The Beatles – For No One – Chorus
For No One < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’]
Chord Progression Analysis
Dm (i) -> A7 (V) -> Dm (i) -> A7 (V) -> Dm (i) -> A7 (V) -> Dm (i) -> A7 (V) -> Dm (i) -> Gsus4 (IV) -> G (IV)
Borrowed Chords:
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Gsus4, G (From G Major)
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Similar Chord Progressions
1. “Fly Me To The Moon” by Frank Sinatra has a similar cyclical progression between minor and dominant 7th chords.
[`Am (i) -> Dm7 (iv) -> G7 (VII) -> Cmaj7 (III)`]
2. Another song with a similar harmonic approach is Radiohead’s “Exit Music (For a Film)”, especially with the use of both major and minor chords for tension and release.
[`C (I) -> Bm (ii) -> F#(V) -> G (VI) -> Dm (ii) -> Am (i) -> E7 (V7) -> Am (i)`]
These examples demonstrate how alternating between the minor tonic and a dominant 7th chord can result in captivating, emotionally resonant music across different genres and eras.
Musical Analysis
The repetitious pattern of Dm and A7 creates a sense of tension and resolution, with Dm serving as the tonic chord and A7 as the dominant chord, creating a pull back to the tonic. The Gsus4 and G are interesting as they’re from D minor’s relative major, G Major, which gives a brighter feel for a moment before returning back to the D minor tonality.
Overall Analysis
“For No One” is a song from The Beatles’ album Revolver, released in 1966. The song has a melancholic theme, represented quite well through a sophisticated chord progression that features significant use of the minor scale and infrequent use of chord extensions, such as 7th and suspended chords. It’s written primarily in C Major, but the chorus alternates between D Minor and A7, an interesting modal shift (Using structural chords from different modes).
Style Analysis
“For No One” stands out due to its Baroque pop influences, a style that was unique among The Beatles’ discography. This is evident in the use of the clavichord and French horn, which alongside the sophisticated, emotionally-charged chord progressions give the song a distinctive melancholic and nostalgic character.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – For No One – Chorus?
[‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘A7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Gsus4’, ‘G’]
