If you’ve dug into rock songs and chord progressions for any length of time, you’ll know that many of them are exactly the same.
Most genres of music are defined by their most commonly used chord progressions, so it shouldn’t be surprising to us that there are a select few chord sequences in rock that get used over and over again. Timing, melody and vocal lines add most of the variation and complexity we might hear in a given song. Those elements cover the bass line and chord progressions, making the finished product sound more complex than it actually is.
But if you take all that stuff out, what you’re left with - a raw chord progression - is usually pretty basic. This is especially true in today’s hard rock.
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When you notice repetitive progressions
Once you start to recognize these progressions you can memorize and document them, then use them as a resource for songwriting and coming up with riffs in the future.
Since chord progressions don’t offer you as much opportunity for creativity, it’s better to learn the most typical ones then reuse them as you go.
We’ll cover five progressions that are highly reusable in both classic and modern rock.
1: D - A - Bmin - G
This progression shows up a lot in albums from post-grunge groups like Creed, Alter Bridge and 12 Stones.
Often played in drop-D (in the key of D major), the progression has a steep emotional appeal with a driving tonic (D) and subdominant (G) .
There are several different ways to play it, so we’ll list the three most popular variations here in a tabbed format.
Note that the last tab is the drop D variation.
2: G-C-D
Like #1, this progression is often played in drop D, taking advantage of the low open D note via heavy power chords.
Open chords are a pretty popular variation as well, like the way Collective Soul sometimes plays Shine live with an acoustic guitar.
Joel Kosche playing guitar with Collective Soul and a slew of Marshall amplifiers. Flickr Commons Image via prassprasetio
In addition to being a popular post-grunge progression, G-C-D shows up a lot in country, bluegrass and pop. I was always told that if you could play G-C-D you could play a lot of songs.
The progression is in the key of G and can be written with the first, fourth and fifth of the G major scale: I - IV - V.
3: E-A-D
If you switch out the D with a B, you get more of a bluesy sounding progression while keeping the D adds a nice major lift.
In our examples, we'll leave the D in to achieve that major flavor.
Classic, alternative, modern rock and most post-grunge sub-genres use this progression pretty heavily.
Drop D (power version)
4: D-F-G
Most of the time this progression is played in drop D to get that low root note, though it can easily be played in standard as well.
Power chords (root plus the fifth) are the easiest way to play these three chords.
5: D-E♭-F-(G)
This is a pretty typical metal progression, because of the low D and E♭ notes.
The half step (minor second interval) between those two notes creates a dark, minor sound quality that works really well with heavier music.
Other Genres
I’m not asserting that these progressions are popular or usable in rock music alone.
Chord progressions are basic enough that they stretch across multiple genres.
So, while you can find them everywhere, these particular chords sequences do show up in hard rock fairly often. If that’s you gig (or you want it to be) you should learn them as a baseline knowledge block.
Sure, you’ll use other progressions and variations of the ones we’ve seen here, but if you can start with topics that give you the most usability and application, it’ll make future learning a lot easier.
Let's try and build on the progressions we've learned with a little application.
Adding Chords to Established Progressions
What do you do once you know these chord sequences?
In a word, you experiment.
Find out what other chords you can work in and how you can vary these progressions to make them sound better and fit in with your own playing habits or song writing technique.
Take the D-F-G progression for example.
Let’s add another chord, say an A♭.
E|--------------
B|--------------
G|--------------
D|--0--3--5--6--
A|--0--3--5--6--
D|--0--3--5--6--
Now we’ve given our chord progression that heavy minor tone a half step up from the fifth to the sixth fret.
In the same manner, if you want to make it a little more bluesy, you can add the F# in between the F and G.
E|--------------
B|--------------
G|--------------
D|--------------
A|--------------
E|--0--3--4--5--
The more you’re able to understand basic chord progression structures, the more you can improvise and add root notes to those progressions.
It's a simple way to expand their sound and improve dynamics.
Power Chord Exercises
Let's run through some exercises that don’t require you to switch up frets.
In this case we’re anchoring our root at the third fret on the sixth string, a G note.
