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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

“Kiss” by Prince is primarily a rock song that features pop elements. The song utilizes power chords which are common in rock music, having a stripped-down chord structure that highlights the root and the fifth notes of the chord. The defined chord progression listed for Verse 3 is: [‘A5’, ‘D5’, ‘A5’]. This progression lacks the richness of Major or Minor chords but provides a solid, driving rhythm backbone to the song, prioritizing rhythmic energy over harmonic complexity.

The song “Yesterday” by The Beatles is in the key of F major and spans chord I to VI. It is characterized by a deeply expressive melody and distinctive harmony. The chord progression seems simple, yet it makes full use of secondary dominants, borrowed chords, and subtly shifting tonal centers for narrative, which is a trademark of The Beatles’s songwriting style.

The chord progression of the chorus in Beck’s “Girl Acoustic” is relatively simple and straightforward, yet effective in creating a memorable and catchy tune. The song is in the key of A major, and the progression maintains a predominantly diatonic harmony.

The chord progression in the chorus of “Lost Cause” by Beck showcases a simple yet effective pattern utilizing major chords and a dominant seventh chord, which creates tension and resolution throughout the progression. The song is in C major, and the chords predominantly follow the diatonic harmony of the key. The style is reminiscent of folk and alternative rock, with the harmony playing a significant role in evoking a sense of melancholy in the listener.

Prince – When Doves Cry – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’]

Chord Progression Analysis

It’s a repeated Am-G-Em-F-G progression, each chord lasts for 1 beat, with minor alterations as the song progresses:

In the key of A minor (Am):
Amaj – A minor (‘i’)
GMaj – G Major (‘VII’)
em – E minor (‘v’)
fm – F Major (‘VI’)
g – G Major (‘VII’)

Note: In the key of A minor, the G Major acts as a borrowed chord from A Major.

Similar Chord Progressions

A similarly distinct chord progression can be found in Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry”. This is in the key of C, however, you can find similar shifts between a major I (C Major), a VII (Bb), a vi (Am), and a V (G Major). The song “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King uses a similar progression, namely in the key of A Major, uses I (A Major), VI (F# minor), IV (D Major), V (E Major), this progression also has a similar feel.

Remember, many songwriters use similar progressions but the distinctive sound of the song comes from the rhythm, tempo, instrumentation, and of course, the melody and lyrics. Each element contributes to creating a unique song.

Musical Analysis

From a tonal perspective, the progression doesn’t perfectly follow traditional Western theory norms and instead adopts the artist’s personal style to give the song its distinctive feel. The repeated descending bass sequence from the Am to the Em creates a somber tone, but the move to the F Major uplifts the mood slightly. This back and forth gives a musical representation of the dramatic and emotional themes of the song.

Overall Analysis

“The song When Doves Cry” by Prince features a very distinctive chord progression in its chorus section. Technically the song is written in a minor key, but the progression tends to flow in a way that feels almost like a major key at times. This is a common characteristic of many Prince songs, signifying the unique and innovative style of the artist.

Style Analysis

Prince often employed unconventional chord progressions in his songs and “When Doves Cry” is no exception. The sequence doesn’t present a clear tonal resolution. Instead, it feels like an ongoing loop, which adds to the haunting and suspenseful tone of the track.

Chords in the Chorus section of When Doves Cry by Prince are:

[‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘G’]