I've always liked Neil Diamond stuff, but here where he's talking about his favorite album he's done and this one particular song, I'm a bit confused, and even when I listen to the song now, I'm not familiar with it, I don't remember ever hearing it before... But what I'm confused about is why does he say it's a "one chord" song - It sounds to me like there's plenty of chords in the song - but I'm not a musician so I guess I'm just misunderstanding his point.
“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to write a song with just one chord?’...
https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-thought-wouldnt-it-be-great-to-write-a-song-with-just-one-chord-and-in-the-restriction-of-writing-with-one-chord-i-found-a-freedom-that-id-never-found-before-when-neil-diamond-broke-new-ground-with-the-bands-robbie-robertson
“.... And then I reached a point where I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to write a song with just one chord?’ And I did. It’s one of my favourite songs on the album. It’s called Street Life, and it’s only got one chord in it. ... And in the restriction of writing with one chord I found a freedom that I’d never found before, ... I could do anything – anything – in that song. Even when I was writing it, I said, ‘Well, let’s see what would happen if I’d just make one chord change.’ But no, it was wrong. That song had to stay on that one chord to maintain the tension of the whole thing. ..."
There's many songs written with one chord. The Aretha Franklin song "Chain Of Fools" is one of the best one chord songs along with "American Woman" by the Guess Who.
@richpowers A song that is just that. One chord. No chord changes. Song starts and ends on the same key, chord, with no chord changes throughout. No separate verse or chorus. If you were to play it on a guitar for example you would only need one chord.
Chain of fools by Aretha Franklin is one, Baby Don't Go by Sonny and Cher is an example of a two chord song. The Johnny Cash song Folsom Prison Blues needs 3 chords to play.
AC/DC's Highway to Hell needs 3 chords to play. A guitar solo for example is not chords.
I am not familiar with the Neil Diamond song you referred to. I'll look it up.....Yes it's one chord throughout but confusing as other instruments are doing other things on top to vary the chord but the same root chord throughout. More of a jazz thing so it's confusing but based on one chord.
@mark Ok, I guess I thought chords and notes were the same thing. I still don't quite grasp it, but Ok.