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Related Music Theory Alchemy

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“Don’t Look Back In Anger” uses simple yet effective chord progressions common in pop/rock music. It incorporates both major and minor chords, showing some classic pop sensibilities. The song is situated in the key of C Major. Embedded within this progression are instances of borrowed chords – the E7 for instance, is a secondary dominant, often used to inject a bit of tension and to give strong resolution leading into the next chord.

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“Wonderwall” by Oasis is a rock song with folk roots and a melodic pop influence. It uses the alternative rock idiom of harmony, which bestows the song with a sound leaning towards traditional folk and classic pop. The band utilizes common vintage chords mixed with modern progressions to create that identifiable Oasis sound.

The progression for the chorus of “Sometimes It Snows In April” by Prince exhibits a rich mixture of non- diatonic chords and borrowed chords. The tonal center of the song is A, but it doesn’t strictly follow a specific major or minor scale, creating an interesting blend of light and dark tonalities. This characteristic is a common feature in Prince’s works, showing his notable talent for blending the traditional with the unconventional.

This chorus from The Beatles’ “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill” is an example of clever use of common chord transitions with several shifts in tonality. The chord progression uses the tonic key of C Major and F minor, showing complex modulation derived from modal interchange and secondary dominant techniques.

“Cant Buy Me Love” by The Beatles, is a song in the key of C Major, but it has an interesting harmonic structure, especially in the chorus. The song features a number of borrowed and secondary dominant chords to create tension that resolves into the tonic chord. The chorus’s progression can be seen as a series of descending minor thirds, with an unexpected shift to a ii-V-I progression which is quite popular in jazz music.

Oasis – Dont Look Back In Anger – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘Fm6’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm6’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The analysis of the chord progressions is as follows:

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C (I), G (V), Am (vi), E7 (V/vi – Secondary Dominant), F (IV), G (V), C (I), Am (vi), G (V),
C (I), G (V), Am (vi), E7 (V/vi – Secondary Dominant), F (IV), G (V), C (I), Am (vi), G (V),
C (I), G (V), Am (vi), E7 (V/vi – Secondary Dominant), F (IV), G (V), C (I), Am (vi), G (V),
C (I), G (V), Am (vi), F (IV), Fm6 (iv – Borrowed Chord), C (I), G (V), Am (vi), E7 (V/vi – Secondary Dominant),
F (IV), Fm6 (iv – Borrowed Chord), C (I)
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Similar Chord Progressions

Similar progressions can be noticed in tracks from artists across eras and genres. The usage of borrowed chords and secondary dominants is a common musical device.

1. “Let it Be” by The Beatles:
The song has a similar chord progression, including the use of iv in the bridge.
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C (I), G (V), Am (vi), F (IV), C (I), G (V), F (IV), C (I), C7 (V7/IV),
F (IV), A7 (V7/ii – Secondary Dominant), Dm (ii), G (V)
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2. “Hey Jude” by The Beatles:
Here secondary dominants are also a key feature.
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F (I), C (V), C7 (V7/IV), F (I), Bb (IV), F (I), C7 (V7/IV), F (I)
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Musical Analysis

The verses set up a sequence of VI-V which is quite common in the pop/rock genre. However, the use of the E7 chord as a secondary dominant is refreshing, building up tension towards the Am chord.

The Fm6 chord towards the end is a borrowed chord which gives a nice uplifting quality and adds a surprise element to the chord progression.

Overall Analysis

“Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Oasis is written in the key of C major. Although it largely conforms to the traditional progressions expected within this key, the song does feature some interesting variations in the form of borrowed chords coming from the parallel minor key (C minor) – a common technique used in pop and rock music.

Style Analysis

Oasis, a quintessential Britpop band from the 90s, showcases their classic combination of simple yet effective chord progressions. The style often includes elements of traditional British rock, combined with the usage of borrowed chords – a trait highlighted in this song.

Chords in the Chorus section of Dont Look Back In Anger by Oasis are:

[‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘Fm6’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘Fm6’, ‘C’]