Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

Tame Impala’s “Let It Happen” is a song in A major key. The chord progression seems simple at first, with a repetitive motive throughout the verse but it creates a hypnotic effect that is very much in line with Tame Impala’s psychedelic style.

The intro of “My Name Is Jonas” by Weezer is a simple, yet effective chord progression in the key of C major. The progression starts on the tonic, moves to a first inversion of a G6 chord, followed by an A minor chord, and finally back to the first inversion of the G6 chord. The progression has a circular nature, which adds to the song’s catchiness and memorability.

“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” by George Michael displays a sophisticated use of common-pop progression with some borrowed chords and secondary dominants. The progression displays the pop and soul music influence, with its powerful use of dominant and subdominant movements.

The chord progression from the intro of “Undone – The Sweater Song” by Weezer is in the key of G Major and features an interesting mix of chords with an alternative rock flavor. The progression includes a non-diatonic chord (G6#9) and has a nice balance of tension and resolution, giving the song a memorable sound.

Tame Impala – Yes Im Changing – Intro

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘F’]

Chord Progression Analysis

C major (I) – Csus2 – C add9 – C major (I)
A minor (vi) – F Major (IV) – C Major (I)

G Major (V) – C major (I) – Csus2 – C add9 – C major (I)
A minor (vi) – F Major (IV) – C Major (I)

The Csus2 and C add9 chords are mere variations of the tonic chord and don’t really change the harmonic function of the progression.

“`
C Major (I)
Csus2 (Isus2)
Cadd9 (Iadd9)
A minor (vi)
F Major (IV)
G Major (V)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The classic I – vi – IV – I progression used in “Yes I’m Changing” is somewhat reminiscent of the progressions often used by The Beatles, with a bit of a psychedelic twist. For example, the song “Let it Be” uses the progression:

C Major (I) – G Major (V) – A minor (vi) – F Major (IV)

The frequent use of the tonic chord and resolution-sus2-add9 pattern also bears some resemblance to the work of Pink Floyd, particularly in the song “Comfortably Numb” which uses a progression with a similar feel:

B minor (i) – A major (VII) – G (VI) – E minor (iv)

However, these comparisons are general and subjective, the unique sound Tame Impala creates is quite its own.

Musical Analysis

This continuous return to the C Major chord (the tonic) creates a strong feeling of tonal center. The progression creates a sort of “floating” feeling, with little tension that resolves back to the home key. The use of the sus2 and add9 chords provide a more open and resonant sound, adding texture to the progression. The use of the V chord (G major) injects a small amount of tension into the progression and serves to lead the progression back to the I chord (C major) again.

Overall Analysis

“Yes I’m Changing” by Tame Impala uses a repetitive chord progression throughout the majority of the song, alternating primarily between the chords C, Csus2, Cadd9, Am, F, and G. This pattern is characterized by constant resolution with the tonic of the key, C Major. However, the progression occasionally diverges from the typical diatonic pattern by introducing a G Major chord, which is a V chord in the C Major scale.

Style Analysis

Tame Impala is known for blending psychedelic music with elements of pop, rock, and electronic music. The chord progression, with its consistent return to the tonic and the use of extended chords (sus2 and add9), aligns perfectly with this stylistic approach. The constant repetition, the use of floaty, atmospheric timbres, and the harmonic simplicity here are in line with the approach that Tame Impala often takes, making the music both accessible and slightly “trippy”.

Chords in the Intro section of Yes Im Changing by Tame Impala are:

[‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Csus2’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘F’]