Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

Elton John’s melody for “Your Song” is an elegant example of varied harmonization and creative chord usage. The verse chord progression is in the key of D Major, but employs the use of borrowed chords and modulation for enhancing musical flavour and interest.

**

“Im Still Standing” by Elton John is a classic rock/pop song composed in E Major. You can see that this is a complex composition with frequent chord changes, giving it a rich musical texture. The chord progression is not diatonic, which means that it includes chords from outside of its home key of E Major.

**

The provided chord progression is quite simple, with a single chord (F) repeated four times. This type of progression creates a static or stable feel, with no harmonic tension to resolve. This chord progression alone isn’t enough to give a complete musical analysis, as it’s quite minimalistic, and it’s necessary to evaluate the progression in the context of the entire song. However, I can still offer some thoughts on the progression’s possible function, style notes, and similar chord progressions.

The song “Penny Lane” written by the Beatles is in the key of A major. The structure of Verse 4, specifically, has a very effective use of both diatonic (belonging naturally to the key) and borrowed chords (taken from a different key or mode). They have incorporated secondary dominants, pivot modulation, and modal interchange which reflect their knowledge of musical theory and compositional skills.

“Can’t Buy Me Love,” a song by The Beatles, exhibits a style that’s emblematic of their earlier work, with a clear, upbeat tonality and an elegant yet straightforward chord progression. The tune is predominantly centred in the key of C major, but it utilizes both major and dominant 7th chords to create tension and resolution, modulating away from the home key. The particular progression you’ve given, ‘C7’, ‘F7’, ‘C’, isn’t rare and demonstrates the Beatles’ precision and understanding of pop and rock music’s creative possibilities.

Elton John – Your Song – Verse 4

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘D’, ‘Gmaj7’, ‘A/C#’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bmadd11/A’, ‘Bmadd11/G#’, ‘G’, ‘D/A’, ‘A’, ‘Asus2’, ‘F#’, ‘Bm’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus4’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus2’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Chord list for Verse 4:

`1. D (I)
2. Gmaj7 (IVmaj7)
3. A/C# (V6)
4. F#m (iii)
5. Bm (vi)
6. Bmadd11/A (viadd11 with first inversion)
7. Bmadd11/G# (viadd11 with first inversion/borrowed)
8. G (IV)
9. D/A (I6)
10. A (V)
11. Asus2 (Vadd2)
12. F# (III/borrowed)
13. Bm (vi)
14. D (I)
15. Em (ii)
16. G (IV)
17. D (I)
18. Dsus4 (Isus4)
19. D (I)
20. Dsus2 (Isus2)`

The first interesting observation from this progression is the use of inverted dominant (V6 – A/C#) and tonic chords (I6 – D/A). This creates a sense of melodic bass line harmonizing with the rest of the harmony and melody, a trait possibly influenced by the composer’s deep grounding in piano playing.

Moreover, several major III chords (III – F#) are borrowed from the parallel minor key (D minor), adding expressive tension and intensity to the progression in a baroque or classical manner.

Over the span of this progression, it goes through nearly the whole diatonic chord palette of the D major key, including major, minor, and suspended chords. This variety contributes to the intricate and multi-dimensional mood of the song.

Similar Chord Progressions

The chord progressions used by Elton John in “Your Song” reflect a broader trend in pop music to experiment beyond simple diatonic harmonies, and they have been adopted by a wide range of other artists.

1. “Let It Be” by The Beatles: The IV to iv progression in Verse 4, similar to the one from G to F#, is a noticeable harmonic feature of “Let It Be”.

2. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley: This song also uses the I – V6 progression seen in the transition from D to A/C#, providing a similar sense of melodic motion.

3. “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton (and famously covered by Whitney Houston): This song like “Your Song” heavily uses suspended and added chords (Dsus4, Asus2) to create a rich, lush harmonic texture.

4. “Imagine” by John Lennon: The song has shared emotional expressions with Elton John’s “Your Song” and shares a similar reliance on piano-driven harmonies, including using iv, Isus4, and Vadd2 chords.

Musical Analysis

The musical setting of “Your Song” is robust yet intimate. A driving force behind this arrangement is the utilization of chord inversions and extensions, carrying the listener along a constantly evolving soundscape.

The chord changes also complement the phrasing of the melody and lyrics, elucidating the subtle emotional shifts of the song’s narrative. For example, the transition from the A/C# to the F#m gives a sense of ascension and intensification, which perfectly matches the content and tone of the lyrics at that moment.

Overall Analysis

“Your Song” by Elton John is an iconic pop ballad featuring a piano-driven accompaniment. Harmonically, the song displays rich and varied chord progressions within key of D major, though with a significant usage of borrowed chords and alterations that contribute to a unique and expressive harmonic language. There is a classical and cinematic air about this song establishing it as a flagship Elton John classic.

Style Analysis

Given that Elton John’s style encompasses a variety of genres, including pop, rock, and even elements of classical music, “Your Song” serves as a showcase for his eclectic musical amalgamation. The piano-driven harmony, the rich and varied chord progression, and the soaring melodic lines all exhibit hallmarks of his singular style, but they also effectively translate emotions specific to this song.

Chords in the Verse 4 section of Your Song by Elton John are:

[‘D’, ‘Gmaj7’, ‘A/C#’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bmadd11/A’, ‘Bmadd11/G#’, ‘G’, ‘D/A’, ‘A’, ‘Asus2’, ‘F#’, ‘Bm’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus4’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus2’]