What are some good songs for learning chord progressions?

[duo8675309]

My instructor is trying to teach me to read chord progressions and play the arpeggios to them, but I find it incredibly difficult to practice them at home because the songs he gives me I've never head of. Maybe I'm just being a pansy about it, but it's really hard for me to understand what the song is trying to do musically when all I have to go on is the chord chart and my bassline.

Basically, what are some good songs that I can download or buy or what have you that have a good solid chord progression that I can work on? I've been playing bass for 4 years, and I can sit down and learn the bassline for pretty much anything that isn't ungodly crazy, but when you put some sheet music in front of me I go back to day one. I'm currently just learning to walk up the scale and occasionally walk down the scale. Not walking from chord to chord, mind you. Just the root, third, fifth, and seventh. Really embarrassingly basic stuff, I know. Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Mo' Bass 00]

My instructor recommended John Coltrane's Jazz Bass Play along book, it came with a CD and is great for that purpose and a ton of fun, highly recommend it!

[MarkTAW]

Just google any song you like and the word "chords" and you should find someone's version of that song. For example, (song choice inspired by the episode of The Simpsons I just saw).

Abba – Waterloo

intro: D x4

D          E/D        A/C#   G/B    A
My, my, at Waterloo Napoleon did surrender 
   D         E/D           A/C# G/B   D/A     A       Bm
Oh yeah, and I have met my destiny in quite a similar way 

The history book on the shelf 
A  E/G#               A    G  D/F# A/E
Is always repeating itself 


D                              G
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war 
A                                  D         A A
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more 
D                               G
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to 
A                                D         
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you 
A                            D         D D D D
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo 


    D      E/D              A/C#     G/B      A
My, my, I tried to hold you back but you were stronger 
   D         E/D             A/C# G/B       D/A    A      Bm
Oh yeah, and now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight 

And how could I ever refuse 
A E/G#                   A    G  D/F# A/E
I feel like I win when I lose 


D                              G
Waterloo - I was defeated, you won the war 
A                                  D            A A
Waterloo - Promise to love you for ever more 
D                               G
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to 
A                                D         
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you 
A                            D         D D D D
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo 

C#m Bm
So  how could I ever refuse 
A/B E                      A    G  D/F# A/E
I   feel like I win when I lose 


D                               G
Waterloo - Couldn't escape if I wanted to 
A                                D
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you 
A                            D         
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo 
A                                D         
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you 
A                            D         
Waterloo - Finally facing my Waterloo 
A                                D         
Waterloo - Knowing my fate is to be with you

repeat end and fade out

-------------------------------------
| Tabbed by Eduard Möllenkamp, 2003 |
\___________________________________/

[Rota]

My bass teacher and I would always work on Beatles songs when we were going over identifying chord progressions. Their music is great for that, it's very simple, and leaves a lot of room for some great bass lines like McCartney laid down.

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by duo8675309

My instructor is trying to teach me to read chord progressions and play the arpeggios to them, but I find it incredibly difficult to practice them at home because the songs he gives me I've never head of. Maybe I'm just being a pansy about it, but it's really hard for me to understand what the song is trying to do musically when all I have to go on is the chord chart and my bassline.

Hah! Pansy.

You should ask your teach why he is having you work on a specific song or chord progression. Ask him what is unique about that song. Why are we working on Giant Steps? What is unique about All of the Things You Are? How is a Charlie Parker blues different than a Chicago style blues?

Don't be afraid to ask your teacher why. That's why you are there is to find out why. Now if he can't explain it to you and is just assigning stuff for the heck of it it's time to find a new teacher.

[duo8675309]

Originally Posted by onlyclave

Hah! Pansy.

You should ask your teach why he is having you work on a specific song or chord progression. Ask him what is unique about that song. Why are we working on Giant Steps? What is unique about All of the Things You Are? How is a Charlie Parker blues different than a Chicago style blues?

Don't be afraid to ask your teacher why. That's why you are there is to find out why. Now if he can't explain it to you and is just assigning stuff for the heck of it it's time to find a new teacher.

I asked him. He said that right now he is trying to get me to where I can come in and sit down with other musicians, be handed a sheet of music that I've never heard of, and survive through the song. Then he told me to bring in some songs that I liked so we could work on them. He knows my technique is good so I'm assuming he meant bring in some songs with a good solid chord progression. Which is why I came here!

I've been doing what MarkTAW suggested for a good bit today, and that's been extremely helpful. I'm just going to find a song in my winamp library I like and bring that in. Thank you, all!

[onlyclave]

Originally Posted by duo8675309

I asked him. He said that right now he is trying to get me to where I can come in and sit down with other musicians, be handed a sheet of music that I've never heard of, and survive through the song. Then he told me to bring in some songs that I liked so we could work on them. He knows my technique is good so I'm assuming he meant bring in some songs with a good solid chord progression. Which is why I came here!

I've been doing what MarkTAW suggested for a good bit today, and that's been extremely helpful. I'm just going to find a song in my winamp library I like and bring that in. Thank you, all!

So really what you need is a fake book and you can practice reading changes. The New Real Book is widely available in C, Bb and Eb versions and has hundreds of melodies and their chord changes written out in an easy to read fashion.

If that is his goal then that book will do the trick. Once you start playing through those tunes then you can start breaking down and analyzing the chord progressions and see how they work.

So to answer the original question "What songs are good for learning chord progressions" the answer is any of them.

[hublocker]

I had some of the early Aebersold books and records to play along with. Lots of fun playing all kinds of things. One good one was the basic jazz blues progression in all keys. the records came so that you could select one side or the other to turn off the bass and be the bassist. There were some jazz standard songs too I still don't know what are supposed to sound like, but I made up bass lines from the chord charts.



http://www.aebersold.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc

[LowDown Hal]

I am currently working on developing the same skill. I work on this in three ways.


- I'll use whatever my "reading assignment" is for the week and improv my own Bass Line over those chord changes.
- I bought the Real Book
- I made a simple IV-v-I chord chart for all keys and use it as the basis for inversions

This gives me a few options so when I go to work on this skill I can mix it up a little bit.

[Deacon_Blues]

Street Life - Randy Crawford with The Crusaders
Overjoyed - Stevie Wonder
Peg - Steely Dan
Michelle - The Beatles
After the love has gone - Earth, Wind and Fire
Room 335 - Larry Carlton

There's a few suggestions.

[on1ne]

I'd go +1 on using Beatles tunes, assuming you know their music or have at least heard most of the tunes before (who hasn't?). Wonderful learning tools.

They are great for this sort of thing because most of them don't follow the typical 3 chord 1-4-5 blues progressions of rock and roll. They are songs you know and your ear will help guide you but there's plenty to learn. They are fun tunes to play. Many of them have become standards which means they may show up being played in other formats like jazz or latin styles. So knowing the progressions they use can come in handy.