Chords are the foundation of Western music. Words and melody don't become a song until there's harmony in the mix. That's what makes chordal instruments like guitar or piano such powerful tools for songwriters and composers. A chord progression is when any two or more chords are played in succession. The term often refers to … Continue reading What is a Chord Progression?
Extended harmony takes all the fun of music and ruins it with a bunch of numbers. It's also very important because it reveals the hidden link between chords and scales. But all those numbers don't have to be confusing. Chords are built in thirds (playing every other note in the scale). The most basic chord … Continue reading What Are the Four Chord Extensions?
We've all been there. Using the same chord progressions over and over. I mean, you can only write a song with G, C, and D so many times before people start to notice. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the tried-and-true progressions. Actually, there is a good reason why they're tried and true: … Continue reading How Do You Invent Chord Progressions?
Music can be beautiful regardless of which chords we use or the notes we select for a melody. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But what if there is a chord progression that stands above the rest in terms of beauty when played on the guitar? I have a strong opinion about this … Continue reading What is the Most Beautiful Chord Progression on Guitar?
When I hear aspiring guitar players complain about pain in their wrist and fingers from playing barre chords, I totally get it. I had a lot of dumb ideas about the guitar when I first started playing. I honestly believed that pain was a normal part of being a guitar player. It took more than … Continue reading How Do I Get Better at Barre Chords?
Mike Eiman 