Music Theory Alchemy

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“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).

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. It was written by Paul McCartney. The song is primarily in the key of D Major and exhibits a mix of major, minor, and dominant seventh chords. This verse progression manifests the distinctive Beatles’ sound which often includes chromaticism and prevalence of secondary dominants that link the chords together, giving a smooth flow and color to the harmonic progression.

“Eight Days A Week” by The Beatles, released in 1965, is renowned for its catchy melodic phrases, tight harmonies, and distinctive use of chords. The song is firmly rooted in the key of D major, but there is an interesting use of borrowed chords.

Verse 2

The given chord progression is from the verse of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe,” a song from their 1973 album, “The Dark Side of the Moon.” The progression consists of alternating Em and A7 chords throughout the entire verse. This creates a sense of movement and tension between the chords while also being relatively simple and repetitive. The harmonic back-and-forth between these two chords gives the song a dreamy and immersive quality that is a signature sound of Pink Floyd’s style.

“Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” by Tame Impala is a psychedelic pop song notable for its dreamy, lo-fi sound and use of unconventional chord progressions. Musically, the song is written in the key of F major, but creatively uses chromatic mediants, borrowed chords, and modal interchange to establish a unique harmony. The song also uses dynamic contrast to create a dreamlike atmosphere, increasing the song’s overall psychedelic effect.

The Beatles – For No One – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘C/B’, ‘Am’, ‘C/G’, ‘F’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here is the analysis with borrowed chords:

“`
C Major (I)
C/B (I with leading tone Bass)
A minor (vi)
C/G (I with dominant Bass)
F Major (IV)
Bb Major (♭VII – Borrowed from C Minor)
C Major (I)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The progression I – vi – IV – V is common in many other pop songs. A borrowed ♭VII chord and slash chords are less common, but you can see a use of borrowed chords in the work of artists as diverse as Nirvana and Stevie Wonder. For example:

– Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” borrows uses a similar technique in a couple passages. Here is one such progression: [‘F5’, ‘Bb5’, ‘Ab5’, ‘Db5’] (I – ♭III – ♭II – IV assumed to be in the F Major Key. Nirvana used power chords which technically aren’t major or minor but assuming major fits the aesthetic of their music perfectly).
– Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” also uses a similar trick. The progression: [‘Eb min7’, ‘Bb7’] (i – V expressed in Eb minor, the V chord is borrowed from the parallel major).

Of course, these examples don’t match The Beatles chord progression exactly but they do show the use of borrowed chords, which are one unique aspect of the given Beatles progression.

Musical Analysis

This progression consists of the I, vi, IV, and V, a very common progression in pop music known as the doo-wop progression. What is unique here is the use of a borrowed chord, which is less common. This introduces a note (Bb) into the progression that is not in the diatonic key of C Major, creating an unexpected and interesting sound.

Overall Analysis

The progression is in the key of C major. The use of the Bb major is known as modal interchange, where a chord that is not in the key is borrowed from a parallel key, which in this case is C minor. This contributes an interesting tone color to the overall sound. The chord progression does consist a use of slash chords (C/B, C/G) which adds a more complex bassline creating a more harmonically active feeling, and yielding more tension and release.

Style Analysis

The use of borrowed chords was a commonly used technique of The Beatles, allowing them to create more complex and less predictable harmonic structures. The Beatles are known for their innovative chord progressions and this is a classic example. The use of a continuous descending bassline in this progression adds an element of tension and release, typical of their style.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of For No One by The Beatles are:

[‘C’, ‘C/B’, ‘Am’, ‘C/G’, ‘F’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’]