three chords
Punk rock's foundation
Three chords refers to the minimal harmonic foundation of much popular music, especially punk, folk, and early rock and roll.
The phrase often appears in discussions of musical simplicity or accessibility: All you need is three chords and the truth.
It suggests that technical complexity matters less than feeling and authenticity—that anyone can pick up a guitar and make real music.
- punkRaw, fast rock genre
- punk rockStripped-down aggressive rock genre
- rockSolid earthen material
- bluesMournful American music genre
- guitarFretted stringed instrument
strumming · progression · riff · simple · stripped down · raw · garage · garage band · beginner · campfire · campfire songs · acoustic · power · song · basic · folk · folk music · country
- Garage Rockgarage rock, fuzz, fuzz guitar, raw sound, lo-fi
three chordssymphony
Extended composition for orchestra
progressive rock · bebop · classical composition · fugue · counterpoint
three chordsvirtuosity
Exceptional technical skill
technical mastery · high art · art for art's sake · classical tradition
three chordsjazz improvisation
Spontaneous musical composition during performance
three, chord, chords, thrice, third, thirds, thirdly, treble, triple