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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The song “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine is in the key of G Major, employing a mixture of major, minor, and additive chords to create a progression that lends itself to a pop/folk atmosphere. The song is largely composed of diatonic chords in the key of G Major, with an occasional use of a B7, which can be seen as a secondary dominant to Em.

The song “Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine utilizes fairly simple, yet effective, chord changes that are quite common in popular music. This progression primarily takes place in the key of G major, but borrows chords from the parallel minor scale and adds extensions to the chords to add depth and color.

“The Rip” by Portishead is a classic example of the Trip-hop genre. It features simple, yet effective harmonic progressions that offer a melancholic tone which is widely utilized in this genre. The distinctiveness of this particular chord progression lies on its subtle shifting between minor and major tonalities, as well as its use of borrowed chords.

Verse 1

The chord progression throughout this verse of Beck’s “Lost Cause” is predominantly in the key of F Major with some chords from its relative minor (D minor). The use of borrowed chords adds variety and color to the progression, and the alternation between F major and C major chords creates a strong sense of tonality and grounding in the key of F Major. The use of Am and E7 chords provides a brief tension and leaning toward the parallel key of F minor before resolving back to the original key. This adds interest and complexity to the otherwise straightforward progression.

“Somewhere Only We Know” composed by Keane, is a pop-ballad that is based in the key of A Minor. It makes use of both diatonic and borrowed chords in a modern pop style progression that creates an oscillating feel, with repetition for familiarity and simple melody drawn from the underlying chords.

Lizzy McAlpine – Ceilings – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The exact chord progression of the Verse 1 is:
[Cadd9, Em, Cadd9, G, D, Cadd9, Em, D, Cadd9, Em, Cadd9, G, D, Cadd9, Em, D, Cadd9]

“`
Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), Cadd9 (IV), G (I), D (V), Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), D (V),
Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), Cadd9 (IV), G (I), D (V), Cadd9 (IV), Em (vi), D (V), Cadd9 (IV)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” uses a similar chord progression: [E, C#m, A, B]; this transposes to the key of G as [Em, Bm, G, A], which is very similar to McAlpine’s progression.

Coldplay’s “The Scientist” bears a resemblance in its chord progression as well: [Dm, Bb, F, Fsus2]; this transposes to the key of G as [Em, C, G, Gadd9], which again is quite similar to the progression in question.

Please note that these aren’t identical, but they bear similarities in their movement and tonalities.

Note that “E” in Ed Sheeran’s “Photograph” represents Em if it is transposed to G key. Similarly, “Dm” in Coldplay’s “The Scientist” represents Em if it is transposed to G key.

Musical Analysis

This progression, while not entirely standard, borrows largely from popular progressions in contemporary and older pop music, creating a sense of familiarity with a touch of uniqueness.

It starts with Cadd9 and immediately moves to a relative minor chord, Em, before returning to the Cadd9 again. The progression then moves to a V-I perfect cadence, moving from D major to G major, creating a sense of resolution. This pattern (I-IV-V or its variations) is fairly common in many songs.

The Cadd9-Em-D progression is used repeatedly as a motif before the progression closes with the Cadd9. The partial use of the vi-IV-V progression, another very common progression in pop music, results in a compelling journey, as it always feels like it’s in constant motion, and never fully resolved until the end.

Overall Analysis

“Ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine, draws its magic from a mix of interesting chord progressions and different rhythms. The use of added notes in several chords (Cadd9, Emadd9) introduces additional color into the mix, creating a rich and thoughtful atmosphere. The tonality of the song is in G Major, despite the liberal use of the Cadd9 in the progression. We’ll use this tonality for the Roman numerals.

Style Analysis

This pattern of chord progression is typical of a pop ballad style song. The added ninth notes add a sense of dreaminess and musical complexity to the piece, as they introduce a level of tension and release within the chords, adding to the ebb and flow of the emotional content in the lyrics and melody.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine are:

[‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’]