Yes you can! Play a top-charting pop song with just 4 chords!

Posted on 05 November 2008 | See what others are saying about this post | Leave comment | Save as pdf

 

I’m off to support my grandma as she has surgery today in Long Beach but I wanted to post this short lesson before I leave.

I just posted a mega 33-minute video so this lesson will just give you an abbreviated version of the video. What I really encourage you to do is stop what you’re doing and head over to view the entire lesson. Dozens of comments have already come in about it since i posted it last night (…don’t forget to leave me one as well!)

The tutorial teaches you how to play a popular song with just 4 chords! And they’re all seventh chords too (major, dominant).

I’ll use my new piano tool I announced yesterday to show you the chords below. But visit the 33-minute video to get the full scoop!

Here’s the four chords…

Dmin7

G7

Cmaj7

Fmaj7

Notice the stepwise motion between tones. That’s what makes it sound so good!

This is what we call a 2-5-1-4 chord progression.

“2-5-1-4?”

“huh?”

Don’t worry. It’s simple. The number just come from the major scale:

C major

Just number each tone of the scale:

C D E F G A B C
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

The “2nd” tone is D.
The “5th” tone is G.
The “1st” tone is obviously C.
The “4th” tone is F.

If you look at the root of the progression, it’s moving from D to G to C to F. Thus, a “2-5-1-4″ progression.

Check out the 33-minute video lesson for details! I hope you like it! :-)

Until next time —

 

 

Who else wants to get these articles, lessons, and tips sent via e-mail regularly? Sign up to receive my blog updates and never miss a beat…

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner


Subscribe in a reader

 

Why subscribe?

Popularity: 29% [?]

Welcome back! It looks like you're a regular! Thanks for your support and keep coming! (Getting updates yet?)

Related posts:

  1. Variations of “2-5-1″ Chord Progressions
  2. Exclusive: Get to your piano and learn this new song!!! (30-minute video lesson)
  3. How to play pretty ballads with just two chords
  4. Opening and closing your songs with “2-5-1″ progressions!
  5. The art of borrowing chords
  6. Play Kirk Franklin’s “Imagine Me” With Just 4 Chords!
  7. Warning: Play these harmonic minor chords at your own risk



This post was written by:

Jermaine - who has written 296 posts on Hear and Play Music Learning Center.


Contact the author

10 Comments For This Post

  1. Missie says:

    nice lesson here jermaine. The video is awesome too!

  2. Laketa says:

    Jermaine, I’m praying for your granny! God Bless

  3. ann st clair says:

    Hi Jermaine,

    Wow! this is great. Can you use this keyboard to show me how to play the 12 major scale. Thanks.

    Ann.

  4. TRUMUSIC1SOUL aka BRIAN says:

    TIGHT…YOUR GRANDMOTHER IS DEFINITELY IN OUR PRAYERS..

    @ ANN ST CLAIR

    NOW I CHALLENGE YOU TO TRANSPOSE THEM IN EACH KEY. SIMPLY MOVE EACH NOTE UP OR DOWN ONE HALF[1/2] STEP, OR TO SIMPLIFY IT, ONE PHYSICAL KEY… YOU CAN DO IT, YES ,YOU CAN!!!

  5. TRUMUSIC1SOUL aka BRIAN says:

    @ANN…SORRY C MAJ SCALE

  6. Jermaine says:

    @Ann St. Clair

    C major scale

    Db major scale

    D major scale

    Eb major scale

    E major scale

    F major scale

    Gb major scale
    Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb
    (I’m doing this one regular because my piano tool doesn’t support Cb yet. It will soon though).

    G major scale

    Ab major scale

    A major scale

    Bb major scale

    B major scale

    I hope this helps :-)

    Jermaine

  7. Eresmas says:

    Cool lesson JG. The video is good too. Your granny is in ma’ prayers and God will prevail.

  8. madcatmoore says:

    Man, the chording technique in this lesson are amazing. Granny is really cooking with gas in this kitchen. Love the video dude you know my prayers are with you!!!

  9. carmen says:

    Hi Jermaine! Your latest colourful music chord charts are the best I’ve seen! A real pleasure to view and hear and inspire great chord progressions. Very Grateful to You and Your Grandmother. We give her credit for your pleasant manner and how you share your knowledge and joy for music. May God’s strength hold her close and be with you in all your visits. Play On and Be Well, Gram! from Carmen and your Canadian admirers

  10. Elaine says:

    Hi, Jermaine,
    Thank you for the chord charts, they’ll really help me, as I am trying to learn the chords and scales but find it difficult. Am in prayer for you and your family.
    Elaine.

Leave a Comment or Reply...

10-Minute Video Tour

 

Featured Products

Categories

Subscribe Via E-mail

Enter your email address:


 

Archives

Other Ways to Subscribe

 

http://www.hearandplay.com/podcaster_full.jpg
Podcast Feed

 

Subscribe with My Yahoo!

 

Subscribe with NewsGator

 

Add to Technorati Favorites

 

 Subscribe with My AOL

 

 Subscribe with Rojo

 

 Subscribe with Bloglines

 

 Subscribe with Netvibes

 

 Subscribe with Google

 

 Subscribe with Pageflakes

 

 Subscribe with Plusmo

 

 Subscribe with Live.com

 

 Subscribe with Excite MIX

 

 Subscribe with Podcast Ready

 

 Add to Any Feed Reader

 

Subscribe with Zune Marketplace

 

Get Hear and Play Music Learning Center delivered by email

 

original feed View Feed XML

Find Us

 

On Youtube:

http://www.hearandplay.com/youtube.jpg

 

On iTunes:

http://www.hearandplay.com/itunes_logo.jpg
 

On Twitter:

http://www.hearandplay.com/twitter.jpg

 

On FriendFeed:

http://www.hearandplay.com/friendfeed.jpg

 

On Myspace:

http://www.hearandplay.com/myspace.jpg

 

On BlogTalkRadio:

 Listen to Jermaine Griggs on internet talk radio

 

On uStream.tv:

http://www.hearandplay.com/ustream.jpg

 

On Zimbio:

My Zimbio

 

On Mofuse: