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“Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin is a classic rock song that was released in 1969. The song features a signature riff that has become an iconic part of rock and roll history. The chorus of the song features a chord progression based on the alternating pattern of E and D Major chords, creating a groove that is both driving and catchy.

“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin is a classic and iconic rock song released in 1971, as part of their fourth studio album, Led Zeppelin IV. The song is considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time, featuring an intricate chord progression, a memorable melody, and folk-inspired acoustic guitar work. The verse you provided is the second verse of the song, which shares a similar, but not identical chord progression to the other verses. The song is in the key of A minor, and the chord progression showcases a mix of diatonic and borrowed chords, along with a couple of chromatic alterations.

“And I Love Her” is a masterful composition by The Beatles that beautifully demonstrates their ability to mix pop songwriting with complexities of harmonic journey. The song is in the key of E Major, which is unique for being a popular song written by the Beatles in a major key. The main repeating chord progression of the Verse 3 is a progression that modulates between F# minor (the relative minor of A Major, which is the subdominant of E Major), and C# minor (the relative minor of E Major, the original key). The progression’s use of E6 at the end, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor (E minor), adds a unique flavor of sixth interval. Finally, it concludes on E6, a somewhat uncommon way to ground a song within a major key.

The chord progression in Verse 3 of Beck’s “Say Goodbye” features an interesting mixture of diatonic and chromatic chords with noticeable tonal shifts. The progression is G – A# – Am – C – G – A# – Am – C, with an emphasis on the G major key. This progression conveys an expressive and slightly unstable mood, creating tension and release with the inclusion of borrowed and non-diatonic chords.

“Sometimes It Snows In April” is a song by Prince in the pop style. It’s characterized by its use of extended and added note chords, as seen in the chord progression for Verse 3. This advanced harmonic content gives the song a distinct, rich, and complex musical texture, typical of Prince’s style.

Led Zeppelin – Whole Lotta Love – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D

Chord Progression Analysis

D Major (I) – E Major (V)

“`d- e- d- e- d- e- d- e- d- e- d- e- d- e- d- e- d- e- d- e- d“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “Smokestack Lightning” by Howlin’ Wolf (1956)
Chord Progression: C Major (I) – D Major (V)

2. “Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones (1965)
Chord Progression: E Major (I) – D Major (IV) – A Major (V) – E Major (I)

3. “All Day and All of the Night” by The Kinks (1964)
Chord Progression: G Major (I) – A Major (V)

Musical Analysis

“Whole Lotta Love” utilizes the two-chord progression of D Major and E Major. The D Major chord serves as the tonic (I) chord, giving listeners a sense of resolution and stability. The E Major chord is the dominant (V) chord, which produces tension and propels the progression forward. The shift between these two chords creates a bluesy, yet hard rock sound, a distinctive characteristic of the song.

Overall Analysis

“Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin is a hard rock song that was released in 1969. The song features a famous guitar riff with a simple, blues-influenced chord progression. That guitar riff is based on the D and E chords and can be heard throughout the main part of the song. The verse consists of the same primary chords as the riff, with slight variations in the E chord during the iconic “You need cooling” vocal part. The overall harmonic structure of the song with its repeating chords D and E gives it a strong I-V dynamic while staying in the D Mixolydian mode. Additionally, the guitar riff borrows elements of other blues progressions, creating a distinguished sound.

Style Analysis

The style of “Whole Lotta Love” is firmly rooted in the hard rock and blues tradition. The repetitive, heavy guitar riff played throughout the song and the driving rhythm section grounds it in this stylistic framework. The simple, two-chord progression allows the band to maintain an aggressive, driving sound while also highlighting individual instruments, such as the guitar riff, and the vocal performance. Additionally, the structure of the song is somewhat reminiscent of a 12-bar blues, but with a unique twist that sets it apart from traditional blues pieces.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin are:

D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D, E, D