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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Everything In Its Right Place” by Radiohead is an experimental and ambient piece released in 2000 as part of their album “Kid A.” The piece defies traditional pop and rock song forms, delving more into the territory of electronic and experimental music. The outro chord progression is simple but intriguing, serving a hypnotic and unresolved quality that keeps the listener engaged.

“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.

“Hey Joe” by Jimi Hendrix is a classic rock song featuring a cyclic chord progression in the key of E major. The song is well-known for its distinctive and temporarily ambiguous harmonic structure, bluesy vocal melodies, and Jimi Hendrix’s influential guitar playing. The verse chord progression constantly circles back on itself, creating a hypnotic effect.

“Hey You” by Pink Floyd is a prog-rock song featured on their iconic album, “The Wall.” Its chord progression showcases a unique blend of chords that creates a sense of yearning and emotional intensity. The use of borrowed chords from parallel keys enhances the song’s emotive quality, and the overall structure shows a level of harmonic sophistication typical of Pink Floyd’s work.

The song “It’s A Fire” by Portishead features complex harmonic structures, distinguished by a fusion of pop, rock, and elements of jazz harmonies. The band, known for their trip-hop style, employ chromatically richer harmony and non-diatonic chord progressions in this piece. The chord progression of ‘It’s A Fire’ is consistent with this approach as we see the frequent use of suspended and minor chords alongside major ones, which creates a sense of unresolved tension. Borrowed chords, usually taken from the parallel minor or major key, are also used frequently to add stylistic color to the harmony.

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