours get mixed to create other colours. Red and yellow make orange. You could say G and Bm make Gmaj7, but that doesn't tie in with the analogy

[@JackBealeGuitar]

@@Tiemewitte but it was still a good video

[@Tiemewitte]

@@JackBealeGuitar I mean it might not be a perfect metaphor, but it worked for me, so in that sense it was functional. But you're right in that it doesn't hold when mixing colors. maybe you could view the I, IV and V as the hammer, drill and screwdriver of a toolkit, which makes the other chords the fancier tools you don't really need, but might make a project better or easier. But I don't think most people are as familiar with diy as they are with painting (should we teach diy in kindergarten? probably not lol), so that might not be as clear to people. plus, you could view more tools as necessary, depending on your project (I mean saws are pretty useful), so there's not really 3 basic tools, while there are clearly 3 primary colors. Maybe the I, IV and V are more like a stove, microwave and oven? and then other chords are things like air fryers, blenders and such? then again you rarely use all 3 with any given dish, and often just 1 of the 3, which is rarer with chords. so even that is not perfect. I'm struggling to come up with a better example where there is 3 distinctive basic units of something, and other units to expand the options, like it is with chords and paints.

[@JackBealeGuitar]

@Tiemewitte yeah, it is tricky. I don't envy David in explaining it

[@richard135b7]

Your knowledge of theory is so thorough and so deep and you have the gift of teaching it in ways that anybody can understand. I wish you would do a video on tritone substitution. I've heard others explain it but I still don't understand it.

[@royalex21]

Great news, he has a video on Tritone Substitutions

[@DavidBennettPiano]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/moTZgGiKl5Zrqqssi=ZvziyF1mIWjH5Uet right here my man 😊

[@uHuRu1976]

The way you explain music is awesome. I loved every second of this video. Btw, you were half the reason I bought myself a keyboard and started to learn playing it 😊

[@harrybarcia3177]

I was thinking the same! I follow David for quite some time now but this video kind of clicked for me. Thank you so much for all the effort you put into to the video

[@klaxoncow]

Half the reason? You can't say that and not give us the other half of the reason, you tease.

[@uHuRu1976]

@@klaxoncow LoL, well, I've always been in love with music, already had a basic knowledge of chords since I've been playing guitar. So that's the other half :)

[@Trip_mania]

Same here!

[@idralag]

‘King of Carrot Flowers’ by Neutral Milk Hotel also only uses the I, the IV and the V (on all 3 parts of the song). i guess it’s part of the folk influence.

[@DMSProduktions]

Jees what a name!

[@fuzzfaceflaco]

Jeff was a 3 chord hero of mine as a teen. What an experience that whole album was. And to think that the entire concept of the album was Anne Frank. Jesus.

[@idralag]

@@fuzzfaceflaco Jesus is also arguably a theme of the album…

[@schlafzimmersessions]

You mentioned Julian Casablancas 🤩 "Is this it" by The Strokes is another wonderful example for a 3 Chord Song. Great Video as always!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Great suggestion! Thanks 😊

[@fozzle6503]

Last night, as well

[@andreagagliardini8621]

Very, very, very well explained. I love your way of explaining "music" GRAZIE Thank you David

[@erink3192]

I would love a series of videos explaining music genres (the hallmarks of blues, swing, salsa etc)

[@sergeiAlderman]

Backyardigans

[@garycouzens3715]

How about a video on songs with just two chords, or even just one? (Harry Nilsson's "Coconut" is an example of the latter. A top ten hit in the US.)

[@AidanEyewitness]

Brilliant explanation as usual, many thanks. An interesting example of a song based around these three chords is 'Dizzy' by Tommy Roe. It keeps changing to different keys to build up the drama, taking the three chord structure to a different level!

[@Abazions]

I love how well you explain music theory!

[@AdrianGeorges]

Wow, love your way to explain. So much knowledge brought to the user in a simple way. Amazing.

[@statueofliberty1132]

16:12 The colors on the chords you were playing look so cool 🤩

[@user-cz9bl6jp8b]

This is why I love music. I can like a 3 chord song just as much as a very complicated song. For some reason, I always like using the sus4 chord when playing, not sure why.

