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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Can You Feel The Love Tonight” by Elton John is a heart-touching love song that carries a smooth flowing blend of pop and soft rock, showing Elton John’s inclination to use diatonic (major and minor) chords, 7th chords and inversions. The song, largely stays in its home key of C major, has an interesting chord progression that shifts between the tonic, subdominant, and dominant. Internally, there are multiple secondary dominant chords and borrowing from the parallel minor, providing color and contrast.

The chorus of Weezer’s song “Say It Ain’t So” can be analyzed as a simple and memorable chord progression in the key of C major. The progression features a repeating pattern of four chords: Am, E, F, and C.

The chord progression of the chorus in Beck’s “Girl Acoustic” is relatively simple and straightforward, yet effective in creating a memorable and catchy tune. The song is in the key of A major, and the progression maintains a predominantly diatonic harmony.

The chorus of Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” utilizes a chord progression that elevates the song’s emotional resonance, serving as a climactic counterpart to the reflective verses. This section combines lush harmonies with straightforward pop sensibilities, creating a poignant and memorable musical moment that aligns with the song’s thematic exploration of self-awareness and complexity.

Elton John – I Guess Thats Why They Call It The Blues – Chorus

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Chord Progression

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

Chord Progression Analysis

Here is the chorus chord progression with the full chord names and their corresponding Roman numerals:

“`
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
F Major (IV)
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
F Major (IV)
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
A minor (vi)
C Major (I)
F Major (IV)
D Major (II) – Borrowed
F Major (IV)
G Major (V)
C Major (I)
E minor (iii)
F Major (IV)
“`
As seen above, all chords fit into the key of C Major, with the exception of D Major (II), which may be considered a borrowed chord from the parallel key of C minor.

Similar Chord Progressions

Similar chord progressions can be found in many songs by other artists. For example, “The Scientist” by Coldplay follows a similar chord progression in the key of C Major with the regular IV-V-I progression.

“`
Db Major (IV)
Ab Major (I)
Bb minor (ii)
F minor (vi)
Db Major (IV)
Ab Major (I)
Bb minor (ii)
F minor (vi)
“`

Another example can be found in “Let it Be” by The Beatles, with a similar progression and use of a borrowed chord from a parallel key.

“`
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
A minor (vi)
F Major (IV)
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
F Major (IV)
C major (I)
“`

Overall, “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” demonstrates a masterful use of traditional progressions mixed with interesting borrowed chords to create a deeply emotive and effective chorus.

Musical Analysis

The chorus, starting on the C Major chord, revolves around the I-IV-V, reflecting the standard major key progression. The progression from I-V-IV (C-G-F) gives the song a grounded and satisfying sense of familiarity common among pop and rock music. The use of A minor (vi) introduces a minor tone into the chorus, adding a touch of melancholy. The D Major chord (II) is interesting as this is not directly part of the C Major scale, this borrowed chord adds tension and anticipation, leading back into the F Major.

Overall Analysis

“I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues” is a well-known hit by Elton John from the album “Too Low for Zero” released in 1983. The song is a blend of pop, rock and blues styles and showcases Elton John’s proficiency in blending different music genres. The verse uses a straightforward I-V-vi-IV progression which is a common progression in pop music.

The Chorus’s

Style Analysis

The style of this progression, particularly the use of the IV-V-I and VI-IV-V-I resolution is typical of Elton John’s style. The borrowed II chord creates a touch of blues in the progression, reflecting the song’s title and giving it depth.

Chords in the Chorus section of I Guess Thats Why They Call It The Blues by Elton John are:

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