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Post new topic Classic country chord progressions.
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Author Topic:  Classic country chord progressions.
Frode Bjoernstad

 

From:
Oslo, Norway
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2006 5:30 am    
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Does anybody if there is such a thing as a website that have a list of all classic country chord progressions? Either in that Nashville number system, or as chord sheets? I was thinking of creating some simple acoustic backingtracks to rehearse pedal steel guitar along with.

Frode
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Jesse Pearson

 

From:
San Diego , CA
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2006 6:24 am    
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I don't know of a web site per se, but Hal Lenoard has a Classic Country Fake book that's pretty good.
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David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2006 8:06 am    
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The Cowpie Song Corral will get you a good start: http://www.roughstock.com/cowpie/songs/

Harmony Central has links to OLGA (Online Guitar Archive) which has a lot of tab & chord stuff: http://www.harmony-central.com/Guitar/tab.html

You'll have to do some of your own checking for accuracy, and there are some legal reasons that things are often sketchy or incomplete.

(Addendum - this is actually a response to the comment below) I think if you just steam through 40 or 50 of the songs on Cowpie, writing them down in a Nashville number system as quickly as possible without even worrying about lyrics, repeats or keys, you'll start to draw out some similarities. There are great differences in the complexity of chord usage between someone like Jimmy Webb, who was following in the footsteps of people like Gershwin and Hart, and your basic three-chord shuffles.

[This message was edited by David Mason on 17 July 2006 at 11:40 AM.]

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Frode Bjoernstad

 

From:
Oslo, Norway
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2006 8:40 am    
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Thanks guys!

I was thinking more about the progressions with chords, and not necessarly the actual songs. For example

Intro : G- C-D -G
Verse: G---C---....
Refrain: D--- C--- etc.


I know there is no answer to this question to writing songs, but I guess maybe the old Nashville songwriters followed some rules and patterns.

Or am I way off here..

Frode
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JERRY THURMOND


From:
sullivan mo u.s.a.
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2006 10:17 am    
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Try Ralph Patt's Jazz web page it has lots of chord progressions, many are used in country songs, one of the best sites for learning progressions on a guitar. Jerry
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Ray Minich

 

From:
Bradford, Pa. Frozen Tundra
Post  Posted 17 Jul 2006 10:33 am    
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There's a list of 40 of them in the back of one Tom Bradshaw's little booklets published 40 years ago. Can't right now get to the name but will post it when I can. Got my copy from b0b a couple of years ago...perhaps he remembers.
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Ben Slaughter


From:
Madera, California
Post  Posted 18 Jul 2006 1:35 pm    
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Well speaking in blanket generalizations, most classic style country songs are 1, 4, 5 progressions. You will sometimes see another chord, usually a 2MAJ, or 6min. 2min and 3min chords are less frequent.

Typically the verse starts on the 1 chord, and the beginning of the chorus will be a walk up from the 1 to the 4.

You will sometimes encounter a full step key modulation for the last chorus.
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