Minimalist Rock and Roll

Introduction

Often the songs that are promoted as being great are complicated and can only be played by accomplished musicians but I think it takes genius to create something very simple that can be done by anyone.

Think of a light switch, generally, anyone can flip a switch, flip a switch and in the five minute video I gove examples of this.

I can still barely play a guitar but there are certain songs I would have no hesitation at all playing in front of an audience. You can check out my other attempts on my YouTube channel.

So this is going to be a playlist with my observations on the simple parts of each songs, and the bits I think that YOU could play if you picked up any guitar.

The Coasters - "I'm A Hog For You Baby"

The Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller / Coasters combination produced a lot of great fun rock and roll records, and a minute into this you get the one note guitar solo. If you can make one note sound interesting that is a true stroke of genius.

The Clash - "Tommy Gun" from "Give 'Em Enough Rope"

This one gives you the one note guitar solo after forty seconds though it is more a sequence than a solo, and it recurs throughout the song. I think loads of punk guitarists saw that as a godsend and an inpiration.

One note is fine for a solo if the song is good enough.

Them - "Gloria" from "The Angry Young Them"

This is a Van Morrison song and we featured it at the first gig I played with The Bok. It can be played use the three specified chords, though I couldn't remember the words in my example video.

This is a song that anyone with a new guitar can learn to play very quickly.

The Clash's "White Riot" and the Velvet Underground's "Waiting For The Man" use similar, but more complex structures, and should be on the list for any new band wanting to do some simple but effective covers.

Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers - "Roadrunner"

There's "Roadrunner (Once)" and "Roadrunner (Twice)" which are slightly different, but the two chords emphasise it's relentless beat. This was produced by John Cale.

This is 95% A and D major chords with odd stop and a final finish on an E chord.

This is from 1977 or so, and has not lost an ounce of its brilliance.

Again I forgot the words in my example section.

The Who - "I Can't Explain" from "My Generation"

This uses all three chords, although it has a middle 8 which includes a B chord and sequence variation, but like I have done with many songs that I have played, you can find ways to adapt with the chords that you can play.

Conclusion

These are just examples of the genius it takes to create something simple that all can play, and this gives people the ability to create their own music, because if they can play someone else's song, then they can certainly play their own songs.

There are probably many others that are simple to play, but I will leave you to hunt them down. This was just to demonstrate the beauty of creating something that is simple and easy to use.

I can't play fast or accurately, but I can give these a good stab, and for someone who puts the practice in, these are a fantastic starting point.

Nothing fancy, but brilliant and easy to play.

Thank you so much for joining me in this piece.