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The piece “3’s and 7’s” by Queens of The Stone Age illustrates a fascinating blend of minor and major tonality, accented dissonances, and unexpected harmonic turns, which is characteristic of the band’s stoner rock and alternative metal style. The verse 2 chord progression is in A# minor and it sticks to a fairly repetitive three-chord progression of A#m – G# – F.

“I Sat By The Ocean” by Queens of the Stone Age employs multiple chords which creates a complex and engaging harmony in the verse. The song is in the key G# major and it uses multiple borrowed chords from other keys. It’s worth noting that Queens of the Stone Age has a distinct sound that incorporates elements of stoner rock, heavy metal, and alternative rock into their material. Sizeable use of power chords that gives the song its heavy rock feel.

“Kiss” by Prince is a well-loved song known for its catchy tune and funky, upbeat style. The song is composed in the key of A major. However, it lacks typical diatonic major harmonies because Prince used power chords (fifth chords) instead of full major or minor chords. The progression is largely built around the ‘A5’ and ‘D5’ power chords, with the occasional ‘E5’ and ‘E9sus4’ worked in to add some variation.

“Buddy Holly” is a song by Weezer with an upbeat, pop-rock feel. It exists in the key of A major and showcases a recurring chord progression in its verse consisting of F#m, E/G#, and A.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” is a song in C Major. The Beatles were renowned for their use of a variety of chord progressions, and this song certainly lives up to that reputation. Although the progression in the verse primarily consists of the chords ‘C7’, ‘F7’, and ‘C’, it’s the way they are harmonically linked that makes it really interesting.

Queens of the Stone Age – 3S And 7S – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The repeating chord sequence for the verse of “3s and 7s” is A#m, G#, F.

The breakdown is as follows:
A# Minor (‘i’)
G# Major (‘VII’)
F Major (‘VI’)

Similar Chord Progressions

A similar chord progression can be found in Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android.” Although in a different key (G minor), its verse follows a similar pattern:

G Minor (‘i’)
F Major (‘VII’)
Eb Major (‘VI’)

This chord progression is, however, quite common and is found in numerous other modern compositions.

Musical Analysis

In regards to the harmonic function of the chords, the sequence continually resolves from a tense i – VII to VI, before repeating. This sequence focuses on the tonic (A#m) as a driver throughout the verse, commonly leading into the dominant 7th chord (G#) before resolving into the submediant (F). It’s also worth mentioning that from a traditional Classical point, the chord progression lacks a V – I (dominant – Tonic) resolution except in some sections where E (V) resolves to A#m (i).

Overall Analysis

The song “3s and 7s” by Queens of the Stone Age is in the key of A# minor. The chord progression predominantly features three chords: A#m, G#, and F. The progression utilizes elements of rock and metal music, characteristic of the band’s style. The composition has a darker feel brought by the use of minor chords and dropped tuning, which is frequently employed in harder styles of rock music.

Style Analysis

Queens of the Stone Age are known for their unique fusion of heavy metal, hard rock, and alternative rock. The chord progression of “3s and 7s” reflects this, venturing outside of classic rock paradigms. The repeated use of A#m, G#, and F lends itself to a darker, more contemplative, and atmospheric feel.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of 3S And 7S by Queens of the Stone Age are:

[‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’, ‘A#m’, ‘G#’, ‘F’]