Doo-wop – Mini Lesson: 033

Helpful Tips

Learn a beautiful melody set against the iconic doo-wop chord progression, also known as the ’50s progression. It earned that name because it was the most popular chord progression of the 1950s, appearing in countless hit songs like “Earth Angel” and “Stand By Me.” The progression is:

I–vi–IV–V

In the key of G, that means you’re playing G major, E minor, C major, and D major.

The melodic line played between the chord changes was inspired by the bass line in “Stand By Me.” It’s something we wanted to add to this piece because it makes it a lot more fun to play than just strumming the progression.

Performance & Free Lesson

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