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Related Music Theory Alchemy

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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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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.

The chord progression in Verse 3 of Daniel Caesar’s “Get You” consists of a mix of diatonic chords and borrowed chords from the parallel minor. The overall tonality is in the B minor key. The smooth, soulful sound of the progression is achieved through the use of minor chords, mixed with major seventh chords, and the cycle of fifths progression in some measures.

“House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals is a well-known folk song that has been adapted into a blues ballad with a haunting quality. The verse chord progression features a combination of minor and major chords that contribute to its emotional intensity, while also creating a sense of tension and resolution.

“Love Of My Life” by Queen, especially Verse 3, showcases a mix of simple and complex harmony, with many secondary dominants, borrowed chords, and diminished chords contributing to varying and shifting tonal centres. This makes for an emotional and contextually appropriate progression that fits well with the song’s lyrical content.

The Beatles – Let It Be – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘F6’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘F6’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

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C Major (I)
G Major (V)
A minor (vi)
A minor/G (vi)
F Major 7 (IV)
F6 (IV)
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
F Major (IV)
C Major/E (I)
D minor 7 (ii)
C Major (I)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. The hangover track “For No One” also by The Beatles
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C Major (I)
A minor (vi)
D minor 7 (ii)
G Major (V)
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2. The song “Perfect” from Ed Sheeran
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G Major (I)
E minor (vi)
C Major (IV)
D Major (V)
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3. “High Hopes” from Kodaline
“`
C Major (I)
A minor (vi)
F Major (IV)
G Major (V)
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Musical Analysis

The song is built around a classic “IV-I-V-vi” pattern, contributing to its universal and easy-listening appeal. The Am/G (vi) chord is a more sophisticated version of the more common Am chord and adds an ethereal touch to the progression. The Fmaj7 (IV) adds a slight tension before resolving back to the tonic. The F6 (IV) adds color and variety to the progression. The Dm7 (ii) chord adds a different type of tension that nicely resolves back to the tonic.

Overall Analysis

“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.

Style Analysis

The Beatles often used conventional chord progressions but with twists, either incorporating sophisticated borrowed chords or switching chord inversions. They also often used non-diatonic chords to add color and emotional depth to their songs. “Let It Be” is a great example of this. It’s important to note that the primary hook of the song is not only in the chord progression but also in the melody and the lyrical content – a hallmark of The Beatles’ songwriting style.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Let It Be by The Beatles are:

[‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘F6’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘F6’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘F’, ‘C/E’, ‘Dm7’, ‘C’]