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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is an iconic psychedelic rock track marked with rich harmonies and sophisticated musical elements. The song is primarily constructed around the key of A, but it employs several modal mixtures and non-diatonic chords, contributing to its intriguing tonality.

“In My Life” by The Beatles is in A Major key, and it makes use of both diatonic and non-diatonic chords. The song is notable for its use of various chord trickery such as modal borrowing, secondary dominant, and chromatic bass movement. Additionally, the song is filled with the Beatles’ signatures: a mix of major and minor chords and the use of the VI-IV progression.

The song ‘Zombie’ by The Cranberries is in the key of E minor. Its defining characteristics include plaintive repeated melodies, an intense grunge-inspired arrangement, and Dolores O’Riordan’s iconic vocal embellishments. The song employs a common rock/pop chord progression with added tension by using the D/F# chord.

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Given by the chords you’ve provided, it appears the song “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins is primarily in the key of D Major with occasional borrowed chords from D minor and E minor. The varying uses of D Major, D minor, and E minor really showcase the variety in Billy Corgan’s guitar writing.

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The piece, ‘1979’ by The Smashing Pumpkins follows an overarching structure with a mix of major and minor chords, what stand out are the rich extended chords, ‘Emaj7’ and ‘Amaj7’. The piece displays a balance between tonic chords and dominant chords, expressing a classic pop-rock style whilst frequent usage of maj7 chords adding a distinctive jazziness to the tune.

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The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever – Chorus 2

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘Em7’, ‘Em7’, ‘F#7’, ‘D’, ‘F#7’, ‘Dmaj7’, ‘A’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here is the analysis of the chorus:

“`
A: A Major (‘I’)
Em7: E minor 7 (‘ii7’)
Em7: E minor 7 (‘ii7’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
D: D Major (‘IV’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
Dmaj7: D Major 7 (‘IVmaj7’)
A: A Major (‘I’)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1) “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys

“`
A: A Major (‘I’)
Bmin7: B minor 7 (‘ii7’)
Gmaj7: G Major 7 (‘bVII’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
D: D Major (‘IV’)
“`

2) “Something” by The Beatles

“`
C: C Major (‘I’)
Em7: E minor 7 (‘ii7’)
A7: A Dominant 7 (‘VI7’) – borrowed chord
D: D Major (‘II’)
F#7: F# Dominant 7 (‘III7’) – borrowed chord
A: A Major (‘VI’)
“`

As can be seen, the use of the III7 chord as a borrowed chord to create tension is a common feature in these chord progressions. This technique was popular amongst bands during the sixties as they searched for ways to express more complex emotions and narratives in their music.

Musical Analysis

The A Major and D Major chords follow the straightforward I-IV progression found commonly in pop and rock music. The Em7 falling at ‘ii7’ functions as a subdominant chord pointing towards the dominant, eliciting a sense of tension that resolves back to D Major. What makes this progression interesting is the use of F#7, a dominant 7th chord on the third scale degree, which is not diatonic to the key of A Major. This is a secondary dominant that creates a temporary cadence to the D Major chord, amplifying the sense of resolution and providing a touch of blues inflection common in Beatles’ music.

Overall Analysis

The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” is composed in the key of A Major, but utilizes a number of chord extensions and non-diatonic chords to create a dreamy, nostalgic soundscape fitting the song’s theme of reminiscing about childhood.

Style Analysis

“Strawberry Fields Forever” is a psychadelic pop song, characterized by its experimental studio techniques, unconventional song structure, and lush, dream-like soundscape. The Beatles often employed secondary dominants and seventh chords to add harmonic color and interest, contributing to the song’s semi-psychedelic character. The chromatic progression and ambiguous tonality add to the disorientating, surrealistic atmosphere evoked in the song.

Chords in the Chorus 2 section of Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles are:

[‘A’, ‘Em7’, ‘Em7’, ‘F#7’, ‘D’, ‘F#7’, ‘Dmaj7’, ‘A’]