[@isomeme]

The best snarky concert review title I have ever seen was for a Go-Go's show: "5 Bouncy Girls, 3 Great Chords". :)

[@axlhyvonen461]

Thanks to You, I use Tone Gym since 2021😊It has very useful, helpful excercises of different type😊

[@Varnosha]

Really like the primary color examples. It is a pretty neat way to conceptualize a key. Sidenote: I noticed right after referencing "4 chords of the apocalypse" and that you dont consider A7 a separate chord, then showed the painting with 3 colors bit. I noticed there are actually different shades of blue, which wouldve actually described what you mean perfectly. (That the shades of blue, or different flavors of an A chord, are variations or embellishment) Hope that makes sense lol

[@DavidBennettPiano]

That’s a good extension to the metaphor!!

[@fnjesusfreak]

I know you mentioned punk and the Ramones but if I hear 1-4-5 in sequence the first thing that comes to mind is Blitzkrieg Bop.

[@Pchła685]

In Poland we have a saying that goes like this: "3 akordy i darcie mordy" which roughly translates to: "3 chords and tear apart your vocal cords" (it rhymes better in Polish, haha). We use it in reference to music that is very poorly written in terms of both music and lyrics. It can also be used to describe a stereotypical guy in a subway with a guitar performing well known songs but with very little talent. Nice vid!

[@stephenmessano1847]

A nice example of this from musical theatre is "Love Changes Everything" from ASPECTS OF LOVE. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber said that he intentionally wanted to write a three-chord song (though he does consider V and V7 to be basically the same chord -- as do I!). Thank you for another informative and well-made video.

[@wyattstevens8574]

Here's a 3-chord song that dips into the secondary chords: Jolene uses i, bIII, and bVII (and maybe bVII7, but I don't remember) We Don't Talk About Bruno *almost* sticks to 3 chords (i, iv, V7 _or_ Cm, Fm, G7) throughout, but then in Isabella's section of "[he] really only had a positive outlook on *my* life," first it changes key from Cm to EbM (since they share the exact same 7 notes, I won't *count* this as a key change, and will still write the chord numbers as if we're still in Cm) and starts playing what in minor would be bIII, bVII, i, bVI. So yeah- all consonant chords in the key, but you could consider each major chord as a variation on a minor one (a bit of a stretch, but bIII a variation of i, bVI of iv, and bVII here of V- technically v) so it could *almost* be considered 3 chords! The section with 4 isn't that long.

[@Mercenarus]

Very clear and interesting as always 😊

[@mayorb3366]

Tons of songs only have the I IV V chords. I call them "Batman changes" ( I, I, IV, I, V, IV, I) But it is cool how that basic progression, and variations, can be made into so many different pieces.

[@xcx8646]

Between them those three chords harmonise every note in the scale. That's why son many songs are built on three chords.

[@mayorb3366]

@@xcx8646 I guess that's why they're referred to as the "primary colors" of music. Thanks!

[@BrownestHarry]

in particular your episodes on rhythms were super useful, but all your stuff is good and thank you for everything

[@adetheheat8657]

200000000 12 bar blues songs

[@guitaristssuck8979]

1000000 are being written in this exact moment

[@oldensad5541]

​@@guitaristssuck8979hey stop it! You discouraging me! My 12bar blues song would be very unique and cool and not the same as my previous 12 bar song...

[@guitaristssuck8979]

@@oldensad5541 I can't wait to buy it!

[@jhsounds]

Those three chords will always be "La Bamba" to me.

[@DeMuRuMy]

First video without Radiohead? Maybe

[@Glarf]

Their songs are always complicated lol

[@BeatlesCentricUniverse]

​@@GlarfOver- complicated?😅

[@wyattstevens8574]

I don't think so. He had multiple videos on odd time signatures *that they didn't use* , so there's that!

[@Multiverse-Channel2025]

Maybe the Radiohead's not big fan of three chords😂

[@ZacLJones]

I think Pyramid Song could have been used here. I’d have to double check though.

[@alicialexists]

Great job explaining this stuff! I was wondering why I, IV, and V (and their minor key versions) were so relied upon for harmonies.

[@fromchomleystreet]

13:15 I would say that the inclusion of Isus4, in addition to the I chord as a major triad, fails to qualify as a fourth chord in an otherwise three-chord song, less because it functions as an alternative version of the I chord, and more because it functions as an alternative version of the IV chord. Isus4 and IVsus2 are exactly the same chord, and it’s more consonant with IV in its full major triad form than it is with I in its full major triad form.

