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“Penny Lane” by The Beatles is an eclectic and elegant piece of music evident in its rhythm, harmony, melody, and lyrics. It is predominantly in the key of A Major, but it has several key changes and introduces chords that are non-diatonic, giving it a progressive and unexpected feel.

With a Little Help from My Friends’ exists in a rich harmonic landscape typical of the Beatles. Here, we can see signature moves like mixing major/minor tonalities, borrowed chords, and unconventional harmonic progressions.

“In My Head” is a good example of the band’s signature style, combining elements of rock, punk, and alternative music. The usage of primary chords is fairly standard for rock music, but the inclusion of unexpected chords like G5 and D# adds a complex flavor to the progression making it notably unique amongst other songs within the genre.

“Get You” by Daniel Caesar is a soulful R&B ballad featuring a smooth and emotive chord progression that is both melancholic and uplifting. The progression is derived from the key of D major, but features a borrowed chord from its parallel minor key, D minor, which adds a unique flair to the song. Daniel Caesar’s vocal performance, accompanied by soulful instrumentation, creates a sense of nostalgia and emotional evocation that is characteristic of the R&B genre.

The chord progression in the chorus of Kali Uchis’ “After The Storm” features a repeating progression of Am7, Bm7, and Eaug that occurs three times, with slight variations in harmony and tonality. It is a unique and interesting progression that creates tension through the use of both minor 7th and augmented chords. The overall style evokes a dreamy, jazzy atmosphere with elements of R&B and soul.

The Beatles – Penny Lane – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘E7’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here, we will analyze the given section of the chorus against the context of the key of A major:
“`
G Major: bVII
B Minor: ii
C Major: bIII
G Major: bVII
B Minor: ii
C Major: bIII
G Major: bVII
B Minor: ii
C Major: bIII
E7: V/vi
“`
The above chords contains borrowed chords which are chords borrowed from the parallel minor key, In the key of A major, the parallel minor is A minor. So, the G and C chords are borrowed from A minor.

Here’s the line with borrowed chords written in code block:

“`G Major (bVII), C Major (bIII)“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The Beatles’ use of borrowed chords and key changes was influential and can be seen in many songs by other artists. For example, the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows” uses similar techniques. In particular, “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” by Paul McCartney also utilizes a similar style of chord borrowing and modulations.

Chord progression in these songs:

“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys:

“`C (I), E7 (V/vi), F (IV), D (bII)“`

“Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” by Paul McCartney:

“`G (I), E7(V/vi), A7 (dominant V)“`

Musical Analysis

Notably, the primary chords in the progression (G and C) are not part of the A major scale. “Penny Lane” is characteristically Beatles-esque in its use of unexpected chord movements and key changes, which add intrigue to the piece without making it sound disjointed or random. The use of the V/vi (E7) chord as a pivot to transition between key areas is very nicely done and is an excellent example of the Beatles’ clever songwriting.

Overall Analysis

“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.

Style Analysis

“Penny Lane” is characterized stylistically by its lush arrangements, complex harmonies, and stylistic mixture of traditional ‘pop’ songwriting, classical influence (particularly Baroque), and modern recording techniques. The section of the chorus analyzed here exemplifies this, with the borrowed chords adding unexpected color to the progression and the E7 resolving back to the home key in a satisfying manner.

Chords in the Chorus section of Penny Lane by The Beatles are:

[‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘Bm’, ‘C’, ‘E7’]