In a great many pop songs the same four chords come round again and again: I – V – vi – IV. In C that’s C – G – Am – F, in G G – D – Em – C. The third chord is minor – it adds a touch of longing to the sound.
CGAmFA calm beat
- Chords: the strumming pattern “down, down, up, up, down, up” fits almost every time. Between the two “ups” your hand swings down without touching the strings.
- Bass: play the root on one and three and let it ring. Later also play it just before three, and on four an in-between note that leads to the next chord – in C for example the B before the C.
Try it with the app’s pop backing track: it plays the four chords round and round, you choose the tempo and key.
Start the Pop backing track