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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” by The Beatles is a track that showcases the band’s fondness for creating complex and textured compositions by combining multiple melody lines with innovative chord sequences in a pop rock context. It features numerous musical styles, including pop, rock, and music hall, which reflects the band’s eclectic musical influences. The Coda of the song takes place in the key of D major.

“Can’t Buy Me Love,” a song by The Beatles, exhibits a style that’s emblematic of their earlier work, with a clear, upbeat tonality and an elegant yet straightforward chord progression. The tune is predominantly centred in the key of C major, but it utilizes both major and dominant 7th chords to create tension and resolution, modulating away from the home key. The particular progression you’ve given, ‘C7’, ‘F7’, ‘C’, isn’t rare and demonstrates the Beatles’ precision and understanding of pop and rock music’s creative possibilities.

The chorus of “The Good Life” by Weezer features a mixture of diatonic and non-diatonic chords, with a primary focus on the key of G major. The chord progression stands out as somewhat unconventional due to the inclusion of chromatic chords, which gives it an interesting character and emotion. Additionally, the repetition of certain chords emphasizes the harmonic structure and creates a sense of familiarity.

“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.

“Undone – The Sweater Song” by Weezer features a chorus with a simple, yet effective chord progression that combines the use of power chords with major chords. This combination gives the song its distinctive indie rock sound and contributes to its overall catchiness. The chorus is based on a four-chord progression with three different chords, where G5 power chord is followed by two major chords, C and D.

The Beatles – Maxwells Silver Hammer – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘D’, ‘E7’, ‘A7’, ‘Em’, ‘A7’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The chorus involves a repeated sequence of ‘D’, ‘E7’, ‘A7’, ‘Em’, ‘A7’. In terms of Roman numeral analysis in the key of D major, the progression goes as follows:

– ‘D Major’ (‘I’)
– ‘E7’ (‘II7’)
– ‘A7’ (‘V7’)
– ‘E Minor’ (‘ii’)
– ‘A7’ (‘V7’)

“` Borrowed Chords: ‘E Minor’ (‘ii’) is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key (D minor).“`

Similar Chord Progressions

A song with a similar progression is “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars. The chorus uses the progression ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘Bm’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘A’. In terms of Roman numeral analysis:

– ‘D Major’ (‘I’)
– ‘E minor’ (‘ii’)
– ‘Bm’ (‘iii’)
– ‘G Major’ (‘IV’)
– ‘D Major’ (‘I’)
– ‘E minor’ (‘ii’)
– ‘A Major’ (‘V’)

Here, there is also a movement from the tonic ‘I’ to the minor ‘ii’, similar to the structure in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” Both songs use this device to add a touch of emotion and tension in an otherwise upbeat and major progression.

Musical Analysis

The melody over this progression is catchy and simple, showcasing The Beatles’ knack for unforgettable hooks. The use of the borrowed ‘E minor’ chord adds a touch of unexpected surprise, deviating from the key of D major momentarily to create a hint of tension before resolving beautifully back to ‘A7’, the dominant chord.

Overall Analysis

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” composed by Paul McCartney, is a pop song that sits in the key of D Major throughout. However, it does borrow chords from the parallel minor. This technique, known as modal interchange or borrowed chords, is common in popular music and especially in classical compositions by iconic bands like The Beatles.

Style Analysis

This progression embodies The Beatles’ innovative approach. While it begins in a rather conventional manner, using ‘I’, ‘II7’, and ‘V7’ chords, the sudden switch to the ‘ii’ chord borrowed from the parallel minor gives the chorus an unexpected twist. This Beatles’ use of modal interchange is a prominent part of their style.

Chords in the Chorus section of Maxwells Silver Hammer by The Beatles are:

[‘D’, ‘E7’, ‘A7’, ‘Em’, ‘A7’]