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“Here Comes the Sun” written by The Beatles is a seminal work from the Beatles’ output in pop music. The piece is composed in a modified strophic form with a circular pattern augmented with a repetitive and distinct bridge that modulates in key. The use of major chords and open voicings gives the song a sunny and positive feel, hence its title. It’s also notable for its mixed use of diatonic and borrowed chords, contributing to its unique sound.

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“Penny Lane,” written by the Beatles, utilizes key changes and borrowed chords to create an interesting and complex tonal palette. The song is best understood to primarily be in the key of A Major; however, it frequently borrows chords from the parallel minor key, uses unexpected dominant chords, and briefly modulates to other key areas for color and variety. This is characteristic of several Beatles songs, and it’s one of the ways they added complexity to their music while still remaining accessible.

The chord progression in the chorus of George Benson’s “Give Me The Night” is an example of a smooth and groovy R&B progression from the early 1980s. It has a mix of minor chords, a major chord, and a major 7th chord, creating a soulful and slightly melancholic character. The progressions use diatonic chords from the F minor scale, with a hint of modal interchange.

“Strawberry Fields Forever” by The Beatles is a song that displays the remarkable depth of harmonic creativity found in their songwriting. The chord progression in the Chorus 4 section of the song is particularly complex. This progressions illustrate the band’s ability to exploit common harmonic devices such as diatonic pivots, modal mixture, and deceptive resolutions, in order to produce beautifully unique and captivating chord sequences.

The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun – Chorus 4

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Chord Progression

[‘D’, ‘Dsus2’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘E7’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus2’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Chorus 4 progression:
– D (I)
– Dsus2 (Isus2)
– D (I)
– G (IV)
– E7 (V/ii, secondary dominant)
– D (I)
– Dsus2 (Isus2)
– D (I)

##### Borrowed Chord
The “E7” chord is a borrowed chord used as a secondary dominant chord to the ii (Em) in the key of D major.

Similar Chord Progressions

A similar chord progression can be found in “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, especially in the distinctive opening section:

– D (I)
– A (V)
– C (bVII, borrowed from D minor)
– G (IV)

While not exactly the same, the progression also frequently alternates between a major chord and a sus2 chord, and also makes use of borrowed chords to add color and variety to the harmony.

Musical Analysis

The use of the Dsus2 chord adds a distinctive color and feeling to the progression, as it creates a sense of suspension and ambiguity. The alternating between the D and Dsus2 also adds a sense of movement.

The transition from G to E7 is particularly interesting. Here, The Beatles use E7 as a secondary dominant, which briefly and subtly modulates into the key of the ii chord (E minor) before resolving back to D major. This use of secondary dominants is a common technique in pop and rock music, adding a unique color and complexity to the harmony, and further highlights The Beatles’ mastery of songwriting and harmony.

Overall Analysis

“Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles, composed by George Harrison, features a complex and stylistically unique chord progression. The song is primarily in the key of D major, with elements of modal interchange (also known as borrowed chords) from both the parallel minor key (D minor) and other modes, including the Mixolydian mode.

Style Analysis

This kind of chord progression is quite representative of The Beatles’ music style, especially their later works. Unlike many songs of the era which mostly relied on simpler progressions such as the I-IV-V, The Beatles often incorporated elements from classical and jazz harmony into their music, such as extended chords, secondary dominants and borrowed chords, which gives their music a more sophisticated and layered feel.

Chords in the Chorus 4 section of Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles are:

[‘D’, ‘Dsus2’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘E7’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus2’, ‘D’]