Punk Chord Progressions

I need some help writing chord progressions

aren't most of the orignal punk chord progressions
one - four - five progressions?

the basics anyway..something to get you started
-G

Here's 2 chord progressions you see a lot in the music of punk, alt. rock, & metal;

1) take a major bar chord (or power chord)and move it 3 frets up or down the neck (this is the distance of a minor 3rd).....ex. C Eb

2)play a major bar chord off the 6th str., move it to a major bar chord off the 5th str. 1 fret up.(or vice versa)
ex. G to Db (this is known as a tri-tone)

Rock On!!!

Mmmm . . . tri-tones.

That would mean you would have to be playing in locrian or lydian. Yummy . . . :)

Nothin like a good locrian medieval-metal ballad.

You guys bring up a good point, here's how I think of approaching a solo over a tri tone prog;
Think of the root chord and the tri-tone chord as being the same chord. For example, say where in C.

C (ceg) tri-tone F# (f#a#c#)

combine the two chords together and what do you have?
A C7b9#11 chord
Both locrian & lydian will work, but they both leave out the major 3rd, my scale of choice would be a dominant diminished scale; C Db Eb E F# G A A#(Bb) C. I think this scale captures the essence of the chord progression which sounds diminished in nature, not diatonic.

I see what you're saying.

. . . but do you think any punk players are going to have any idea what we're talking about? :)

Proabable not.
But it's fun to take things created by uneducated musicians and try to make sense of them theoretically. Sometimes they play something they makes you go ....hmmm, why didn't I ever think of that.

Originally Posted by: ChristophI see what you're saying.

. . . but do you think any punk players are going to have any idea what we're talking about? :)

Actually yes alot of punks are smart I take music theory and know alot about theory

Originally Posted by: Riley124Actually yes alot of punks are smart I take music theory and know alot about theory

necropost of the decade~unless i'm reading the dates wrong..O.O

Originally Posted by: gutsntosesnecropost of the decade~unless i'm reading the dates wrong..O.O

I don't know what that means but I think we should be more open-minded to visitors and initiates than this in general :) power chord it up, bro.

Just take your power chord, and play like a madman all over the minor scale. minor scale goes 0 2 3 5 7 8 10 12. heck, I just made two or three punk progressions in under 30 seconds, and I'm sure you could do a lot better than some bands out there just by following this simple advice :P but most of all, have fun!

Originally Posted by: MarcusWiesnerI don't know what that means...

Don't worry, that just means that he brought this thread back from the dead (necropost), since the post before him was posted over 10 years ago :D

Personally, I love it when really old threads come to life again!! Shows how long Guitar Tricks has been around for.

I'm new here and was so excited to see the Music Theory section, and then, to see a thread about Punk Rock Chord Progressions :)

I've started to dabble a bit in playing punk, so this is helpful to me. I sometimes like the Barre chords' sound better than the power chords, but it depends on the song, I suppose?

Seems like there is a lot of songs I've played with D, A, Bm, and G, but I'm still new to playing the genre.

Originally Posted by: LisaMarie777I'm new here and was so excited to see the Music Theory section, and then, to see a thread about Punk Rock Chord Progressions :)

I've started to dabble a bit in playing punk, so this is helpful to me. I sometimes like the Barre chords' sound better than the power chords, but it depends on the song, I suppose?

Seems like there is a lot of songs I've played with D, A, Bm, and G, but I'm still new to playing the genre.

Oh yeah, for the necropost, that's cool! ten years ago, that's crazy. seriously the necropost of a decade lol! awesome.

All of those chords are in the E minor scale, sort of. The tradition of playing power chords in punk is a strong one, but they do use bar chords. A common technique used in punk is to play a bar chord and then drop your pointer finger off of the lowest string in a rhythmic fashion. You will hear that this is the main hook technique used throughout Nevermind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols to give it the punk's version of a "groovy" feel.

Now that I think about it and haven't revisited that album in a while, I think now that I am better I will take an afternoon to tab out the whole album sometime soon. Just for practice and fun ;)

- The main strumming pattern of punk is all downstrokes as fast as you can and occasionally change it up slightly by strumming up and down as fast as you can like a madman.

There are some different punk bands out there besides the Sex Pistols and you know, like Green Day and others. This is a great band that I love, NoMeansNo, and I'd like to contribute their music to this thread. They are an influence and if I made strictly punk music I'd try to make it like this. they use more complex rhythms, I'm sure you can learn machine, just try to find the notes on your guitar while listening to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6RP4w1CzD8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e06oPTclIu8
Happy playing

they have tabs for those songs out there in any case, so you could learn them both easily

Originally Posted by: MarcusWiesnerOh yeah, for the necropost, that's cool! ten years ago, that's crazy. seriously the necropost of a decade lol! awesome.

