“Yesterday” by The Beatles is a classic Pop song in F Major maintaining a 2/2 time signature. The song changes the chords frequently to create a rich harmonic texture, and is known for its iconic descending guitar melody.
“Yesterday” is predominantly composed in the key of F Major. The song is a classic in pop songwriting and showcases the effective use of borrowed chords to capture a unique, nostalgic sound that has made it one of the most covered songs in pop music. Specifically, in this verse, the use of secondary dominants and borrowed chords from the parallel minor key provides the song’s distinctive tonal color.
The song “Something” by The Beatles has a key center in C major. However, it modulates from time to time using a variety of techniques including secondary dominance and borrowed chords. It is a fine example of George Harrison’s complex songwriting and his adroitness at seamlessly weaving together uncommon chord progressions. Harrison employs an array of chords to inject a rich, nuanced musical quality to the song.
The verse chord progression in Beck’s “Girl Acoustic” features a bright and uplifting feel, with a mix of major and minor chords. The progression is in the key of A major and showcases a simplicity that is common in pop and folk music.
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“You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by The Rolling Stones is built around major tonality and uses direct and simple progressions. It also features what are known as additive chords (Gadd9) – chords to which notes are added beyond the common triad. The song commences in the key of G Major, indicated by the G, Gadd9, and C chords. These chords progress in an almost continual cyclical pattern across the verses. Here, the dominant chord (D) in the key of G Major is absent, which grants a tonal ambiguity to the song. Interestingly, the song takes a departure into a different key later on which will not be included in this analysis as it pertains to the Verse only.
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“Yesterday” by The Beatles showcases the innovative use of chord progressions that the group is known for. This song, unlike their other songs, includes borrowed chords and numerous secondary dominant chords. It also uses their favored approach of mixing chords from parallel major and minor scales, hence creating a ‘blended’ modal effect.
Moreover, it uses a mixolydian ♭7 in the main chord sequence, which is quite a popular trick among songwriters for shifting the tonic of a song.
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.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is one of the excellent examples of the unique and complex style popular in the late 1960’s. It is in the key of E and further progresses to F# minor. The progression utilizes modal interchange, chromaticism, and unusual chord progressions to create a dreamlike and psychedelic landscape that perfectly suits the lyrical theme of the song.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is written in the key of A Major and features 4/4 time signature. The chord progression for Chorus 3, which you’ve mentioned, is quite sophisticated and creative, exhibiting the Beatles’ aptitude for blending conventional pop harmony with more unexpected changes, drawn from their broad palette of influences and their willingness to experiment.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is a significant example of their high level of technical composition skills. This track, which is played in the key of A Major, incorporates variations in the conventional chord progressions by using borrowed chords and shifting harmonic and melodic structures, showcasing their profound understanding of music theory and ability to use those ideas creatively.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is a song that displays the remarkable depth of harmonic creativity found in their songwriting. The chord progression in the Chorus 4 section of the song is particularly complex. This progressions illustrate the band’s ability to exploit common harmonic devices such as diatonic pivots, modal mixture, and deceptive resolutions, in order to produce beautifully unique and captivating chord sequences.
“Within You Without You” from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, composed by George Harrison, is a unique song in the Beatles’ discography. Musically, it truly merges the essence of Indian classical music with traditional Western music techniques. The chord progression is minimal and largely stays around the key of C major, which enhances the song’s drone-like effect, typical in traditional Indian music.
“The Long and Winding Road” by The Beatles is an iconic pop ballad renowned for its rich harmonic content. It employs both modal interchange and secondary dominants, thus securing its place as an exemplary piece in pop music harmony. Its dominant tonality is D Major, however, it makes use of many borrowed chords.
“The Long and Winding Road” by The Beatles is written in the key of D major and utilizes various chord progressions that contribute to its melancholic and nostalgic atmosphere.
“The Long And Winding Road” by The Beatles presents us with a classic example of their innovative approach to harmony and composition. Drawing from various sources of influence, the song incorporates elements of traditional pop ballad form with a hint of the Baroque harmonic palette. This song is an excellent study in complex harmony and modulation within a pop music context, a trait that underpins much of The Beatles’ later work.
“The Long And Winding Road” is in the key of D major. The chords are quite typical of pop music, however, The Beatles use of extensions and suspensions provide a unique complexity to the progression. The song dabbles in modal interchange as it borrows chords from parallel minor, a popular Beatles technique.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is in the key of A minor and quite uniquely, the song borrows chords from parallel major and minor keys, as well as from modes like mixolydian. It is one of George Harrison’s contributions to the Beatles and showcases sophisticated harmonic techniques and an intricate chordal design, reflecting deeply on the influence of Eastern music and philosophies on his songwriting.
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