Queen – Killer Queen – Bridge 2
Killer Queen < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘E7’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘B7’, ‘Em’, ‘D7’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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For the given chord progression which is part of the Bridge 2 ([‘E7’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘B7’, ‘Em’, ‘D7’]), assuming the song is in the key of A minor (as suggested by most recurrent chords), we have:
– E Dominant 7th (E7) – V7/iv
– A Minor (Am) – i
– G Major (G) – VII
– C Major (C) – III
– B Dominant 7th (B7) – V7/v
– E Minor (Em) – v
– D Dominant 7th (D7) – IV7
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“E7 (V7/iv)”, “Am (i)”, “G (VII)”, “C (III)”, “B7 (V7/v)”, “Em (v)”, “D7 (IV7)”,
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The B7 represents a secondary dominant (noted as V7/v, the dominant of the v chord), and D7 is a borrowed chord from the parallel A major scale (notated as IV7 for such substitutions).
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Similar Chord Progressions
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The Beatles’ song “Something” presents a somewhat similar complexity in chord progression, but it is in the key of C and features borrowed chords and secondary dominants as well. Analyzed in its key, its chord progression in the verse is:
– C Major – I
– Cmaj7 – Imaj7
– C7 – I7 (borrowed from parallel minor)
– F Major – IV
– D7 – II7 (Secondary Dominant/chromatic mediant)
– G Major – V
– A Major – VI (Chromatic Mediant)
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“C Major (I)”, “Cmaj7 (Imaj7)”, “C7 (I7)”, “F Major (IV)”, “D7 (II7)”, “G Major (V)”, “A Major (VI)”
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In conclusion, the use of secondary dominants and borrowed chords is a common and effective technique for enriching chord progressions in pop/rock music, seen both in Queen’s “Killer Queen” and The Beatles’ “Something”.
Musical Analysis
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The overall progression unfolds a smooth voice leading with a clever use of secondary dominants and borrowed chords. Secondary dominants contribute to creating a sense of tension and expectation of going somewhere musically. The borrowed chord, D7, offers a tonal color that diverges from the A minor context, throwing off listeners’ expectations and inserting a nice surprise. It also aids in moving towards the G Major in the next phrase.
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Overall Analysis
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“Killer Queen” is a unique composition with a hybrid style. It manages to combine rock and pop structure with complex harmonic techniques often found in classical and jazz music. Queen’s unique sound can be attributed to Freddie Mercury’s diverse musical influences, hence creating such sophisticated progressions.
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Style Analysis
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Just like many of Queen’s compositions, this song also has a highly theatrical, dramatic feel to it. Queen is famous for blurring genre boundaries, making their music intriguingly familiar yet unexpected. This piece combines elements of pop, rock with touches of jazz harmonies, enriched by both secondary dominants and borrowed chords.
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What are the chords in: Queen – Killer Queen – Bridge 2?
[‘E7’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘B7’, ‘Em’, ‘D7’]
