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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is a multi-genre masterpiece that incorporates elements of ballad, opera, and hard rock, showcasing Queen’s versatility and musical potential. The song is mainly in the key of Bb major, but it aggressively utilizes modulations, chromaticism, borrowed chords, and modally mixed chords. The given chord progression is from the verse that follows the opera section, here Queen offers an unusual, nuanced chord progression that complements the surrounding sections.

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“Somebody To Love” by Queen is a classic rock ballad in the key of G major, drawing heavily from influences of gospel music and blues progressions. Its bridge, aside from the characteristic gospel and rock elements, includes a modulating progression that is particularly interesting due to its use of borrowed chords, which adds contrast and emphasizes the emotive quality of the song.

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This chord progression from Radiohead’s “You And Whose Army” is in the key of C# minor, and the chords are predominantly composed of diatonic chords from the C# natural minor scale with some borrowed chords from the parallel major scale. The progression follows a looped pattern, creating a hypnotic and catchy quality which is characteristic of Radiohead’s music.

The outro of “Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix uses a descending circle of fifths chord progression, which is a very common progression in many styles of music, particularly in the Baroque period and in blues-based rock music. The progression features a steady descent through the Circle of Fifths that creates a strong sense of harmony and resolution. In this context, Jimi Hendrix uses the progression to create tension and momentum, which is appropriate for an outro section.

The outro of George Benson’s “Give Me The Night” features a smooth, soulful chord progression that is common to jazz, R&B, and pop music. The progression has a descending movement with alternating minor 7th and major 7th chords. This repetition creates a sense of ambience and resolution, making it an ideal conclusion to the song.

Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody – Outro

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Chord Progression

[‘Eb’, ‘Bb/D’, ‘Cm’, ‘Bdim7’, ‘Cm’, ‘Bdim7’, ‘Cm’, ‘Bb7’, ‘Eb’, ‘D’, ‘Gm’, ‘Ab’, ‘Eb’, ‘Cm’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘Abm’, ‘Ab/Bb’, ‘Eb’, ‘Bb’, ‘F’, ‘Abdim’, ‘Gm7’, ‘F’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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Eb Major (‘I’),
Bb Major/D (‘V/I’),
Cm (‘vi’),
Bdim7 (‘vii°7’),
Cm (‘vi’),
Bdim7 (‘vii°7’),
Cm (‘vi’),
Bb7 (‘V7’),
Eb Major (‘I’),
D Major (‘SubV/mii’),
Gm (‘iii’),
Ab Major (‘IV’),
Eb Major (‘I’),
Cm (‘vi’),
Gm (‘iii’),
Cm (‘vi’),
Gm (‘iii’),
Cm (‘vi’),
Ab Minor (‘iv’),
Ab Major/Bb (‘IV/V’),
Eb Major (‘I’),
Bb Major (‘V’),
F Major (‘II’),
Abdim (‘VII dim’),
Gm7 (‘iii7’),
F Major (‘II’)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. ‘Life on Mars’ by David Bowie also makes use of similar drastic modulations and borrowed chords.
2. ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin has a similar progression, especially in the part where it modulates from A minor to A major.
3. ‘Because’ by The Beatles where the chromatic and borrowed chords used throughout have a comparable feel.

These example songs share the unpredictable yet structured progression found in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ with their own unique twists.

Musical Analysis

This chord progression in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ starts firmly in the key of Eb Major, with a strong I-V (Eb-Bb/D) movement setting the tonal center. The sequence of Cm and Bdim7 cadences also reinforces the tonality of Eb major. However, the D Major chord presents a modulation, briefly setting the tonality in the realm of the parallel minor (Eb minor). Following this, the progression modulates back to the original key, shown by the Gm and Ab Major chords.

The subsequent sequence of Gm and Cm adds tension before a deceptive resolution to Ab Minor, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key. The progression concludes on the I chord (Eb Major), followed by a shift to the II chord (F Major). The use of Abdim, Gm7, and F Major enriches the harmonic texture while creating a sense of an impending resolution.

Overall Analysis

The chord progression in the famous outro of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ illustrates the eccentricity Queen was known for throughout their discography. This section consists of bold modulations, chromatic chord progressions, and borrowed chords, showing off Freddie Mercury’s compositional sophistication and creativity. It’s evident that Mercury’s influence for this song came from various musical genres, including progressive rock, classical, and operatic music.

Style Analysis

Queen perfectly merges rock with classical influences in this chord progression. They weren’t afraid to use non-diatonic chords and modulations for a more dramatic, engaging sound. The mix of major and minor chords, the use of borrowed chords, and quick modulations are testament to the complexity and daring nature of Queen’s songwriting.

Chords in the Outro section of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen are:

[‘Eb’, ‘Bb/D’, ‘Cm’, ‘Bdim7’, ‘Cm’, ‘Bdim7’, ‘Cm’, ‘Bb7’, ‘Eb’, ‘D’, ‘Gm’, ‘Ab’, ‘Eb’, ‘Cm’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘Gm’, ‘Cm’, ‘Abm’, ‘Ab/Bb’, ‘Eb’, ‘Bb’, ‘F’, ‘Abdim’, ‘Gm7’, ‘F’]