[@jrvr9559]

ABBA's "I have a dream". And it's a masterclass on when to drop the chord change from V to IV.

[@Skarmillion]

An unexpected 3 chord song that i love is "Closer to the Heart" by Rush. Its in D Major, but goes V IV I IV V in the verse and I V IV in the "chorus" and ending 😄

[@Leafsdude]

Worth pointing out that Happy Birthday is legally agreed to have been written by Hill and Hill, although there is some debate among musical history scholars on that. I think most would question attributing it as simply "traditional" like we do with songs where we don't know the original artist at all.

[@TheSarkyGamer]

I tend to use "Werewolves of London", "Sweet Home Alabama" and the song from School of Rock, "Teacher's Pet" as examples of how a very simple chord progression can sound very different. Admittedly, they're move V - IV - I, but it's still just those chords.

[@marcoguiotti]

Shout out for David for making these videos! Thanks David!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

@@marcoguiotti thanks 😊

[@aaronwoltz3027]

The perfect example of 1-4-5 moving is the song Sweet Pea

[@jh271055]

Very useful for one just beginning a musical journey!

[@Piktor201]

Very useful informative video. Thank you David!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Glad it was helpful!

[@DaveHillJr]

Kenny Rogers The Gambler with key change up half step is all I IV V i believe, one of my all time e faves

[@llamasarus1]

Brown Eyed Girl is technically a 4 chord song if you count part of the chorus.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Oh yeah damn, I forgot about that! I’ll post a comment now with a correction.

[@ElNeroDiablo]

When I saw the thumbnail for this video, I immediately read it in the voice of Professor of Rock here on YT - "Until next time, my friends: Three chords and the truth!"

[@terrylaw18]

I was looking for some deeper meaning in the what they have in common part. My mistake I guess. But when we’re talking rock n roll generally three chord is understood to mean i, iv, v. in any key. One of my favourite three chord numbers is “It’s so easy “ written by Buddy Holly. It has a clever alternating pattern in the verse that fits perfectly with the melody and a bonus fourth chord at the II v turnaround. L Ronstadt’s version rocks too.

[@TigerRogers0660]

Excellent video again David!!

[@jwelsje]

Cry To Me from Roling STones also uses the 3 chord progression, but the most used is the progression from Guantanamera I IV V IV. It's used in La Bamba, Hang On Sloopy etc etc.

[@MusicalRadiation]

There are of course more flavours of 3-chord songs like the vi-V-IV, including very famous ones like: - Somebody I used to Know - Beat it - All Along the Watchtower

[@ameliawilliams4632]

vi V IV might be better analyzed as i bVIi bVI, basically the tonal center is minor, but it borrows the two major chords. Both are the same nite but i will feel like our home.

[@fromchomleystreet]

@@ameliawilliams4632 The two major chords aren’t “borrowed”. They both occur naturally in the natural minor key.

[@theccarbiter]

That’s just i VII VI

[@MusicalRadiation]

@@ameliawilliams4632 I never liked that way of notating since it feels more messy to me, and I think it should be as easy to read as possible. But you are definitely right!

[@lfvanheijkamp]

​@MusicalRadiation The notation without the tonic is easier to read? Of course it is: i bVII bVI, or I bVII bVI. Your notation is just unnecessarily confusing, by writing a minor key chord progression in the relative major key's chord notation, indicating the wrong key, the wrong type of key and having to translate the chord numbers to the actual tonic. For example: F G Am Am. Where is the C? Nowhere, that's where. Because it's in A-minor, not in C.

[@astroandyborgloh]

0:57 God to see some Eddie Cochran. He was so important for Rock n Roll and the way to hard rock and metal.

[@StratsRUs]

Cochran is the messenger in music theory.

[@MichaelMichael-zu4kg]

Do a video on the chord progression of wicked game or i VII IV!! I've never seen anyone talk about this while it's a very common progression and a beautiful one

[@domdude64dd]

First time I heard "3 chords and the truth" from The Edge of U2. Lots of their songs are basically 3 or 4 chords, one 3 chord song being, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" though it's basically a blues

[@pastasauce8239]

I love to see what's possible with a simple harmony. I think you can really get a lot of different styles, vibes, and emotions from the same 3 chords. I have to say I disagree that genres like country and folk "don't focus on the music/harmony." I think a lot of thought is put into things like the instrumentation and the arrangement of the chords to craft a certain mood. The lyrics may take up more of the heavy lifting with the meaning of the song, but I think there can still a lot of artistry being put into the musicality of a 3 chord song.

