Non-musicians think this is a big deal. But anyone playing the guitar a few years will know this and can do it. About 99% of all songs, especially those on the radio, are nothing but 3, 4 chords. Many are just 2. And a few are just one. Good musicians and songwriters, as they develop, would love to add more complex harmonic structure to their songs, but the record companies/producers etc. will not promote them. So mostly you don't hear their more original songs. Check it out. Your ears, your mind is programmed, from birth, to want these same changes slightly rearranged. It's all you've ever heard unless you go back to the jazz/big band era. It's as simple as A,B,C. Or more accurately A,D,E (1,4,5 chords in the key of A). All these megastars are giving you the same patterns over and over and over-ad infinitum. Check out standard jazz songs and their chords and you will see how rich and melodic songs can be.
the guitar playing isn't the impressive part, I just woudn't know how the singing part of the song goes :D, you tell me anys song and my brain says... i think I might have heard that somwhere.... maybe
Yes exactly, been playing for bout 7yrs now properly, before that as a child I played but wasn't very interested until my teens. Music is just a formula to me at this point, I encourage those who are shocked by this video to pick a guitar up and get lost in the music like Ed does here! Once you learn these basics you can do exactly that.
Yeah I used to teach guitar as a buisness in high school didn't pan out because I taught every one the basic open cords and power cords in 2 weeks and I would lose a customer 😅
Ed takes the crowd through an improv version of Uptown Funk. He starts the verse. The crowd is somewhat unsure if he will keep going. Ed leans in and amps up the energy when he hits the pre chorus. The crowd is now sold and literally think they are at a Bruno Mars concert. The amazingly classic build to the chorus continues. The chorus drop is seconds away. Boom. Ed pulls the plug. Savage.
Em7 Cadd9 G D. Plant the ring finger on the 3rd fret on the second string and move around the index and pinky. The note in common is a ringing-out D which anchors the song.
Any musician will know that this isn’t hard. No Matter what key a song is in your no matter what your brain will find a way to put it together and change the melody of what your singing to fit what your playing
Even to a non-musician I think I can explain. Most pop songs are written in a 4/4 time signature (and even those that aren’t are often 2/4 or 3/4) so they’re likely to only use 4 chords. Pop music is designed to be pleasant to listen to so songwriters will usually use chords that sound pleasant to the ear. 4/4 time, pleasant sounding, there you go, 4 chords. The formula is still used because it works.
He was singing The Vengaboys Boom Boom Boom when not ABBA. "When you're alone and you need a friend, someone to make you forget your problems, just come along baby take my hand, I'll be your lover tonight" 😅 he hummed that whole part and still thought it was a different song
Well, yeah, those are the basic chords to a lot of songs...but there is probably more/different chords that might be used throughout later in the song.
Actually the whole point he's making is how easy it is in the pop industry that they all pretty much rip on the same 4 chords over and over again. Many beginner musicians already know this. If you want brilliant musicians just look at Stevie Wonder, any Jazz artist or Ne Obliviscaris or Between the Buried and Me. Those are actual good artists.
They give up the fact that this was (at least partially) scripted here. Dude just coincidentally pulls out the ONE Beatles song that features this chord progression. It's not every pop song, it's just a *super* common series of chords.
Yes, I bet he couldn't play 'Strawberry Fields', or 'I am the walrus', or 'Being for the benefit of Mr. Kite' or even 'Here, there and everywhere' with that simple chord progression! Or dozens of other Beatles songs. Not without ruining them that is.
He was singing The Vengaboys Boom Boom Boom Boom when he was asked to do Beat It and when he realised he was wrong he thought it was Papa Don't Preach 😂
the music is simple and predictable, the lyrics are banal. instead of being horrified at the reveal, those in the video seem to marvel at it. good lord...
any song can be sung in deferent keys even if they truly are in another key. lol. he sings them to his voice tone and key doesnt mean it was writen that way at all.
Yeah,Axis of Awesome was about 10 years ahead of Ed on this one. Most metalheads have known this 20-25 years earlier than that. Most of us got bored with it before high school. Hey, no offense to Ed or pop fans though,I actually like him. Nothing personal.
@@curiositydidntkillme what assumption? Where? What are you talkin about? You saw the hosts reaction to his statement and the audience's reaction to the evidence,when he is able to prove it. This response is not unusual at all most people are shocked when they find out how easy it really is,and how they've been hearing the same progressions over and over. They keep cutting the budget for art and music programs in schools (if they even have one at all) so most people have no idea what in the world it is that they are listening to. I think everybody should watch this clip.
Rhythm and Blues from the 50’s was the I vi IV V turnaround. The same 4 chords (C Am F G in the key of C). Even Jazz is just that progression but with a bunch of 7th, add9, diminished, augmented, and other made-up-on-the-spot modifications of modifications of modifications of those chords.
Nope. "Every Breath you Take" has a bridge that is nothing like the current top 40. Ed Sheeran is a serial copy cat. His intro for "Shape of You" is the same as Tracy Chapman's "Mountain o Things" so he credit some excuse to save his arse@@demejiuk5660
Seen this many times but always pre scripted, he gets confused by Beat It (sings Don't go Wasting Your Emotion) and a few others Ok it may not be a big deal but to know that many songs and throw in the names of the guys who don't follow the rules. A man serious about music.
I’m an intermediate guitar player and I can do this as well. Most if not all popular songs have the easiest chords. A lot are super boring to play because it get repetitive
@@Luna_Belle_Voix read these "bottom to top", meaning the thinnest string (high e) first and the thickest string (low E) last: Em7: 0-3-0-2-2-0 Cadd9: 3-3-0-2-3-x G: 3-3-0-0-2-3 D: 2-3-2-0-x-x
Which is kinda part of his point... he's not saying "look how fuckin good I am, I can play any song in 4 chords" he's explaining how he was able to win a lawsuit over chord progressions.
This video best explains why I don't care for Ed Sheeran's music - he can play any song on the pop charts. A wonderful talent, but only as unique as a cookie amongst a batch of millions of dozens of cookies.
