The Beatles – Girl – Verse 1
Girl < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Bm’, ‘F#7’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘F#7’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#7’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Bm’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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The Verse 1 of “Girl” goes as follows:
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B minor (i), F#7(V7), B minor (i), B minor 7(i7), E minor ( iv),
D (bVI), F#7 (V7), B minor (i), F#7(V7), B minor(i), B minor7(i7),
E minor(iv), B minor (i)
“`
Here, B minor is the tonic (i) chord of the song. The F#7 is the dominant seventh (V7) and key to establishing B minor as the tonal centre. E minor acts as the subdominant (iv) chord which provides a smooth transition back to the tonic. D provides a flat major sixth (bVI) which is a borrowed chord from the parallel major of B minor (B major).
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Similar Chord Progressions
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A similar progression can be heard in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” also by The Beatles which includes minor, dominant 7th, minor 7th, and a borrowed bVI chord from parallel major.
Another example is “Stairway To Heaven” by Led Zeppelin with the progression goes as follows:
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A minor (i), G#7 (VII7), A minor(i), A minor7(i7),
D(iv), F major (bVI), A minor(i), G#7(VII7), A minor(i), A minor7(i7),
D(iv), A minor(i)
“`
This progression, similar to “Girl”, employs a mixture of minor, minor7, and dominant 7th chords. It also borrows F from the parallel major.
Musical Analysis
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The song’s melody is mainly centered around the i chord (B minor), which creates a haunting and melancholic atmosphere. The addition of sevenths (Bm7, F#7) gives the progression a jazzy touch and increases the tension which is released when the progression resolves back to Bm.
The song, although structurally simple, cleverly uses harmonic tension and release to create dynamic interest. The minor harmonic pattern reinforces the moody and romantic lyrics of the song.
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Overall Analysis
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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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Style Analysis
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The Beatles are known for their innovation with chord progressions, tonalities, and styles. “Girl” is a great representation of their exploration of more sophisticated musical settings, here by implementing seventh chords and a modal use.
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What are the chords in: The Beatles – Girl – Verse 1?
[‘Bm’, ‘F#7’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘F#7’, ‘Bm’, ‘F#7’, ‘Bm’, ‘Bm7’, ‘Em’, ‘Bm’]
