Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

The song “Roads” by Portishead features a haunting yet melodic chord progression reminiscent of the minor key-oriented pop/rock of the 90’s. It combines chords from the key of A minor along with a borrowed chord from the parallel major key to create a moody, atmospheric soundscape typical of the trip-hop genre.

“Glory Box” by Portishead from the album Dummy (1994) presents a haunting and somewhat melancholy ambience commonly found in their trademark trip-hop style. This song, in particular, draws from a palette of jazz-influenced harmony. The chords used, their extensions, and inversions, conjure complexity beyond basic triadic harmony. The chord progression listed appears to be in the key of D minor and employs common jazz techniques like ii-V-I progressions and usage of the half-diminished chord.

The chord progression of Verse 1 from Radiohead’s “Motion Picture Soundtrack” features a fairly simple harmony with some unique embellishments. The common use of suspended chords and added extensions give the progression its distinctive atmosphere and modern sound.

“Hey You” by Pink Floyd is a prog-rock song featured on their iconic album, “The Wall.” Its chord progression showcases a unique blend of chords that creates a sense of yearning and emotional intensity. The use of borrowed chords from parallel keys enhances the song’s emotive quality, and the overall structure shows a level of harmonic sophistication typical of Pink Floyd’s work.

The song “Purple Rain” by Prince is a classic and showcases some interesting use of chord progressions. The key of the song is G major. The classic, popular music formula is present in the use of common chords like I, ii, IV, V which are all diatonic within the key. Noticeably, this song opts for a more simplistic, cyclical chord progression structure that emphasizes repetition of strong melodic lines.

Portishead – Roads – Verse 1

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘Fma7’, ‘E7’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’]

Chord Progression Analysis

– Am (‘i’)
– G6 (‘♭VII6’)
– Fmaj7 (‘♭VIΔ7’)
– E7 (‘V7’)

(Note: ‘♭VIΔ7’ (Fmaj7) is a borrowed chord)

Similar Chord Progressions

– Radiohead – “Paranoid Android”: [‘Am’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘Gmaj7’, ‘Cmaj7’]
– Tame Impala – “Yes I’m Changing”: [‘Am’, ‘Gmaj’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘E7’]

Though not identical, these songs share a similar use of the ‘♭VIΔ7’ chord (Fmaj7) and resolve to a dominant 7th. This creates a similar mood and feel between these songs and “Roads” by Portishead.

Musical Analysis

This intriguing progression forms the verse’s primary harmonic structure. It traverses from the tonic i (Am), to the flat major 7th (‘♭VIΔ7’; Fmaj7), and finally to the dominant 7th (V7; E7). This creates unpredictability as it doesn’t follow a standard harmonic motion usually found in popular music. Emphasizing on the E7 chord’s tension, it calls for a resolution that returns us to the tonic (i, Am).

Overall Analysis

“Roads” by Portishead is set in the key of Am, also known as A minor. In the verse, there is an interesting use of the flat major 7 (Fmaj7) chord. This chord is not typically found within the natural minor key but is considered a borrowed chord from the A major key. Thus, this use of said borrowed chord and its resolution to the E7 dominants gives the song a unique feel, contributing to its mesmerizing and emotive ambience. Portishead tends to blend the use of A minor and A Dorian modality in their music, especially apparent in this composition.

Style Analysis

Portishead is known for their trip-hop genre. Their style often fuses elements of rock, hip-hop, and jazz which is reflected in the mixture of modalities and harmonic progressions used in “Roads”. The use of a ⸗♭VIΔ7 (Fmaj7) chord gives a somewhat jazzy feel to the song. The progression has a poignant and somewhat melancholic vibe that fits well with the overall theme of the song.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Roads by Portishead are:

[‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘Fma7’, ‘E7’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘E7’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’]