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“Yet Again” by Grizzly Bear uses a repetitive verse structure that has a fairly common, major-oriented progression, but develops interest by alternating the exact sequence of chords that it employs. This gives the song a haunting but familiar atmosphere. The mixture of minor and major chords, along with the presence of a borrowed chord, creates tension and release within each verse.

“Two Weeks” by Grizzly Bear exhibits a common pop chord progression and harmonic rhythm. The chords are primarily in root position, which contributes to the song’s straightforward and accessible sound. Stylistically, the track shows the band’s indie-rock influences and features a prominent piano part that drives the harmony.

The chord progression in Muse’s “Endlessly” from Verse 2 is a mix of diatonic chords and a borrowed chord from the parallel major key. The progression has a melancholic feel, utilizing suspended chords to create tension and release. The use of both minor and major chords provides a balanced sound, giving the piece its unique character.

The chord progression in the verse 2 of Beck’s “Morning” is an example of a common progression in popular music, involving the I, IV, iii, and ii chords. The harmony is mostly diatonic, staying within the key of E major. The progression features regular 4-chord phrases and a smooth, consonant flow between chords.

“Honky Tonk Women” is a classic blues-infused rock and roll track, like many songs by The Rolling Stones. The guitar riffs and solo (though not discussed here) clearly show blues influence in their use of the pentatonic scale and common blues licks.

The chord progression used for verse 2 is a typical example of a classic rock chord progression, with a key center around G, utilizing the dominant chords of the key in a I-IV-I-V-IV-I-IV-I progression.

Grizzly Bear – Yet Again – VERSE 2

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Chord Progression

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

Chord Progression Analysis

“`markdown
A Minor (‘i’), G Major (‘VII’), C Major (‘III’), F Major (‘VI’), F Major (‘VI’), E Minor (‘v’), C Major (‘III’), D Minor (‘iv’)
“`

This is a smooth and coherent progression, primarily because it follows a recognizable pattern. The shift between the I chord (Am), the VII chord (G), the III chord (C), the VI chord (F), and the iv chord (Dm) offers a common movement in music theory.

Similar Chord Progressions

Here are equivalent examples by other artists:
1. Radiohead’s “Exit Music” (for a film): [‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘B’, ‘Dm’]
2. Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon”: [‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘B’, ‘Dm’]
These songs show similar modulatory schemes and thematic structures, adopting a similar compositional approach to Grizzly Bear.

Musical Analysis

The repeated sequence tread between two predominant modalities: A minor and C major. This repetitive progression creates a kind of textural layering, engaging listeners through an ethereal sound as chords alternate between the relative major and minor keys. The two F major chords in a row add a slight twist to the expectation, intensifying the overall progression before resolving back to the tonic.

Overall Analysis

Verse 2 of Grizzly Bear’s “Yet Again” presents a straightforward harmonic progression that is common in pop and indie rock music. This series of chords is mainly built around the key of A minor, and uses diatonic chords (those that naturally occur within the key) of this key. The recurring sequence (Am, G, C, F, F, Em, C, Dm) indicates a strong sense of familiarity and predictability, characteristic of many pop/rock anthologies.

Style Analysis

Grizzly Bear’s harmonic progression in “Yet Again” signifies a common trend in indie rock where songwriters exploit a more complex harmonic language, rotating between standardised major-minor tonalities. The verse embraces a style that emphasizes repetitive progressions, establishing a hypnotic, reflective, and somewhat introverted atmosphere typical of indie bands.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Yet Again by Grizzly Bear are:

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