These exercises focus on improving our power chord transitions without moving to a different fret.
They are the easier of the two we’ll cover.
Pointer Finger: Blue
Middle Finger: Red
Ring Finger: Green
Pinky Finger: Orange
Exercise #1
E|----------------
B|----------------
G|----------------
D|----------------
A|--3--5----3--2--
E|--3--3----3--3--We’re jumping from a two note power chord on the third fret, to two different power chords on the same fret.
In this case, everything is in the key of G and the only note that moves is the interval on the second string.
That pattern of notes looks like this:
E|----------------
B|----------------
G|----------------
D|----------------
A|--3--5----3--2--
E|---------------- I’ve added the color coordinated notes for finger placement. However, they’re merely suggestions.
As you practice this, work on the following concepts:
- Anchoring the low-G note for all three power chords
- Figuring out which finger works best for getting to each note in the pattern
- Changing chords with as little movement as possible
Let’s move on to something a little more complicated.
Exercise #2
E|------------------------
B|------------------------
G|------------------------
D|-----------xx--5--2--5--
A|--5--3--5--xx--5--3--5--
E|--3--3--3--xx-----3--3--
In this tab we’re transitioning between two different strings, while staying on the same fret (mostly).
When your chord progression allows for this (say if you’re going from a G to a C) it’s a pretty easy transition to make.
All you need to do is shift your anchoring finger to the string above or below where you already are.
In the next example, we’ll go ahead and move from a G to a C.
Exercise #3
E|--------------------
B|--------------------
G|--------5-----------
D|--5-----5--------5--
A|--5-----3--5-----3--
E|--3--5-----3--5-----You can catch the high note on the 5th fret with your ring finger or you can just leave it out.
We’re practicing the act of moving our power chord from the sixth string to the fifth string. It’s not fancy but, worth getting familiar with.
If you want to make it more complicated, try this tab.
Exercise #4
E|-----------------------------
B|-----------------5-----------
G|--------------5--5-----------
D|--------------5-----------5--
A|-----5-----2--3-----5--7--5--
E|--3-----5-----------------3--Note the same basic movement is happening.
We’re moving between the G note on the sixth string and the C note on the fifth string, except this time we’re adding some flare into the mix with several additional intervals in between each root note.
The main thing to focus on is getting between those strings quickly and efficiently.
Exercise #5
E|-----------------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------------
G|-----------------5-----------------9-----
D|--------5-----5-----------9-----9--------
A|-----5-----3-----------9-----7-----------
E|--3-----------------7--------------------In exercise #5 we are playing through each note in the shape of power chords at the fifth and seventh frets. Working through these arpeggios helps with finger placement and speeding up chord changes.
In this case, your pointer finger leads while your ring and pinky finger drop in right behind them.
This happens all at once when you’re playing the chord while the arpeggiated version allows us to focus on placing each note one at a time.
Fret to Fret Power Chord Transitions
Let's try some exercises that require more lateral movement.
Take this tab for example:
E|---------
B|---------
G|---------
D|---------
A|--5--10--
E|--3--8---In the pattern, we’re moving from G to C, but to do so we’re having to jump five frets to get to the C.
Instead, the following tab would be a better course of action.
E|--------
B|--------
G|--------
D|-----5--
A|--5--3--
E|--3-----In this case you’re playing the exact same chord but, you’re able to stay at the third fret, which is a more favorable scenario since timing and accuracy are going to be easier when you don’t have to change your fret position.
Unfortunately, you can’t count on this all the time.
In many progressions you’ll need to jump frets to switch power chords, so it pays to have that process broken in and comfortable.
We’ll go through some movements that incorporate different frets and strings, mostly the fifth and sixth strings since those are where the root notes of your power chords will usually be.
Exercise #6
E|--------------
B|--------------
G|----------12--
D|----------12--
A|--5--/10--10--
E|--3-----------
You’re moving from the third fret up to the 10th fret while switching from the sixth string to the fifth string.
If we weren’t changing strings, you would slide up to the 10th fret with your pointer finger.
