# Can you put tunes to these Chords? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 29, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357 "2003-05-29T20:30:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/1 "2003-05-29T20:30:31Z")
I’m trying to think of some tunes with the below chord progressions for students of mine. Commas indicate bars Preferable 4/4 time Close chord progressions are okay too 1. Dmin, Amin, C, G 2. C, Amin, F, G 3. C F, G7 4. Amin, Emin, Amin, Emin 5. G, C, Dmin Are there any webpages that have a good archive of open chord songs for educational purposes? Many thanks ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/2 "2003-05-29T21:32:49Z")
There are tons of songs for all of those. It would be easier if you went by chord numbers to do a search. I can’t remember the link to the tune searcher that’s around. Anyway: 1. i, v, VII, IV (Shady Grove, an old folk song is close and in the key of d dorian) dm, C, dm, C, d m, am, C, dm, C, d. 2. I, vi, IV, V (hundreds of Beatles songs, but I can’t think of one specifically. This is a pretty standard Pop rock/Beatle, Post Beatles progression.) 3. I, IV, V (The most common progression ever, Have you ever heard rock music?) 4. i, v, i, v (or conversely iv, i, iv, i) Flamenco music tends to float around that. Cumbuya (sp) music from Columbia tends to also have this 2 chord structure. I miss playing with the Cumbuya players but it got boring very fast. 5. I, IV, v (mixolydian), or IV, VII, i (dorian), or V, I, ii (Ionian) depending on where you want the tonic to lie. If you go Dorian and add a few chords you have John Barleycorn. If you go Ionian you still have more Beatles songs. This is type to. It is essentially a I, IV, V progression with a ii substituted for the IV. Again, the Beatles did a lot of this simplified structural stuff and from that time on you can get almost anything from there. If you want to find simple music in all of those progressions with the specific chords you have given Gordon Lightfoot only played something like 6 chords (and I think those are the ones). I am not real familiar with his pieces so I can’t give pointers. ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/3 "2003-05-29T23:46:45Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. C F, G7 Most songs by The Cult. (She Sells Sanctuary, Rain, Love Removal Machine…) ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/4 "2003-05-29T23:59:24Z")
The Straight Dope Message Board: For all your homework needs. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/77aa72/32.png) [@Heart\_On\_My\_Sleeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heart_On_My_Sleeve)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/5 "2003-05-30T02:26:17Z")
I like this site: [http://www.jauko.nl/tot/index.htm](http://www.jauko.nl/tot/index.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Treviathan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/838e76/32.png) [@Treviathan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treviathan)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/6 "2003-05-30T02:35:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jpeg Jones \* > \*\*The Straight Dope Message Board: For all your homework needs. > > :rolleyes: \*\* Err, **Quasi** is a guitar _teacher_, thus the “students of mine” phrase in the OP. Really, he’s not trying to get anyone to do his work for him. He’s just hopelessly out of touch with anything cool. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/7 "2003-05-30T03:23:34Z")
**Quasimodal** , I’m also in your same situation. What style of music are you looking for? I’ve got many suggestions I’d be happy to give you. Folk? Rock? Current or “classic”? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/8 "2003-05-30T06:20:08Z")
Dorkus: Yeah, I know all about that roman numeral stuff. I just wanted songs tailored to a those specific progressions. But again I suppose anything you can suggest would be helpful. To Eonwe Any and everything would be helpful. I like to tailor music ideas to the music they already enjoy. So anything you give me might be helpful. JPEG- I’m just trying to create a teaching resource for myself to help my students. I can create a far better resource with other people’s help then I can by myself. Treviathan - I may be out of touch, but I still have hope 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/9 "2003-05-30T06:25:48Z")
Heart on My Sleeve Awesome site. Thank you!😃 ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/10 "2003-05-30T14:26:24Z")
I know the feeling Quasi. What are your qualifications to teach guitar? I can’t believe that your former teachers would have skipped over something so elementary, especially with the I IV V7 progressions. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-put-tunes-to-these-chords/178357/11 "2003-05-30T19:16:54Z")
I understand roman numerals, and I’m pretty good with theory. I’ve had both jazz and classical training (I’ve just completed my third year of music study at the university level) It’s just the method book I’m using to teach presents chord progressions but then uses really old folk melodies as song examples. I want to use current songs that my students may actually want to play. I don’t listen to much old or current pop music anymore (yes I’m out of touch) and hence the questions about tunes to chords.