Music Theory Alchemy

Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

**

“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.

**

“All My Loving” by The Beatles is written in the key of D Major. It’s pop and rock style includes elements of British Invasion and Merseybeat. It shows a common chord progression modified with additional chords and modulation.

**

The overall chord progression of “A Hard Days Night” by The Beatles fluctuates between major and minor keys which adds a level of emotional complexity to the song. The use of borrowed chords and unique transitions makes it a noteworthy piece in the realm of 20th-century popular music.

**

“Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. is a sample gold mine for those interested in jazz, soul, and RnB influenced chord progressions. This song, co-written with Bill Withers, perfectly illustrates the fusion of jazz and pop music. The song is primarily in C Major key but it makes significant use of secondary dominant chords, and borrowed chords from parallel keys which are typical characteristics of jazz-inflected pop.

Queen – Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy – Solo

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘E7/G#’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘Fm’, ‘Em’, ‘Fm7’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm7’, ‘F’, ‘G7’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
‘C’ (I),
‘G7/B’ (V7/IV),
‘Am’ (vi),
‘Em’ (iii),
‘F’ (IV),
‘C’ (I),
‘G7/B’ (V7/IV),
‘Am’ (vi),
‘E7/G#’ (V7/vi),
‘Am’ (vi),
‘Em’ (iii),
‘Am’ (vi),
‘Em’ (iii),
‘Dm’ (ii),
‘Fm’ (iv)*,
‘Em’ (iii),
‘Fm7’ (iv7)*,
‘C’ (I),
‘G/B’ (V/IV),
‘Am’ (vi),
‘Em’ (iii),
‘Dm7’ (ii7),
‘F’ (IV),
‘G7’ (V7)
“`
Asterisk (*) denotes the borrowed chords.

Similar Chord Progressions

“Yesterday” by The Beatles also employs a similar technique of borrowing chords from the parallel minor key. McCartney uses an F major chord in the key of F major but also borrows F minor from the parallel minor key, producing a poignant effect.

“A Day In The Life” by The Beatles makes use of chromatic movement in its chord progression, adding interest and complexity to the harmony.

“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys utilizes a lot of borrowed and secondary dominants in its progression, similar to this Queen song.

“Radio Ga Ga” by Queen uses a similar alternating progression between relative major/minor tonalities.

Musical Analysis

The progression starts on the tonic ‘C’ chord, then moves to ‘G7/B’, a secondary dominant of the mediant ‘Em’. The ‘Am’ chord is the relative minor of ‘C’. ‘Fm’ and ‘Fm7’ are borrowed chords from the parallel minor (C minor), creating a striking color change in the tonality. These borrowed chords add a sense of surprise and interest by disrupting the expected diatonic chords.

The mirror progression of ‘Am-Em’ and ‘Em-Am’ adds a cyclical feeling to the solo, springboarding us between relative major/minor tonalities.

Overall Analysis

“Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” by Queen from the album “A Night at the Opera” is essentially written in the key of C major. The song includes an intricate and quite peculiar chord progression full of chromatic and borrowed chords, highly characteristic of Queen’s eccentric and unique style of songwriting. In particular, Freddie Mercury, the primary songwriter, often incorporated complex harmonic structures from classical music into their rock/pop context.

The complexity and richness of the harmonics is among the aspects that make Queen’s songs stand out and, in this specific track, it contributes to the song’s upbeat yet nostalgic feel.

Style Analysis

Queen’s music often blends elements of rock, pop, and classical music, and this song is no exception. The frequent changes of chords and the use of borrowed chords are more akin to jazz and classical music than to rock, but the rhythm and arrangement present these chords in a pop context.

Through borrowed chords from the parallel minor and dramatic shifts between different tonal areas, the chord progression exudes a dramatic, theatrical quality, perfectly fitting Queen’s flamboyant musical style.

Chords in the Solo section of Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen are:

[‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘G7/B’, ‘Am’, ‘E7/G#’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘Fm’, ‘Em’, ‘Fm7’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘Am’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm7’, ‘F’, ‘G7’]