Name this chord progression

Subject: Name this chord progression
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 10:48 AM

C////,A////,D7////,C////,
C////,A////,D7////,G7////,
C////,C7////,F////,D7////,
C////,A////,D7////,C////:

I know there are many sets of words that work with this progression. Can you help me collect some more? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: s&r
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 12:51 PM

Can't think of one Jim. Can think of hundreds with a similar progession using C Am Dm7 G7. The problem here in the first line is that A introduces a C# and D7 introduces an F# then the change back to C is tooo abrupt

Stu

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 02:48 PM

the first line almost works, but the last line definitely doesn't and requires two measures of D7 and two measures of G7 to work i.e

C////,A////,D7//G7//,C////:

the third line also requires the D7 at the end to be either a Fm or a Adim

that said, there is a (very raunchy) blues song which I can recollect which uses this sequence, but for the life of me I cannot remember the title.

as s&r says above, there are hundreds of songs using the C, Am, Dm, G7 sequence

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: Don Firth
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 04:12 PM

C, Am, Dm, G7.   I've always heard that refered to as "the 'Blue Moon' sequence."

"Blue mo-o-o-o-o-on, you saw me standing alone. . . ."

It's surprising how many songe that works with. So many, in fact, that if it seems to be the obvious sequence, you might want to see if you can work out something else that will work.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: Mooh
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 04:36 PM

Right, appears in lots of swing tunes, sometimes with an A7 instead of Am. A cool and relatively easy progression, I/VI/II/V, even as a default progression when you loose your place in the music...LOL.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 09:30 PM

To borrow a line from the two Ronnies:

"Norman. That's my favourite name. I even like girls when they're called Norman".

Well, you did say "NAME this chord progression".

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jan 07 - 10:10 PM

Why did you pick that particular sequence of chords? As Murray points out, it isn't a workable progression, because it needs to move all the way through the circle of fourths to G7 before it resolves to the C--

Above and beyond that, you need a melody to go over the chords before you start thinking about words--

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: M.Ted
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 01:19 PM

If you're looking for songs that feature a C/A7/D7/G7 chord progression--which is what you have, at least with Murray's corrections. Think of Alice's Restaurant, JaDa, Keep on Truckin', and similar folkie type tunes, and a lot of the old time Dixieland or whatever you want to call it jazz stuff--Darktown Strutter's Ball, Hard-Hearted Hannah, A Good Man is Hard to Find, Baby, Won't You Please Come Home--And a lot of older tunes, like "In My Merry Oldsmobile"-

This is one of the standard "Circle of Fourths" chord progressions, which basically means that you jump from the tonic chord(easiest to use is C) to any chord you want, and move back to the Dominant Seventh(which is G7) and then resolve to the Tonic(C). Usually, it is just a short jump-to D7 (C-D7-G7-C) or A7, which we have, or ocassionally E7--(C-E7-A7-D7-C)--of course, the changes are worked out so that they fit into four measure phrases--but you can go anywhere you want--all the way around the circle-though there isn't a lot to be gained by going much farther than the E7--

When you start thinking about what chord progression fits where, you start to become an arranger--and when you are an arranger, it helps to know a bit of music theory--which is what this is--

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: NormanD
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 04:58 PM

Richard Bridge -
I'll gladly share my name with that chord progression. I've been potchkying about with it ever since I read this topic. All I need do is write a song to fit it as I know nothing beyond the chorus or first lines of most of th examples given.

Norman aka C-D7-G7-C

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 07:01 PM

Rules are made to be broken.

If you treat the whole thing as a three line repeated sequence - ie, the fourth line becomes the first line next time through - you get something which is quite effective, if somewhat infuriating, since it refuses to resolve. I suppose after playing it few times you could put in that G7 Murray suggested to allow you to stop.

Sounds a bit jazzier played with E chords, I think.

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 07:15 PM

The song is "Keep On Truckin' Mama" and other blues types similar.

Frank

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: GUEST,Frank Hamilton
Date: 07 Jan 07 - 07:16 PM

Oh yes..."Walk Right In..Sit Right Down, Daddy Let Your Mind Roll On"

Frank

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 11:02 AM

How about: Robert Johnson's They're Red Hot, Washboard Hank's You Can't Tame Wild Women or John Hartford's Hey Babe You Want To Boogie?

Subject: RE: Name this chord progression
From: Janice in NJ
Date: 08 Jan 07 - 01:41 PM

It's much more useful if you put in those G7's as others have suggested, so you get something more like this as the foundation to work from.

C - A7 - D7 - G7 - C

C - A7 - D7 - G7

C - C7 - F - F7

C - A7 - D7 - G7 - C

I say "foundation to work from" because the chords you actually play are going to be more complex that what is written here. For example, the tonic C at any given moment may have an a note added, making it a C6. Also, the A7, D7, and G7 chords at any given moment may be A, D, and G, or A6, D6, and G6. The D7 chord, if played as as a C7 slid up two frets, but with the first string left open as an e note, is really a D9. Most important of all, that F7 at the end of the third line is ripe for many possible substitutions, including F6, D9, and various diminished chords.