Rock music, old-time rock and roll, and the music that made America want to jump out of their beds were considering “the best“. No wonder so many of these songs are still in the top ten. When we think about the music from the sixties and seventies, we are thinking about smooth jazz with smooth guitar lines and great vocal harmonies. It was the music of the times that were the precursor to what is known as “rock and roll”, but it was a much earlier genre.
Rock and roll really took shape when America found itself needing something to cheer up, and a lot of the music was about spirituality and feelings. It was easy to learn the chords that went with this kind of music because everyone was singing, and all you had to do was sing along. This made it easy to learn simple songs and easy to learn some of the more difficult tunes.
Some of the most well-known artists, at one time, had been spiritual people too, and their songs were easy to learn. Bob Dylan, who was a very down-to-earth guy, often talked about being a vegetarian and he was a master at creating choruses that were simple yet catchy. He could get anyone to sing his songs because he wrote very simple lyrics that spoke to almost anybody. Many of his songs are still in the top twenty.
The Doors, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and many other wells know bands were also masters of simple, catchy songs that were easy to learn. You could listen to any of their albums and they were able to get you to sing along simply by changing the chords in a barre chord progression. Many people forget how influential these guys actually were. With just their presence, rock and roll changed forever.
Even though there are many artists that have come and gone, the ones that have stayed are the ones that changed it all. Elvis, Cream, and the Stones changed the world with their easy tunes that anyone could sing and dance to. You never had to know what key you were playing in to get the song going. Even if you knew nothing about music before, these guys had you covered.
These days, you have to be pretty specialized in order to be able to sing and play your instruments well. Most of the big bands use professional musicians that have studied music for years. They know all of the old classics as well as new favorites and are able to seamlessly mix and match them. They can tell when someone isn’t singing or playing the right rhythm. When you listen to old music, you realize that many of the rules of music no longer apply. People used to think that if someone could play guitar then they could write a song, but these days it’s quite the contrary.
Many older songs are timeless, and even the newer songs that you hear today have timeless qualities to them. While you will have to do some research to learn how to play a chord, learning to play old songs is not that difficult. The learning process is easy, because the guitar sounds the same as it did back in the 70s, and it’s very easy to learn to play the basics.
Learning how to play old-time rock and roll chords will keep you entertained for hours. You’ll also have something to pass the time during those lonely nights where you feel like sitting down and listening to old music. It’s one of the most relaxing things you can do, whether alone or with friends. Whether you are looking for the next song to sing while driving to work or want to learn how to put together a great song so that you can embarrass yourself at parties, these songs are for you.
Dan is a musician who plays at local bars and perform small concerts with his band. He also writes and produces their own music. He also gives lessons on playing guitar and piano.