Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

**

“Cant Buy Me Love” by The Beatles is a pure example of their early rock-and-roll style influenced by blues. It uses common chord progressions in rock and blues, such as the I-IV-V progression and the use of dominant 7th chords. The song is set in C major, and makes repeated use of the I-IV (C-F) progression. A significant feature in the song is the use of the dominant 7th chords (C7 and F7), which adds some bluesy quality to the song and also serves as a transition chord to the next chord in the progression.

**

“Eight Days A Week” by The Beatles, released in 1965, is renowned for its catchy melodic phrases, tight harmonies, and distinctive use of chords. The song is firmly rooted in the key of D major, but there is an interesting use of borrowed chords.

Verse 2

“In My Head” is a good example of the band’s signature style, combining elements of rock, punk, and alternative music. The usage of primary chords is fairly standard for rock music, but the inclusion of unexpected chords like G5 and D# adds a complex flavor to the progression making it notably unique amongst other songs within the genre.

“Have You Ever Seen The Rain” is a popular song by Creedence Clearwater Revival from the 1971 album “Pendulum”. This song is performed in the key of C major, and uses chords from the diatonic scale. However, it also utilizes borrowed chords and chord inversions to create a bit of colour and novelty.

“Bennie And The Jets” by Elton John, released in 1973, features a distinctive chord progression that exemplifies Elton’s advanced harmonic sensibility and taste for grand piano-based balladry. The song is mainly in the key of G Major.

The Beatles – Cant Buy Me Love – Chorus

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm11’, ‘G13’, ‘C’, ‘C(7)’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s the chord progression for the chorus:

– Em (“iii”);
– Am (“vi”);
– Em (“iii”);
– Am (“vi”);
– Dm11 (“ii11”);
– G13 (“V13”);
– C (“I”);
– C(7) (“I7”).

And here are the borrowed chords used in this progression:
Em, Am, and Dm11 are borrowed chords from the parallel minor key.

“`Markdown
– Em: Borrowed from C minor (“bIII”);
– Am: Borrowed from C minor (“vi”);
– Dm11: Borrowed from C minor (“ii11”).
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

A similar chord progression can be seen in Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made To Love Her” in the key of F#:
F#m (“iii”), Bm (“vi”), F#m (“iii”), Bm (“vi”), G#m9 (“ii9”), C#9 (“V9”), F# (“I”), F#7 (“I7”).
This follows a similar pattern of descending minor thirds and the ii-V-I progression at the end, though the ii chord is a ninth as opposed to an eleventh as seen in “Can’t Buy Me Love”.

Musical Analysis

The chorus starts on the iii chord, which is the mediant of C Major, creating a sense of modulation. Then it shifts to the vi chord, providing an instance of borrowed chord from the C minor, which adds tension and emotional weight to the section. The progression then returns to the iii and again to vi. Finally, the song shifts to the ii11-V13-I progression – Dm11 to G13 to C. This is a classic jazz progression and it provides a smooth resolution back to the tonic. Lastly the phrase concludes with a C7, a dominant 7th chord, which indicates a return to the F major in the verse.

Overall Analysis

“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.

Style Analysis

This song is a great example of The Beatles’ indelible mark on popular music and their creative use of harmonic structure. Despite being rooted in pop/rock music, their incorporation of complex and jazz-like progressions such as the ii-V-I show their wide musical influences and innovation.

Chords in the Chorus section of Cant Buy Me Love by The Beatles are:

[‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm11’, ‘G13’, ‘C’, ‘C(7)’]