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I, IV, V Progression Guitar Lesson

Home > Guitar Lessons > Skill Building > Song Writing > Song Writing with Mark > I, IV, V Progression
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Mark Lincoln

I, IV, V Progression

Mark further elaborates on chord relationships within a song. He covers the I, IV, V progression in greater depth and provides a new songwriting exercise.

Taught by Mark Lincoln in Song Writing with Mark seriesLength: 17:45Difficulty: 2.0 of 5
Chapter 1: (01:53) Lesson Introduction Okay, so we’ve been talking about how to combine chords to make a song. We’ve talked briefly about chord construction, relative minors, and I-IV-V progressions. How can we use these tools effectively to create a cool song? One way is to experiment with the ideas that we cover in the lessons, and I mean experimenting over and over again. Trying different chord combinations together can give you better insight as to what chords work effectively together.
Chapter 2: (05:35) The I, IV, V Progression 1-4-5 or I, IV, V Progression
Let's take a look at a concept that we discussed in the last lesson, the concept of the I-IV-V progression. The I-IV-V is often used in rhythm and blues music, but is also a great guideline for writing chord progressions in general. Simply stated, I-IV-V means that if you start with A (the "I" in this case), you would count A-B-C#-D, so D would be the "IV". Then, count one more...A-B-C#-D-E, so E would be the "V" in this case. I say, in this case, because the I-IV-V progression depends on where you start. If you were to start with B, then you would count B-C#-D#-E and E would be the "IV" and F# would be the "V". Does that make sense? Here is a chart that should enlighten you a little more as to the proper way to find the chords contained in each I-IV-V progression:
I IV V
A D E
B E F#
C F G
D G A
E A B
F Bb C
G C D
Okay so depending upon the first chord played, you automatically know where to go next in the progression, right? Watch me in the video for more insight as to how you may apply the concept of the I-IV-V progression to your songwriting.

Exercise 1
Go through each of the chords and play the appropriate I-IV-V progression for each major key. Pay attention to how each of the progressions sound. Do you like one more than another? How does each make you feel if anything at all? Think about how you might be able to use some of these in your writing.
Chapter 3: (01:13) Exercise 2 and 3 Exercise 2
Go through each of the progressions again. Only this time, turn one of the chords into a minor chord. Do you think that’s changed the feel of the progression now? Do you like it better or worse? Which progressions do you like best now or see possibilities with?

Alright, so we’ve decided (hypothetically) that we’re going to use a 1-4-5 progression with the chords D, G and A. Where do we go from here? A good start is playing the chords, over and over and over until you feel a sort of flow with the chords. This is a key factor in songwriting as in any creative endeavor. You’ll need to find some sort of spark with the chords you are playing and maybe even a hint of a melody line (we’ll talk more about melody) in order to continue with the process. So let’s play the chords shall we?

Exercise 3
Using the strum pattern or "down down-up down" (see my Intro to Guitar series if you have questions about strum patterns). Play D G D A while relaxing your wrist and allowing the pick to flow over the strings. You’re playing a I-IV-I-V progression! What do you think about these chords? Do they do anything for you? Are they evoking any feelings whatsoever? Watch me in the video for more on this.
Chapter 4: (03:29) Using the Relative Minor Exercise 4
Looking back at Songwriting lesson #1 in this series, take a look at the relative minors. How do you think we might be able to incorporate this information into our current song? You’ll see that F#minor is the relative minor of A. Do you think we could incorporate that chord into our chord progression?

Using the same strum described above or "down down-up down," play D G D A F#minor. What do you think? Does the F#m chord “work” right there in our song? Does it sound awkward or does it seem to bring the progression home, so to speak? Do the chords inspire any emotion in you at all?
Chapter 5: (01:32) Music and Subjectivity As I’ve mentioned previously, there is always going to be a subjective element to the songwriting process and what one person likes or thinks “sounds great!” may be dull and uninspired to another. Henceforth, it is of the utmost importance that you go with your heart and really attempt to feel what you are playing. This process will inevitably take active listening and feeling on your part and may take some practice. I personally have never written a song in a crowd or with another person although I know people who prefer to write this way. You will need to find your own means and methodology to writing and whether this means sitting by yourself on a rock near a babbling brook, or on the Santa Anna freeway it’s up to you to find that space that is not only focused but also inspiring to you.

