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The song “Hallelujah” written by Leonard Cohen and popularly covered by Jeff Buckley is a solemn ballad consisting of poetic lyrics set to a haunting melody. This particular chord progression in Verse 4 highlights the song’s delicate balance between tension and resolution. The tonality revolves around C major, with deviations into other tonal areas, which adds complexity and emotional impact.

“Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley is a popular and iconic song that showcases Jeff Buckley’s unique vocal talent and emotional delivery. The song is in the key of C major and features a simple yet effective chord progression. The song’s memorable melody is accompanied by guitar, which uses arpeggiated fingerpicking. This adds to its musical depth and also creates dynamic rhythmic interest. The song builds in intensity as it progresses, and this, along with the powerful lyrics, contributes to the overall emotional impact of the piece.

The chord progression in the outro of “Fake Plastic Trees” by Radiohead utilizes some common and some less common harmonic devices. The piece employs diatonic chords with some added extensions, giving a sense of tension and release. Furthermore, the progression is in the key of A major, which contributes to the overall tonality and harmonic structure.

“Someone to Love” by Queen exhibits a blend of rock and gospel music, showcasing their musical brilliance and theatrical elements. The chord progression forms a classic example of a departure from the typical I-IV-V root progression seen in much of popular western music, demonstrating Queen’s ingenious writing style.

“Dazed and Confused” by Led Zeppelin is an iconic rock song that features a descending bass line and bluesy chord progressions. The outro takes on a more aggressive tone and the chords are power chords, which give the song a heavy sound. These power chords, mixed with the syncopated rhythm and the blues-rock influences, contribute to the song’s unique character.

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah – Outro

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Chord Progression

F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, Am, F, G, C

Chord Progression Analysis

F Major (IV), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), C Major (I), F Major (IV), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), C Major (I), F Major (IV), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), C Major (I), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), G Major (V), C Major (I)

Borrowed chords:
None

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Leonard Cohen – “Hallelujah” (original version): This song shares its chord progression with Jeff Buckley’s cover, as it’s the source material. The progression is similar, but Cohen’s version features a slightly more sparse arrangement.

2. Bob Dylan – “Make You Feel My Love”: This song has a chord progression sharing similarities with Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah.” It features a key of G Major and shares the same cyclical nature of repetitive progressions: G (I), D (V), G (I), C (IV), G (I), D (V), G (I), C (IV), D (V), G (I)

3. The Beatles – “Let It Be”: This classic song shares similar harmonic ideas with “Hallelujah,” including the IV – V – I resolution at the end of the progression, which creates a strong sense of conclusion. The chord progression is as follows: C Major (I), G Major (V), A minor (vi), F Major (IV), C Major (I), G Major (V), F Major (IV), C Major (I)

Musical Analysis

The chord progression begins with the IV – vi – IV (F – Am – F) movement, which helps to establish the tonal center of C Major, despite not starting on the tonic chord. This creates a level of tension that is resolved when the C Major chord is finally introduced. The I – V – I (C – G – C) movement is a classic progression that strengthens the resolution and emphasizes the tonal center.

The progression repeats the first eight chords before introducing a slight variation in the subsequent chords. This allows for a sense of familiarity, as well as emphasizing the cyclical nature of the outro section.

The outro finishes on a I – IV – V – I (C – F – G – C) progression, solidifying a strong ending to the piece. The combination of chord movements in the outro creates a sense of finality while adding emotion to the piece through the use of minor chords and the IV – V – I movement.

Overall Analysis

The outro of Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” features a chord progression in the key of C Major. It includes common chords from the key, as well as some borrowed chords from the parallel minor key (C minor), which adds a level of tension and emotion to the progression. The outro has a cyclical nature, with the chords leading smoothly back into the beginning and building a sense of conclusion.

Style Analysis

Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” is a cover of Leonard Cohen’s original song, and the chord progression seen in the outro is influenced by the original version. It features a folky, singer-songwriter style that breaks away slightly from the primarily guitar-driven chord progressions often used in popular music of the time.

Chords in the Outro section of Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley are:

F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, F, Am, F, C, G, C, Am, F, G, C