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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

“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.

“Sour Times” by Portishead is characterized by dark, brooding sounds and melancholic melodies that gives the song its distinct feel, largely due to the specific chord progression that is used throughout the song. Written in the key of E major, the song makes use of a diverse selection of chords that offers a wider blend of harmonic options to navigate through different moods and tonal landscapes.

The chord progression in the chorus of “Say Goodbye” by Beck features a simple, yet unique combination of major and minor chords. It is primarily built around the key of G major, but includes a chromatic twist with the inclusion of the A# major chord. The progression is fairly repetitive, which provides a stable and recognizable backbone for the chorus.

The chord progression in the chorus of Radiohead’s “Knives Out” is an interesting and unconventional one, making use of some borrowed chords and a mix of major and minor tonalities. The overall style of the song can be described as alternative rock with some influences of jazz harmony and chromaticism, creating a unique and moody atmosphere. The progression is mostly diatonic, but it also incorporates some borrowed chords from parallel modes to add color and tension.

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’]