The Importance of Chord Progressions in All Types of Music
A song is a written musical composition intended to be played by the most prominent part of the body – the voice. A song may be popular or not, but the most well-known songs are those written in the vernacular (ordinary language) of ordinary people. Songs include many forms, including those incorporating variations and the repeating of basic sections. The word’song’ literally means’singing song’,’singing together’ or’singing for others’.
Lyrically, a song expresses feelings, impressions, aspirations, or sometimes even wishes. Most songwriters begin their work with a lyrical theme that centers on an idea that speaks to them. The lyrics form the basis of the rest of the music, and the melody adds to and completes the emotional effect. Songwriting experts and psychologists believe that songwriters explore their emotional states and themes through their emotions – especially those felt during puberty and adolescence, the times when the body forms strong and early attachments. They also believe that the process of songwriting creates a unique brain structure and response that enables a songwriter to evoke powerful emotions in his listeners – emotions that will remain with them for life.
When you listen to a song, you need to focus intently on the beginning and the end of each verse and chorus. In other words, the lyrics are the most important elements of the song. The verses introduce the character of the singer, who is called the main character in a song, while the chorus describes what action or reaction the narrator will have in the next part of the song. Each verse and chorus needs to have a good balance of strong and weak emotion, which is further enhanced by the use of instruments and voices. At the same time, the lyrics must not lose their importance in the overall scheme of the song.
The melody is an important part of any song as well. A song can be lively with great accompaniment, while it can also be sad and subdued with very fine accompaniment. The two need to go hand in hand. A good song writer can convey a mood in the song very quickly and effectively, while the accompaniment will make the song richer and more meaningful. A good example of a sad song with excellent accompaniment is ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’.
Art songs are a special breed of popular music. Unlike popular music, which can be enjoyed by all ages and generations, art songs require some degree of perception and mental attention to understand. For instance, a work of art can be enjoyed by an adult, but it will be extremely difficult to teach an eleven year old to appreciate the beauty of a painting. However, there are certain characteristics that all art songs have in common. All good art songs need good instrumental accompaniment.
All good songs need a clear harmony, and all good instrumental music should have a clear melody. These two aspects of song making are often an important factor in creating any type of song. As we have seen above, the importance of chord progressions is inherent in all songs. In fact, chord progressions are the foundation of all songwriting, and the foundation of all great music. Whether you are writing a love song, or writing a rock song, it is important to remember these two important elements.