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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The chord progression of “Beast Of Burden” by The Rolling Stones from verse 3 appears to be a standard pop/rock progression with a bit of melodic flavor. It features the chords of E major, B major, C# minor, and A major.

The song is in the key of E Major as that’s the chord the progression starts and ends with, and most of the chords are from the E major scale. There are no borrowed chords, and the progression is repetitive, maintaining a loop throughout most of the song.

Let’s move on to the detailed chord progression analysis, chord names, and their roman numerals.

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“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones is built around major tonality and uses direct and simple progressions. It also features what are known as additive chords (Gadd9) – chords to which notes are added beyond the common triad. The song commences in the key of G Major, indicated by the G, Gadd9, and C chords. These chords progress in an almost continual cyclical pattern across the verses. Here, the dominant chord (D) in the key of G Major is absent, which grants a tonal ambiguity to the song. Interestingly, the song takes a departure into a different key later on which will not be included in this analysis as it pertains to the Verse only.

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The chorus of Weezer’s song “Say It Ain’t So” can be analyzed as a simple and memorable chord progression in the key of C major. The progression features a repeating pattern of four chords: Am, E, F, and C.

The chord progression in the chorus of “Lost Cause” by Beck showcases a simple yet effective pattern utilizing major chords and a dominant seventh chord, which creates tension and resolution throughout the progression. The song is in C major, and the chords predominantly follow the diatonic harmony of the key. The style is reminiscent of folk and alternative rock, with the harmony playing a significant role in evoking a sense of melancholy in the listener.

The modality of the song “Yet Again” by Grizzly Bear is primarily in A minor, which makes it a piece in the minor modality. This song uses several traditional progression elements, but intermixes them with unexpected changes, especially the shift from E minor to F major, and the chromatic shift from G major to B flat major.

The Rolling Stones – Beast Of Burden – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘B’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The chorus sequence [A, E/G#, A, E/G#, B] comes out as follows:

“`
A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), B Major (‘V’)
“`

In context of E major, A Major is the IV, E Major is the I, and B Major is the V. The E/G# denotes an inversion, which means the G# (the 3rd of the E Major chord) is in the bass.

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, with the progression:

“`
D Major (‘IV’), A Major/E (‘I’), D Major (‘IV’), A Major/E (‘I’), E Major (‘V’)
“`

2. “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey, notably the chorus, with the progression:

“`
A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), A Major (‘IV’), E Major/G# (‘I’), B Major (‘V’)
“`
These songs share similar progressions to “Beast of Burden”, employing the IV-I movement and utilizing inverted chords to create melodically interesting baselines.

Musical Analysis

In this progression, The Rolling Stones use an interesting combination of major, minor, and inverted chords to lend an unsettled yet still grounded feel to the song. The E/G# inversions serve as a passing tone, smoothing the transition between the A and B chords.

Overall Analysis

“Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones uses a common rock arrangement with a focus on the V, I, and vi chords. The distinguishing factor for this particular progression is its consistent use of inverted chords to create more linear, and stepwise, bass lines.

Style Analysis

The Rolling Stones often favor blues-influenced progressions, but “Beast of Burden” deviates from this slightly by interspersing more pop-esque IV-I movements. Still, the band’s rock ‘n’ roll roots declare themselves in the climactic shift from I to V, providing a punchy resolve.

Chords in the Chorus section of Beast Of Burden by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘B’]