If you Google “G, C, D Songs” you get 325,000,000 results. Now I don’t know if that has anything to do with how many songs there are out there comprised of just those three chords, but it is probably a reflection of just how many songs are comprised of those chords! If you take that one step further and Google the simple “cowboy chords” like G, C, D, E, A and so on there are countless more using these chords. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.
However, as a songwriter, sometimes you might need a little extra inspiration. You might need to break free from the norm and stretch out a bit. A great way to accomplish that is to experiment with a few other chord variations. You don’t have to deep dive into the world of chord theory in order to come up with a new cool way to tackle the tonality of a G Major for example.
Check out some of the chords we have put together for you. Play around and try and substitute a Cadd9 for a C – or just strum through that cool F#m11 a few times and see if it doesn’t inspire you in a different way. Sometimes when we go beyond simple Major chords we can hear new melodies or envision a different harmonic structure to the song, or become aware of a different chord we can follow up with.
There is certainly a big benefit to really learning and understanding chord building, chord scales, chord substitution, inversions and various voicings. But for now – just grab a few new chords and light a fire under your creativity!
