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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

“Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, written in the key of C Major, is a classic example of elaborate pop song writing. The chord progression features common primary and secondary chords in the key of C Major, along with some borrowed chords to add color. This combination makes for a memorable and melodic song.

The most unique feature of the song is how it slowly changes to the key of C minor in the second half of the verse, making use of two borrowed chords. This is a powerful tool in songwriting, as it can dramatically affect the emotional tone of the song. Lastly, this song demonstrates Elton John’s use of Coloristic harmony, through chromatically altered chords.

The chord progression of the verse in Weezer’s “If You’re Wondering If I Want You To I Want You To” uses a combination of diatonic and borrowed chords in the key of D Major. The use of the borrowed chord from the parallel minor key contributes to the unique sound of the progression.

The song “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails is in the key of B minor. The verse has a simple yet effective chord progression that revolves mainly around the i, III, and IV chords with a slight deviation towards the end. The chorus is characterized by a i-VII-III-VI progression with a slight extension. The outro mostly repeats the verse progression but is shorter.

The Beatles – Blackbird – Verse

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Chord Progression

[‘G’, ‘Am7’, ‘G/B’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C#dim’, ‘D’, ‘D#(b5)’, ‘Em’, ‘Ebaug’, ‘D’, ‘Dbdim’, ‘C’, ‘Cm’, ‘G/B’, ‘A7’, ‘C/D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘A7’, ‘C/D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘A7’, ‘C/D’, ‘G’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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Verse:

Here’s the chord progression for the verse with full chord names.

“`
G (I) – Am7 (ii7) – G/B (I/III) – G (I))
C (IV) – C#dim (iv♯°) – D (V) – D#(b5) (♭V(b5)) – Em (vi) – Ebaug (vi♭(#5)) – D (V) – Dbdim (♭V°) – C (IV) – Cm (iv(minor) – borrowed chord from G minor)
G/B (I/III) – A7 (V7/ii) – C/D (IV/V) – G (I)
C (IV) – G/B (I/III) – A7 (V7/ii) – C/D (IV/V) – G (I) –
C (IV) – G/B (I/III) – A7 (V7/ii) – C/D (IV/V) – G (I)
“`

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Similar Chord Progressions

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One song with similar harmonic complexity is “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, which combines a variety of chords, similar to “Blackbird,” though this progression is not as chromatically active.

Verse Chord Progression:

“`
Am (i) – G#°/B# (vii°/VI) – C/D (VI/VII) – D/F# (VII/IX) – Fmaj7 (VI maj7) – Am (i) – G (VII) – Am (i)
“`
Also, “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees has a similar feel:

Verse Chord Progression:

“`
G (I) – D (V) – G (I) – Bm (iii) – Em (vi) – Am (ii) – D7 (V7) – G (I)
“`

Musical Analysis

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There are two main aspects of this chord progression that make it unique: its use of secondary dominants (A7), which function to temporarily tonicize a non-tonic chord (in this case the ii chord, Am), and its use of a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key (Cm). These elements contribute to the progression’s distinct sound.

The progression also does not follow a standard 4-chord loop commonly seen in pop/rock music of the time, but rather goes on a journey with several unique changes. Non-diatonic chords such as the D#(b5), Dbdim, and the Ebaug chords further disrupt the expected feel of the key.

Furthermore, the inversion of the primary G chord (G/B) gives a distinctive color to the progression.

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Overall Analysis

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“Blackbird” by The Beatles is a song mostly in the key of G Major. It’s known for its interesting guitar work and unconventional chord progression. The song employs a mix of functional and non-functional harmony, striking a balance between traditional diatonic harmony and more experimental harmonic ideas. The chord progression also includes several chromatic or borrowed chords (Cm, Dbdim, D# (b5), C#dim, and Ebaug).

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Style Analysis

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“Blackbird” is one of the Beatles’ more harmonic adventurous songs, showcasing their ability as innovators within the pop music realm. The combination of standard folk acoustic picking with rare and borrowed chords, as well as its irregular structure defying the typical verse-chorus form, sonically painting a landscape that is famously Beatles.

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Chords in the Verse section of Blackbird by The Beatles are:

[‘G’, ‘Am7’, ‘G/B’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C#dim’, ‘D’, ‘D#(b5)’, ‘Em’, ‘Ebaug’, ‘D’, ‘Dbdim’, ‘C’, ‘Cm’, ‘G/B’, ‘A7’, ‘C/D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘A7’, ‘C/D’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘G/B’, ‘A7’, ‘C/D’, ‘G’]