[Punklol160]

So I've got the chorus progression:
E E(drop root half step) A Am

but i cant figure out a verse progression to go with it...
Any ideas?

[Neal K]

Punklol160, on 12 October 2011 - 05:02 PM, said:

So I've got the chorus progression:
E E(drop root half step) A Am

So are you saying this: E E/Eb A Am... as in, the second chord is an E with an Eb bass?

If you're in the key of E, you have dozens of chord choices. The obvious ones are A, B, F#m, G#m, C#m.

Usually your melody dictates the chord choices.

Neal

[Punklol160]

Neal K, on 12 October 2011 - 08:41 PM, said:

Punklol160, on 12 October 2011 - 05:02 PM, said:

So I've got the chorus progression:
E E(drop root half step) A Am

So are you saying this: E E/Eb A Am... as in, the second chord is an E with an Eb bass?

If you're in the key of E, you have dozens of chord choices. The obvious ones are A, B, F#m, G#m, C#m.

Usually your melody dictates the chord choices.

Neal

Neal,

Yes. E E/Eb A Am (key of E too) and I know all of the chords in e but i cant seem to find which ones fit well with the chorus.

[Kenneth Bradshaw]

You are probably not playing E/Eb. You are probably playing an inverted G#m. Or you could be playing an EM7, but probably G#m. Going from A to Am would be kind of bluesy. Is that the effect you are going for?

[FunkDaddy]

That chord change feels unresolved to me. Especially going from A to Am. Is that your complete chorus?

[Simple Simon]

Punklol160, on 13 October 2011 - 12:02 PM, said:

So I've got the chorus progression:
E E(drop root half step) A Am

but i cant figure out a verse progression to go with it...
Any ideas?

So what else have you got? Melody? Lyrics? Groove? Concept? Anything? Or are you simply trying to come up with a chord progression that might suggest some of these other elements?

[Neal K]

Usually you find the melody in the chords you choose, or you come up with a melody and then find chords to support it. When you say you can't find chords to "fit the chorus", are you saying that you already have a melody and you just can't find the right chords. If so, it might be helpful to post a sample of you singing the melody acapella.

Neal

[Kenneth Bradshaw]

First, to finish your chorus, I would make the next 2 chords B & B7 resolving back to E. Listen to your bass line. I think you are hearing E D#, C#, C. Then if you add these 2 chords, the bass continues down to B, A and back up to E. That is a more natural progression, unless you have a solid chorus that fits your progression ending at A. Play this suggested bass line along with the chords and I think you will find it fits even though most of the notes are not the root of the chords you are playing.

Once that is done, any I IV V combination will fit a likely verse or reuse the E, G#m, A, Am, B, B7 progression by creating a counter-melody to use on the verse.