How to choose chords for a song?

In order to learn how to select chords for a song, you do not need to have perfect pitch, just a little ability to play something. In this case, it will be a guitar – the most common and most accessible musical instrument. Any song consists of a correctly constructed algorithm that combines verses, chorus and bridge.

First you need to determine in which key the song is written. Most often, the first and last chords are the key of the piece, which can be major or minor. But this is not an axiom and you need to be very careful. In other words, we determine what chord the song will start with.

What chords should I use to harmonize the song?

You need to learn to distinguish triads in one specific key in order to know how to choose chords for a song. There are three types of triads: tonic “T”, subdominant “S” and dominant “D”.

The “T” tonic is the chord (function) that usually ends a piece of music. The “D” dominant is the function that has the sharpest sound among chords. The dominant tends to transition to the tonic. “S” subdominant is a chord that has a softer sound and is less stable compared to the dominant.

How to determine the key of a song?

To find out how to choose chords for a song, first you need to determine its key, and for this you need to know the tonic. The tonic is the most stable note (degree) in a piece. For example, if you stop the song on this note, you will get the impression of completeness of the work (finale, ending).

We select a major and minor chord for this note and play them alternately, humming the melody of the song. We determine by ear which fret (major, minor) the song corresponds to, and select the desired one from the two chords. Now, we know the key of the song and the first chord. It is recommended to study tablature (symbols of musical literacy) for the guitar in order to be able to write down the selected chords on paper.

Chord selection for melody

Let’s say the key of the song you are choosing is Am (A minor). Based on this, while listening to a song, we try to connect the first chord Am with all the major chords of a given key (there can be four of them in A minor – C, E, F and G). We listen to which one fits the melody better and, having chosen, write it down.

Let’s say it’s E (E major). We listen to the song again and determine that the next chord should be a minor scale. Now, substitute all the minor chords of a given key under E (Em, Am or Dm.). Am seems the most suitable. And now we have three chords at our disposal (Am, E, Am.), which are quite enough for a verse of a simple song.

Repeat the same sequence of actions when selecting chords in the chorus of the song. The bridge can be written in a parallel key.

Over time, experience will come and the problematic topic of how to choose chords for a song will become trivial for you. You will know the most common chord sequences and will be able to reduce the time it takes to find the required triad (chord), literally automating this process. When learning, the main thing is not to make thermonuclear physics out of music, and then you won’t see anything complicated in choosing chords for a song.

Listen to good music and watch a cool video: