100's of hit songs with the same 5 chords...

[Fidgits]

There is some Australian group that do a really cool song about how they have 100's of hit songs with the same 5 chords... but i cant remember their name.

can anyone help?

[jammiedodger26]

Me thinks you refer to the Axis of Awesome?

[tank slapper]

Axis of Awesome: 4 chords song

[Evangelion]

They missed one out!

Pachelbel's Canon - although it actually has another four chords tacked onto the end of these.

[tank slapper]

Pachelbel's canon doesn't use the same chord progression. Those songs are all I V VI IV. Pachelbel's canon is I V VI III IV I IV V.

[elster]

They do keep adding to the song though.

[Evangelion]

tank slapper said:

Pachelbel's canon doesn't use the same chord progression. Those songs are all I V VI IV. Pachelbel's canon is I V VI III IV I IV V.

You're right, I stand corrected.

[anonymous-user]

That's pretty good actually, I'd never noticed before.

[ShadownINja]

What's all this I V VI IV stuff??

[SeeFive]

was it Status Quo?

Oh no, that's 3 chords.

[tank slapper]

ShadownINja said:

What's all this I V VI IV stuff??

It's a basic form of notation for chords, which doesn't rely on you knowing the key the piece is written in. The figures are roman numerals.

If you are not a musician read on:

A scale is made up of 7 different notes, and to put it simply the numbers refer to which note, where I is the lowest, the chord is based on.

For the video, if the key is C major, (the notes of which are C D E F G A B C) the chords would be C major, G major, A minor, and F major.

For Pachelbel's Canon (which is in D major with the notes of the scale as D E Fsharp G A B Csharp D), the chords are D major, A major, B minor, Fsharp minor, G major, D major, G major, A major.

[thehawk]

AC/DC?

[ShadownINja]

tank slapper said:

ShadownINja said:

What's all this I V VI IV stuff??

It's a basic form of notation for chords, which doesn't rely on you knowing the key the piece is written in. The figures are roman numerals.

If you are not a musician read on:

A scale is made up of 7 different notes, and to put it simply the numbers refer to which note, where I is the lowest, the chord is based on.

For the video, if the key is C major, (the notes of which are C D E F G A B C) the chords would be C major, G major, A minor, and F major.

For Pachelbel's Canon (which is in D major with the notes of the scale as D E Fsharp G A B Csharp D), the chords are D major, A major, B minor, Fsharp minor, G major, D major, G major, A major.

Thanks for the explanation. I play classical piano but have never come across the use of roman numerals to denote the key.

[GetCarter]

ShadownINja said:

Thanks for the explanation. I play classical piano but have never come across the use of roman numerals to denote the key.

Well it doesn't actually denote key, it denotes progressions from any given key. I learnt all the jazz standards like that (and had a book full of them written that way) so if for instance, a sax player joined in and wanted to play something I couldn't remember by heart, I could read the roman numerals and it mattered not what key they wanted to do it in. If I'd had a tune written in Eb and a singer wanted to sing it in B, it would have been a nightmare to read! Roman numerals make it a piece of pi55

Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 29th September 09:33

[esselte]

tank slapper said:

A scale is made up of 7 different notes, and to put it simply the numbers refer to which note, where I is the lowest, the chord is based on.

For the video, if the key is C major, (the notes of which are C D E F G A B C) the chords would be C major, G major, A minor, and F major.

I can see most of this but where does the A minor come into it?

[thehawk]

esselte said:

tank slapper said:

A scale is made up of 7 different notes, and to put it simply the numbers refer to which note, where I is the lowest, the chord is based on.

For the video, if the key is C major, (the notes of which are C D E F G A B C) the chords would be C major, G major, A minor, and F major.

I can see most of this but where does the A minor come into it?

No C# in the key of C major.

[esselte]

thehawk said:

esselte said:

tank slapper said:

A scale is made up of 7 different notes, and to put it simply the numbers refer to which note, where I is the lowest, the chord is based on.

For the video, if the key is C major, (the notes of which are C D E F G A B C) the chords would be C major, G major, A minor, and F major.

I can see most of this but where does the A minor come into it?

No C# in the key of C major.

Sorry,I know I'm a bit on the slow side today but that doesn't help
I understand the numbering of the notes ie I=C V=G etc but can't see why we get an A minor.. (can play guitar but my theory isn't awfully good )

[russell_ram]

It's easiest to just accept that the Chord progression associated with any key goes: major chord, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. So for the key of C the associated chord progression is C(major), Dminor, Eminor, F, G, Amin, Bdim.

Ever noticed how all those songs you play in the key of G have Em (and Am and Bm) in them? Thats because in the key of G the Chords are G, Am, Bm, C, D, Em. eg Whiskey In the Jar, Brown Eyed girl and a million others - which kind of brings you back to the OPs point - when you only (simplistically) have 7 chords in any key to chose from ALOT of songs are going to end up with the same progressions.

Edited by russell_ram on Wednesday 30th September 12:36

[esselte]

russell_ram said:

It's easiest to just accept that the Chord progression associated with any key goes: major chord, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished. So for the key of C the associated chord progression is C(major), Dminor, Eminor, F, G, Amin, Bdim.

Right,that's clearer,cheers.

[GetCarter]

Arhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Different things all over the place!

No wonder people get confused!