Music Theory Alchemy

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“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.

“Creep” by Radiohead is a song in the key of G major that gained significant attention for its melancholic lyrics and distinctive chord progression. The verse chord progression features major chords, followed by a switch to a minor chord, which creates an unexpected twist and contributes to the emotive quality of the song. This specific progression is relatively rare in popular music but has been used in various other songs.

“Your Song” is characterized by a varied and complex chord progression that helps to emphasize the emotional complexity of the lyrics. This is apparent in the progression used in Verse 2, which employs several techniques used frequently by Elton John. These include the use of secondary dominants, borrowed chords, modal mixture, and chromatic bass movements to add emotional color and reinforce the feeling of tension and resolution in the song’s narrative.

“Every Day Is Exactly The Same” by Nine Inch Nails is primarily composed in the key of E minor. The song consists of four sections: Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, and Bridge. The chord progressions in the song are relatively simple, with a distinct alternation between E and C chords in the verses, while the chorus and bridge sections feature a broader range of chords such as A, C, and G.

Chord Progression Analysis (Verse 2):
E minor (i), C major (VI), E minor (i), C major (VI), E minor (i), C major (VI), G major (III), F major (♭VII; borrowed chord from E Phrygian), E minor (i)

*G major (III) and F major (♭VII) are both non-diatonic chords in E minor, with the F major chord being borrowed from the E Phrygian mode.

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones, off their 1971 album Sticky Fingers, is in the key of C major, and primarily uses the chords C, F, G and Bb. This song showcases the band’s blues rock influences, built on a repetitive, riff-driven chord progression. The use of I, IV, V, and a borrowed bVII (Bb), which is common in the blues, creates an appealing and familiar sound, helping the song resonate with listeners.

Radiohead – Everything In Its Right Place – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

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

Chord Progression Analysis

Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’), Fmaj (‘IV’), Cmaj (‘bVII’), Dbmaj (‘bI’), Ebmaj (‘bIII’)

Borrowed Chords:
“`
Cmaj (‘bVII’) – Borrowed from the parallel mixolydian mode
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Muse – “Map of the Problematique”
Chord Progression: Dmin (‘i’), Amaj (‘IV’), Bb (‘V’), Gmin (‘iv’)

2. The Beatles – “Let It Be”
Chord Progression: Cmaj (‘I’), Gmaj (‘V’), Amaj (‘VI’), Fmaj (‘IV’)

Though these examples differ in the exact chords used or their order, they share a similar sensibility in borrowing chords and creating tonal ambiguity with modal mixture. Remember, the similarity lies in concept and commonality of borrowing chords, rather than the exact progression.

Musical Analysis

“Everything In Its Right Place” exhibits a strong sense of modal mixture by borrowing chords from parallel modes. In this case, Db major and Eb major chords form the primary key center. In addition to the modal mixture, certain chords like F major add a sense of surprise and tension, which contrasts with the cycling nature of the progression. The progression revolves around bI-bVII-bIII chords throughout verse 2, reinforcing the hypnotic and cyclic nature of the song. This verse modulates between Db major and Eb major, creating a somewhat unresolved undercurrent complementing the shifting chords.

Overall Analysis

The verse 2 chord progression of Radiohead’s “Everything In Its Right Place” demonstrates a combination of diatonic and non-diatonic chords with tonal ambiguity, frequent use of borrowed chords from parallel modes, and modulation. The progression has a cyclic, hypnotic quality with occasional surprises due to large leaps in pitch and unexpected, non-diatonic chords.

Style Analysis

The chord progression in “Everything In Its Right Place” is characterized by its unusual and experimental nature. By combining chords from different modes and having unexpected leaps in pitch, the progression defies traditional harmony rules. This is consistent with Radiohead’s style, which often brings avant-garde and unconventional elements into their musical compositions, frequently employing borrowed chords, modal mixtures, and polyrhythmic structures.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Everything In Its Right Place by Radiohead are:

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