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Related Music Theory Alchemy

This chord progression is in the key of Am. The work can be seen as a mix of the Western tonal harmony, incorporating the use of inversions alongside nondiatonic chords. Tame Impala employs the elements of neo-psychedelia with unique chord progressions and arrangements. The alteration between two chords creates a revolving feeling, reinforcing the title “alter ego”.

The song seems to have a psychedelic pop/rock vibe reminiscing of the late ’60s and ’70s. The use of major seventh chords and repeated shifting between E Major and D Major hints at a sense of yearning and nostalgia, something that is commonly found in Tame Impala’s music.

The Verse of “Us and Them” by Pink Floyd showcases a unique and non-diatonic chord progression that focuses on D mixolydian mode with added sus2 chords and an augmented chord. It deviates from traditional harmony patterns and creates a spacious, floating feel. The chords occur in a consistent pattern and are mostly slash chords with the constant presence of the D note in the bass, which further strengthens the D tonality.

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

Tame Impala – Alter Ego – Verse

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Chord Progression

[‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gm’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
“Cmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”, “Bsus4 (‘bVII sus4’)”, “Bm7 (‘bVII min7’)”, “Cmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”,
“Bsus4 (‘bVII sus4’)”, “Bm7 (‘bVII min7’)”, “Cmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”, “Bsus4 (‘bVII sus4’)”,
“Bm7 (‘bVII min7’)”, “Cmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”, “Bsus4 (‘bVII sus4’)”, “Bm7 (‘bVII min7’)”,
“Cmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”, “Bsus4 (‘bVII sus4’)”, “Bm7 (‘bVII min7’)”, “Cmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”,
“Bsus4 (‘bVII sus4’)”, “Bm7 (‘bVII min7’)”, “Dm (‘ii min’)”, “Gm (‘v min’)”
“`
Note: The Bm7 and Dm chords are borrowed chords which further shows the chromaticism inherent in Tame Impala’s style.

Similar Chord Progressions

Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” quite similarly ventures into the territory of borrowed chords and modal mixolydity.

* Paranoid Android Verse: [“Gmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”, “Fmaj7 (‘bVII Maj7’)”, “Cmaj (‘IV Maj’)”, “Am (‘ii min’)”, “Gmaj7 (‘I Maj7’)”, “Fmaj7 (‘bVII Maj7’)”, “Cmaj (‘IV Maj’)”, “Am (‘ii min’)”, “Em (‘vi min’)”].

Note that the Gmaj7 and Fmaj7 chords share the same relationship as Cmaj7 and Bsus4 in “Alter Ego”, providing a similar sense of modal mixolydity.

Also, somewhat similarly, but with a more pop-oriented approach is Coldplay’s “Fix You” which uses plain major and suspended chords.

* Fix You Bridge: [“Eb (‘bVI Maj’)”, “Bb (‘III Maj’)”, “Ab (‘bVII Maj’)”, “Ebsus2 (‘bVI sus2’)”, “Fsus2 (‘II sus2’)”]

Here, the shifting between suspended and major chords gives a comparable sense of harmonic color similar to “Alter Ego”.

Musical Analysis

The structure of the progression offers a unique blend of stability (with the I chord, Cmaj7) and harmonic variety/modulation using chromatic mediants and borrowed chords. The move from Cmaj7 to Bsus4 gives a bit of a modal mixoly, exuding a dreamy and psychedelic feel that Tame Impala is known for. Meanwhile, the repeated oscillation between these chords creates a hypnotic, looping effect, characteristic of psychedelic rock.

Overall Analysis

This chord progression from the verse of Tame Impala’s “Alter Ego” suggests a key of C major due to the recurring instances of Cmaj7. However, the presence of certain chords like Bm7 and Dm suggests that Kevin Parker is creatively “borrowing” chords from the parallel and associated keys (C minor, D minor) to create colorful departures from the primary tonality. The use of extended chords (7ths) and suspended chords (Bsus4) adds a sense of complexity and sophistication to the harmony. As can be seen, the chord progression mostly oscillates between Cmaj7, Bsus4, Bm7 before moving to Dm and Gm towards the end of the verse.

Style Analysis

In terms of style, the chord progression is very indicative of Tame Impala’s psychedelic rock/pop aesthetic, characterized by frequent use of seventh chords for extra color, modal adventurousness and chromatic mediants, as well as a harmonic rhythm that complements the overall trippy, hypnotic vibe of their music.

Chords in the Verse section of Alter Ego by Tame Impala are:

[‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Cmaj7’, ‘Bsus4’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gm’]