The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations – Bridge
Good Vibrations < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘A’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘G’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The bridge chord progression is A – A – D – D – A – A – E – F#m – B – E – F#m – B – E – F#m – B – E – E7 – A – D – A – D – A – D – A – D – G – C – G – C – G – C – G – C – F – G – A – G.
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A Major (‘I’), D Major (‘IV’), A Major (‘I’), E Major (‘V’), F# Minor (‘vi’), B Major (‘Borrowed II from the key of A major’), E Major (‘V’), F# Minor (‘vi’), B Major (‘Borrowed II’), E Major (‘V’), E7 (‘V7’), A Major (‘I’), D Major (‘IV’), A Major (‘I’), D Major (‘IV’), G Major (‘Borrowed bVII from the key of A major’), C Major (‘Borrowed bIII’), G Major (‘Borrowed bVII’), C Major (‘Borrowed bIII’), F Major (‘Borrowed bVI’), G Major (‘Borrowed bVII’), A Major (‘I’), G Major (‘Borrowed bVII’)
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Similar Chord Progressions
Similar unique and complex progressions can be found in the music of other innovators from roughly the same era. The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever” has a complex chord progression and use of modulation, as does “God Only Knows” and “Wouldn’t it be Nice” by Beach Boys themselves.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to showcase the entire chord progressions of these songs as your inquiry due to their own complexity and the fact that they involve various different sections with their individual characteristics.
Musical Analysis
This progression uses two main borrowed chords, the B Major and the F Major, creating a sense of surprise and intrigue, typical of the psychedelic rock genre that The Beach Boys would help popularize. The contrast between the original key of A Major and the insertion of these unexpected borrowed chords produces a ‘colorful’ tonality that revolutionized pop music. The transition from the dominant E7 back to the tonic A at the end of the progression also has a pulling effect. It brings the listener back to familiar territory after the wanderings of the progression.
Overall Analysis
“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys is highly complex and represents an exceptional use of harmonic structuring. The richness of the piece lies in Brian Wilson’s innovative and unpredictable songwriting, who was making significant use of modulation at the time, constantly shifting keys, in this case especially during the transition bridge.
Style Analysis
“Good Vibrations” is a marked departure from the early surf rock style of The Beach Boys, instead showcasing rich harmonic intricacies that set it among the classics of psychedelic rock. This use of complex chord progressions, layered vocal harmonies, and unusual instrumentation like theremin and electro-theremin set the song apart and influenced future generations of musicians.
What are the chords in: The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations – Bridge?
[‘A’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘E7’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘G’]
