The Beatles – A Hard Days Night – Middle 8
A Hard Days Night < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C6’, ‘D’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The chord progression in the Middle 8 is:
– Bm (ii)
– Em (v)
– Bm (ii)
– G (I)
– Em (v)
– C6 (♭VII6)
– D (V)
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B minor: ‘ii’
E minor: ‘v’
B minor: ‘ii’
G major: ‘I’
E minor: ‘v’
C6 major: ‘♭VII6’
D major: ‘V’
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Similar Chord Progressions
The late 60s and 70s were abound with artists experimenting with diatonic harmony. Bands like Pink Floyd and The Eagles have progressions and harmonies reminiscent of The Beatles’ choices.
One such example is the song “Hotel California” by the Eagles:
– Em (vi)
– B7 (III7)
– Dsus2 (IIsus2)
– A9 (♭VII9)
The song “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd:
– G (IV)
– Em7 (ii7)
– G (IV)
– Em7 (ii7)
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E minor: ‘vi’
B7 major: ‘III7’
D suspended 2: ‘IIsus2’
A9 major: ‘♭VII9′
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In both of these examples, the harmonic motions are frequently between relative major and minor keys, and there’s something of a melancholic quality that might be attributed to this borrowing of minor key harmony. Both songs also feature prominent usage of added and suspended 2nd and 9th notes, much like the Beatles’ C6 chord in their progression in “A Hard Day’s Night”.
Musical Analysis
This progression demonstrates the adventurous yet intuitive harmony that characterizes the Beatles’ music. The opening Bm-Em-Bm sequence sets up a key shift away from the home key of G major and opens the spectrum of harmonic possibilities. The return back to G major from the Em is a smooth transition with strong similarities to the cadential ii-V-I progression in jazz music. The C6 chord is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key G minor, lending a colourful shift in tonality near the end of the sequence. The progression then concludes with the dominant chord of the original key, D major.
Overall Analysis
“A Hard Day’s Night” by The Beatles is a song that was unusually complex and beautifully experimental. It uses rarely seen chord structures that emphasize both traditional tonality and borrowed tones from outside the key signature. This song is an excellent example of Beatles-style blending of rock & roll and pop music with elements of classical chord progressions and harmonies. It is also a great example of how The Beatles stretched the boundaries of diatonic harmony.
Style Analysis
“The Beatles” commonly like to use borrowed chords in their works, which is seen in this song too. The chord progression has a feeling of cyclic inevitability resulting from their careful use of chords borrowed from parallel keys and the constant tonal shifts. Apart from that, the Beatles love exploring different stylistic approaches and delving into standards of other styles of music, which manifests here in the jazz-like ii-V-I progression.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – A Hard Days Night – Middle 8?
[‘Bm’, ‘Em’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C6’, ‘D’]
