Guitar Tutorial: Olivia Rodrigo - bad idea right?
Jul 23, 2024Throughout this tutorial, Mike provides insights for songwriters and guitarists on how to create catchy, melodic riffs and interesting chord progressions inspired by popular songs. This video is a song analysis of Olivia Rodrigo's song "bad idea right?" from her 2023 album "Guts" where Mike breaks down the guitar parts and chord progressions in the song.
Mike starts by demonstrating the main guitar riff, which is a simple but effective pattern played throughout most of the song. He shows how to play it, noting the use of open strings and specific fret positions.
Mike then focuses on the pre-chorus, which has a gnarly progression that he demonstrates, highlighting its distinctive sound and how it works with the melody.
Mike also mentions that he and collaborator Jasmine Valdez were inspired by this song to create their own composition with a similar style. If you've been following along as a songwriting guitarist on our other videos, Mike actively encourages you to be inspired by songs like this and learn from them!
Action Points
1. Practice the melodic main riff from "Bad Idea Right?" to improve your ability to play catchy, repeating patterns that form the backbone of a song.
2. Study and experiment with unconventional chord progressions, like the one in the pre-chorus, to add interesting harmonic elements to your own compositions.
3. Try writing an original song inspired by "Bad Idea Right?", focusing on creating a core central riff that's both simple and melodic, and can work well with vocals throughout different sections of the song.
