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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Let It Be” by The Beatles is a song in the key of C Major. The chord progression featured in Verse 3 of the song, C – G – Am – Am/G – Fmaj7 – F6 – C – G – F – C/E – Dm7 – C, is a common progression in pop music. It has a repetitive structure and revolves around the I-V-vi-VI progression.

“All My Loving” by The Beatles is a mid-tempo pop song written in the key of E minor for the verse and D Major for the bridge and outro, featuring a distinct, upbeat walking bassline. The grey, almost mournful verses, along with the brighter, major-toned bridges and chorus, create a juxtaposition of feelings within the piece. The bridge also highlights The Beatles’ use of secondary dominants and chromaticism. Concluding in the tonic key of D Major, the song has an interesting interplay between Em and D Major throughout, which could be perceived as a Em: i, VI, III, II and D: vi, V7, I, vi, IV, ii, I progression.

“Heartbreaker” by The Rolling Stones is a rock song that exhibits some fundamental rock and blues progressions and chord changes. The chorus of the song is a three-chord progression [E, G, C] that repeats four times.

The chorus of “Right Where It Belongs” by Nine Inch Nails is built upon a repeating four-chord progression of Gm-Bb-F-C. This song is in the key of Bb major (with two flats in the key signature, Bb and Eb). All the chords used in this song are derived from the Bb major scale, which makes this a diatonic chord progression. There is no borrowed or chromatic harmony in this song.

“Creep” by Radiohead is an alternative rock song in the key of G major, with a somewhat melancholic tone. The chord progression used is iconic, and it heavily relies on borrowed chords to create tension and resolution in the harmony. This use of chords creates a distinct sound that has become synonymous with the song.

The Beatles – Let It Be – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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Here’s the chord progression analysis with Roman numerals for the chorus.

1. A minor (‘vi’)
2. G major (‘V’)
3. F major (‘IV’)
4. C major (‘I’)
5. C major (‘I’)
6. G major (‘V’)
7. F major (‘IV’)
8. C/E (‘I6’)
9. D minor 7 (‘ii7’)
10. C major (‘I’)
11. A minor (‘vi’)
12. G major (‘V’)
13. F major (‘IV’)
14. C major (‘I’)
15. C major (‘I’)
16. G major (‘V’)
17. F major (‘IV’)
18. C/E (‘I6’)
19. D minor 7 (‘ii7’)
20. C major (‘I’)
21. A minor (‘vi’)
22. G major (‘V’)
23. F major (‘IV’)
24. C major (‘I’)
25. C major (‘I’)
26. G major (‘V’)
27. F major (‘IV’)
28. C/E (‘I6’)
29. D minor 7 (‘ii7’)
30. C major (‘I’)

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Similar Chord Progressions

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1. The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” has a similar progression in its chorus: [‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C/D’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘C/D’, ‘D’, ‘G’], aligning to: G major (‘I’), E minor (‘vi’), C/D (‘IV6’), D major (‘V’), G major (‘I’).

2. Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” uses a progression with similar elements in its verse: [‘Bm’, ‘A’, ‘G’, ‘Em’, ‘Bm’], corresponding to: B minor (‘i’), A major (‘VII’), G major (‘VI’), E minor (‘iv’), B minor (‘i’).

3. Oasis’s “Wonderwall” adopts a similar progression in its chorus: [‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’], mapping to: E minor (‘i’), G major (‘III’), D major (‘VII’), A major (‘IV’), E minor (‘i’), G major (‘III’), D major (‘VII’), A major (‘IV’).

Musical Analysis

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The chorus cyclically moves from the ‘vi’ to the ‘V’ to the ‘IV’ to the ‘I’, reinforcing the major tonality. The brief touches on the ‘vi’ chord provide an undercurrent of minor sonority, adding contrast within the progression. The ‘I6’ (C/E) chord is an example of an inverted chord used to smooth the bass motion.

The D minor 7 chord (‘ii7’) is used as a pivot chord to modulate the key, momentarily providing a softening effect before resolving back to the tonic, C major (‘I’).

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Overall Analysis

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“Let It Be” is one of The Beatles’ most popular songs and features a primarily major tonality (C Major), giving it its iconic uplifting and inspiring quality. The song’s chord progression is quite standard in terms of pop/rock music, yet it does include some interesting elements like inversions and a 7th chord to add variety and emotional depth.

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Style Analysis

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Beatles are known for their innovative use of chord progressions and harmonies, a feature that sets them apart from other artists of their era. In “Let It Be”, they combine conventional and uncommon progressions, embodying their talent in combining simplicity with complexity. The melody notes are primarily derived from the key of C major, providing a strong sense of unity and coherence.

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Chords in the Chorus section of Let It Be by The Beatles are:

[‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’]