Did you know that many popular songs from the last century can be played simply using the same popular guitar chord progressions? That way, even if you’re just a beginner playing guitar, you’ll be able to play a lot of different songs by mastering some popular and easy-to-play guitar chord progressions.
So let’s take a look at one of the most common popular guitar chord progressions in pop and rock music. Most of these progressions rely heavily on G, C, and D chords, so it would be beneficial to fully commit to mastering these individual chords first before beginning to work through these popular guitar chord progressions.
GCGD
The GCGD chord progression is not genre specific. In fact, there are so many songs that you can play on your guitar using a variation of these popular guitar chord progressions. Both Elvis Presley’s 1959 “Hound Dog” and the Beatles’ 1969 “Ballad of John and Yoko” use this progression with virtually the same variations throughout the verses. The Beach Boys’ 1959 “Barbara Ann” and 1958’s “The Twist” do too. Keep in mind, however, that your rhythms will vary, just as some of the bridges may vary slightly. This is true for any of these songs. You’ll still need to listen to a recording of the song before you get the particular beat completely right.
GCGC
The GCGC progression is even easier to master as it only switches back and forth between just two chords. This can be seen used in Manfred Man’s 1963 “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” and Tommy Jones & The Shondells’ 1966 “Mony, Mony”. This is a great example of how two very different songs can share much of the same chord structure while keeping sounds separate. Both songs have become popular covers because they are easy to play and their sounds can be considered timeless.
DCM
The GCD chord progression offers the most sonic variety of the bunch. Its progression can be found in such popular hits as Jerry Lee Lewis’s 1957 “Great Balls of Fire” and The Beatles’ 1960s “Twist and Shout.” It’s even common in more recent songs like Tracy Chapman’s 1996 “Give Me One Reason” or regional favorites like Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba.” It’s a great chord progression to start with because of the variety it offers.
These progressions are just a start in learning the popular guitar chord progressions that have been used in the last century of popular music. Although these definitely represent some of the easiest progressions to learn, they help provide a starting point for further learning.
