If you want to get into songwriting on guitar but you don't have much knowledge of chords or theory, this is a pretty foolproof way in. It works at any level. You can be quite a beginner and put something nice together, and if you're more advanced you can bring in what you already know.
The idea is simple: play a melody on one string while an open string drones underneath it.
Get into drop D ▶ 0:37
For this I'm in drop D tuning. Take your low E string and tune it down two semitones to D. A tuner makes this quick. Now if you strum the three thickest strings open, you get a nice chord.
We're going to play in the key of D major. You don't have to, and if you know some theory you can try other keys or even modes, but I think this sounds particularly nice in a major key.
Melody on the A string over the low D ▶ 1:08
Hit the open low D string and play a melody on the A string at the same time. You get a bass tone humming underneath your tune.
The 5th fret on the A string is D, the same note as the open low string, so that's a strong place to start. Going up from the open string, the notes that work are:
G|----------------------------| D|----------------------------| A|-0--2--4--5--7--9--12-------| D|-0--0--0--0--0--0--0--------|
The 12th fret is a good place to stop while you're practising the idea. Move a melody around those notes and hit the low string underneath. You don't have to hit the low string every time, either. Try hitting it once and then bringing your melody in. It's a nice, mellow sound.
Flip it: bass notes under an open A ▶ 3:08
If you don't want to be stuck with that one sound, invert it. Find the notes that work on the low D string and let the open A string ring above them. You'll need to arch your fingers quite a bit so the A string isn't muted.
G|----------------------------------| D|----------------------------------| A|-0--0--0--0--0--0--0---0----------| D|-0--2--4--5--7--9--11--12---------|
Now combine them. Play a melody on the A string, then move it to the low string. It gets a bit more interesting and you can start building a riff out of it.
Add octaves for more melody ▶ 4:09
For a bit more melodic definition, play the melody as octaves. From the 5th fret on the A string, go up two frets and over two strings to the 7th fret on the G string. That's D in two octaves. Add the low D underneath and you've got that higher pitch on top.
Move the shape around, so 7 and 9, or 9 and 11, still with the low string droning. If you know Everlong by Foo Fighters, that's the fundamental idea behind it.
Here's the fun part. The D string sits between the two notes of that octave shape, and it's the same note as the low string. So if you keep your fingers off it, you can let it ring as well. Now you've got two open Ds droning around the note under your first finger, and as you move the shape it gets quite dissonant and interesting. Try the shape at the 2nd and 4th frets, 7th and 9th, and 12th and 14th.
You can do the same thing with the bass note, and it's actually a little easier. Hold a fret on the low D string, hold the same fret on the D string for the octave, and let the open A ring between them.
Simple power chords with one finger ▶ 6:15
If you want some simple, blocky chords, drop D lets you just barre your first finger across the three thickest strings. All the frets that worked on the low string work as these one-finger power chords: open, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12.
D|-0--2--4--5--7--9--11--12--| A|-0--2--4--5--7--9--11--12--| D|-0--2--4--5--7--9--11--12--|
Technically not every one of those is in key, but for songwriting you can get away with using them all, and it sounds okay.
Add distortion for a heavier section ▶ 7:01
So far it's quite mellow, almost folky. You don't have to keep it that way. Kick on some distortion and that dissonance gets an extra bit of crunch. That extra aggression goes a really long way. You could have a quiet verse and then hit the distortion for the big chorus.
Try it fingerstyle ▶ 7:24
Another option is fingerstyle. Use your thumb on the low string and a finger on the A string for the melody.
A pattern I really like is a little polyrhythm. Pluck the thumb and first finger together, then go thumb, finger, thumb. So: together, thumb, finger, thumb, and repeat. Or flip it: together, finger, thumb, finger. Then move it around the notes from earlier.
Grab the low D and the A string, find a few notes you like, and see what comes out. It shouldn't take long to get something you like the sound of. Write it down in the Tab Creator before you forget it, then have a go at adding octaves or a distorted section.
