I, IV, V Progression Guitar Lesson

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.

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