[@predatorx8081]

Ladysmith Black Mambazo 6:43 🇿🇦❤

[@peterbernhard7415]

Very good introduction and presentation! First time I heard of "Three chords and the truth" - which is Country, later on the genre becomes classic: dominant, subdominant, tonic, doesn't sound like "a bar song" but like classical circle of 5ths. So, I wonder how the so-called "basso continuo" in classical music refers to "chord progression". There must be something very interesting to this, too. Never I have seen I, IV, V been written above the written lines of Bach and the like. It's in the songbooks exclusively.

[@peterd3218]

Because it is all written out in the sheet. In analysis, chord symbols are used, and there is often quite a lot going on ;)

[@peterbernhard7415]

@@peterd3218 Hey, thank you for explaining to me. Helps a lot. No easy understanding, though. What you say is that there does exist analysis of classical music which writes chords - many of them - above the notation. What you say in your first sentence is even more food for thought. To understand, I take the songbooks not the classical sheet music: the songs are melodies, and need the chord progression to mark down the accompanying "written out". I conclude that the basso continuo might in fact be a kind of chord progression, if you think of the rest as a melody, like the melody of the song. Shortly: basso continuo might be chord progression, in fact. Your reply does not contradict, in my opinion. Again, thank you! Great reply, helps!

[@theepisofdiabolos-dj5xh]

nice video again mate!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Cheers 🍻

[@Vim-Wolf]

I was going to ask about minor chords but you beat me to it, because the classic I IV V that I grew up on and massively influenced me was Jarre's 'Oxygene'.

[@tommekentom]

Nice, that's a major IV-chord! So i IV v

[@drsjjsmith]

Harry Chapin wrote and sang the "Playing I-IV-V chords like good news" lyric, critiquing his younger self, for a reason. Thanks for this video!

[@nbnewman]

One point not mentioned is that I IV and V together contain all the notes of the major scale, and so effectively any diatonic song could be harmonised with these three chords. In nitpicking mode, the spelling in the card "Is Dsus4 a sepErate chord from D" should be corrected to sepArate.

[@thepaperbagperson6431]

Please do a video on songs with sequels, like another brick in the wall or shine on you crazy diamond, and there's probably some non pink floyd examples

[@annoschreier1860]

It would be interesting to find three-chord songs that DON'T use I, IV and V. All Along The Watchtower would be an example, or Cortez The Killer.

[@dj71162]

Nice of you to fit in some Beatles examples for a change...

[@anzatzi]

always great! thank you!

[@lblb3]

A lot of Mexican music is also based on those 3 same chords, but Mexican musicians have their own jargon for naming them, which can be a bit confusing if you are used to the traditional way of naming the chords. I is “primera” (first in Spanish) V is “segunda” (second in Spanish) IV is “tercera” (third in Spanish)

[@bentp4891]

Plus pretty much every song ever by Status Quo

[@inrainbows1829]

My punk band used I IV V for every song we wrote which were just Green Day song switched around

[@kevinmalloy514]

What about songs that are based on chords I-bVII-IV (Mixolydian vamp)?

[@Niratuer]

Love your videos! Idk if you listen to much progrock but the dear hunter I think would be very fun to dissect!!

[@paulembleton1733]

I find it useful to pick a rhythm and play 1 4 5 for every white note, so C F G followed by D G A etc. interesting to hear how they are same, but are different flavours.

[@mirkovisi6367]

The Beginning And The End by Anathema also uses just 3 chords for the entire length of the song

[@Papyrusans]

I agree with what you said about sus chords. I personally think of sus chords as variations of major and minor chords because although sus chords are neither major nor minor, they still effectively serve the same function as if they were still major or minor.

[@jeremiahlyleseditor437]

Great Tutorial as usual

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@royalex21]

A great example of a song that uses three minor chords is Loverman by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

[@hansvandermeulen5515]

1 IV V is used all across the world in lots of different folk styles. The Ramones song I Can't Give You Anything is great in its use if C, F and G where they seem to change keys between C and G but in C it's I IV V.

