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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“And I Love Her” by The Beatles is predominantly set within the key of F# minor. Apart from the chorus that momentarily modulates to the key of D minor, the verses embrace a darker, melancholic atmosphere portrayed by the minor keys. The tonal structure and chord progressions in the song are reflective of the band’s exploration of intricate harmonies, going beyond the simple three-chord structures of many contemporary pop songs of the time.

“Cant Buy Me Love” by The Beatles, is a song in the key of C Major, but it has an interesting harmonic structure, especially in the chorus. The song features a number of borrowed and secondary dominant chords to create tension that resolves into the tonic chord. The chorus’s progression can be seen as a series of descending minor thirds, with an unexpected shift to a ii-V-I progression which is quite popular in jazz music.

The chord progression for Verse 3 of “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix is a repeating pattern of C, G, D, A, E. The progression employs one borrowed chord and is loosely structured around the circle of fifths. The song features a blues-rock style, with a heavy emphasis on guitar playing and expressive solos.

“Sometimes It Snows In April” is a song by Prince in the pop style. It’s characterized by its use of extended and added note chords, as seen in the chord progression for Verse 3. This advanced harmonic content gives the song a distinct, rich, and complex musical texture, typical of Prince’s style.

“Let It Be” by The Beatles is a song in the key of C Major. The chord progression featured in Verse 3 of the song, C – G – Am – Am/G – Fmaj7 – F6 – C – G – F – C/E – Dm7 – C, is a common progression in pop music. It has a repetitive structure and revolves around the I-V-vi-VI progression.

The Beatles – And I Love Her – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

[‘F#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘B7’, ‘E6’]

Chord Progression Analysis

– F#m (‘ii’)
– C#m (‘vi’)
– F#m (‘ii’)
– C#m (‘vi’)
– F#m (‘ii’)
– C#m (‘vi’)
– A (‘IV’)
– B7 (‘V7’)
– E6 (‘I6’)

Borrowed Chord: `E6 (‘I6’)`

Similar Chord Progressions

– “Every Breath You Take” by The Police: Em, C, D, G (‘vi-IV-V-I’).
– “With or Without You” by U2: D, A, Bm, G (‘I-V-vi-IV’).
This includes the similar use of diatonic chords and a major tonality, although the cycle of movements are different.
– “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith: D, E, Bm, G (‘I-II-vi-IV’).
This progression is somewhat similar although it begins with the tonic chord and features a major II chord before moving to the vi chord.

These progressions were chosen due to their similar use of diatonic chords in major keys and the movement patterns. Although not identical, they share the common theme of incorporating non-diatonic chords and/or unexpected chord movements.

Musical Analysis

The song starts in the minor mode, and the use of mediant relationships between chords F#m and C#m help create a haunting and melancholic mood. This technique is one that is often associated with classical compositions, and is not as common in popular music. This passage leads into the A Major chord, adding a touch of brightness before leading into the perfect cadence of B7 to E, providing a sense of resolution.

Interestingly, the song ends on an E6, a borrowed chord from the parallel minor, which gives a subtly ‘unfinished’ feeling. This could be seen as a reflection of the unending nature of love expressed in the song’s lyrics.

Overall Analysis

“And I Love Her” is a masterful composition by The Beatles that beautifully demonstrates their ability to mix pop songwriting with complexities of harmonic journey. The song is in the key of E Major, which is unique for being a popular song written by the Beatles in a major key. The main repeating chord progression of the Verse 3 is a progression that modulates between F# minor (the relative minor of A Major, which is the subdominant of E Major), and C# minor (the relative minor of E Major, the original key). The progression’s use of E6 at the end, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor (E minor), adds a unique flavor of sixth interval. Finally, it concludes on E6, a somewhat uncommon way to ground a song within a major key.

Style Analysis

“And I Love Her” is a perfect example of The Beatles’ knack for utilizing sophisticated harmonic structures within the pop genre. The use of ii-vi-IV-V7-I progression, which is closely aligned to a typical cycle of fifths found in jazz, demonstrates the Beatles’ diverse range of influences.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of And I Love Her by The Beatles are:

[‘F#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘B7’, ‘E6’]