Music Theory Alchemy

Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Sometimes It Snows In April” is commonly recognised as a hauntingly beautiful ballad that features gentle, intricate piano work and tender vocals. Musically, it explores a slightly complex harmonic structure that creates a profound emotive sound spectrum.

“When Doves Cry” by Prince features an unorthodox chord progression compared to many pop or rock songs from the era. The chord progression in the Outro as well as throughout the song remains constant, which underscores the plaintive mood of the song and lyrics. The progression: Em – F – G in the Outro contains borrowed chords from the parallel minor. This introduces a sense of ambiguity to the overall tonality.

Verse 3 of Radiohead’s Motion Picture Soundtrack features a melancholic and non-functional chord progression that showcases the band’s use of interesting chord voicings as well as the mixture of major and minor modalities. The progression revolves around the G major, and shifts between borrowed chords and non-conventional chord extensions such as the sus2 chord. This approach is typical of alternative rock bands like Radiohead, which often stray away from traditional norms in favor of innovative and evocative harmonies.

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles is one of the band’s early hits noted for its crafty melodic hooks and harmonic structure attesting to their evolving musical sophistication. The chord progression of Verse 3 is a great reflection of this, using classic pop songwriting techniques such as the predominant use of I, IV and V chords along with a borrowed chord from another mode, that add to the emotional depth of the song.

Let It Happen’ by Tame Impala employs an accessible and effective chord progression, usual in pop/rock music, yet has unusualness due to the usage of the G#sus4 chord, providing a unique tonal flavor and emotional quality. There is a striking use of harmonic contrast and a continuous return and release of tension throughout the song. This creates an immersive cyclical quality, complementing the song’s theme of embracing inevitable moments and experiences.

Prince – Sometimes It Snows In April – Verse 3

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

Chord Progression

[‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’, ‘Amaj9’, ‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’, ‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’, ‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Eadd9 (Iadd9)
F#7add11 (II7add11)
Amaj9 (IVmaj9)
Eadd9 (Iadd9)
F#7add11 (II7add11)
Eadd9 (Iadd9)
F#7add11 (II7add11)
Eadd9 (Iadd9)
F#7add11 (II7add11)

Note: In regards to borrowed chords as per your request, none of these chords are borrowed from a parallel mode. All of these chords fit functionally within E major.

“`No borrowed chords in this progression“`

Similar Chord Progressions

– “Purple Rain” by Prince
Chord Progression: Bbsus2 (Isus2), F (V), Gmadd9 (viiadd9), F (V), Ebadd9 (IVadd9), Bb (I)

– “Michelle” by The Beatles
Chord Progression: Fm7 (iim7), Bb9 (V9), Ebmaj7 (Imaj7), Ab6 (IV6), Dbmaj7 (bVII), Fm7 (iim7), Db (bV), Bb (V)

– “Peg” by Steely Dan
Chord Progression: A13 (I13), G13 (bVII13), Cmaj9 (IIImaj9), E7#9 (V7#9), Amaj7 (Imaj7), C#m7 (iiim7).

Note: The Roman numerals for the songs by other artists might be different in their respective keys. These examples are transposed to E major for comparison. The function might not exactly match due to the change in the tonal center.

Musical Analysis

The use of the Eadd9 and F#7add11 as the primary chords gives a tonal ambiguity to this progression. Eadd9 is a major chord with an added 2nd/9th, and F#7add11 is a dominant chord with an added 4th/11th. The Amaj9 chord serves as a temporary resolution, but its placement as the IV chord maintains a suspended feeling before returning back to the tension with Eadd9 and F#7add11.

Overall Analysis

“Sometimes It Snows In April” is a song by Prince in the pop style. It’s characterized by its use of extended and added note chords, as seen in the chord progression for Verse 3. This advanced harmonic content gives the song a distinct, rich, and complex musical texture, typical of Prince’s style.

Style Analysis

Prince is known for his distinctive musical style, characterized by sophisticated chord progressions and a unique fusion of different types of music including funk, rock, and pop. This progression is classic Prince, featuring extended chords which give a rich, atmospheric sound, and an interesting mixture of tension and release that draws the listener in.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Sometimes It Snows In April by Prince are:

[‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’, ‘Amaj9’, ‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’, ‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’, ‘Eadd9’, ‘F#7add11’]