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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“All My Loving” by The Beatles is written in the key of D Major. It’s pop and rock style includes elements of British Invasion and Merseybeat. It shows a common chord progression modified with additional chords and modulation.

“Within You Without You” from The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album, composed by George Harrison, is a unique song in the Beatles’ discography. Musically, it truly merges the essence of Indian classical music with traditional Western music techniques. The chord progression is minimal and largely stays around the key of C major, which enhances the song’s drone-like effect, typical in traditional Indian music.

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.

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“Girl” is a song by The Beatles from their 1965 album “Rubber Soul”. The song is written in the key of E minor and it showcases the band’s ability to incorporate non-diatsubject resorting to non-diatonic progressions and utilizes various seventh chords to establish a more sophisticated and jazzy soundid progression. It’s important to note their use of the Dorian mode, which adds to the melodic and harmonic sophistication of the song. Moreover, the song exhibits the lyrical and songwriting depth of The Beatles.

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The song “The Outsider” by A Perfect Circle frequently uses the chord progression [‘B’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’] in the key of E major. When viewing the chords through the lens of E major we can identify the chord progression as ii, ii, V, I. Furthermore, It shows some interesting harmonic decisions throughout. Most notably, the band makes use of borrowed chords which are chords taken from the parallel minor (in this case E minor). Here, the borrowed chords include A major and C major.

The Beatles – All My Loving – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘A7’, ‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Below is the chord progression analysis with full chord names and their associated roman numerals. Note that the chord names may appear differently based on the musical context but conform to the key of D Major:

“`
Em (ii), A7 (V7/ii), D (I), Bm (vi), G (IV), Em (ii), C (VII/bIII), A7 (V7/ii),
Em (ii), A7 (V7/ii), D (I), Bm (vi), G (IV), A (V), D (I).
“`

Note the ‘C’ appearing as a borrowed chord from the parallel minor (D minor), as D Major does not traditionally include a C Major chord. Such use of borrowed chords adds extra flavor to the song’s harmonic texture.

Similar Chord Progressions

One song that comes to mind with a similar progression is “Stolen Moments” by Oliver Nelson. The ii-V-I sequence, the borrowed chord, and the jazzy elements align closely with the progressions used in “All My Loving”.

Here is the chord progression of “Stolen Moments” in D Major:

“`
Dm7 (ii), G7 (V7/ii), Cmaj7 (I), A7b9 (vi7b9), Dm7(ii), G7 (V7/ii), Cmaj7(I), A7b9 (vi7b9).
“`

This progression also uses the ii-V-I sequence, a common borrowed chord (A7b9), and includes jazz influence through the 7th and extended chords.

Musical Analysis

This song immediately shows its depth with its chord sequences. The ii-V-I sequence beginning with Em-A7-D is a classic jazz progression and gives a strong sense of resolution. The inclusion of Bm introduces a sensitive tonality, while the G chord grounds the progression back in the predominant D Major key.

The use of the C chord as a borrowed chord adds a surprise element to the progression. Borrowed chords, typically from the parallel minor, add depth and unexpected color to the harmonic landscape. These techniques show the Beatles’ mastery in integrating sophisticated harmony in their accessible pop tunes.

Overall Analysis

“All My Loving” by the Beatles is a great example of their early ’60s pop style. This song’s verse chord progression is in the key of D Major with a mix of minor chords and 7th chords that add to the emotional intensity of the song. The composition blends pop simplicity with complex harmony, encapsulating the Beatles’ innovative songwriting.

Style Analysis

“All My Loving” captures the early Beatles’ style, with its catchy melody and harmony. The chord progression with its jazzy ii-V-I sequence and unexpected borrowed chord expresses a sense of longing and wistfulness that matches the lyrics beautifully.

The Beatles’ style often included such surprises, combining popular music structures with more sophisticated harmonic ideas from jazz and classical music, such as borrowed chords and modal interchange. This fusion created a unique sound that was easy to digest yet rich in content.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of All My Loving by The Beatles are:

[‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘A7’, ‘Em’, ‘A7’, ‘D’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘D’]