Music Theory Alchemy

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The chord progression of the given segment from Muse’s “Apocalypse Please” reflects the band’s signature blend of rock, electronic, and classical music. The progression is in the key of F# minor and features some chromaticism and modal mixture, which is quite common in their style of music. The harmonic rhythm is mostly consistent, and the chords utilized provide a strong sense of direction and resolution throughout the verse.

“Hysteria” by Muse is a song with a heavy rock style, featuring a powerful bassline and distorted guitars. The chord progression mentioned is present in the first verse of the song. This progression is characterized by the use of standard tonal harmony and minor key tonality, with some slight variations that are typical in rock music.

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The song, ‘Across the Universe’ by The Beatles is uniquely complex in its melody and chord progression. The song modulates or shifts key but is rooted mainly in D major. The song utilizes the standard rock/pop song structure of Verse, Chorus, and Outro. The unusual facet of this song’s composition is the use of borrowed chords (non-diatonic chords) that add unexpected twists to an otherwise typical chord progression.

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The song “3 Libras Acoustic Live” by A Perfect Circle oscillates between an A major and a C# minor structure, with a D major introduced at the end of the progression. The dominant chords are A (represented as Asus2) and C# (represented as C#m). The final D chord can be seen as a modulation, adding a somewhat unexpected resolution that doesn’t adhere to the traditional rules of tonic-dominant resolution in either major or minor keys.

Kali Uchis’ “Telepatia” features a relatively simple two-chord progression in the outro, consisting of a major seventh chord followed by a dominant seventh chord. The harmonic texture is sparse yet effective, with a unique, ethereal atmosphere created by the interplay between the two chords.

Muse – Apocalypse Please – Outro

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Chord Progression

C#5, F#m/C#, C#5, F#m, D5, B5, C#5, F#5

Chord Progression Analysis

C#5 (‘I5’), F#m/C# (‘ii2’), C#5 (‘I5’), F#m (‘ii’), D5 (‘bIV5’), B5 (‘bvi5’), C#5 (‘I5’), F#5 (‘IV5’)

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Radiohead – Karma Police:
Am (‘I’), G (‘bVII’), D (‘IV’), G (‘bVII’), C (‘bIII’), Bm (‘ii’), E (‘V’)

2. The Beatles – Let It Be:
C (‘I’), G (‘V’), Am (‘vi’), F (‘IV’), C (‘I’), G (‘V’), F (‘IV’), C (‘IV’)

3. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Under The Bridge:
Dmaj7 (‘IVmaj7’), F#m7 (‘vi7’), Gmaj7 (‘bVII7’), Am7 (‘i7’)

Note that these chord progressions are not exactly the same but do share similar elements with the progression in Muse’s “Apocalypse Please,” such as the use of power chords, diatonic chords with occasional chromatic movement, and rock/pop influences.

Musical Analysis

The chord progression starts with C#5, a power chord rooted in the home key of C# minor, which then moves to F#m/C#, the iim7 of the key, with the same C# root note. This creates a sense of tension and movement, despite the shared root note. The progression then continues with C#5 and F#m again, maintaining this tension and resolution dynamic.

The next chord, D5, contains a chromatic note (D natural) as it is the flattened 4th scale degree, acting as a bIV5 chord. This creates more tension and a sense of dissonance in the music. Following D5, we have B5, a power chord version of the vi7 chord in C# minor (instead of Bm as it would be borrowed from the parallel major). The chord progression concludes with the familiar C#5 and F#5, making the connection with the previous repetitions and resolving to the IV5 chord to finish.

Overall Analysis

The outro of Muse’s “Apocalypse Please” features a mix of power chords and triadic chords, with predominant iim7 and IV triads along with some embellishing chords. The piece has a rock-based style, with the emphasis on power chords, a driving rhythm, and intense dynamics. The chord progression borrows elements from different genres, such as pop and classical, with some interesting chromatic movement.

Style Analysis

The inclusion of power chords (5 chords) and the driving rhythm make this progression distinctly rock-based. Muse is known for blending rock elements with other genres like classical and pop, and this is evident in the chord progression. The use of mostly diatonic chords with some chromatic movement is a common occurrence in Muse’s music, creating moments of tension and resolution.

Chords in the Outro section of Apocalypse Please by Muse are:

C#5, F#m/C#, C#5, F#m, D5, B5, C#5, F#5