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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Bohemian Rhapsody”, composed by Queen, is a powerful anthem that merges elements of rock, opera, and progressive music. The chord progression demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of voice leading and functional harmony, contributing to its distinctive sound. Famous for its key changes and thematic progressions, the composition is often cited as an example of Freddie Mercury’s musical genius.

“Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen exhibits rich harmonic complexity that falls within the signature rock style of the band. This is evident in the fluctuation between major and minor chord quality, frequent use of 7th chords as well as borrowed chords from the parallel minor. The progression moves fluidly between the tonics, subdominants, and dominants, with a strong cadential movement towards the end that resolves the tension built upon earlier in the piece.

The key of the song is D major which makes it easier to analyze the chord progression according to the diatonic scale in the key of D Major.

The song “Let It Happen” by Tame Impala, which is in the key of A Major, uses a simple yet effective chord progression during its outro. The common pattern of I-vi-IIIIV (Major-minor-Suspended 4) recurs throughout. The G#sus4 chord provides a moment of tension before resolving back to the tonic and restarting the pattern. The progression concludes with an Emaj7 chord, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor.

The chord progression “[‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘D’]” from the outro of Weezer’s “The Good Life” is a simple, yet effective progression in the key of E minor. It demonstrates a melancholic feel common to alternative rock and power-pop music genres of the 1990s. The chords in this progression are borrowed from the E natural minor scale.

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

“`
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’]