Music Theory Alchemy

Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Love of My Life” by Queen exhibits a very romantic and classical style, resonant of popular ballads primarily from the classical and romantic periods. The song beautifully plays with complex harmonies, frequent key changes and borrowings from parallel keys (modal mixture), which together yield a dramatic and emotional expression. Many of the chords used, including diminished chords, fully diminished seventh, major-minor seventh chords, and usage of secondary dominants are reminiscent of 19th-century Romantic music.

Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ contains a rich mixture of chord progressions, which is typical of the band’s complex songwriting. The outro of the song makes use of the F, F7, Bb, and Gm7 chords. This progression is in the key of F Major, with F being the tonic (I), F7 being the dominant 7th (V7), Bb being the subdominant (IV) and Gm7 being the submediant 7th (vi7). The Bb chord is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key (F Minor) and the usage of F7 serves to add a level of tension before resolving to the Bb.

**

Looking at the entire song and isolating the verse, the chord progression provided shows a rock style often seen in Queens of the Stone Age compositions. The harmonic language of this song and its progression style fall within the realm of Pop / Rock music, with frequent use of minor chords suggesting a somber or introspective mood. On first glance, it appears to contain chords primarily from the key of F# minor, with no obvious borrowings from other keys. However, a closer inspection will allow us to delve deeper into their harmonic function.

**

The progression from B to A to E is a common progression in pop and rock music. This progression utilizes diatonic and non-diatonic chords, meaning that the chords all belong to the same key and it suggests the use of borrowed chords. A Perfect Circle tends to use a lot of downward motion in their chord progressions, moving from higher to lower pitches, which can give their music a distinct ‘heavy’ feel.

The given chord progression is found in Verse 2 of Tyler, The Creator’s song “Are We Still Friends.” The song is in the key of E major, and the progression features a mix of major, minor, and dominant seventh chords. The distinctive chromatic movement and the use of borrowed chords make for a memorable and unique progression. The combination of these elements results in a lush and emotionally charged progression which contributes greatly to the overall feel of the song.

Queen – Love Of My Life – Verse 2

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

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’]