All of those chords are in the E minor scale, sort of. The tradition of playing power chords in punk is a strong one, but they do use bar chords. A common technique used in punk is to play a bar chord and then drop your pointer finger off of the lowest string in a rhythmic fashion. You will hear that this is the main hook technique used throughout Nevermind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols to give it the punk's version of a "groovy" feel.

Now that I think about it and haven't revisited that album in a while, I think now that I am better I will take an afternoon to tab out the whole album sometime soon. Just for practice and fun ;)

- The main strumming pattern of punk is all downstrokes as fast as you can and occasionally change it up slightly by strumming up and down as fast as you can like a madman.

There are some different punk bands out there besides the Sex Pistols and you know, like Green Day and others. This is a great band that I love, NoMeansNo, and I'd like to contribute their music to this thread. They are an influence and if I made strictly punk music I'd try to make it like this. they use more complex rhythms, I'm sure you can learn machine, just try to find the notes on your guitar while listening to it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6RP4w1CzD8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e06oPTclIu8
Happy playing

Marcus, thanks :) I'm still brushing up on my music theory, learning keys of stuff. I used to know that stuff as a kid when I played piano, just have to review :)

That bit about the rhythmic bit with barre chords made me think about another rhythmic technique I've seen, but with power chords using the pinky 2 frets down...like in the song, "New Rose" by the Damned. I think it's used there, but I haven't played that song yet.

Heck yea, I love the Damned! who doesn't, honestly, right? Rat Scabies is a brilliant drummer and they punk rock out so hard XD Now THAT's the album I need to tab out, omg thank you for reminding me!! Neat, neat neat!!!!! (at least five exclamation marks were necessary)

Do you remember that song from Damned Damned Damned that is a Stooges cover, it is called "I feel alright"? Well, it's really easy to play, it is just messing around with E on the low E string and G on the low E string (0 and 3); or, in other words, the first two notes of the minor pentatonic scale. here's a vid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5hV3x-DGDU

Holy crap the Stooges rule my world too. I'm glad this thread is reminding me of my punk rock traditions! I love it! Rock n Roll

Originally Posted by: MarcusWiesnerI don't know what that means but I think we should be more open-minded to visitors and initiates than this in general :) power chord it up, bro.

Just take your power chord, and play like a madman all over the minor scale. minor scale goes 0 2 3 5 7 8 10 12. heck, I just made two or three punk progressions in under 30 seconds, and I'm sure you could do a lot better than some bands out there just by following this simple advice :P but most of all, have fun!

just made a pop beat with that info right there. thnx ALOT!! it went something like 12 - 10 - 8, then the turnaround stayed on 10 until I started the progression again.

I'm a punk rock guitarist myself but on the other hand I also play in my school's Jazz Ensemble so I understand music talk for the most part.

What I usually do when I write music is rapidly strumming barre chords in 4/4 timing. I love 16th notes. I don't use barre chords all the time however, some times I use sevenths. I lot of punk bands have simple chords its just that they are played pretty fast and us punk rockers aren't the best of musicians so we tend the mess up all the time even while recording.

I like to use the note that's half an octave (at least I think this is what I mean) away from the Key note. For an example I love to go F to Bb and G to C.

I'm only a beginner at vocals so I'm not the best but if you want to hear some of my music, go to reverbnation.com/axetheace

remember as I said, I'm a beginner vocalist so no trolling lol.

Interesting thread, it was always a misconception that punks cannot play, Indeed British Punk band the Adverts sung a song called One Chord Wonders, and another band the Nosebleeds (love the names ha. Johnny Foreskin and the Pullbacks, Dan Druff and the Flakes, Wayne Carr and the masturbators ha.) sung a song called 'I aint bin to music school' even though their guitarist Vinnie Reilly was classically trained.
The whole punk scene has produced a vast number of technically accomplished bands and players.
Listen to 'Fall in Love ' early Vibrators with John Ellis
Tracks by 'Television' with Tom Verlaine and Richard LLoyd
or songs by 'The Living End' with guitarist Chris Cheney.
'Under the Floor Again' by the damned with Captain Sensible.
stuff by the LA band called 'X' with guitarist Billy Zoom who incidentally had also played with Gene Vincent.
All this stuff is out there on YouTube.
You could probably include 'Wilko Johnson' with his very unique lead and rythmn style of using his knuckles and thumb.

I have been playing a number of years on and off and to tell the truth if I could play as well as any of the above I would be very happy indeed.

cheers Phil