Is There a Chord Progression in Songwriting?

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The Beatles had only one song of their 27 number one songs, which was Let It Be. So it's not that you need to use those chords to make a hit. But so you're saying this is more commentary on the music industry than it is on music theory. Correct. And it's just a lesson for young songwriters. Like should they try to march to the beat of their own drummer as it were and do you use a different chord progression? Yeah. I think that people have moved on from that now. Finally, I almost need to make a video about that. Have we seen the end of one four five six and I haven't heard, you know, I'm

There is no human endeavor that does not have a theory of it — a set of ideas about what makes it work and how to do it well. Music is no exception, popular music included — there are reasons why certain keys, chord changes, and rhythmic structures have proven successful over the years. Nobody has done more to help people understand the theoretical underpinnings of popular music than today’s guest, Rick Beato. His YouTube videos dig into how songs work and what makes them great. We talk about music theory and how it contributes to our appreciation of all kinds of music.

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Rick Beato obtained a master’s degree in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory of Music. He is currently a producer and owner of Black Dog Sound Studios in Georgia, as well as host of a popular YouTube channel. He has worked as a session musician, songwriter, and lecturer at Berklee College of Music and elsewhere. He is the author of The Beato Book Interactive as well as other music-training tools.

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