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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Since I’ve Been Loving You” by Led Zeppelin is a slow blues ballad with a rich harmonic palette, featuring expressive guitar solos and a passionate, longing vocal performance. The song is characterized by its use of chromaticism, borrowed chords, and seventh chords, which contribute to its intense, bluesy atmosphere. The chord progression for Verse 2 displays a moody and introspective tone, which serves as the perfect backdrop for the plaintive lyrics and the emotional solos throughout the piece.

“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin is a classic and iconic rock song released in 1971, as part of their fourth studio album, Led Zeppelin IV. The song is considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time, featuring an intricate chord progression, a memorable melody, and folk-inspired acoustic guitar work. The verse you provided is the second verse of the song, which shares a similar, but not identical chord progression to the other verses. The song is in the key of A minor, and the chord progression showcases a mix of diatonic and borrowed chords, along with a couple of chromatic alterations.

“Something” written by George Harrison from The Beatles majorly follows the key of C major and includes a few borrowed chords. There is a usage of secondary dominants and seventh chords which lend a harmonic complexity to the song. During the course of the song, the chords shift from the major scale to the parallel minor scale.

“Can’t Buy Me Love,” a song by The Beatles, exhibits a style that’s emblematic of their earlier work, with a clear, upbeat tonality and an elegant yet straightforward chord progression. The tune is predominantly centred in the key of C major, but it utilizes both major and dominant 7th chords to create tension and resolution, modulating away from the home key. The particular progression you’ve given, ‘C7’, ‘F7’, ‘C’, isn’t rare and demonstrates the Beatles’ precision and understanding of pop and rock music’s creative possibilities.

The provided chord progression is quite simple, with a single chord (F) repeated four times. This type of progression creates a static or stable feel, with no harmonic tension to resolve. This chord progression alone isn’t enough to give a complete musical analysis, as it’s quite minimalistic, and it’s necessary to evaluate the progression in the context of the entire song. However, I can still offer some thoughts on the progression’s possible function, style notes, and similar chord progressions.

Led Zeppelin – Since Ive Been Loving You – Verse 4

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Chord Progression

Cm, Fm, Cm, C7, Fm, Cm, Gm, Ab, Fm, Cm/Eb, G7/D, Cm, Eb7, D7, Dbmaj7, Ab, Fm, Cm/Eb, G7/D, Cm, Eb7, D7, Dbmaj7, Cm

Chord Progression Analysis

Cm (i), Fm (iv), Cm (i), C7 (V7/iv), Fm (iv), Cm (i), Gm (v), Ab (VI), Fm (iv), Cm/Eb (i6), G7/D (V7/v), Cm (i), Eb7 (VI7), D7 (V7/iv), Dbmaj7 (bVIMaj7), Ab (VI), Fm (iv), Cm/Eb (i6), G7/D (/V7/v), Cm (i), Eb7 (VI7), D7 (V7/iv), Dbmaj7 (bVIMaj7), Cm (i)

Borrowed Chords:
`C7 (V7/iv), G7/D (V7/v), Eb7 (VI7), D7 (V7/iv)`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Derek and the Dominos – “Layla”: Dm (i), Bb (VI), C (VII), Dm (i), C (VII), Dm (i), Eb (V7/iv), Dm (i), Bb9 (VI9), A (V7/v), Abmaj7 (bVIMaj7)
2. Pink Floyd – “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”: Gm (i), F (#VII), Gm (i), Cm (iv), Bb (VII), Ebmaj7 (bIIIMaj7), Bb (VII), Gm (i), Fm (iv), A (V7/v), Ab (#iv)

Musical Analysis

The progression begins with Cm and Fm, followed by a borrowed dominant C7 chord, which functions as a secondary dominant that temporarily resolves to Fm. The progression then returns to Cm, and continues with Gm and Ab, adding some modal mixture and creating a sense of ambiguity.

The next section features a Cm/Eb chord, followed by a borrowed dominant G7/D, which functions as a secondary dominant resolving to Cm. The music then moves to Eb7, D7, and Dbmaj7, with the D7 functioning as another borrowed secondary dominant resolving to the Dbmaj7. This creates a smooth chromatic movement.

The progression continues with Ab and Fm chords before repeating a similar pattern with Cm/Eb, G7/D, and Cm. The verse ends with another sequence of Eb7, D7, Dbmaj7, and Cm, featuring the same chromatic movement as before.

Overall Analysis

The chord progression in verse 4 of “Since I’ve Been Loving You” has a striking mix of diatonic chords and chromatic chords that borrow from different modes, creating a unique and expressive progression found in the blues rock style. The progression features a predominantly minor tonality, with some tension points provided by the dominant seventh and major seventh chords.

Style Analysis

This chord progression exhibits influences from blues and rock genres. The use of borrowed chords, secondary dominants, and modal mixture is characteristic of blues music, allowing for more emotional expression. The chromatic movement and the inclusion of major seventh chords reflect the more experimental and progressive tendencies of 1970s-era rock music, particularly in bands like Led Zeppelin that often blended blues and rock elements together.

Chords in the Verse 4 section of Since Ive Been Loving You by Led Zeppelin are:

Cm, Fm, Cm, C7, Fm, Cm, Gm, Ab, Fm, Cm/Eb, G7/D, Cm, Eb7, D7, Dbmaj7, Ab, Fm, Cm/Eb, G7/D, Cm, Eb7, D7, Dbmaj7, Cm