Pop guitar
A pop song on guitar is most often four chords, a steady strum and a melody you want to hum. Below are the chords, scale, techniques and an accompaniment that lets you start playing hundreds of songs.
1950s80–130 BPMC–G–Am–Fstrumming
What is pop
Pop is not one style but songs made for a wide audience: a clear verse-chorus form, a memorable melody and familiar chords. In pop the guitar accompanies the voice more often than it solos.
The main job for a pop guitarist is to change chords confidently and keep a steady strum. Colour comes from sus chords, arpeggios and the difference in volume between verse and chorus.
Signature chords
C, G, Am, F (I, V, vi, IV) runs through a huge number of songs. Learn it and you can play a great many hits, sometimes just with a capo on another fret. Here F is played as an easy four-string shape.
Scale for soloing
The C major pentatonic suits melodies: five notes where it is almost impossible to hit a wrong one. Below it is shown from the 8th fret; the melody on this page is played near the nut using the same notes.
Techniques
The popular strum
Down, down-up, up-down-up. The hand keeps moving down and up in eighth notes and only hits the strings at the right moments. Upstrokes catch just a few top strings. Listen to the accompaniment below.
Csus4
The fourth replaces the third, and the chord pulls back to C. A quick C, Csus4, C brings even a simple strum to life. Tap Csus4 to hear it.
Dynamics
Play the verse softer and sparser, the chorus louder and fuller. Even on the same chords, this contrast makes a song feel alive.
Accompaniment in the pop style
Four bars, one chord per bar, the popular strum. Keep your strumming hand moving through the chord changes: it is better to skip the last stroke of a bar than to break the rhythm.
Pop-style melody
A simple singable melody on the second and first strings: C, D, E, G and back. Play it like a vocal line, softly and smoothly.
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these songs and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- The Beatles - “Let It Be”. A verse on C, G, Am, F: the very progression behind thousands of songs.
- Jason Mraz - “I’m Yours”. A light, bouncy strum over the four chords I, V, vi, IV: a simple part that carries the whole song.
- Oasis - “Wonderwall”. A capo on the 2nd fret and chords with fingers that stay put on the top strings: easy fingering, a full sound.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
What are the four chords in pop songs?
Most often I, V, vi and IV: in C major that is C, G, Am, F; in G major, G, D, Em, C. The order sometimes changes, but the set is the same.
Which strumming pattern should I learn first?
Down, down-up, up-down-up. It fits most pop songs in 4/4. Play it on one chord first, then with chord changes.
How do I change chords faster?
Practise chord pairs slowly with a metronome and never stop the strumming hand. If you run out of time, the last stroke of the bar can be played on open strings.