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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The song “The Outsider” by A Perfect Circle frequently uses the chord progression [‘B’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’] in the key of E major. When viewing the chords through the lens of E major we can identify the chord progression as ii, ii, V, I. Furthermore, It shows some interesting harmonic decisions throughout. Most notably, the band makes use of borrowed chords which are chords taken from the parallel minor (in this case E minor). Here, the borrowed chords include A major and C major.

The song “The Outsider” by A Perfect Circle has a main key signature of E major, as indicated by the repeated occurrences of the chords B, A, and E. The overall structure is tonal, using chords common in Western music. Some elements of modality are observable though, with the use of the C chord, which in traditional music theory would be considered a borrowed chord from the parallel E minor scale. A sense of tension and release is created through the use of these non-diatonic chords, which ultimately helps to maintain the listener’s interest.

The piece “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars showcases a common pop ballad structure that follows a typical 4-chord progression with common tone substitution as well as some chords borrowed from the relative minor. Its simplicity is one of its strengths as it allows the focus to fall on Bruno’s vocals and the lyrics, which matches the direct, emotional content of the song effectively.

“Perfect Situation” by Weezer is a pop-rock song that follows a standard verse-chorus format, with a strong focus on melody and harmony. The song is in the key of G major, and the chord progression provided is for the second verse. It features a simple, yet effective progression that creates a sense of movement and tension before resolving back to the tonic chord. This gives the song a very engaging, classic pop/rock feel.

“Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word” is in the key of E minor and shifts to the relative major (G major) at various points, it demonstrates Elton John’s mastery of the line between major and minor keys. It’s a melancholic song with a moderate tempo. The use of both minor and major chords in Elton John’s progression signifies the tension and release in the song’s melody and lyrics.

A Perfect Circle – The Outsider – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘B’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The provided fragment of the song alternates between B major, A major, and E major, implying a key of E major. As such, the chords would be identified as:

– B Major (V)
– A Major (IV)
– E Major (I)

The repeated cycling through these chords would look like this:

`[B Major (V), A Major (IV), E Major (I), B Major (V), B Major (V), A Major (IV), B Major (V), A Major (IV), E Major (I)]`

Similar Chord Progressions

There are numerous examples of songs that use a similar progression, here are a few:

– Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” (Em, G, D, A) `[E minor (i), G Major (III), D Major (VII), A Major (IV)]`
– The Rolling Stones’ “Angie” (Am, E7, G, F) `[A minor (i), E7 (V), G Major (III), F Major (VI)]`
– The Beatles’ “Let it Be” (C, G, Am, F) `[C Major (I), G Major (V), A minor (vi), F Major (IV)]`

Please note that these examples are natively in different keys, and have been adjusted to fit the key of E major for comparison with ‘The Outsider’. So the Roman numeral designations will differ within their own native key structures. They are only the same in the key of E Major.

Musical Analysis

The Outsider, by A Perfect Circle, uses a strong and repeating chord progression throughout the song. This gives the music a driven, cyclical feel. The move between B (V), A (IV), and E (I) is a very strong resolution in classical harmony, known as a perfect cadence. This move to the tonic (I) chord at the end of the progression provides a satisfying resolution, making the music feel settled and complete at the end of each cycle.

Overall Analysis

The progression from B to A to E is a common progression in pop and rock music. This progression utilizes diatonic and non-diatonic chords, meaning that the chords all belong to the same key and it suggests the use of borrowed chords. A Perfect Circle tends to use a lot of downward motion in their chord progressions, moving from higher to lower pitches, which can give their music a distinct ‘heavy’ feel.

Style Analysis

A Perfect Circle’s style is often characterized by angsty lyrics, down-tuned guitars, complex time signatures, and innovative chord progressions. The band blends elements of progressive rock, art rock, hard rock, and metal into their sound.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of The Outsider by A Perfect Circle are:

[‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘B’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’]