Okay, so thus far we’ve got a I-IV-V progression using the chords D, G and A, and the relative minor of A which is F#minor. So now what? Again, we need to be experimental and try some chords to see what goes where. There really are a number of directions that we could go from here in our endeavor and the only way to start is to start!

Chapter 6: (02:06) Writing a Basic Song For the sake of discussion, let’s call our song “The D Song”. I realize this is the most uninspired name in the world, but let’s try some more chords and see what we can find. This really is a process of elimination so you can either keep track in your head or on paper as we’ll do here today.

Okay, so far we have four chords: D, G, A, and F#m. Let’s try some others and see where we can go from here.
Chapter 7: (01:55) Song Exercises and Final Thoughts Exercise 5
Play the four chords that we have thus far for “The D Song” using the strum pattern "down-up down-up." Play the pattern four times for each chord and play in this sequence: D G D A F#m. Now, try some other chords starting with G and keep track of them either in your head or in a journal. Put a mark of some sort indicating whether you think that particular chord works with “The D Song”.



Okay, did you find the next chord in the sequence? Does the next chord truly fit or does it feel forced and awkward? Again, this is a subjective process and can only be determined by you!

Bridges
Well, you know what a bridge is in the physical sense but what about a musical bridge? A bridge, as applied to music, is a series of chords (or just one chord if you wish) which serves as a contrasting section which ultimately breaks up the song into pieces and prepares the listener for an inevitable return to the verse or original chords in the song. In musical terms, the bridge of a song is often a fourth higher than they key in which you are playing. In our song “The D Song” we are playing in the key of “D”. Henceforth, a good sound bridge could be in the key of “G”. Regardless, the bridge need not adhere to standard notions of acceptable practices in music and should be determined by the songwriter.

Exercise 6
Find some chords for a bridge by going through the same trial and error process as above, remembering to keep track of the chords you’ve played and taking note of the one(s) you think might work. The bridge often is placed after one or two series of the verse chords. Watch me in the video for more insight and help on this topic.

Once again I feel compelled to mention that there are no right or wrong answers to these exercises. Songwriting is a subjective process and needs to come from the writers heart and head, not from presubscribed notions of what other people have done or will do in the future.
  • Lesson Exercises (3)
  • Lesson Exercises (1)
  • Lesson Exercises (2)
  •  
  • A
  • D
  • E
  • B
  • C
  • F
  • G
  • Bb
  • Am
  • Dm
  • Dsus2
  • F#m
  • G
  • Asus4
  • D/F#
  • Em
  • Em7
  • C/G
  •  



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Member Comments about this Lesson

Discussions with our instructors are just one of the many benefits of becoming a member of JamPlay.


evand45evand45 replied on March 29th, 2011

This is my favorite lesson so far. It really got my creative juices flowing.

Mark.LincolnMark.Lincoln replied on April 3rd, 2011

Awesome Evan thanks for the great feedback! Mark

valyrikevalyrike replied on June 11th, 2010

i think in F it's F Bb C, and in B its B E F#

eduartboudewijneduartboudewijn replied on October 25th, 2009

The funny thing is that a few months ago, i came up with two progressions that I really liked. Now that I review them it seems that they both include the relative minor and the I IV V progression (at least in some form), and I didn't even know about those things then. I just did what sounded right and these things pop out. I think that's kinda cool. The one problem I face now with them, is that i'm having troubles with thinking out of the box...

Mark.LincolnMark.Lincoln replied on October 26th, 2009

Hey Ed nice to hear from you. It sounds a if you have an innate sense of what goes well together and sometimes when you don't "overthink" things (especially in music) you will be able to come up with amazing progressions. Trust your nature and good things will come of it! Take it easy, Mark

eduartboudewijneduartboudewijn replied on October 26th, 2009

Thanx Mark, I'll do that. These tools you gave me do have helped I see now. They help to combine natural feeling and a little bit of theory, which now helps me to come up with other things that also sounds good. Thanx a lot :)

newworldguitarsnewworldguitars replied on February 19th, 2009

I thoroughly enjoy Mark's enthusiasm, style, and easy to follow instruction. Is F really the 5th in B major instead of F#. Your chart also shows B as the 4th in F major. Should it be Bb instead?