[@Stoker3rdClass]

Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp, if you allow invertions and alterations!

[@FL00527]

Oh cool another video!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😊😊

[@random275]

What about songs that only use 2 chords ? like The Maverics "Dance the night away" bet there's not many ?

[@DavidBennettPiano]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/sKG4g6VreLSqf5Ysi=5Eo5D1ZUpNyqhEqd I actually did a video on that 😀

[@random275]

@@DavidBennettPiano Thanks so much for the link Dave ! - That was before I Subscribed.. There were a lot more than I could have come up with 🙂Cheers Phil

[@idreamofgenie2599]

I first heard the expression "three chords and the truth" in U2's cover of "All Along the Watchtower," where Bono shouts it out (kind of boastfully): "...and the TRUTH!" I didn't know it came from Harlan Howard. Thanks. :)

[@speedcrawlmusic]

ToneGym rules! 😀

[@kcolombo49]

Louie Louie….legend!

[@jcarty123]

Here's a trick. When you're on IV, still use a V bass. Then go to V. It extends the tension of being up on V, while adding a certain lushness, since IV/V is also seen as a 9th chord or a sus2.

[@theccarbiter]

9th chords and sus2 chords are different. What you described is an add9 chord

[@jcarty123]

@@theccarbiter Sure. Now list out the 4 most relevant notes of a 9th - most relevant meaning, what the human ear picks up on. Tonic, second, major third, dominant. Now do same for add9. Now for a sus2; oops, major third is omitted from sus2 - except wait, our brains fill in that major-third feeling, in a major-type song. In other words: Big deal. Many ways to describe the cat. "Chords are a construct", said David. Include the notes you like. Vary the voicing. The Arranger's art.

[@theccarbiter]

@@jcarty123 I’m not really sure why you’re trying to say sus2 chords and add9 chords are the same. I’m telling you that you are describing an add9 not a 9th chord. 9th chords contain the 7th which you haven’t mentioned at all. You ok man ?

[@phunkymind23]

I've only just understood this number system. I "discovered" this myself and made my own numbers instead (as I'm mostly self-taught), making the letter notes redundant. If the home note was C, I would call F note 0, and then count my way from there.

[@spyderlogan4992]

Finally(!)...A David video without a reference to Radiohead. Whew...what a relief. ;-)...

[@antonioeasypiano]

Two very cool songs with only 3 chords (one of them minor), which are repeated constantly throughout the song: 1.- Child in Time, by Deep Purple (G Am G Am, F G) 2.- Driver's Seat, by Sniff'n' The Tears. (Bm A G)

[@domdude64dd]

Same with All Along The Watchtower

[@Tiemewitte]

Those are interesting, because the progression is i-VII-VI-i, which is not the progression David talks about. But, if you substitute the i for its relative major (so C in the place of Am), you get the I-V-IV-I that is mentioned in the video. So I think they are related. You definitely can't just substitute Am for C here, though, it makes it sound way too happy. Another example is Somebody That I Used To Know, but that goes i-VII-VI-VII

[@antonioeasypiano]

@@Tiemewitte Thank you for your observation. I thought the same: in the two songs I mentioned the chords are i VI VII, not the I IV V in David's video, although they may have some relation. I think the correct title of the video should not be "SONGS THAT ONLY USE 3 CHORDS", but rather "SONGS THAT USE ONLY THESE 3 CHORDS: I IV V or i iv v"

[@guitaristssuck8979]

Nah, Child In Time works differently.

[@antonioeasypiano]

@@guitaristssuck8979 From start to finish, the song "Child in Time" has this chord progression: G Am G Am F G. That is, it is "A Song That Only Uses 3 Chords", which is what this video is titled like.

[@Lutterot]

"I have a dream" by ABBA is basically I and V throughout with incidental use of IV.

[@zimmejoc]

I want to say Not Too Soon by the Throwing Muses sticks to just 3 chords. I'm not really great at picking chords out, but it feels like a simple progression.

[@TeShiky]

They Are Night Zombies by Sufjan Stevens uses only Am, Dm, and Em.

