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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones is a song in the key of G Major with a chord progression marked by the use of common chords and a few borrowed chords from other keys. The usage of minor and major chords conjures a variety of emotions synonymous with the mood of the song. The repetitive nature of the sequence creates a cyclical feeling that gives a strong sense of the song’s emotional journey.

“Paint It Black” plays with minor tonality, which isn’t extremely common in rock and roll music of the era. The song is in the key of E minor and uses the chords Em, B, D, G, and A. The verse has an interesting use of harmonies, incorporating the minor i, major V, minor iv, major bIII, and major IV chords.

“Let It Be” by The Beatles is a song in the key of C Major. The chord progression featured in Verse 3 of the song, C – G – Am – Am/G – Fmaj7 – F6 – C – G – F – C/E – Dm7 – C, is a common progression in pop music. It has a repetitive structure and revolves around the I-V-vi-VI progression.

The song constantly oscillates around C#m, which is the presumed root key. Harmonically, the 8-bar verse progression involves the frequent use of borrowed chords, as well as secondary dominants, which are frequently used in the Beatles’ compositions, to provide a colorful and subtle tension.

“Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day is set in the key of E minor, and uses a recurrent sequence of four chords throughout the song: Em, G, D, and A. The prevalence of this progression endows the song with an air of melancholy, aligning with its lyrical themes of loneliness and disillusionment. These four chords create a harmonic loop that reflects the circulative narrative portrayed in the lyrics.

The Rolling Stones – Wild Horses – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

[‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Note the following chord names correspond to the Verse 3 progression.

B minor (iii), G Major (I), B minor (iii), G Major (I), A minor (ii), C Major (IV), D Major (V), G Major (I), D Major (V), B minor (iii), G major (I), B minor (iii), G major (I), A minor (ii), C Major (IV), D Major (V), G Major (I), D Major (V)

This shows a frequently alternating I-iii progression, which then passes to a fairly standard ii-IV-V-I cycle (A minor, C Major, D Major, G Major), with the addition of a V-I at the end that reaffirms the tonality.

In explaining borrowed chords, they are none in this particular progression. A borrowed chord, typically seen in popular music, comes from the parallel minor key. Here, all chords belong to the key of G Major.

Similar Chord Progressions

A number of other artists have used similar chord progressions, including:

– John Lennon’s “Imagine”, which uses a progression that includes the ii-IV-V-I cycle (in the key of C major, this corresponds to Dm, F, G, C)

D minor (ii), F Major (IV), G Major (V), C Major (I)

– The Beatles’ “Let It Be”, which also features a ii-IV-V-I progression (in the key of C major, this corresponds to Dm, F, G, C)

D minor (ii), F Major (IV), G Major (V), C Major (I)

Both of these songs, like “Wild Horses”, combine elements of rock, folk, and blues in their musical style.

Musical Analysis

From a musical perspective, it’s worth noting that the iii chord (Bm) lends an unexpected color to the tonality of the song, giving it a unique character. The ii-IV-V-I cycle creates a sense of forward motion and resolution, with the V-I at the end providing a satisfying sense of returning home.

Overall Analysis

“Wild Horses” is a song by the rock band Rolling Stones from their 1971 album “Sticky Fingers”. It is a great example of the band’s adeptness not only at writing catchy rock songs but also at creating complex and interesting chord progressions. The song is in the key of G major. The verse progression is interesting with the use of the B minor chord (Bm), which is the iii chord in the key of G major – a chord that isn’t commonly used in popular music.

Style Analysis

In terms of style, “Wild Horses” exhibits a clear influence from country and folk music, both in its chord progression and in its instrumentation (acoustic guitars, gentle percussion, and characteristic slide guitar). The use of the iii chord (Bm) also adds a touch of blues influence, which is a cornerstone of the Rolling Stones’ style.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Wild Horses by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’]