jboothjbooth replied on February 20th, 2009

Thanks for pointing out the typo, I'll get it fixed!

ronin808ronin808 replied on February 19th, 2009

mark, you just opened up a new door for me.... I'm still a little apprehensive(sp?) though, I have been playing for a little over a year now. and I so love the journey. thanks keep it coming

Song Writing with Mark

Found in our Beginner Lesson Sets

Writing original music is often the primary motivation for learning a musical instrument. This process comes naturally to some, but is quite intimidating to others. In this lesson series, Mark explains the songwriting process in a manner that is accessible to everyone. He applies basic music theory concepts and a multitude of practical tips to the writing process.



Lesson 1

Songwriting Basics

Mark Lincoln introduces his songwriting series. He provides a brief overview of some basic songwriting concepts.

Length: 23:16 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Lesson 2

Choosing Chords

Mark discusses chord relationships and chord construction. He also includes basic exercises that will help you compose your own chord progressions.

Length: 11:02 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Lesson 3

I, IV, V Progression

Mark further elaborates on chord relationships within a song. He covers the I, IV, V progression in greater depth and provides a new songwriting exercise.

Length: 17:45 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 4

Song Technique

Mark Lincoln shares several techniques that will help you turn chord progressions into complete songs.

Length: 16:02 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 5

Writing Lyrics and Melody Lines

Mark delves into the realm of writing lyrics. He provides tips for pulling melodies from chords. He also explains how to fit words to a melody.

Length: 19:31 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Lesson 6

Pulling Out The Melody

In this lesson, Mark discusses some of the complexities of melody writing and how to pull it out of the chords you're playing.

Length: 18:57 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 7

Lyrics and Melody

Mark begins a discussion on phrasing, lyrics and melody - essential tools for any songwriter.

Length: 29:48 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 8

Melody and Chords

In lesson 8, Mark delves deeper into how to pull a melody from the chords you are using.

Length: 32:23 Difficulty: 1.5 Members Only
Lesson 9

Octaves and Alternating Currents

Yet again, Mark Lincoln brings clarity to songwriting with an in depth explanation of octaves and alternating currents.

Length: 18:06 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Lesson 10

Deconstruction of Writing Lyrics

In this information packed lesson, Mark dives deep into how to deconstruct the process of writing lyrics from the evolution of decision, deconstruction, metaphor, and perspective. He provides insight into...

Length: 30:43 Difficulty: 3.5 FREE
Lesson 11

Enhancing the Development of Songwriting

In this lesson Mark digs even deeper into the structure of a song.

Length: 24:15 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only

About Mark Lincoln View Full Biography Mark Lincoln was born in S. California but was raised near Portland Oregon in a town called Beaverton. When he was twelve years old, he began his journey into the realm of the creative by composing poetry and was later published in a journal called "In Dappled Sunlight." He wrote for four years until his older sister blessed him with his first guitar, an old beat-up nylon stringed classical guitar. Mark played that guitar for five years, continuing to compose his own lyrics and starting the process of matching his own words with chords that he was learning on the guitar. He learned to play chords from his friends and from music books that he both bought and borrowed. Mark cited his four biggest influences, at that point at least, as The Who, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, The Rolling Stones.

Mark cites his most current influences as Radiohead, U2, older music by REM, and Peter Gabriel amongst others. He performs with two acoustic guitars, one being a six-string M-36 Martin with a three-pieced back for increased bass response, and a Guild Twelve-string which is his most recent acquisition. Mark is fond of saying that the twelve-string guitar is better because you get two guitars for the price of one, but he still plays his Martin equally as much and with the same passion.

Mark ended up in Fort Collins Colorado where he currently lives, works as a Marriage and Family Therapist, and continues to write, teach and perform music. He currently performs with a group called "Black Nelson" as well as with a number of other seasoned professional musicians including his cousin David, a virtuoso lead-guitar player. Mark has performed in many of the smaller venues in Denver and Boulder, as well as some of the larger ones including the Fox Theatre, The Boulder Theatre, Herman's Hideaway, and also at The Soiled Dove where he opened for Jefferson Starship as a soloist. Some of Mark's originals are also available for your listening pleasure on MySpace.

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