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Related Music Theory Alchemy

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The song, ‘Across the Universe’ by The Beatles is uniquely complex in its melody and chord progression. The song modulates or shifts key but is rooted mainly in D major. The song utilizes the standard rock/pop song structure of Verse, Chorus, and Outro. The unusual facet of this song’s composition is the use of borrowed chords (non-diatonic chords) that add unexpected twists to an otherwise typical chord progression.

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The song “Something” by The Beatles has a key center in C major. However, it modulates from time to time using a variety of techniques including secondary dominance and borrowed chords. It is a fine example of George Harrison’s complex songwriting and his adroitness at seamlessly weaving together uncommon chord progressions. Harrison employs an array of chords to inject a rich, nuanced musical quality to the song.

The Wind Cries Mary by Jimi Hendrix is a classic rock ballad written in the key of F major, based around a somewhat simple, yet effective, chord progression. There are a few borrowed chords and modulations that add to the harmonic complexity and characteristic guitar work by Hendrix. The song’s structure consists of a verse, followed by a brief pre-chorus, and a chorus before repeating.

“Closer” by Nine Inch Nails works within a minimalist musical framework, where a few shiftless chords and tension-filled pentatonic melodies define the song. It inculcates a dark atmospheric mood through its instrumentation and harmony. The repetitive and consistent use of the Cm7 chord creates a haunting, pulsating groove that add to the atmospheric layer of the song.

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“Zombie” by The Cranberries features a relatively commonly used chord progression in pop/rock music, often referred to as a ‘vi-IV-I-V’ progression. This chord progression, in this particular case, is in the key of G Major and is made up of four chords: Em, C, G, and D/F#.

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The Beatles – Across The Universe – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘Gm’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The chords from the first verse can be set out in the key of D major as follows:

“`
D Major (I), B minor (vi), F# minor (iii), E minor 7 (ii7), A Major (V), A7 (V7), D Major (I), B minor (vi), F# minor (iii), E minor 7 (ii7), G minor (iv – Borrowed from D minor)`
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

Here is a song by another artist that employs a similar usage of borrowed chords:

Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love” contains the following progression in its chorus:

“`
G (I), Bm (iii), Em (vi), C (IV – borrowed from G minor), G (I), D (V), C (IV – borrowed from G minor), G (I)`
“`

Like “Across The Universe”, this song ends on borrowed chord from the parallel minor key. This again reiterates the mysterious and soul-stirring effect that such chord transitions can evoke.

Musical Analysis

The progression begins ordinarily enough with a tonic chord (I – D Major) before moving to a submediant (vi – B minor). Then it continues through mediants (iii – F# minor) and supertonics (ii – E minor 7), hinting at a circle-of-fifths progression, but instead moves to the dominant (V – A Major), which further extends to a dominant seventh chord (V7 – A7). The progression then returns to the tonic, and almost starts to repeat itself, but resolves instead to the G minor. This G minor chord is a borrowed iv chord from the parallel minor key (D minor), adding an unexpected twist to the progression and infusing it with a haunting quality.

Overall Analysis

“Across The Universe” by The Beatles, written mostly by John Lennon, is known for its rich and complex harmonic structures that added new dimensions to pop music. The song is predominately in the key of D major, with occasional borrowings from the parallel minor (D minor) and the closely-related key of B minor. The verse 1 progression – D, Bm, F#m, Em7, A, A7, D, Bm, F#m, Em7, Gm – creates an affectingly melancholic mood through its mix of major, minor and borrowed chords, producing a unique ambience that evokes a sense of cosmic contemplation, matching with the philosophical lyrics of the song.

Style Analysis

The Beatles were known for their eclectic style touches, and “Across The Universe” is no exception. This song can be seen as an example of their penchant for blending Eastern philosophical concepts with Western musical traditions, extending to the use of unusual, borrowed chords and modal melodies.

The progression displays characteristics typical of the Beatles’ mature style: elaborate harmonies, experimentation with chord extensions (like Em7 and A7), and key modulation. Their songwriting technique often borrowed elements from classical music such as the use of non-diatonic (borrowed) chords – in this case, the G minor borrowed from parallel minor.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Across The Universe by The Beatles are:

[‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘A’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#m’, ‘Em7’, ‘Gm’]