Grover Washington Jr. – Just The Two Of Us – Verse 1
Just The Two Of Us < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’, ‘Dm7’, ‘G7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’, ‘Dm7’, ‘G7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The song is in C Major. Here are the full chord names along with their Roman numeral analysis:
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C Major 7 (‘IMaj7’), B7 (‘bIIMaj7’ – borrowed chord), E minor 7 (‘iiim7’), D minor 7 (‘iim7’), G7 (‘VMaj7’), C Major 7 (‘IMaj7’), B7 (‘bIIMaj7’ – borrowed chord), E minor 7 (‘iiim7’), C Major 7 (‘IMaj7’), B7 (‘bIIMaj7’ – borrowed chord), E minor 7 (‘iiim7’), D minor 7 (‘iim7’), G7 (‘VMaj7’), C Major 7(‘IMaj7’), B7 (‘bIIMaj7’ – borrowed chord), E minor 7 (‘iiim7’)
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The dominant B7 chord is borrowed from the parallel minor key (C minor), hence a borrowed chord.
Similar Chord Progressions
A similar progression can be found in “Isn’t She Lovely” by Stevie Wonder, which likewise uses dominant 7th and minor 7th chords, primarily for a jazzy, soulful aesthetic.
The progression is as follows:
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E Major 7 (‘IMaj7’), A7 (‘IV7’), D Major 7 (‘VIIMaj7’), G#m7 (‘iiim7’), C#m7 (‘iiim7’), C7 (‘bVIIMaj7’ – borrowed chord), F#m7 (‘iim7’), B7 (‘VMaj7’), E Major 7 (‘IMaj7’), A7 (‘IV7’), D Major 7 (‘VIIMaj7’)
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Musical Analysis
The chord progression utilizes an interesting mix of diatonic and chromatic movements. The transition between a Cmaj7 and a B7 uses chromatic motion, dropping the chord by a half step, while the movement from B7 to Em7 is a common dominant-tonic relationship in minor keys.
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Overall Analysis
“Just The Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. is an easy-listening song, falling under R&B and jazz genres. It’s a classic example of the use of major 7th, dominant 7th, and minor 7th chords to create a rich, smooth harmonic texture. The chord progression is quite repetitive and follows a mixture of diatonic and chromatic movement.
Style Analysis
This smooth progression is characteristic of the R&B and jazz influences present in Grover Washington Jr.’s music. The use of 7th chords and chromaticism creates an intricate, mellow sound, giving the song its relaxed and easy-going vibe.
What are the chords in: Grover Washington Jr. – Just The Two Of Us – Verse 1?
[‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’, ‘Dm7’, ‘G7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’, ‘Dm7’, ‘G7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘B7’, ‘Em7’]
