Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

The song “Hallelujah” written by Leonard Cohen and popularly covered by Jeff Buckley is a solemn ballad consisting of poetic lyrics set to a haunting melody. This particular chord progression in Verse 4 highlights the song’s delicate balance between tension and resolution. The tonality revolves around C major, with deviations into other tonal areas, which adds complexity and emotional impact.

The chorus from Jeff Buckley’s rendition of “Hallelujah” in the key of C major beautifully demonstrates a diverse range of chords and harmonic techniques. The chord progression incorporates diatonic chords, borrowed chords, and some unexpected harmonic twists, all of which work together to create a sense of emotional depth and tension throughout the chorus.

The song “3 Libras Acoustic Live” by A Perfect Circle oscillates between an A major and a C# minor structure, with a D major introduced at the end of the progression. The dominant chords are A (represented as Asus2) and C# (represented as C#m). The final D chord can be seen as a modulation, adding a somewhat unexpected resolution that doesn’t adhere to the traditional rules of tonic-dominant resolution in either major or minor keys.

“Island in the Sun” by Weezer is in the key of G major and features a simple yet catchy chord progression in its outro. The progression is characterized by its bright, uplifting sound and follows a common pop/rock formula. It also has a nostalgic, summery feel, making it a perfect fit for the song’s title and theme.

Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ contains a rich mixture of chord progressions, which is typical of the band’s complex songwriting. The outro of the song makes use of the F, F7, Bb, and Gm7 chords. This progression is in the key of F Major, with F being the tonic (I), F7 being the dominant 7th (V7), Bb being the subdominant (IV) and Gm7 being the submediant 7th (vi7). The Bb chord is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key (F Minor) and the usage of F7 serves to add a level of tension before resolving to the Bb.

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah – Outro

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, Am, F, G, C

Chord Progression Analysis

F Major (IV), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), C Major (I), F Major (IV), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), C Major (I), F Major (IV), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), C Major (I), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), G Major (V), C Major (I)

Borrowed chords:
None

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Leonard Cohen – “Hallelujah” (original version): This song shares its chord progression with Jeff Buckley’s cover, as it’s the source material. The progression is similar, but Cohen’s version features a slightly more sparse arrangement.

2. Bob Dylan – “Make You Feel My Love”: This song has a chord progression sharing similarities with Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah.” It features a key of G Major and shares the same cyclical nature of repetitive progressions: G (I), D (V), G (I), C (IV), G (I), D (V), G (I), C (IV), D (V), G (I)

3. The Beatles – “Let It Be”: This classic song shares similar harmonic ideas with “Hallelujah,” including the IV – V – I resolution at the end of the progression, which creates a strong sense of conclusion. The chord progression is as follows: C Major (I), G Major (V), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), F Major (IV), C Major (I)

Musical Analysis

The chord progression begins with the IV – vi – IV (F – Am – F) movement, which helps to establish the tonal center of C Major, despite not starting on the tonic chord. This creates a level of tension that is resolved when the C Major chord is finally introduced. The I – V – I (C – G – C) movement is a classic progression that strengthens the resolution and emphasizes the tonal center.

The progression repeats the first eight chords before introducing a slight variation in the subsequent chords. This allows for a sense of familiarity, as well as emphasizing the cyclical nature of the outro section.

The outro finishes on a I – IV – V – I (C – F – G – C) progression, solidifying a strong ending to the piece. The combination of chord movements in the outro creates a sense of finality while adding emotion to the piece through the use of minor chords and the IV – V – I movement.

Overall Analysis

The outro of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” features a chord progression in the key of C Major. It includes common chords from the key, as well as some borrowed chords from the parallel minor key (C minor), which adds a level of tension and emotion to the progression. The outro has a cyclical nature, with the chords leading smoothly back into the beginning and building a sense of conclusion.

Style Analysis

Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” is a cover of Leonard Cohen’s original song, and the chord progression seen in the outro is influenced by the original version. It features a folky, singer-songwriter style that breaks away slightly from the primarily guitar-driven chord progressions often used in popular music of the time.

Chords in the Outro section of Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley are:

F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, Am, F, G, C