Music Theory Alchemy

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The chorus of Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” features an unconventional and diverse chord progression, drawing from various scale degrees. This progression contributes to the song’s complex, shifting quality, moving through several tonal centers.

“You And Whose Army?” by Radiohead is an alternative rock song featuring an interesting chord progression in the bridge. The chord progression is characterized by its dynamic movement and integration of non-diatonic chords. The progression is in the key of C# minor, and it displays unique qualities that allow it to stand out from traditional chord progressions. The combination of borrowed chords and voice leading creates a sense of tension and excitement, which contributes to the song’s overall atmosphere.

The chord progression in the verse of “Help!” by The Beatles is quite characteristic of their style, using common chords but in interesting and unusual ways. The verse of “Help!” notably presents a mix of classic pop chord progression (I-vi-ii-V), secondary dominant chords and chromatic progressions. The Beatles often incorporated novel harmonic structures that added depth and complexity to their pop music, as evidenced in this piece.

“Weekend Wars” by MGMT features a distinctive and slightly unconventional chord progression. The verse is in D minor and consists of 22 chords, providing a unique and somewhat complex harmonic landscape. The majority of the chords used are diatonic, but there are also borrowed chords and other non-diatonic chords which contribute to the song’s unique character.

Chord Progression:
Dm (i), C (VII), G (IV), C (VII), G (IV), F (III), Dm (i), C (VII), F (III), Am (v), F (III), Dm (i), C (VII), G (IV), C (VII), G (IV), F (III), Dm (i), C (VII), F (III), Am (v), F (III)

Dm – D minor
C – C major
G – G major (borrowed chord)
F – F major
Am – A minor

“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, written in the key of C Major, is a classic example of elaborate pop song writing. The chord progression features common primary and secondary chords in the key of C Major, along with some borrowed chords to add color. This combination makes for a memorable and melodic song.

The most unique feature of the song is how it slowly changes to the key of C minor in the second half of the verse, making use of two borrowed chords. This is a powerful tool in songwriting, as it can dramatically affect the emotional tone of the song. Lastly, this song demonstrates Elton John’s use of Coloristic harmony, through chromatically altered chords.

Radiohead – Paranoid Android – Verse

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Chord Progression

Cm, D#, F, D#, Gm, Bb, A7sus4, Cm, D#, F, D#, Gm, Bb, A7sus4

Chord Progression Analysis

Here is the detailed analysis of the verse chord progression with full chord names and their roman numerals:
“`
C Minor (i),
D# Major (III),
F Major (VI),
D# Major (III),
G Minor (v),
Bb Major (VII),
A7sus4 (‘borrowed bVII7sus’, resolves to Cm),
C Minor (i),
D# Major (III),
F Major (VI),
D# Major (III),
G Minor (v),
Bb Major (VII),
A7sus4 (‘borrowed bVII7sus’, resolves to Cm)
“`

“`
A7sus4 (‘borrowed bVII7sus’, resolves to Cm)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Muse – “Knights of Cydonia”:
“`
Am (i),
F (VI),
E (V),
F (VI),
Abmaj7 (bVIIMaj7),
E (V)
“`
2. Yes – “Roundabout”:
“`
C#m (i),
Dmaj7 (II),
F#m (iv),
A (VI),
G# (V),
G7 (bVIMaj7)
“`
3. Pink Floyd – “Time”:
“`
F#m (i),
A (III),
E (V),
D (IV)
“`

While the exact chord progression of “Paranoid Android” is unique and challenging to find elsewhere, these songs and other progressive rock compositions share a similar spirit of experimentation, complexity, and unpredictability.

Musical Analysis

The chord progression starts with the tonic Cm (i chord) that provides a home base for the progression. The next chord, D# Major (III) is a major chord in a minor key, which implies a sense of drama and tension. The F Major (VI) and D# Major (III) add more tension and create movement. Following these chords, we have Gm (v) and Bb Major (VII), which are typical chords found in natural minor key progressions.

One interesting component includes the borrowed chord A7sus4, creating some tension and chromaticism in the song. This chord deviates from the diatonic chords of the C minor scale, as it would typically appear as Ab Major in the context of C minor. The A7sus4 acts as a temporary dominant of the relative major, D minor, which serves to create tension before resolving back to the tonic chord, Cm.

Overall Analysis

Paranoid Android is a progressive rock song by Radiohead from their album “OK Computer.” The song features various time signature changes, complex harmonic structures, and a blend of distorted guitar tones and strings. The given chords belong to the first verse of the song. The overall tonality of the song is predominantly centered around the C minor key. However, there are some instances of borrowed chords and chromaticism in the chord progression, which adds tension and an unstable quality to the music.

Style Analysis

Radiohead is known for their experimentation and incorporation of different styles and structures in their music. The verse chords of “Paranoid Android” are not a typical progression of pop or rock songs. The chromaticism, rapid chord changes, and borrowing of chords from outside the key contribute to the unorthodox nature of the song and its progressive rock categorization. This combination of unusual elements creates an uneasy, unstable, and complex texture that reflects the song’s underlying theme of a “paranoid android.”

Chords in the Verse section of Paranoid Android by Radiohead are:

Cm, D#, F, D#, Gm, Bb, A7sus4, Cm, D#, F, D#, Gm, Bb, A7sus4