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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” is a pop song by Elton John from the album “Caribou,” released in 1974. The song is set in the key of C Major, with some interesting chord changes and borrowed chords that are rich and reflective of Elton John’s unique harmonic style. The chorus especially impresses with unexpected chord shifts, demonstrating a sophisticated songwriting technique.

“This Masquerade” by George Benson is a jazz/R&B fusion piece with a smooth and laid-back feel. It features a slightly chromatic and sophisticated chord progression, complete with altered extensions and slash chords, resulting in a rich harmonic texture that is both soulful and intricate. The progression has some similarities to other jazz and R&B chord progressions used by artists such as Stevie Wonder, Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan), and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

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“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” is a song by Elton John written in the key of G major. However, the tonal center of this song fluctuates between G major and its relative minor, Em. Sensitive to the modality of the melody, Elton incorporates “color” via his diverse chord selections. The harmonic movement in this song is richly chromatic, creating a sense of tension and release that intensifies the melancholic aura of the lyrics.

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“Within You Without You” from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, composed by George Harrison, is a unique song in the Beatles’ discography. Musically, it truly merges the essence of Indian classical music with traditional Western music techniques. The chord progression is minimal and largely stays around the key of C major, which enhances the song’s drone-like effect, typical in traditional Indian music.

George Michael – Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Intro

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Chord Progression

[‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C/G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘D7/F#’, ‘C/G’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Gsus’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘C/G’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C/G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘D7/F#’, ‘C/G’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Gsus’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘C/G’, ‘F’, ‘Ab’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘D7/F#’, ‘C/G’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Gsus’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Ab’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The progression in the key of C major can be represented as follows:

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G (V), F (IV), C (I), F (IV), G (V), G (V), F (IV), C (I), F (IV), G (V), G (V), F (IV), C (I), F (IV), G (V),
G (V), F (IV), C (I), F (IV), C/G (I), G (V), C (I), C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), D7/F# (V7/ii), C/G (I), Gsus4 (Vsus4),
G (V), C (I), C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), Dm7 (ii7), Em (iii), Gsus (Vsus), G (V), C (I), C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV),
C/G (I), F (IV), G (V), F (IV), C (I), F (IV), G (V), G (V), F (IV), C (I), F (IV), C/G (I), G (V), C (I),
C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), D7/F# (V7/ii), C/G (I), Gsus4 (Vsus4), G (V), C (I), C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), Dm7 (ii7),
Em (iii), Gsus (Vsus), G (V), C (I), C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), C/G (I), F (IV), Ab (bVI), Bb (bVII), C (I), C (I),
C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), D7/F# (V7/ii), C/G (I), Gsus4 (Vsus4), G (V), C (I), C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), Dm7 (ii7),
Em (iii), Gsus (Vsus), G (V), C (I), C/Bb (bII), F/A (IV), Ab (bVI), Bb (bVII), C (I).
“`

Borrowed Chords:
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‘C/Bb (bII)’, ‘Ab (bVI)’, ‘Bb (bVII)’
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These are examples of borrowed chords, as they derive from the parallel minor scale (here C minor), which is a common technique used in pop songs to add color to a progression.

Similar Chord Progressions

The V – IV – I – IV progression is very common in pop music. It can be found in countless songs, here are a few examples:
– “Let It Be” by The Beatles: C (I), G (V), Am (vi), F (IV)
– “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley: C (I), G (V), Am (vi), Fmaj7 (IV)

The use of borrowed chords can also be seen in songs like:
– “Creep” by Radiohead: G (I), B (III), C (IV), Cm (iv)
– “Every Breath You Take” by The Police: G (I), Em (vi), Bm (iii), C (IV), G (I)

Musical Analysis

The progression follows a fairly common pop pattern of lingering around the I – IV – V area for the majority of the time, but it adds interest with the introduction of the borrowed II˚ chord and the V7/ii secondary dominant. Including the borrowed chords from C minor adds a touch of color and tension that the song resolves in a satisfying manner.

Overall Analysis

“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” by George Michael displays a sophisticated use of common-pop progression with some borrowed chords and secondary dominants. The progression displays the pop and soul music influence, with its powerful use of dominant and subdominant movements.

Style Analysis

“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” is a monumental power ballad, and this progression supports that style. It’s got the grandeur and positive energy of pop, underscored by a soulful edge that’s reinforced by the clever chord choices.

Chords in the Intro section of Dont Let The Sun Go Down On Me by George Michael are:

[‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C/G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘D7/F#’, ‘C/G’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Gsus’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘C/G’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C/G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘D7/F#’, ‘C/G’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Gsus’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘C/G’, ‘F’, ‘Ab’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘D7/F#’, ‘C/G’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Dm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Gsus’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C/Bb’, ‘F/A’, ‘Ab’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’]