Yet, you can maintain that act of sliding up the fretboard by moving your hand’s position to the fifth string and the sliding up to catch the root note at the 10th fret. Sliding like this is a much easier way to navigate the fretboard with power chords.
Look for opportunities to utilize the technique.
Exercise #7
E|------------------------
B|------------------------
G|------------------------
D|------6------8------10--
A|--3--/4--5--/6--7--/8---
E|--1------3------5-------
This tab isn’t going to sound great, but don’t worry about that right now.
Remember, we’re just trying to break in our power chords by getting used to the typical movements involved with progressing through them.
The chord progression jumps between four and two frets at a time, while having you slide up to the chords on the fifth string.
In this case, you’re going for a little bit of speed and a certain level of comfort with this movement.
Once you’ve gotten used to it, you can try going backwards.
Exercise #8
E|------------------------
B|------------------------
G|------------------------
D|-------9------6------3--
A|--12--7--9--4--7--1-----
E|--10------7------5------The only change in exercise #8 is that we’re working on moving down the frets instead of up. To break in your power chord progressions you’ve got to do a lot of both.
These next few exercises are more for the purpose of strengthening your hand than offering any real musical quality.
Exercise #9
E|-----------------------------
B|-----------------------------
G|-----------------------------
D|-----------------------------
A|--1--3---3--5---5--7---7--9--
E|--1--1---3--3---5--5---7--7--Exercise #10
E|-----------------------------------
B|-----------------------------------
G|-----4-----6-----8-----10------12--
D|--3--4--5--6--7--8--9--10--11--12--
A|--3--4--5--6--7--8--9--10--11--12--
E|--3-----5-----7-----9------11------[Barre each chord]
Exercise #11
E|----------------------
B|----------------------
G|-----7-----9------16--
D|--5--5--7--7--14--14--
A|--3--3--5--5--12--12--
E|--1-----3-----10------Practical Chord Progression Exercises
These will still be “exercises” but they’re basically just bass lines that I've based on the chord progressions we covered earlier in this article.
Power Chord Arrangement [Progression] #1
E|---------------------------------------------
B|---------------------------------------------
G|---------------------------------------------
D|-----------------12--12--12--14--xx-------5--
A|--5-----9--------12--12--12--12--xx-------5--
E|--3--5--7--7--7--10--------------xx--2h3--3--
Power Chord Arrangement[Progression] #2
E|------------------------------------------------------------
B|------------------------------------------------------------
G|------------------------------------------------------------
D|---------------------5----------12----------------12-----5--
A|--5--xx--3--5--5-----5------xx--12------------12---------5--
E|--3--xx--------3--3-----10--xx--10--10--9h10----------7--3--
Power Chord Arrangement[Progression] #3
E|----------------------------------------
B|----------------------------------------
G|----------------------------------------
D|---------------------5--/9--------------
A|--12/-------3--5--5--5--/9--9--------5--
E|--10/--2b3--3--3--3--3--/7--7--7--5--3--
Power Chord Arrangement[Progression] #4
E|----------------------------------------------
B|----------------------------------------------
G|----------------------------------------------
D|----------------------------------------------
A|--5--/7--xx--7--------9--5--/12--xx--7--9--5--
E|--3--/5--xx--5--x--5--7--3--/10--xx--5--7--3--
Power Chord Arrangement[Progression] #5
E|--------------------------------------------
B|--------------------------------------------
G|--------------------------------------------
D|--------------------------4--------------4--
A|-----4-----------7--2--4--4--7--7--2-----4--
E|--0--2--0--2--0--5--0--2-----5--5--0--0--2--
As you might have gathered by now, you’ll be doing a lot of jumping around between the third, fifth, seventh and 10th frets.
That’s not all there is to it but, it’s a big piece of the puzzle, so make sure you’re able to work through a power chord progression involving those frets, whether you use these tabs or something you’ve come up with on your own.
To finish up, let's look at three practical techniques we can apply to any hard rock chord progression.
1. Open Arpeggiated Rock Guitar Chords
From A Perfect Circle we have an excellent example of arpeggiated rock chords on the “Three Libras” intro.
