Tag Archives: guitar chords

Bbm the ideal sound for all your autumn jams – chord of the week

What’s lower than a B chord? Bb minor of course. Low, melancholic, and robust – a perfect fit for the drizzly vibes. We’ve selected some colorful tracks that will go well with your autumn leaf collection. Time to adjust your setlist to the darker days.

Let’s start with the basics. The Bb minor scale consists of the notes Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, F, Gb, and Ab. We can expect these to pop up in the compositions written in Bb minor key. Go through the chords to loosen your fingers and to get acquainted with their positions on the neck.

When I’m Gone – Eminem

“When I’m Gone” by Eminem is a surprise for every jam. It’s a sensitive song about family and being a father. It’s actually a very straightforward hip-hop song, but playing it on guitar or piano will release its poppy core.

The chord progression is suited for both the beginner and the more advanced guitarist, because the most important chords are Gb, Ab, and Bb, with a detour via Fm. Playing tip: tune your instrument to an Eb tuning.

This way you can play the flattened chords (those that are noted with a b) at more familiar positions. So, a Bb is B finger placement, an Ab is an A grip, et cetera.

Water Me – FKA Twigs

And now that we’re on the subject of adding surprising tracks to your jam. No one will see “Water Me” by FKA Twigs coming. This alternative pop song is sad and a bit of a challenge.

Pay attention to the count and the rhythm. The chord scheme consists of Gb, Db, Bbm, and Ab, with some detours via Ebm and Bbm7. Playing tip: use the transpose function to lower the chords a semitone, this will make the chord progression look more familiar.

Boo’d Up – Ella Mai

This next song is one for the lovers of minor chords, Billboard charts banger “Boo’d Up” by Ella Mai. This R&B track is a good variation on the songs that came before. It’s still comfortably melancholic, but it has a sparkle of hope.

The chord progression isn’t very difficult. Again, don’t let names like Gbm7 scare you, but just look at the finger placement. You’ll see that it’s only a variation on the Gb where the octave finger is placed a semitone lower.

Samurai Champloo – Shiki No Uta

But, enough sober songs. It’s time for one of the most colorful styles within pop music to take over: Asian Pop. For instance, the opening track of the series “Samurai Champloo” by Shiki No Uta. Do you want to make your nerd friends jealous? Jam along to this track.

The chord scheme mainly consists of three grips: Ebm7, Fm7, and Bbm7. We’ve touched on this before, the m7 chords revolve around the art of omitting. So don’t be scared about the names, but just try it out. The lyrics may take a bit longer to learn. Enjoy and happy jamming!  

In case you didn’t know, the G minor is always there for you – chord of the week

From the Beatles to Damien Marley everyone loves the G minor (Gm). This chord of the week is a cherishable barre, and its sound lends itself to every genre. Want to see more Chordify awesomeness? Follow us on Instagram.

First, let’s take a look at the Gm scale. This will give us an insight into which tones go well with our chord of the week. In this case, these are the G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, and F. These tones are fundamental tones that form the basis for variations on chords that result from them, so we can get a picture of what awaits us.

Welcome to Jamrock – Damien Marley

“Welcome to Jamrock” is Damien Marley’s breakthrough. The son of the great reggae star certainly sticks to his roots but gives it his own spin. He developed a style that’s a beautiful crossover between reggae and hip-hop.

What remains characteristic of the Jamaican style is the simplicity of the chord scheme. This song mainly consists of the Gm, the D, and the Bb. Try it out and throw it in a spontaneous jam. Pay attention to the attack of your strum.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond – Pink Floyd

The song “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” is a suite in pop music, which means the structure of the track is reminiscent of a classical piece. The song is about Syd Barrett, a band member who was expelled, because of his drug problems. The song is drenched in melancholy and love.

The intro is made up of a subtle guitar solo accompanied by keyboards. In it, the Gm, Dm, and Cm play the leading role. The second part of the song is dominated by the Bb, F, G, and E. Overall, the track is quite clear and even recommended for the beginning guitarist. If only to get a feeling for barre chords.

Bone Dry – EELS

The track “Bone Dry” by the Los Angeles-based band Eels takes you on a journey through the scale of Gm. The song largely consists of a long riff that descents along the scale through F, Eb, Dm, Bb, Cm, and Gm.

The advantage of this track is that both advanced beginners and newbies can practice switching grips at a manageable pace. Moreover, this song is a nice addition to your setlist. Let your audience sing along with the bitter “shalalaa”.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps – The Beatles

We will end this week with another classic. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is one of the few Beatles songs written by George Harrison. It is a melancholic blues with a topping of pop.

Don’t be surprised when you see chords like C/E or Gm/F. The second note is an extra bass tone. So a C with an E in the bass, or a Gm with an F as the lowest tone. The rest of the chord scheme speaks for itself. The song is full of basic chords like Em, Bm, G, C, D, and F. In other words: the ideal exercise during your weekend. Happy jamming!

Hip-hop, blues rock you name it and the C minor’s got it – chord of the week

This week we tune into the C minor. Wait, there no reason to be sad. Minor is not always a synonym for tearjerkers and sad songs, on the contrary. From hip-hop to blues and pop, our chord of the week fits everywhere – and everywhere in between. It’s an honor, and a real pleasure to present to you: the C minor (Cm).

Our chord of the week is – not surprisingly – build up out of notes from the Cm scale, which consists of C, D, Eb, F, G, Ab, and Bb. You might recall, from other blog posts, that the notes from a scale often appear as chords in compositions. But enough theory. Time for action!

Since I’ve Been Loving You – Led Zeppelin

Let’s start with a classic. “Since I’ve Been Loving You” by Led Zeppelin is an example of a song in which blues and rock converge, and it’s written in Cm. The track is a nice crossover between seventies rock and the fertile ground from which this genre originated: the blues.

The song starts with a solo by Jimmy Page. The accompanying melody immediately covers the entire spectrum of the basic tones of the Cm scale – it passes through C, Eb, F, G, Ab – and variations thereupon, that follow each other in quick succession. As such, this song is a good exercise for the advanced beginner.

Skyfall – Adele

We all know the sweet soulful voice of Shirley Bassey that symbolizes the sound of the first Bond movies. ‘No diva can beat that’, you might say, although Adele will certainly come close with “Skyfall”.

The verse of “Skyfall” consists of Cm, F, Fm, Gm, and Ab. The chorus is extended with a D and an Eb. Don’t be put off by the fast succession of chords, rather make it easy for yourself by cutting the song into pieces. First practice only the verse, and then only the chorus. Use the loop function for this. This way you don’t have to rewind each time.

Rich Bitch – Die Antwoord

We promised you pop and hip-hop, and if we promise something, we deliver on it. Die Antwoord is one of the most controversial hip-hop acts of the moment, and this South African duo is anything but boring, as we can hear in the track “Rich Bitch”.

This song is suitable for the beginner who is up for an experiment. The chord scheme is not very difficult since it only consists of two triads: Cm and Fm. Diversions to Gm and D are good for some variation. Play this song in a jam and see if your audience recognizes it.

Africa – Weezer

“Rich Bitch” may not fly at your grandmother’s birthday party, but you can lighten the mood with this classic song in a new look. Weezer made a quite literal cover of the Toto song “Africa“. The track is exactly the same as the original, with the only difference that it is set in Cm instead of C#m.

This track is a challenge, even for the advanced guitarist. If you thought “Since I’ve Been Loving You” has a fast chord progression, then the pace at which the triads in this song follow each other may feel like warp speed. Of course, nothing is impossible. Use the loop function and cut the song into pieces, it will become much easier to comprehend. Happy jamming!