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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Yellow” by Coldplay is in the key of G major and employs a mix of diatonic chords, extended chords such as the seventh chords, and the occasional borrowed chord from G minor. The progression presents variations of a common IV-V-I pattern seen in pop and rock music.

“Yellow” by Coldplay is written in the key of G major. The song maintains a consistent use of diatonic chords from its own major key, with a predominant chord progression in the bridge and other sections being G – D – Cmaj7. Briefly, the song changes to a minor key using the Dm7 chord as a poignant moment in its structure.

The chorus of “California Kids” by Weezer features an interesting mix of primarily diatonic chords, with some borrowed chords and chromaticism. The chord progression has a pop-rock feel, with uplifting major and minor chords, and the use of the E major chords adds tension and intrigue.

The chorus of “Give Me The Night” by George Benson features a smooth chord progression that explores both diatonic and borrowed chords, creating a sophisticated sound that is characteristic of the jazz and R&B styles prevalent in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The progression is comprised of chords that stem from the Fm7 key but also includes a borrowed Dbmaj7 chord.

“Castles Made of Sand” is a song by Jimi Hendrix, found on his 1967 album “Axis: Bold as Love.” The song is in the key of G major and features a chord progression that is both simple and innovative in its use of borrowed chords and voice leading. The progression can be seen as an indirect approach to the IV chord (C) which gives the progression a sense of unresolved tension. The overall sound of the song is characterized by its dreamy, psychedelic atmosphere.

Coldplay – Yellow – Chorus 1

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Chord Progression

[‘Cmaj7’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Cmaj7’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
C Major 7th (I7),
E Minor 7th (vi7),
D Major (V),
C Major 7th (I7),
E Minor 7th (vi7),
D Major (V),
C Major 7th (I7),
E Minor 7th (vi7),
D Major (V),
C Major 7th (I7)
“`

“` The E minor 7th (vi7) is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor scale (G minor). “`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “Just Like a Woman” by Bob Dylan:
[‘C’, ‘Em/B’, ‘Am’, ‘C/G’, ‘F’, ‘C’]

2. “With Or Without You” by U2:
[‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’]

3. “Let It Be” by The Beatles:
[‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’]

These songs also make use of highly repeated sequences that cyclically return to the tonic chord, resonating with Coldplay’s “Yellow”. They feature a major chord followed by a minor chord and resolving back to another major chord, akin to the I7-vi7-V-I7 progression in Coldplay’s song. This is a typical harmonic configuration in the pop, rock, and folk genres, exemplified by all the artists listed here.

Musical Analysis

Coldplay’s “Yellow” is a clear example of a pop ballad, emphasizing melodic and harmonic richness rather than relying too heavily on a complex progression. The progression creates a very open and uplifting sound, utilizing the major 7th and minor 7th chords to introduce more texture and color than a basic triadic chord would provide. The progression starts on a I7 (C major 7th), bringing a certain brightness as it is the tonic major chord, before moving to the vi7 (E minor 7th), which creates a somewhat melancholic, yet still open and fluid effect. This cool-warm dichotomy is then resolved with the dominant (V – D Major), before returning to the starting I7 (C major 7th), creating a cyclical effect that Coldplay relies on for the bulk of the piece.

Overall Analysis

The progression for the song is tuned to a standard E Standard (E A D G B E) and it is in the key of G.

Style Analysis

Coldplay’s writing is commonly typified by a mixture of rock instrumentation with multi-sectional arrangements, often utilizing repeating chord progressions with texture and dynamics variations. Evidently, the use of 7th chords in “Yellow” is indicative of the band borrowing elements from jazz and blues music, suggesting a compound meter that engages listeners more than a typical pop ballad might.

Chords in the Chorus 1 section of Yellow by Coldplay are:

[‘Cmaj7’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Cmaj7’]