I often get stuck using the same chord progressions when I’m trying to write new songs — they’re comfortable, they’re easy, my ear likes them, so I turn to them almost unconsciously.
That’s why I often try to switch things up by taking a look at chord progressions used in other songs, often hit songs that lots of people know. Many top artists often use simple, three or four-chord progressions that are used in a wide variety of songs, so as long as your melody and lyric are completely different, you’re good to go! It can be a great way to explore progressions you might not have thought of on your own.
The great thing is that the days of having to rely on sheet music are gone. I was recently chatting with my friends Jon Sobel and Elisa Peimer, who recall going into sheet music stores and surreptitiously jotting down chords from songbooks so they wouldn’t have to buy the whole thing. Today, of course, many sites offer free chord progressions online so you can almost always find what you need.
For instance, Alison Krauss is one of my favorite artists. If I use the keywords “Alison Krauss” and “chords” in Google, I come up with sites such as www.ultimate-guitar.com, www.cowboylyrics.com, and www.azchords.com which have lots of her songs and the chords that accompany them.
If I look up one of my favorite Alison Krauss songs, Stay, I find that she uses a super-simple progression for the chorus:
D A G D G
There is a way to make you stay
D Em A
Darlin’ don’t turn away
D A G D G
Don’t doubt your heart and keep us apart
D F G
I’m right where you are
D
Stay
