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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.

“3 Libras Acoustic Live” by A Perfect Circle revolves around a rock ballad style with an alternative rock genre. It features distinctive chord progressions and some borrowing from outside of the primary key. The harmonic progression in the chorus is relatively simple but contributes to the melancholic and introspective atmosphere of the song.

“Your Song” is characterized by a varied and complex chord progression that helps to emphasize the emotional complexity of the lyrics. This is apparent in the progression used in Verse 2, which employs several techniques used frequently by Elton John. These include the use of secondary dominants, borrowed chords, modal mixture, and chromatic bass movements to add emotional color and reinforce the feeling of tension and resolution in the song’s narrative.

The verse 2 chord progression of Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” demonstrates a combination of diatonic and non-diatonic chords with tonal ambiguity, frequent use of borrowed chords from parallel modes, and modulation. The progression has a cyclic, hypnotic quality with occasional surprises due to large leaps in pitch and unexpected, non-diatonic chords.

“Time” by Pink Floyd is a progressive rock song that features an uncommon chord progression with some unique harmonic choices. The Verse 2 progression has a strong sense of tonal ambiguity and the chords often fluctuate between major and minor tonalities. This contributes to the emotional depth and complexity of the song, which is characteristic of Pink Floyd’s music.

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’]