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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The chord progression of Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” is unique and complex, which contributes to the dreamy, atmospheric, and rich harmonic content prevalent in the song. Its ambiguous key center and shifting tonal centers create a sense of fluidity and unpredictability, commonly observed in Radiohead’s style. The chorus features a blend of diatonic and borrowed chords from parallel keys, which creates a colorful, almost impressionist quality to the progression.

“Exit Music (For a Film)” by Radiohead features a unique and somewhat complex chord progression, particularly in the second verse. The song can be viewed as being in A minor, with various borrowed chords and non-diatonic chords. The chord progression reflects Radiohead’s experimental and innovative approach to harmony and songwriting.

The chord progression throughout this verse of Beck’s “Lost Cause” is predominantly in the key of F Major with some chords from its relative minor (D minor). The use of borrowed chords adds variety and color to the progression, and the alternation between F major and C major chords creates a strong sense of tonality and grounding in the key of F Major. The use of Am and E7 chords provides a brief tension and leaning toward the parallel key of F minor before resolving back to the original key. This adds interest and complexity to the otherwise straightforward progression.

“Hysteria” by Muse is a song with a heavy rock style, featuring a powerful bassline and distorted guitars. The chord progression mentioned is present in the first verse of the song. This progression is characterized by the use of standard tonal harmony and minor key tonality, with some slight variations that are typical in rock music.

The chord progression in Verse 1 of “My Name Is Jonas” by Weezer is in the key of C Major. The progression is quite simple and common, but it includes an interesting borrowed chord to provide extra color. This can be described as a mix of pop and rock idioms.

Chord Progression Analysis (with full chord names and Roman numerals):

C Major (I) – G Major (V) – A minor (vi) – F Major (IV)

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Borrowed Chord: None in this progression
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Radiohead – Everything In Its Right Place – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

Db, C, Eb, Db, C, Eb, Db, C, Eb, Db, C, Eb, F, C, Db, Eb

Chord Progression Analysis

Dbmaj7 (b♭II), Cmaj7#11 (‘I#11), Ebmaj7 (♭III), Dbmaj7 (b♭II), Cmaj7#11 (I#11), Ebmaj7 (♭III), Dbmaj7 (b♭II), Cmaj7#11 (I#11), Ebmaj7 (♭III), Dbmaj7 (b♭II), Cmaj7#11 (I#11), Ebmaj7 (♭III), Fmaj7 (IV), Cmaj7 (‘I’), Dbmaj7 (b♭II), Ebmaj7 (♭III)

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Borrowed chords: Dbmaj7 (b♭II), Ebmaj7 (♭III)
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Similar Chord Progressions

1. Stevie Wonder – “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life”
Chord Progression: Cmaj7 (I), E7#9 (III#9), A7 (VI), Dmin7 (ii), G7 (V)

2. The Beatles – “Something”
Chord Progression: Cmaj7 (I), C7 (I7), FMaj7 (IV), Bbmaj7 (bII), Am7 (vi), D7 (V7/V)

3. Imogen Heap – “Hide and Seek”
Chord Progression: Ebmadd9 (i), Dbmaj9 (bVII), Bbsus2 (V2), Gbmaj7 (bVI)

While these examples may not have the exact same chords or progressions as “Everything In Its Right Place,” they each exhibit a sense of harmonic exploration and experimentation similar to Radiohead’s work, combining modal interchange and borrowed chords to create unique and expressive progressions.

Musical Analysis

The verse alternates between a b♭II – I#11 progression, which is a common technique in modal interchange, and a ♭III chord that adds a sense of ambiguity with its borrowed nature. The progression is mainly utilizing the Lydian mode, but also borrows chords from other modes, like the Phrygian (b♭II) and the Mixolydian (♭III).

Towards the end of the sequence, it switches from the b♭II – I#11 progression to a plagal cadence (IV – I; Fmaj7 – Cmaj7), which provides a sense of resolution before transitioning back to the other progression (b♭II – ♭III).

Overall Analysis

“Everything In Its Right Place” by Radiohead is a harmonically adventurous piece with an unconventional structure that features a mixture of modal and borrowed chords. The piece has an impressionistic quality influenced by classical lineage, while also regularly employing electronic and synthesized sounds.

Style Analysis

Radiohead is known for incorporating unusual and complex harmonic structures into their songs, and “Everything In Its Right Place” is a perfect example of their signature experimental style. The piece combines an atmospheric ambiance with a harmonic density that is rooted in the electronic sounds, forming a dense wall of sound. This progressive lyricism is combined with electronic synthesizers to create a modern and ethereal texture.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Everything In Its Right Place by Radiohead are:

Db, C, Eb, Db, C, Eb, Db, C, Eb, Db, C, Eb, F, C, Db, Eb