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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The song “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine utilizes fairly simple, yet effective, chord changes that are quite common in popular music. This progression primarily takes place in the key of G major, but borrows chords from the parallel minor scale and adds extensions to the chords to add depth and color.

The song “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine is in the key of G Major, employing a mixture of major, minor, and additive chords to create a progression that lends itself to a pop/folk atmosphere. The song is largely composed of diatonic chords in the key of G Major, with an occasional use of a B7, which can be seen as a secondary dominant to Em.

The Wind Cries Mary by Jimi Hendrix is a classic rock ballad written in the key of F major, based around a somewhat simple, yet effective, chord progression. There are a few borrowed chords and modulations that add to the harmonic complexity and characteristic guitar work by Hendrix. The song’s structure consists of a verse, followed by a brief pre-chorus, and a chorus before repeating.

“Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer is a rock song, primarily falling within the alternative rock and power pop styles. The chord progression of Verse 1 is simple yet effective in creating a somber, introspective mood. It primarily utilizes diatonic chords of the C major key, with the E major chord borrowed from the parallel minor key (C minor).

Chord progression analysis with Roman numerals:
A minor (vi) – E major (V/vi) – F major (IV) – C major (I)

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Borrowed chord: E major (V/vi)
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“Take Me Home Country Roads” is written in G major. The song is characterized by a strong, consistent beat and a simple, memorable melody which are typical characteristics associated with country and folk music. The progression follows a predictable sequence, also typical of these genres, and contributes to the song’s classic, feel.

Lizzy McAlpine – Ceilings – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The exact chord progression of the Verse 1 is:
[Cadd9, Em, Cadd9, G, D, Cadd9, Em, D, Cadd9, Em, Cadd9, G, D, Cadd9, Em, D, Cadd9]

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Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), Cadd9 (IV), G (I), D (V), Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), D (V),
Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), Cadd9 (IV), G (I), D (V), Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), D (V), Cadd9 (IV)
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Similar Chord Progressions

Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” uses a similar chord progression: [E, C#m, A, B]; this transposes to the key of G as [Em, Bm, G, A], which is very similar to McAlpine’s progression.

Coldplay’s “The Scientist” bears a resemblance in its chord progression as well: [Dm, Bb, F, Fsus2]; this transposes to the key of G as [Em, C, G, Gadd9], which again is quite similar to the progression in question.

Please note that these aren’t identical, but they bear similarities in their movement and tonalities.

Note that “E” in Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” represents Em if it is transposed to G key. Similarly, “Dm” in Coldplay’s “The Scientist” represents Em if it is transposed to G key.

Musical Analysis

This progression, while not entirely standard, borrows largely from popular progressions in contemporary and older pop music, creating a sense of familiarity with a touch of uniqueness.

It starts with Cadd9 and immediately moves to a relative minor chord, Em, before returning to the Cadd9 again. The progression then moves to a V-I perfect cadence, moving from D major to G major, creating a sense of resolution. This pattern (I-IV-V or its variations) is fairly common in many songs.

The Cadd9-Em-D progression is used repeatedly as a motif before the progression closes with the Cadd9. The partial use of the vi-IV-V progression, another very common progression in pop music, results in a compelling journey, as it always feels like it’s in constant motion, and never fully resolved until the end.

Overall Analysis

“Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine, draws its magic from a mix of interesting chord progressions and different rhythms. The use of added notes in several chords (Cadd9, Emadd9) introduces additional color into the mix, creating a rich and thoughtful atmosphere. The tonality of the song is in G Major, despite the liberal use of the Cadd9 in the progression. We’ll use this tonality for the Roman numerals.

Style Analysis

This pattern of chord progression is typical of a pop ballad style song. The added ninth notes add a sense of dreaminess and musical complexity to the piece, as they introduce a level of tension and release within the chords, adding to the ebb and flow of the emotional content in the lyrics and melody.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine are:

[‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’]