Hey Friend,
How'd you like those chord progressions I sent you Thursday? Did they make sense?
When you start getting a basic understanding of how guitar chords fit together, it's as if you've opened a new door to enlightenment.
Okay, I agree, that's maybe a little too woo woo, but you have to admit, when you realize a song you love uses one of these simple patterns for its verse and another short pattern for its chorus, it becomes a little less mysterious.
And after you've played through these progressions and practiced them, when you hear a song, it'll be like a light bulb goes off in your head - "Hey, I've heard that chord progression before!"
Trust me, there's like a bazillion songs (yes, a bazillion) using these basic patterns for classic, hit songs over and over again.
There's something you should know, though. Sometimes a song isn't going to give up its "secret" so easily. Sometimes you have to work for it a little.
The progression may not be as apparent right away. Perhaps the tempo is slower, or there's a way the chords sound like they're walking down a scale. The chords could be spread out over two octaves of the key. There are all sorts of techniques song writers use to give a song an original feel.
These techniques aren't "secrets" per se, but writers have learned there some formulas that work better than others when it comes to making music people love.
The thing to keep in mind is that, while formulas work, there is no hard, fast rule dictating how to write songs.
Music creation is a personal thing that comes out of inspiration.
No one knows when or where inspiration comes from, only that you have to be ready to act on it when it happens. Otherwise, it becomes a passing thought, lost in the frenzy of daily activity.
A good exercise you can try on your own is to start listening to songs critically. Not to criticize, but to begin learning how a song is put together.
Listen to how the melody interacts with the chords. How the underlying chords influence the message in the song.
I found a fun website that has created a database of over 7000 songs. Each song represented has an analysis of a song section, contributed by someone from the website community. Some songs have only chords, while others show melody and harmony (chords) in an interactive format.
It's a little hard to explain, so go check out Hook Theory on your own. Click on the menu items to the upper right of the page to see the songs. Don't get put off by the theoretical aspects - just listen and observe.
If you find a song that sparks your interest, you can always look at the chords listed and substitute with power chords. These will at least get you started as you work on your chops and get more comfortable with full chords.
Easy Power Chords gives you the shortcut you need to play songs today, rather than having to wait until your fingers are strong and flexible enough for the crazy chord contortions our fingers have to go through sometimes. Here's the link to fast chord mastery with Easy Power Chords so you can play songs today.
Peace~
Dave | 
