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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is one of the excellent examples of the unique and complex style popular in the late 1960’s. It is in the key of E and further progresses to F# minor. The progression utilizes modal interchange, chromaticism, and unusual chord progressions to create a dreamlike and psychedelic landscape that perfectly suits the lyrical theme of the song.

“Hey Jude,” by The Beatles, is an iconic song. The chord progression is in the key of D major and it follows a sort of Variation on I-V-IV-I progression of many pop and rock songs. However, what makes this song extremely unique is its out-of-the-box structure and the experimental use of borrowed cords – it shows The Beatles’ fondness for combining elements of pop, rock and classical music and results in an emotional, powerful progression that resonates strongly with listeners.

“Buddy Holly” by Weezer is a power-pop/alternative rock song from their debut studio album “Weezer” (also known as the Blue Album) released in 1994. The verse chord progression features diatonic chords from the A major key, along with some inversions and techniques borrowed from other musical styles such as blues and rock.

“Guilty as Sin?” by Taylor Swift uses a chord progression in the verse that reflects a more nuanced and reflective approach, suitable for a song with a contemplative or emotive theme. The interplay between minor and major seventh chords creates a lush, complex sound that elevates the song’s introspective and somewhat moody lyrical content.

The Beatles – Help – Verse

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘A’]

Chord Progression Analysis

A Major (I) – C# Minor (vi) – F# Minor (ii) – D Major (IV) – G Major (♭VII, a borrowed chord from A Mixolydian) – Repeat this cycle again and return to A Major (I).
All full chord names and roman numerals:

“`plaintext
A Major (I)
C# Minor (vi)
F# Minor (ii)
D Major (IV)
G Major (♭VII)
A Major (I)
C# Minor (vi)
F# Minor (ii)
D Major (IV)
G Major (♭VII)
A Major (I)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The A – C#m – F#m – D chord progression is fairly common in pop music. One example is “Earth Angel” by The Penguins. It uses the same I – vi – ii – IV progression in the key of D:

D Major (I) – B Minor (vi) – E Minor (ii) – A Major (IV)
In terms of the borrowed chord (G Major in this case), artists like Radiohead have made use of similar concepts, an example being the verse progression of their song “Paranoid Android”:

“`plaintext
G Major (I)
D Major (IV)
C Major (♭VII, a borrowed chord from G Mixolydian)
“`

It can be noted that while these progressions may share similarities in structure and concept, the musical context and surrounding elements like melody, rhythm, and production play a significant role in carving their unique identities.

Musical Analysis

The A Major to C#m change is a common pop progression that injects warmth and breadth into the piece. The F#m serves as a transition point to the D Major chord, creating an ii – IV movement. This leads to the touch of G Major which is our borrowed chord from A Mixolydian. This chord yields a strong pull back to the tonic (A Major), creating engaging tension and release.

Overall Analysis

The chord progression in the verse of “Help!” by The Beatles is quite characteristic of their style, using common chords but in interesting and unusual ways. The verse of “Help!” notably presents a mix of classic pop chord progression (I-vi-ii-V), secondary dominant chords and chromatic progressions. The Beatles often incorporated novel harmonic structures that added depth and complexity to their pop music, as evidenced in this piece.

Style Analysis

“Help!” is emblematic of The Beatles’ mid-career work, during which they started to experiment more with their sound. The song embodies many features of the British Invasion style, using basic chord structures and progressions but with variation and experimentation – for instance, the borrowed chord, which was a common feature in The Beatles’ music.

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

[‘A’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘A’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘A’]