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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“The Sound Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel is written in the key of Am and follows the Verse-Chorus form common in pop and rock music. The progression consists of a beachfront of common and borrowed chords, showing the use of modal interchange and diatonic chords in creating a memorable and emotive sound.

“The Sound of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel is a song from the folk-rock genre. Built on simplicity with few chords used throughout the whole song, the primary focus of the song is on the hauntingly beautiful melody and the profound lyrics. It is written in the key of Am which gives the song a melancholic and somber tone.

“Let It Be” by The Beatles is a song in the key of C Major. The chord progression featured in Verse 3 of the song, C – G – Am – Am/G – Fmaj7 – F6 – C – G – F – C/E – Dm7 – C, is a common progression in pop music. It has a repetitive structure and revolves around the I-V-vi-VI progression.

“And I Love Her” is a masterful composition by The Beatles that beautifully demonstrates their ability to mix pop songwriting with complexities of harmonic journey. The song is in the key of E Major, which is unique for being a popular song written by the Beatles in a major key. The main repeating chord progression of the Verse 3 is a progression that modulates between F# minor (the relative minor of A Major, which is the subdominant of E Major), and C# minor (the relative minor of E Major, the original key). The progression’s use of E6 at the end, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor (E minor), adds a unique flavor of sixth interval. Finally, it concludes on E6, a somewhat uncommon way to ground a song within a major key.

“I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles is one of the band’s early hits noted for its crafty melodic hooks and harmonic structure attesting to their evolving musical sophistication. The chord progression of Verse 3 is a great reflection of this, using classic pop songwriting techniques such as the predominant use of I, IV and V chords along with a borrowed chord from another mode, that add to the emotional depth of the song.

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sound Of Silence – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

[‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C/B’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here are the chords for this Verse 3:

G Major (bVII)
A minor (i)
F Major (bVI)
C Major (III)
F Major (bVI)
C Major (III)
F Major (bVI)
C Major (III)
C/B (III)
A minor (i)
C Major (III)
G Major (bVII)
A minor (i)

Here’s the information within a code block:

“`
G Major (bVII), A minor (i), F Major (bVI), C Major (III), F Major (bVI), C Major (III), F Major (bVI), C Major (III), C/B (III), A minor (i), C Major (III), G Major (bVII), A minor (i)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

“Hey Jude” by The Beatles also has a similar progression. In the key of F, the chords go:

F Major (I)
C Major (V)
Bb Major (IV)
F Major (I)

In the key of G, the song “Wonderwall” by Oasis also has a similar progression:

Em7 (vi)
G (I)
Dsus4 (v)
A7sus4 (II)

Both of these songs use diatonic chords with the addition of suspended chords or 7th chords to add more complexity.

Musical Analysis

This chord progression presents with a cyclic repetition of harmonic sequences, providing a unique sense of coherency to the song. Borrowed chords such as bVII (G Major) and the bVI (F Major) from the parallel major (A major) feature prominently in this progression, imparting further color and depth.

Overall Analysis

The chord progression for “The Sound Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel is in the key of A minor. It makes use of both diatonic and borrowed chords. The song reflects a folk and folk rock style, with its roots in the 1960s. The melody and harmony are interwoven to form an integral part of the song, reflecting the introspective and melancholic mood of the lyrics.

Style Analysis

Simon and Garfunkel’s style is characterized by their use of diatonic and borrowed chords, creating a fluid movement that evokes a varying array of emotions. The regular cycling of these chords, with occasional shifts in rhythmic emphasis, allows the progression to maintain a sense of unpredictability while still being familiar, characteristic of their folk and folk rock style.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of The Sound Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel are:

[‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C/B’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’]