Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Your Song” by Elton John is an iconic pop ballad featuring a piano-driven accompaniment. Harmonically, the song displays rich and varied chord progressions within key of D major, though with a significant usage of borrowed chords and alterations that contribute to a unique and expressive harmonic language. There is a classical and cinematic air about this song establishing it as a flagship Elton John classic.

“Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” by Elton John employs interesting chord progressions and borrows chords from other modes and keys, contributing to its melancholy, yet dynamically expressive mood. The song is set in E minor and uses basic chord progressions, some more sophisticated ones, and many borrowed chords.

“Penny Lane” by The Beatles is a pop rock song released in 1967. Musically, the track displays characteristics of the “Baroque pop” style combine with psychedelic pop. The composition is multifaceted with complex chord progressions inspired by classical music, as well as elements of the British music hall style, specifically brass band influences throughout.

Tame Impala’s “Let It Happen” is a song in A major key. The chord progression seems simple at first, with a repetitive motive throughout the verse but it creates a hypnotic effect that is very much in line with Tame Impala’s psychedelic style.

“I Am The Walrus” is a distinctive composition by the Beatles from their 1967 album “Magical Mystery Tour”. Known for its surreal lyrics and creative chord progression, the song displays the Beatles’ mastery of composition and their innovative use of harmony. The song features elements from psychedelic rock, a genre that the Beatles helped popularize during the mid-1960s.

Elton John – Your Song – Verse 1

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘D’, ‘Gmaj7’, ‘A/C#’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bmadd11/A’, ‘Bmadd11/G#’, ‘G’, ‘D/A’, ‘A’, ‘Asus2’, ‘F#’, ‘Bm’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘Asus4’, ‘A’, ‘Asus2’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s the list of chords you provided for Verse 1, with the Roman numeral analysis.

– D (‘I’)
– Gmaj7 (‘IVmaj7’)
– A/C# (‘V6’)
– F#m (‘iii’)
– Bm (‘vi’)
– Bmadd11/A (‘viadd11/5’)
– Bmadd11/G# (‘viadd11/#4’)
– G (‘IV’)
– D/A (‘I/5’)
– A (‘V’)
– Asus2 (‘Vsus2’)
– F# (‘III’)
– Bm (‘vi’)
– D (‘I’)
– Em (‘ii’)
– G (‘IV’)
– A (‘V’)
– Asus4 (‘Vsus4’)
– A (‘V’)
– Asus2 (‘Vsus2’)

Similar Chord Progressions

For similar chord progressions, we could look at these songs –

1. Let it Be – The Beatles: [‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’]
2. Imagine – John Lennon: [‘C’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘F’, ‘C’]

They share similar characteristic traits of augmentation, inversions and stepwise bass movement although they are not exactly identical.

Musical Analysis

The verse progression begins with a relatively straightforward I-IV-V, common in pop and rock music. However, the beauty lies in its creative use of various chord inversions and added note chords. For instance, the use of A/C# (‘V6’) and then transitioning to F#m (‘iii’) results in a smooth stepwise bass movement. Similarly, the use of Bmadd11/A and Bmadd11/G# gives the progression a sophisticated feel.

The ‘III’ chord or F#, is a ‘borrowed chord’ from D major’s parallel minor (D minor). It’s used to create a brief tension that is relieved immediately by moving to Bm (‘vi’) chord.

Overall Analysis

Elton John’s melody for “Your Song” is an elegant example of varied harmonization and creative chord usage. The verse chord progression is in the key of D Major, but employs the use of borrowed chords and modulation for enhancing musical flavour and interest.

Style Analysis

The chord choices in “Your Song” reflect Elton John’s classical influences, yet maintain a pop sensibility. The added note chords and inversions provide an ornate harmonic texture typical of his style and the era in which the song was written. More importantly, the resultant stepwise bass movement and voice leading keep the progression engaging for the listeners.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Your Song by Elton John are:

[‘D’, ‘Gmaj7’, ‘A/C#’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bmadd11/A’, ‘Bmadd11/G#’, ‘G’, ‘D/A’, ‘A’, ‘Asus2’, ‘F#’, ‘Bm’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘Asus4’, ‘A’, ‘Asus2’]