re: 40 songs everyone has heard, The same 4 chords, the same progression.

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All you have to do is sit by the radio with a guitar and you will be amazed at how many songs you "already know". And if you change the order of the four chords, say G-Em-C-D instead of G-D-Em-C, you increase your repertoire tenfold.

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Yup... a capo, and G D Em C, with an F and Am thrown in there, and you know hundreds of songs.

If I want to learn a new song by ear, I'll find the bass note on the low E, then pick the high E and B strings to find notes that match. If those notes are on the 7th fret, I'll capo 4 and 95% of the time, it's in the G D Em C family. I'll transpose it to different keys from there.

I was strumming last night and figured out about 10 songs with my capo and finding the G chord.