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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Love Of My Life” by Queen, especially Verse 3, showcases a mix of simple and complex harmony, with many secondary dominants, borrowed chords, and diminished chords contributing to varying and shifting tonal centres. This makes for an emotional and contextually appropriate progression that fits well with the song’s lyrical content.

“Save Me” by Queen is a rock ballad that uses a complex mix of traditional popular song structures and common rock chord progressions. The song structure is largely verse-chorus, but then there’s a bridge serving as the solo section, and finally ends with repeating choruses. The chord progression for the chorus utilizes a variety of chord inversions, diatonic chords, and non-diatonic or borrowed chords, which are typical of Queen’s music style.

“Say It Ain’t So” by Weezer is an alternative rock song with a sense of melancholy in the verse and a catchy, anthemic chorus. The verse chords, which you provided, create a strong sense of movement and harmonic interest by using borrowed chords and a combination of diatonic and chromatic chord progressions.

The song “Closer” by Nine Inch Nails is based primarily around the C minor 7 chord, giving the song its dark and moody atmosphere. The song is in the key of C minor. This chord progression is repetitive and simple, allowing other aspects of the song, such as the lyrics and production, to take center stage.

The chord progression in Verse 2 of Beck’s “Say Goodbye” showcases a unique blend of chords that are not commonly heard together in popular music. The mix of major, minor, and borrowed chords creates an interesting and engaging sound. Its distinctive quality can be found in the use of the A# major chord, which is not diatonic to the key of G major.

Queen – Love Of My Life – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘E’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Below are the full chord names and their corresponding Roman numerals.

“`
A [I]
F#m [vi]
Bm [ii]
E [V]
E7 [V7]
A [I]
A7 [I7]
D [IV]
Bm [ii]
F#m [vi]
G [bVII] (Borrowed Chord)
D [IV]
G [bVII] (Borrowed Chord)
D [IV]
Bm [ii]
Em [v]
A [I]
D [IV]
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The Beatles’ “Let It Be” has a similar progression in its verse:

“`
C [I]
G [V]
Amin [vi]
F [IV]
“`

John Lennon’s “Imagine” uses a similar kind of complex chord progression:

“`
Cmaj7 [I]
Cmaj [I]
Fmaj [IV]
Cmaj/E [I]
Fmaj [IV]
Fmaj/E [IV]
Dm [ii]
Dm/C [ii]
Fmaj [IV]
G11 [V11]
G7 [V7]
“`

Once again, like Queen, the Beatles and John Lennon were known to mix common and uncommon chord progressions quite creatively. As a result, their songs create a unique emotional landscape within the listener’s mind.

Musical Analysis

The second verse of “Love of My Life” starts with an ascending sequence of fifth relationship from A (I) chord to D (IV) chord. E7, which is the V7 of A, acts as the dominant chord to return to A maj. The F#m (vi) chord then modulates to Bm (ii), followed by a resolution back to A (I).

The G chord is the interesting chord in this sequence as it’s a borrowed chord from A Mixolydian mode, and is a common technique for creating contrast within the progression. The song also uses plenty of seventh chords, indicative of Queen’s operatic style.

Overall Analysis

“Love of My Life” is a stunning ballad written by Freddie Mercury of Queen. The song is written in the key of A major and is primarily played on piano. It features a sophisticated and somewhat unconventional chord progression that serves as the foundation for Mercury’s versatile vocal performance. It’s arguably one of Queen’s more classical-influenced pieces and makes use of borrowed chord techniques frequently, which are commonly associated with the band’s flirtation with different musical styles, including rock, classical, and opera.

Style Analysis

The chord progression clearly illustrates Queen’s unique blending of rock, opera, and classical music, capturing the theatrical grandiosity that the band is known for. These chords give each verse a cycle of significant emotional shifts, apt to the song’s theme of love and loss.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Love Of My Life by Queen are:

[‘A’, ‘F#m’, ‘Bm’, ‘E’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘A’, ‘D’]