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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

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 “Every Day Is Exactly The Same” by Nine Inch Nails has a dark and moody atmosphere, characterized by the repetitive chord progression that sets the gloomy tone. This prolific use of chords throughout snippets of the song creates a musical portrait of monotony and disillusion which is reflective of the song’s title and lyrics. Looking at the chords provided from the second verse, this mood is accomplished through the consistent use of minor tonalities and alternation between two power chords – E and C.

“Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones, from their album “Sticky Fingers” (1971), features a fairly straightforward repetitive chord progression of D, A, G, D in the verse. The key here is D Major. This common progression falls into a I-V-IV-I pattern known as a “plagal cadence”. It’s a progression which consists of a major key followed by its dominant (V), then its subdominant (IV), taking us back to the tonic (I).

The song “Yellow” by Coldplay uses a fairly standard pop/rock chord progression in the key of G major. It comprises three chords for the main progression: G Major (I), D Major (V), and Cmaj7 (IV7).

Lizzy McAlpine – Ceilings – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘B7’, ‘C’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
Cadd9 (‘IV add9’),
Em (‘vi’),
Cadd9 (‘IV add9’),
G (‘I’),
D (‘V’),
Cadd9 (‘IV add9’),
Em (‘vi’),
D (‘V’),
Cadd9 (‘IV add9’),
Em (‘vi’),
Cadd9 (‘IV add9’),
G (‘I’),
D (‘V’),
Cadd9 (‘IV add9’),
B7 (‘III7’ – borrowed from the parallel minor),
C (‘IV’),
D (‘V’).
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. I Will Follow You Into the Dark (Death Cab for Cutie)

Chord progression: [F(‘IV’), C(‘I’), Am(‘vi’), F(‘IV’), C(‘I’), C(‘I’), G(‘V’)]

2. Let it Be (The Beatles)

Chord progression: [C(‘I’), G(‘V’), Am(‘vi’), F(‘IV’), C(‘I’), G(‘V’), F(‘IV’), C(‘I’)]

Note: These are comparable instances of the IV – I – vi – V progression appearing in major key songs. However, they do not necessarily implement the same cascading pattern or the exact extended and borrowed chords found in Lizzy McAlpine’s “Ceilings”.

Musical Analysis

The recurring sequence of Cadd9, Em, Cadd9, G, D adds a level of texture and harmonic variety often found in indie folk songs. Its engaging arrangement of IV – vi – IV – I – V is fairly common in popular music as it balances tension and release well.

The B7 chord, which is borrowed from the parallel minor, introduces an interesting tension to the progression – a feature common in pop and folk music.

Overall Analysis

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.

Style Analysis

The predominant use of open voicing and added ninth chords characterize the performative style of indie folk music. Lizzy McAlpine’s compositions often use extensions of simple triadic chords for more complex harmonies and tonal color. This, combined with her thoughtful lyrics and emotive vocal delivery, contributes to her overall narrative and reflective style.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Ceilings by Lizzy McAlpine are:

[‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Em’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘B7’, ‘C’, ‘D’]