Better Guitar Playing

I’d always begin writing a song on my acoustic guitar, mainly because I think it’s way easier to organise chord sequences, work out melody, a good rhythm and get a good song structure without over complicating matters. I also think that if a song sounds good just stripped down to the very basics, then it’s generally going to sound good in a band situation, and to add others instruments and maybe move it on to an electric guitar is way easier. So my first tip would be to get the song sounding good on an acoustic guitar whatever genre or style you play.

Think of any great song and I bet you could probably play a good version of it on an acoustic with the vocal line. Writing on an acoustic also forces you to play simple clean chords which again is a good foundation to build on, so work from the bottom up like building anything.

Now you may find this a bit of a surprise but using less chords in your songs actually makes it harder to write. Yes, that’s correct and the reason for this is that a lack of chords means that you are forced into adding interest into your song in another way. Try it. I’ve now written several 2 chord songs and believe me it’s a real challenge. There are ways to add a spark but it’s not easy. You can try a tempo change or a rhythm change for verse or chorus or switching the chords over to try and create interest. Give it a go!

No, for complete beginners to songwriting I believe that a 3 chord structure is the way to go, and it’s what the majority of songs use. You can’t just throw any chords together though so be careful. I’d suggest a nice simple sequence to begin with held together with a strong melody, so D, C, G or E, A, D would be a good start and many classic songs use these sequences so no excuses!

One trick with 3 chords is what’s called a ‘turnaround’, so the verse may consist of 3 chords played in a sequence of 4, for instance G, C, D, C (repeating the ‘C’ chord is the turnaround). You could then make the chorus just a two chord structure and play the chords in a slightly different so maybe strum a D, let it ring out, then a G.

One trick I love to use in my songwriting is adding a false bass note which completely changes the natural chord sound. An F# bass note with a D Chord is a nice example of this and is used in many songs. Neil Young is a great exponent of this technique and it can be heard in his classic song ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’.

So hopefully there are a few ideas there for you to introduce into your songwriting.

If you would like to learn more about ‘chords that love each other’ then stop by Songwriting 4 Guitar and download a free chord guide. Found out why it’s a good idea to begin your songwriting on acoustic guitar. A great guide for beginners to learn how to write Songs On Guitar