Melodic Chords in Ramones – Blitzkrieg Bop | Top 100 Songs of all time – Holistic Songwriting

Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at86ueXzPBo

Summary

### Summary
The video discusses „Blitzkrieg Bop“ by The Ramones, a high-energy song with a catchy melody and simple chord progression. It features an iconic riff and a fast rhythm that evokes excitement, energy, and a sense of whatever (indifference). The drumming contributes significantly to the groove and emotions in the song, while the guitar and bass play essentially the same thing throughout.

Highlights

• Melodic Chords: Iconic riff, three instruments playing the same melody
• Interesting Tidbits: Singer’s „Hey Ho, Let’s Go“ chant origin, initially played at 177 BPM
• Three Core Emotions: Excitement, Energy, Indifference (Whatever)
• Drums and Rhythm: Double kick on the three, backbeat on 2 & 4, fast feeling
• Research Sources: Wikipedia

Key Takeaways

• The song has a vibe of indifference and a constant drum groove with natural variations.
• Guitar and bass play essentially the same thing, with guitar playing power chords and bass playing root notes.
• Rhythms are mostly the same for both instruments.
• Main riff has two lines: A line (dad a good to go dad I got it) and B line (dad a good dad I did it).
• Song structure is ABAB.
• Chords are very straightforward, using a major chord in the A section and the same chord in the B section.
• Power chords add energy to the song.
• Syncopation in the second bar of the B line adds power.
• Two pickup phrases before the chorus give rhythmic dominant function, adding energy.

Important Points

• Guitar voicings could have been better chosen for a more connected feel.
• The guitarist plays the riff differently in the live version, giving it an energetic vibe.
• Playing power chords with downstrokes only gives each note more impact and fits the energetic emotion.
• Chord progression in the chorus is straightforward but has disconnected voice leading.
• Undervalued technique of toneless shouting in modern music could be used more often.