[@Tick-Checker]

DON’T FORGET: Every lazy, high-profile Nashville songwriter has written a boring, blah radio hit using the chords I, vi, and IV (see Gone by Dierks Bentley). And some more interesting country chord progressions are I, iii, ii (see Party Mode by Dustin Lynch, Heartache on the Dancefloor by Jon Pardi); I, ii, V (see Heartache Medication by Jon Pardi, Friends in Low Places [goes to the D minor once], etc); and VI, V, I (the only one that immediately comes to mind is People Know You By Your First Name by Dean Brody). Just know that songwriters are lazy in all genres. Keep making great vids 👍

[@ericrakestraw664]

The song "Louie Louie" uses three chords but substitutes Em as the V chord in the key of A major.

[@MRappolt]

You could have mentioned also the fact that the iv and v cord have the easiest frequency ratio with respect to the i cord, i.e., 4/3 and 3/2. These frequencies are the easiest to put into relation with the tonica: 1.33 and 1.5 times the frequency. It also comes clear, why the v cord is dominant. 1.5 is easier to relate to 1 than 1.33.

[@lfvanheijkamp]

Make It Witchy by Queens Of The Stone Age is basically: C A7 E E, which makes it a bVI IV7 I I progression.

[@wpelfeta]

They're all super catchy.

[@SeventhSwell]

A friend had a band call the 1-4-5s back in the 90s. Kinda hard to find their music now. I think their Rock Invasion album is on KZbin (if they're all wearing scooter helmets that's them). Still love their crunchy scuffed music. Anyway, long story short, the name is a reference to the 1 4 5 cords. I always kinda wondered when we'd get the 1 4 5 video. Thanks!

[@snowyalice]

Australian band The Cat Empire have a whole song about these chords and how they make you happy. It’s unsurprisingly called One Four Five.

[@joeland87]

I feel like I fall in the casablancas camp. When you brought Diamonds in the Soles of her shoes only having three chords, but in different keys. My thought was “No, that’s six chords.” 😂😂😂

[@philiphumphrey1548]

Some hymns have only three chords. "O Lord my God, when I in awesome Wonder" is one, but it was originally a folk tune anyway.

[@troyplumb5013]

“How Great Thou Art”? That’s interesting. Looking it up online, yes it’s shown as a three chord tune, but in my head I hear one or two more chords. I guess it’s a basic enough structure that it the additional chords can be slipped in so naturally.

[@joseeulogiosanguinopayan6268]

Status Quo named of their albums “In Search Of The 4th Chord”. The drawing on the cover featured Francis Rossi and Richard Parfitt as Indiana Jones’ doppelgangers, and the title was fashioned in a similar font and colouring to that of the “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” film poster. I enjoyed that inside joke on the fact that SQ based their long career on the use of I-IV-V 😂

[@angeldiaz762]

I'd love to see a "songs that use alternate tunings" video

[@BlindingSun_]

Sonic youth filled

[@aldeayeah]

An example with different chords: Go with the Flow (Queens of the Stone Age) is built around a I-bVI-V-I loop. And I think there are songs built around a Mario Cadence loop too (I-bVI-bVII-I)

[@aldeayeah]

Found a Mario cadence example and it's a banger: The Four Horsemen by Aphrodite's Child

[@frtzkng]

How about songs which, while using more than three chords, only use a few different degrees and, instead, switch scales/modes a lot? The pre-chorus and chorus of _Lolita_ by Lana Del Rey comes to my mind. The chord progression is really only built out of three degrees but different versions of them: ♭II-I-♭II-I-i-i̊°-i-i-i°-i-v-V-i-v-V-i. In its key of C, D♭-C-D♭-C-Cm-Cdim-Cm-Cm-Cdim-Cm-Gm-G-Cm-Gm-G-Cm. We go from Phrygian Dominant to Harmonic Minor with natural Minor and Locrian added in between.

[@robinleebraun7739]

Three chords and the truth. The mantra of Country Music. I built a 3 string guitar tuned to an open power chord. Perfect for all these 12 bar blues songs. And many others.

[@aoay]

Isn't Warren Zevon's Werewolves of London a three chord song?

[@juliehartley3652]

Thank you, I like learning about music.

[@Martykun36]

Detachable Penis by King Missile is also a 3 chord vamp (C♯ minor - G major - A major)

[@danpreston564]

You could make a whole video just on James and their use of I-IV-V progressions.