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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis, a popular rock ballad, is characterized by its melancholic chord progressions. Its key is major, specifically C Major, but it involves a frequent use of borrowed chords for a touch of bitterness, matching the poignant lyrics.

“Wonderwall” by Oasis is in the key of G major and features an effective and memorable chord progression that repeats throughout the song. The progression falls into the indie rock and Britpop genres, highlighting simple, strong harmonies, and incorporates a repeated sequence of Em–G-D–A7sus4 throughout its composition with occasional deviations.

The piece “3’s and 7’s” by Queens of The Stone Age illustrates a fascinating blend of minor and major tonality, accented dissonances, and unexpected harmonic turns, which is characteristic of the band’s stoner rock and alternative metal style. The verse 2 chord progression is in A# minor and it sticks to a fairly repetitive three-chord progression of A#m – G# – F.

“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane is a pop/rock song written in the key of A Major, although the chord progression given seems to be transposed to the key of C Major. It is characterized by its use of repeated motifs and sequenced chord progressions to create a sense of familiarity and typical of the pop genre.

“Just The Two Of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. is a soulful song with a distinct R&B and smooth jazz style. The song is in the key of E minor during the verses, but frequently borrows chords from the parallel major, E major, delivering a rich harmony that is both pleasing and surprising to the ear.

Oasis – Dont Look Back In Anger – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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These are the chords and their roman numerals per your request, please manage that all chords listed are triads (three notes) unless indicated otherwise (like the E7 which has four notes):

“`
C (I),
G (V),
Am (vi),
E7 (V7/vi), *borrowed chord,
F (IV),
G (V),
C (I),
Am (vi),
G (V),
C (I),
G (V),
Am (vi),
E7 (V7/vi), *borrowed chord,
F (IV),
G (V),
C (I),
Am (vi),
G (V)
“`
The E7 in this context is a secondary dominant – it is the V7 of the vi chord, Am. It provides a strong pull towards the Am chord and gives the progression a bit of tension and release. In other words, we “borrow” the V7 from the key of A minor.

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Similar Chord Progressions

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The aforementioned Andalusian cadence is a ubiquitous chord progression found in multiple genres and songs. As such, here are a few songs with

Musical Analysis

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This progression shows a mix of tonic (I and vi), subdominant (IV), and dominant (V) harmonies, providing a rich harmonic variety within a major tonal center. The composition also uses secondary dominants (V7/vi) which adds a bit of harmonic tension that is then resolved – known as a tonicization – giving the progression an interesting twist.

The particular progression C-G-Am-E7 is also called the Andalusian Cadence, a progression used frequently in both popular and classical music from several cultural traditions, including Flamenco.

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Overall Analysis

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“Don’t Look Back In Anger” uses simple yet effective chord progressions common in pop/rock music. It incorporates both major and minor chords, showing some classic pop sensibilities. The song is situated in the key of C Major. Embedded within this progression are instances of borrowed chords – the E7 for instance, is a secondary dominant, often used to inject a bit of tension and to give strong resolution leading into the next chord.

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Style Analysis

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Oasis popularized the Britpop genre in the late 90s and early 2000s, which fused British pop and rock music. The chord progression found in “Don’t Look Back In Anger” is emblematic of their style – harmony rich, and reminiscent of the Beatles.

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Chords in the Verse 2 section of Dont Look Back In Anger by Oasis are:

[‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’]