Though Billy Howerdel’s guitar is tuned down to C#, the shape is a simple open C chord with an arpeggiated pattern.
The tab for the intro looks like this.
C#|--------------------------------------------------
G#|--3--------3--3--------3--3--------3--7--------7--
E|-----0-----------0-----------0-----------0--------
B|--------------------------------------------------
F#|--3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----3-----7-----7-----
C#|--------------------------------------------------
As you can see, the pattern is taken straight out of this chord shape.
E|-----
B|--3--
G|--0--
D|-----
A|--3--
E|-----
So the mechanism could be summed up this way.
- Identify a chord progression.
- Break each note apart to come up with a complimentary arpeggio.
- Come up with a rhythmic picking pattern.
It’s a simple technique, but if you understand it you can apply the process in a variety of different musical situations.
2. Simple Dyads
As guitar players use them today, dyads are like power chords for the higher notes of the guitar.
There are two primary shapes; one with a root note on the fifth string and one with a root note on the fourth string.
Both are simple octaves.
E|-----
B|-----
G|--5--
D|--x--
A|--3--
E|-----
E|-----
B|--6--
G|--x--
D|--3--
A|-----
E|-----
These shapes are often used to add structure and melody to lower-end power chord progressions, like in “Addicted to Pain” by Alter Bridge.
You can hear the dyads being played during the chorus over top of the rhythm guitar.
Like the power chords, these shapes are movable to any fret and can even be functional above the 12th fret for when you want higher pitch notes.
The attraction of playing chords this way is that it’s almost like a guitar solo, but with a more full sound and chord-like quality.
The Functionality of Drop D in Rock Guitar Chords
Drop D is an intensely practical mechanism of today’s chording approach.
Particularly in the context of rock, metal and country, you can’t really get away from drop D.
Some might say it’s cheating or a cheap shortcut. But is it really such a big difference to play a chord with one finger instead of two, maybe three? I think the reason drop D is popular in rock music is because it’s incredibly functional.
Dropping the low E to a D allows you to play power chords by simply barring the first two or three strings.
Instead of the power chord shape we showed you earlier, you could play the same chord like this.
E|--------
B|--------
G|--------
D|--5-----
A|--5-----
D|--5-----
Let’s assume you want to get from here to the same chord on the seventh and third frets, back to back.
E|-----------
B|-----------
G|-----------
D|--5--7--3--
A|--5--7--3--
D|--5--7--3--
If you started with your first finger, you can grab the second chord with your third then jump back down with your first finger again to grab the last one on the third fret.
Instead of using all three fingers for each chord, you used only two fingers.
It’s a far more efficient and practical way to tackle the hard rock chord progressions.
For rock and metal, it also gives you the low D note, which can add a lot of bass and bottom to your chord progressions.
Look for opportunities that benefit from drop D. Songs that would sound better with the low D chord, or that require fast changes between power chords should consider a drop D tuning as opposed to standard.
Minimalism and Fewer Chord Changes
Though chord progressions have in many cases gotten faster, they are far less complex on the guitar than they have been in the past.
Modern music has taken a minimal approach to chord progressions, leaving guitarists with a much easier task when it comes to playing rhythm.
Take for example this clip of sheet music for a hymn called “What Wonderous Love is This” which was written in 1835.
Almost every accent of the melody is met with a chord change, particularly in the third stave. Similarly, “Be Thou My Vision” is written with a lot of chord changes to more closely match the melody.
Now consider what a more contemporary chord progression would sound like.
If you have a guitar, play through the progression as is, then try it again while omitting the notes that I’ve crossed out in the diagram below.
You can play this entire segment with little more than D, A and G.
Likewise, many of today’s contemporary rock and pop songs are written with short, simple chord progressions that don’t require a lot of movement on the part of the guitar.
Sure, chord changes might be abrupt and quick.
Yet that’s made easier by the fact that the number of chords is usually less then what you see in older music.
In most of today’s music, guitar chords play more of a foundational instead of a melodic role.
Think of them as a layer over the bass line, that is content to let vocals carry the melody.
Flickr Commons Image Courtesy of Derrick Austinson Photog
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