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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The key of the song is D major which makes it easier to analyze the chord progression according to the diatonic scale in the key of D Major.

“`plaintext
D Major (I)
E Minor (ii)
G Major (IV)
B Minor (vi)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
D Major (I)
E Minor (ii)
G Major (IV)
B Minor (vi)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
“`

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The given chord progression is from the verse of Beck’s song “Morning.” The progression is in the key of E Major and follows a cyclical pattern throughout the verse.

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The chord progression in Welcome To The Machine by Pink Floyd features a combination of diatonic chords and some extensions to create a lush, ethereal sound. The progression mainly circulates around the key of E minor, with added color tones and an emotional center created by the interplay of chords such as the major 7th and the addition of the 9th degree to certain chords.

The song “The Outsider” by A Perfect Circle frequently uses the chord progression [‘B’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’] in the key of E major. When viewing the chords through the lens of E major we can identify the chord progression as ii, ii, V, I. Furthermore, It shows some interesting harmonic decisions throughout. Most notably, the band makes use of borrowed chords which are chords taken from the parallel minor (in this case E minor). Here, the borrowed chords include A major and C major.

Goo Goo Dolls – Iris – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘A’, ‘G’]

Chord Progression Analysis

For Verse 1: [‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘A’, ‘G’]

Here is the

Similar Chord Progressions

“Iris” is an example of the band’s mixture of intimate, heart-on-the-sleeve lyricism with catchy, anthemic pop/rock. These chords are often used in rock, pop, and folk to create a deep emotional resonance. The repetition of the progression throughout the song could symbolize the ongoing struggle of the song’s protagonist in expressing his or her feelings.

Musical Analysis

“`
D Major (I)
E minor (ii)
G Major (IV)
B minor (vi)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
D Major (I)
E minor (ii)
G Major (IV)
B minor (vi)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
“`

Overall Analysis

“Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls is a song in the key of D Major, and uses a very common pop/rock chord progression. The sheer repetition of the progression throughout the verse establishes a solid harmonic background upon which the melody can freely roam. Chords include the primary triads (I, IV, V) which are D, G, A, minor variations of the secondary triads (ii, iii, vi), which are Em, F#m, Bm.

Style Analysis

This chord progression firmly establishes the key of D major (I). The progression moves from the tonic D Major to the predominant (the chords that set up/lead to the dominant, V) E minor (ii) and G Major (IV) chords. Right after that, the chord progression jumps to B minor (vi), which is relative to D Major. Then it falls to the dominant A Major (V), and returns to the subdominant G major (IV). This journey from tonic through relative minor and back adds an undertone of complexity to the progression’s otherwise straight-forward major sound.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Iris by Goo Goo Dolls are:

[‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘A’, ‘G’]