Portishead – Glory Box – Break
Glory Box < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’]
Chord Progression Analysis
– D minor (i)
– D minor with C in the bass, or Dm/C (i7/ii)
– B minor 7 flat 5 (bii7♭5)
– B flat Major 7 (♭VI7)
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Dm (i)
Dm/C (i7/ii)
Bm7b5 (bii7♭5)
Bbmaj7 (♭VI7)
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Similar Chord Progressions
– “Gravity” by Sara Bareilles follows a similar chord progression wherein the artist starts on the minor tonic, introduces a chromatic descending bassline and borrows chords from the parallel major. (F, F/E, Dm, C)
– Radiohead’s “Exit Music (For a Film)” also uses a cyclic progression starting on the minor tonic, with a descending bass line, and major borrowed chords from the parallel major. (Am, Am/G, F, F/E)
Please note that these progressions differ in ways from Portishead’s, yet display a similar structure and style. To achieve the same feeling as in “Glory Box”, they may still need to be adjusted according to the transposition and modal interchange.
Musical Analysis
– Dm to Dm/C is a simple movement of the bass note, creating a smooth step-down effect.
– Bm7b5 is a half-diminished chord adding tension that then resolves into Bbmaj7, a borrowed chord from the parallel major scale i.e., it’s a chord from D Major while the song is in D Minor.
– This cycle then repeats, building a sense of melancholy and longing underpinning the entire song.
Overall Analysis
“Glory Box” by Portishead is primarily in the key of D minor, with some moments of modal interchange. The chord progression contains a distinct spice of jazz influence while remaining in the realm of synthesized trip-hop sound characterizing the band’s style.
Style Analysis
Portishead uses these chord shapes and progressions to introduce unexpected harmonic instability into their music. This combination of jazz and pop foundations shows their unique way of navigating the trip-hop genre they helped pioneer. They’re also known for their signature use of sampled or synthesized orchestration, understated drum programming, and the ethereal vocals of lead singer Beth Gibbons, all of which are prominently displayed in “Glory Box.”
What are the chords in: Portishead – Glory Box – Break?
[‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’]
