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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones, off their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, is in the key of C major, and primarily uses the chords C, F, G and Bb. This song showcases the band’s blues rock influences, built on a repetitive, riff-driven chord progression. The use of I, IV, V, and a borrowed bVII (Bb), which is common in the blues, creates an appealing and familiar sound, helping the song resonate with listeners.

The chord progression in the bridge of “Gone, Gone” by Tyler, The Creator can be described as a combination of diatonic and borrowed chords from the parallel minor key. The key of the song is F major, and the progression combines elements of pop, R&B, and jazz, creating a distinctive harmonic sound.

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is a Beatles song composed in the key of D Major. It’s a classic example of Paul McCartney’s knack for catchy pop songwriting. This song showcases McCartney’s affinity for borrowing chords to make his progressions more interesting.

“Dont Let Me Down” by The Beatles is a song that’s heavily grounded in the key of E Major, with some interesting use of borrowed chords for a richer, more emotional harmonic texture. The song is a fine example of The Beatles’ songwriting style, which often involves mixing diatonic chords with chromatic passing chords, borrowed chords, and secondary dominants.

The Rolling Stones – Miss You – Bridge

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Chord Progression

[‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s the listing of the full chord names and their corresponding roman numerals:

“`python
F -> F Major (‘VI’)
Em -> E minor (‘V’)
Dm -> D minor (‘IV’)
F -> F Major (‘VI’)
Em -> E minor (‘V’)
Dm -> D minor (‘IV’)
E -> E Major (‘V’)
E -> E Major (‘V’)
Am -> A minor (‘I’)
Dm -> D minor (‘IV’)
“`

Borrowed chords:

The inclusion of the E Major chord in this progression is a borrowed chord. Here’s the borrowed chord in code block format:

“`python
E -> E Major (‘V’)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The V-IV-I progression in the bridge is common in many rock songs.

1. The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand”:

“`python
G -> G Major (‘V’)
D -> D Major (‘IV’)
C -> C Major (‘I’)
“`

2. Eagles’ “Hotel California”:

“`python
B -> B Minor (‘V’)
F -> F# Major (‘IV’)
A -> A Major (‘I’)
“`

3. Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way”:

“`python
F -> F Major (‘V’)
C -> C Major (‘IV’)
G -> G Major (‘I’)
“`

These all utilise a similar progression, though with different root chords due to different keys.

Musical Analysis

Generally, in the key of A minor, the chord built on E should be a minor chord, i.e., E minor. However, in this chord progression, the song switches to E Major (‘V’), before resolving back to the root Am (‘I’). This gives the song a sense of tension and release, common in many blues songs.

Overall Analysis

“Miss You” by The Rolling Stones is in the key of A minor. The main chord progression in the song is quite consistent — Am, Dm, Am, Am, Dm, Am, Am, Dm — with some variations in the bridge. The song’s chord progression is bluesy in nature, given the usage of minor chords and the parallel movement. In particular, the usage of E, the V chord in A Minor, gives a resolution back to the root chord (Am), which gives the song a sense of tension and release.

Style Analysis

“Miss You” falls under the umbrella of rock and roll with a distinctive bluesy feel. The blues influence comes from the chord progression’s reliance on the minor key and parallel movement used throughout the song. The intro and verse maintain a consistent Am-Dm progression, typical in many blues compositions, which grounds the song in the minor tonality while adding a rhythmic drive. For the bridge, it briefly switches to a VI-V-IV progression, adding variety and interest to the composition before resolving back to the root chord (Am).

Chords in the Bridge section of Miss You by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’]