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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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“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.

“Hey You” by Pink Floyd is a progressive rock song from the concept album “The Wall.” The song is characterized by its atmospheric sound created through a combination of acoustic and electric guitars, haunting vocals, and a variety of effects. The chord progression of Verse 3 is interesting as it features a mix of diatonic chords, borrowed chords, and extensions such as the add9 chords that contribute to the song’s unique sound.

The Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon” incorporates a repeating sequence of predominantly seventh chords, displaying a mix of minor, dominant, and sustained chords within the and C Major/A minor keys. This diversity contributes to the song’s unique harmony, and given its context in a folk rock style, the progression exudes a rustic, storytelling personality.

“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
“`
C Major (I)
A minor (vi)
D minor 7 (ii)
G Major (V)
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2. The song “Perfect” from Ed Sheeran
“`
G Major (I)
E minor (vi)
C Major (IV)
D Major (V)
“`
3. “High Hopes” from Kodaline
“`
C Major (I)
A minor (vi)
F Major (IV)
G Major (V)
“`

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’]