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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Viva La Vida” by Coldplay is a pop song that sits primarily in the key of G major, featuring four common chords: C Major, D Major, G Major, and E minor. The song’s simplicity lies in the consistent use of these chords, which creates a consistent harmony throughout the song.

The song “Yellow” by Coldplay uses a fairly standard pop/rock chord progression in the key of G major. It comprises three chords for the main progression: G Major (I), D Major (V), and Cmaj7 (IV7).

“Rocky Raccoon” by The Beatles incorporates chords commonly associated with the genre of folk or country music. It is primarily built on a repetitive chord progression which consists of Am7, D7sus4, D7, G7, C, and C/B. There’s also a use of plenty of sevenths and suspensions to create a slightly jazzy feel. It’s also worth noting The Beatles’ penchant for chords that provide a mix of major and minor tonalities.

“The Sound Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel is written in the key of Am and follows the Verse-Chorus form common in pop and rock music. The progression consists of a beachfront of common and borrowed chords, showing the use of modal interchange and diatonic chords in creating a memorable and emotive sound.

The chord progression in MGMT’s “Congratulations” contains a mix of diatonic and non-diatonic chords, which provide a combination of stability and tension throughout the progression. The harmonic rhythm is slow, and the progression is mostly driven by bass line movement and voice leading. The mixture of borrowed chords, inversions, and suspended chords contributes to the overall unique character of the piece.

Coldplay – Viva La Vida – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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C Major (I)
D Major (‘V/V)
G Major (IV)
E minor (vi)

The progression repeats four times. It is important to denote that D Major is a borrowed chord in this case, functioning as a secondary dominant (‘V/V – dominant of the dominant) to G Major.

**Chord Symbols in Code: (For Borrowed Chord Indication)**

“`
D Major (‘V/V)
“`

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Similar Chord Progressions

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Here are some songs which share similar chord progressions in the genre of pop rock:

1. “Let it Be” by The Beatles: C – G – Am – F (or in terms of Roman numerals: I – V – vi – IV)

2. “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley: C – G – Am – F
(I – V – vi – IV)

3. “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey: E – B – C#m – A
(I – V – vi – IV)

This highlights the fact that the I – V – vi – IV progression (or a variant of it) is something that has been popularly used in many successful songs across genres and decades.

Musical Analysis

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The progression starts with a major tonic chord which gives a sense of stability. The second chord, D major, which is a borrowed chord, adds a bit of suspense, essentially pulling towards the G major chord, creating a resolution. The fourth and last chord, E minor, gives a touch of melancholia to the musical phrase.

The progression itself is quiet dynamic, constantly moving forward and driving the song. Also, the oscillation between major and minor chords brings a good balance of cheerful and more introspective moments.

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Overall Analysis

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“Viva la Vida” mostly utilizes a four-chord progression thorough the song which is fairly common in popular music. The verse we are focusing on replicating the verse goes like this: C – D – G – Em. The chord progressions are pretty simple, catchy and give the song an uplifting feel.

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Style Analysis

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Coldplay is known for their uplifting, anthemic style of music and ‘Viva la Vida’ fits into this style perfectly. There is a mix of pop and rock elements, with a catchy, repeating chord progression that drives the song and makes it memorable.

The use of simple and common chord progressions is a hallmark of Coldplay’s music and ‘Viva la Vida’ is no exception. The band often uses simple and repetitive chord progressions as a background for their outstanding melody lines and lyrics.

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Chords in the Verse 2 section of Viva La Vida by Coldplay are:

[‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘Em’]