Chords

[rick-slo]

Can you think of any commercial song or tune using one chord throughout its length?

[Doug Young]

I thought, no way, so I did a quick search. Not sure I totally agree with what I found, sort of depends on your definition of "chord". But the internet (who can argue with that?) claims that 1-chord songs include The Beat Goes On (Sonny and Cher), Whole Lotta Love (Zep), Tomorrow Never Knows (Beatles), Chain of Fools (Aretha), Dance to the Music (Sly) and quite a few more. Many of the examples are riff-based, so I guess they're one chord if you were to strum a chord over them, but it's not like there's no harmonic movement at all in them. There's even tune by Keith Urban apparently, called the One Chord Song...

[mike o]

Lime in the coconut. Always a crowd favorite.

[BlueStarfish]

Harvey Reid did a novelty song called “Ode to the E Chord” a few years ago. Harvey is pretty far to the “indie” side so definitely not mainstream commercial music. But it’s a fun song.

[egordon99]

Not quite a Top-40 hit, but Lyle Lovett's "She's already made up her mind" is pretty much just the E chord.

[RRuskin]

"Born In The USA"

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Can you think of any commercial song or tune using one chord throughout its length?

I'm guessing a lot of Rap music is no more than one chord...

[rick-slo]

Thanks guys. That's a pretty good list of one chorders.

[PeterM]

99 Year Blues

[ghostnote]

Originally Posted by mike o

Lime in the coconut. Always a crowd favorite.

First one I thought of. And yes, people like it near the end of the night when they are well lubricated.

[Robin, Wales]

I'm not sure about commercial pop songs, but any song sung in the round in any language is usually a one chord song.

And chords them selves are quite a "Western" thing. Lots of folk music around the world is played against drones and without chords. There are a lot of examples in trad Appalachian fiddle music. Chords in Old Time sort of came with the guitar (a late arrival), before that fiddle, dulcimer, banjo just didn't use them.

There are a few examples of chord-less tunes in my signature below.

[The Bard Rocks]

I play several that use only one chord shape. You avoid boredom on the song by moving fingers around while maintaining the general shape. On "Lazrus" which I play in C, my index finger hits the A from time to time, giving me a C6 for variety. On John Hurt's "East Colorado Blues" in G, I may hit the E with the index, more likely I may use the ring finger for a Bb, and then shift to a G7 just before the end of each verse. People who listen but don't look won't guess you are basically fingering one chord. I also do "Oh Death" in D but sound a C note here and there for effect. On this one, I am most often on a resonator in open D, but do also play it as described in standard.

Is stuff like this really playing one chord? That's arguable - but it works for me.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Robin, Wales

And chords them selves are quite a "Western" thing. Lots of folk music around the world is played against drones and without chords.

Exactly! How many chords are there in a raga? Not even one!

(Still, the question was about "any commercial song or tune" which I guess implied something from western pop culture.)

[Rudy4]

There are a few one chord songs within the Cajun/Zydeco repertoire. Those songs were "commercial" hits within that portion of Louisiana culture.

[aK_bAsh7]

[QUOTE=JonPR;7284633]Exactly! How many chords are there in a raga? Not even one!

Ragas put me to sleep, as does most "world/ethnic" music base upon scales or modes. Modal Jazz, on the other hand, I like, although it become monotonous, as well, if solos go on for too long.