Pop is the style where a little goes furthest. A large share of chart songs move through four or five chords, often in the same order, and the parts that make a record sound polished (several layered guitars, keyboards, production effects) sit on top of a simple core. Learn that core and a long list of songs opens up at once.
The four-chord loop
Many pop songs loop one progression for most of their length. The best known is I–V–vi–IV: in G major that is G–D–Em–C, in C major C–G–Am–F. Others rotate the same four chords (vi–IV–I–V) or swap one of them. Once the loop is under your fingers in one key, the circle of fifths shows the same four chords in every other key.
On guitar
- Open chords: G, C, D, Em and Am cover a surprising number of songs; F and Bm arrive later as barre chords.
- The capo: it moves the open shapes up the neck, so a song in A♭ or B♭ is played with easy G or A shapes. Most acoustic pop recordings use one.
- Strumming patterns: two or three patterns with steady sixteenth-note motion carry most songs. Muted strums (the fretting hand lifts off just enough to deaden the strings) add the percussive "chuck" heard on many records.
- Electric parts: clean tones with chorus or delay, single-note picking and arpeggios, often on the higher strings above the bass and keyboards.
On piano
Pop piano is usually played from a chord chart rather than sheet music. The left hand plays roots or octaves, the right hand plays triads, and inversions (the same chord with a different note on top) keep the right hand close to one position as the chords change. With that, the four-chord loop becomes a full accompaniment for singing.
Why songs are easier than they sound
A finished pop track can have a dozen instruments in it. The part that makes the song recognizable on one guitar or piano is usually the chord loop and its rhythm. Lessons start there, so a song is playable early and the details (the riff, the intro figure, the keyboard hook) are added once the core sounds right.
How lessons approach pop
Bring the songs you want to play. Bill writes them out in chord charts, tab or notation, starting with the core part, and plays along so you learn to keep the rhythm going against another instrument. The 80/20 guide to learning guitar explains which chords and patterns to learn first, and the same ideas carry over to piano lessons.
Questions
Is pop a good style to start guitar with?
Yes. The songs use open chords, a capo and repeating progressions, which are the first things any guitarist learns, and familiar songs keep practice going.
Can I sing and play pop songs at the same time?
With practice. The strumming pattern has to run on its own first; once it does, the voice goes on top. Starting with songs that keep one pattern throughout makes this easier.
