- The simple verse form uses the same chord changes…throughout the song, while the melody and lyrics…may differ from section to section.…We see this simple verse form utilized in blues…and early rock and roll, even rap and modern pop music.…Everything from Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode"…to Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day,"…to Daft Punk's "Get Lucky."…One common example of a simple verse form…is the 12 bar blues, which is what we refer to as…the blues.…Typically, in the blues, the melody is repeated…in both the verse and chorus.…
The most basic form of the 12 bar blues is as follows.…I'm going to play you a simple blues in C major.…Bars one through four, we play the one chord.…(piano chord)…Bars five and six, we play the four chord.…(piano chord)…Bars seven and eight, the one chord again.…(piano chord)…Bar nine is the five chord.…(piano chord)…Bar 10 is the four chord.…(piano chord)…Bar 11 is the one chord.…(piano chord)…And bar 12 is the five chord.…
(piano chord)…Here's a simple blues in C major in time.…(upbeat piano music)…
Author
Released
9/18/2015Professional musician Julian Velard starts the course with the building blocks of harmony: notes, scales, intervals, chords, inversions, and basic chord progressions. He then goes into voice leading—showing how to move from one chord to another by changing just one or two notes—and reviews common song forms, from the familiar verse/chorus/verse of pop to the simple verse of the blues. At the end of each chapter, Julian explains the songwriting techniques shown in the chapter within the context of his own original commercially released songs.
- Understanding scales, intervals, and keys
- Triads or three-note chords
- Triad inversions
- Common major-scale chord progressions and cadences
- Voice leading
- Song form elements such as verse, chorus, bridge, hook, and more
- Using common song forms in songwriting
Skill Level Beginner
Duration
Views
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Songwriting Techniques with Chords
with Julian Velard2h Intermediate -
Music Theory for Songwriters: Rhythm
with David Franz1h 35m Beginner
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Introduction
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Welcome1m 31s
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1. The Building Blocks of Harmony
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The octave4m 12s
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Intervals: Major and perfect7m 20s
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The concept of key3m 12s
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Figuring out intervals6m 33s
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2. Triads and Chord Progressions
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Triads: The basics of chords7m 48s
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Triad inversions6m 40s
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Voicing6m 38s
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Authentic cadences5m 32s
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3. Chord Progressions and Voice Leading
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What is voice leading?5m 28s
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The suspended chord5m 11s
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4. Song Forms
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The importance of song form2m 34s
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Beats, bars, and phrases5m 54s
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The chorus song form element1m 23s
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Verse/chorus/bridge forms1m 19s
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Simple verse form2m 2s
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Verse without chorus form1m 18s
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AABA 32-bar form1m 24s
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Through-composed song forms1m 26s
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Looking at a song's form5m 53s
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Conclusion
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Next steps1m 16s
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Video: Simple verse form