Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Sour Times” by Portishead is characterized by dark, brooding sounds and melancholic melodies that gives the song its distinct feel, largely due to the specific chord progression that is used throughout the song. Written in the key of E major, the song makes use of a diverse selection of chords that offers a wider blend of harmonic options to navigate through different moods and tonal landscapes.

“It’s A Fire” by Portishead is a song characterized by its frequent modulations and use of borrowed chords, making it a considerable complexity in terms of harmony. It features transition from key centers and borrowed chords from other keys, which creates tension and resolution creating the signature moody and intense atmosphere Portishead is known for.

**
“Castles Made of Sand” by Jimi Hendrix is a psychedelic rock song characterized by various compositional techniques including chromaticism, borrowed chords, and unexpected chord progressions. The harmonic choices show Hendrix’s innovation as a songwriter, with influences of blues, rock, and jazz. The chord progression in Verse 3 mixes diatonic and non-diatonic chords, creating a sense of tension and release throughout the progression.

**

“Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” by Elton John employs interesting chord progressions and borrows chords from other modes and keys, contributing to its melancholy, yet dynamically expressive mood. The song is set in E minor and uses basic chord progressions, some more sophisticated ones, and many borrowed chords.

“Let It Be” by The Beatles is a song in the key of C Major. The chord progression featured in Verse 3 of the song, C – G – Am – Am/G – Fmaj7 – F6 – C – G – F – C/E – Dm7 – C, is a common progression in pop music. It has a repetitive structure and revolves around the I-V-vi-VI progression.

Portishead – Sour Times – Verse 3

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘C#m’, ‘C’, ‘E/B’, ‘E/G#’, ‘C#m’, ‘C’, ‘E/B’, ‘E/G#’, ‘C#m’, ‘C’, ‘E/B’, ‘E/G#’]

Chord Progression Analysis

**

Together, the chords form the following progression:

`C#m – C – E/B – E/G#`

In relation to the C# minor key, they are:

`C#m (‘i’) – C Major (‘♭VII’) – E Major/B (‘III/V’) – E Major/G# (‘III’)`

This repeats and forms the harmonic foundation for the verse of the song.

The `C Major` is a borrowed chord from the parallel key, C# Major. The `E Major/B` and `E Major/G#` are slash chords that implies a melodic movement in the bass.

“`markdown
Borrowed Chord:
C Major (‘♭VII’)
“`

**

Similar Chord Progressions

**

The use of borrowed chords from the parallel major/minor key is quite common in popular music. Similar chord progressions can be found in the works of Radiohead and The Beatles among others.

For instance, Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” contains a notable borrowed chord progression: `G – B – C – Cm` in the key of G.

`G Major (‘I’) – B Major (‘III’) – C Major (‘IV’) – C Minor (‘iv’)`

The `B Major` is borrowed from the parallel key, G minor, and the `C Minor` is similarly borrowed from G minor.

The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” also showcases a borrowed chord: `A – Amaj7 – A7 – D`.

`A Major (‘I’) – A Major 7th (‘I7’) – A Dominant 7th (‘I7’) – D Major (‘IV’)`

Here, the `A Dominant 7th` is borrowed from the parallel minor key, A minor.

Musical Analysis

**

The chord progression stands out for its brooding and suspenseful atmosphere, which is heightened by the minor key tonality and the use of a borrowed chord. By borrowing the `C Major` chord from the parallel major key, an interesting contrast is created. This along with the atmospheric textures of the song lends a sense of unease and tension to the music.

The `E Major/B` and `E Major/G#` are slash chords, which indicate a specified bass note other than the root of the chord. In this case, the bass note moves from B to G# while the chord remains the same – E Major. This creates a smooth and intricate bass line within the chord progression.

**

Overall Analysis

**

“Sour Times” by Portishead is a song with a complex and intriguing chord progression. It blends minor key tonality with modulations and chromaticism to give it a mysterious and brooding atmosphere. The song is primarily in the key of C# minor and features some borrowed chords and inversions that color the overall progression.

**

Style Analysis

**

“Sour Times” is characteristic of Portishead’s distinctive style, which combines elements of trip hop, downtempo, and electronic music with jazz and film score aesthetics. This chord progression is emblematic of these influences as it uses complex harmonic devices such as borrowed chords and slash chords to create an atmospheric and cinematic musical backdrop.

**

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Sour Times by Portishead are:

[‘C#m’, ‘C’, ‘E/B’, ‘E/G#’, ‘C#m’, ‘C’, ‘E/B’, ‘E/G#’, ‘C#m’, ‘C’, ‘E/B’, ‘E/G#’]