Tame Impala – The Less I Know The Better – Verse 2
The Less I Know The Better < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘B’, ‘E’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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Here’s the detail analysis of the verse progression:
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G#m (‘iii’), C#m (‘vi’), B(‘V’), E(‘I’), G#m (‘iii’), C#m (‘vi’), B(‘V’), E(‘I’), G#m (‘iii’), C#m (‘vi’), B(‘V’), B(‘V’), E(‘I’), G#m (‘iii’), C#m (‘vi’), B(‘V’), B(‘V’), E(‘I’)
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In this case, the iii chord (G#m) is borrowed from E minor (the parallel minor).
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Similar Chord Progressions
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1. Coldplay’s “Fix You” has a similar progression during the chorus. Here is the progression:
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E(‘I’), B(‘V’), G#m(‘iii’), B(‘V’), E (‘I’)
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2. The Beatles – “A Hard Days Night” also involves modal interchange and a similar progression:
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G(‘I’), F(‘♭VII’), C(‘IV’), G(‘I’)
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Musical Analysis
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Many popular songs use borrowed chords for giving depth and color to their progressions. The borrowed III chord can be used as a substitute for the I chord, add tension, or to modulate to a new key. Tame Impala has used the G#m (iii) chord to add color and tension to their E major progression.
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Overall Analysis
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The progression in the song “The Less I Know The Better” by Tame Impala shows a combination of borrowed chords and modal mixture, with most of the chords belonging to the key of E Major. The verse chords including G# minor, C# minor, B, and E, establish a strong use of modal interchange, borrowed from the parallel minor of E.
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Style Analysis
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The stylish use of borrowed chords, modal mixture, and cyclical chord progressions is a major element of Tame Impala’s sound. This song, in particular, maintains a consistent 4-chord progression with slight variation, a common feature in rock and pop music.
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What are the chords in: Tame Impala – The Less I Know The Better – Verse 2?
[‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘G#m’, ‘C#m’, ‘B’, ‘B’, ‘E’]
