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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” features a verse in A minor with a brief but significant shift to F minor, due to the use of borrowed chords or modal mixture. Notably, it showcases The Beatles’ sophisticated approach to harmonization, utilizing unconventional chord progressions & modulations that are cyclical.

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“Girl” is a song by The Beatles from their 1965 album “Rubber Soul”. The song is written in the key of E minor and it showcases the band’s ability to incorporate non-diatsubject resorting to non-diatonic progressions and utilizes various seventh chords to establish a more sophisticated and jazzy soundid progression. It’s important to note their use of the Dorian mode, which adds to the melodic and harmonic sophistication of the song. Moreover, the song exhibits the lyrical and songwriting depth of The Beatles.

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“Something I Can Never Have” by Nine Inch Nails is a song with a dark and moody atmosphere. The chord progression in both the verse and chorus of the song features certain borrowed chords and chromatic tones that give the piece this distinctive quality. The song seems to be in the key of C Major, but certain chords from the parallel minor key (C Minor) are used to create a sense of tension and emotional turmoil.

“Eight Days A Week” by The Beatles is in the key of D major. The song features a handful of basic major and minor chords with a sprinkling of interesting harmonic developments such as the E7 transition chord and the use of the B minor chord which provide a rich palette of colors for the progression.

“Wonderwall” by Oasis is a rock song with folk roots and a melodic pop influence. It uses the alternative rock idiom of harmony, which bestows the song with a sound leaning towards traditional folk and classic pop. The band utilizes common vintage chords mixed with modern progressions to create that identifiable Oasis sound.

The Beatles – The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘G7’, ‘A’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘E7’, ‘C’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘G7’, ‘A’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘E7’]

Chord Progression Analysis

(For clarity, each chord below will follow the syntax: Full Chord name (‘Roman Numeral) .)

– C Major (‘I)
– G7 Major (‘V7)
– C Major (‘I)
– F minor (‘iv)
– C Major (‘I)
– F minor (‘iv)
– G7 Major (‘V7)
– A Major (‘VI)
– E7 Major (Secondary Dominant of ‘V in A Major)
– A Major (‘VI)
– D minor (‘ii)
– A Major (‘VI)
– D minor (‘ii)
– E7 Major (Secondary Dominant of ‘V in A Major)
– C Major (‘I)
– G7 Major (‘V7)
– C Major (‘I)
– F minor (‘iv)
– C Major (‘I)
– F minor (‘iv)
– G7 Major (‘V7)
– A Major (‘VI)
– E7 Major (Secondary Dominant of ‘V in A Major)
– A Major (‘VI)
– D minor (‘ii)
– A Major (‘VI)
– D minor (‘ii)
– E7 Major (Secondary Dominant of ‘V in A Major)

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Notable Borrowed Chords:

F minor (‘iv): Borrowed from C minor (Parallel Minor of C Major)
A Major (‘VI): Borrowed from C major’s Parallel Minor’s (C minor’s) Relative Major (Eb Major)
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Similar Chord Progressions

1. “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison uses the ‘I – ‘V (C Major – G7 Major) progression.

2. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles uses the ‘I – ‘iv progression (C Major – F minor).

For comparison:

– “My Sweet Lord”: G (‘I) – Em (‘vi) – G (‘I) – D7 (‘V7)
– “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”: Am (‘vi) – C (‘I) – G (‘V) – D (‘IV) – E (‘V/vi – Secondary Dominant)

Musical Analysis

The use of the F minor (‘iv) chord from the parallel minor creates a striking, “color” effect which certainly contributes to the unique musical character of this Beatles’ piece. Additionally, the repeated shifts between tonal centers with the use of secondary dominants contribute to an adventurous feel typical of many Beatles’ compositions.

Overall Analysis

This chorus from The Beatles’ “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill” is an example of clever use of common chord transitions with several shifts in tonality. The chord progression uses the tonic key of C Major and F minor, showing complex modulation derived from modal interchange and secondary dominant techniques.

Style Analysis

This complex composition style is in line with the progressive musical tendencies of The Beatles. They were known for their frequent use of modal interchange (borrowed chords), secondary dominants, and for their seamless tonal shifts which kept their music dynamically engaging.

Chords in the Chorus section of The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill by The Beatles are:

[‘C’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘G7’, ‘A’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘E7’, ‘C’, ‘G7’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘C’, ‘Fm’, ‘G7’, ‘A’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘A’, ‘Dm’, ‘E7’]