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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.

“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.

“Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song happy to embrace classical music tropes. An orchestral, string-heavy arrangement propels the song, surrounding the listener with a rich tapestry of sound. The grandiose sound of the full orchestra is bolstered by the band’s dual guitars and Billy Corgan’s characteristic singing.

The chord progression in the verse of Radiohead’s “Nude” sets a contemplative and emotive atmosphere. It features a mix of diatonic and borrowed chords, which creates unexpected harmonic shifts that evoke feelings of melancholy. This distinctive harmonic language can be associated with the band’s signature moody sound and has been influential in the indie and alternative rock genres.

The song “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John is brilliantly harmonized, showcasing the great musical arrangement skills of John at his best. Primarily, the song is based in the key of C Major and uses a variety of moving bass lines over mostly diatonic chords in the verses and choruses. There are some key modulations and borrowed chords that give the harmony a rich and complex quality which sets it apart from many contemporary pop songs.

Verse

Elton John – Your Song – Verse 1

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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’]