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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles is in the minor mode and its chord progression showcases rich harmonic content and unexpected key changes, common to The Beatles’ music. Harmonically, it features an interesting mixture of chords from the parallel major and minor keys, which is indicative of modal interchange, a key characteristic of The Beatles’ songwriting.

“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.

“Right Where It Belongs” by Nine Inch Nails features a non-diatonic chord progression that creates a sense of tension and resolution. The progression makes use of borrowed chords from parallel keys, contributing to its distinctive sound. The overall key of the song is D minor.

“Stairway to Heaven” is a progressive rock song by Led Zeppelin, released in 1971. The song showcases a movement between different styles and musical settings, as it starts with a gentle, fingerpicked acoustic section and gradually evolves into a powerful and climactic electric guitar solo, finishing with a full-band finale. The song is characterized by its ascending progression and intricate chord changes, which contribute to its unique and haunting atmosphere. The verse 1 chord progression features a blend of diatonic and chromatic elements, borrowed chords, and inversions, which create a sense of tension and resolution throughout the progression.

The song “Purple Rain” by Prince is a classic and showcases some interesting use of chord progressions. The key of the song is G major. The classic, popular music formula is present in the use of common chords like I, ii, IV, V which are all diatonic within the key. Noticeably, this song opts for a more simplistic, cyclical chord progression structure that emphasizes repetition of strong melodic lines.

The Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Verse 1

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Chord Progression

[‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘F#m7b5’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus4’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus2’, ‘D’, ‘Esus4’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘F#m7b5’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’]

Chord Progression Analysis

In musical analysis of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ Verse 1, the chord progression goes as follows:

Am (i), Am/G (i with G in bass), F#m7b5 (vi half diminished), Fmaj7 (VI), Am (i), G (bVII – borrowed from parallel key Am mixolydian), D (IV of relative major), Dsus4 (IVsus4 of relative major), D (IV of relative major), Dsus2 (IVsus2 of relative major), D (IV of relative major), Esus4 (V of parallel major), E (V of parallel major), Am (i), Am/G (i with G in bass), F#m7b5 (vi half diminished), Fmaj7 (VI), Am (i), G (bVII – borrowed from parallel key Am mixolydian), C (III of parallel major), E (V of parallel major).

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Borrowed Chords: G (bVII – borrowed from parallel key Am mixolydian)
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Similar Chord Progressions

The chord progression bears some similarity to the style found in songs like “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin, or “Something” by The Beatles themselves, showcasing a mixture of major, minor, and suspended chords creating a rich harmonic progression. Also, “Yesterday” from The Beatles uses similar chord progressions including borrowing parallel major and minor chords.

Here is the chord progression in Stairway to Heaven’s verse:

Aminor (i) – Gsharp diminished (vii dim) – Gmajor (bVII) – Fmajor (VI) – Aminor (i) – Amajor (I of parallel major) – Cmajor/D (VII with D in bass) – D/F# (IV of relative major)

Likewise, in “Something”, a Beatles classic showcases a mixture of major, minor, and suspended chords in its verse:

C (I) – Cmaj7 (Imaj7) – C7 (I7) – F (IV) – D7 (II7 – secondary dominant) – G (V) – Am (vi) – Am/G (vi with G in bass) – Am/F# (vi with F# in bass) – F (IV).

Musical Analysis

What stands out in this song is Harrison’s wide use of borrowed chords and secondary dominants, creating an interesting tonal color and musical depth. A clear demonstration of modal interchange, the song uniquely moves from Am (natural minor focused) to D (Dorian mode focused) and also manipulates the harmonic rhythm extensively for emotional effect. The transition between sus4 and sus2 on the D chord creates additional tension leading to resolution.

Overall Analysis

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is in the key of A minor and quite uniquely, the song borrows chords from parallel major and minor keys, as well as from modes like mixolydian. It is one of George Harrison’s contributions to the Beatles and showcases sophisticated harmonic techniques and an intricate chordal design, reflecting deeply on the influence of Eastern music and philosophies on his songwriting.

Style Analysis

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is marked with melancholy – a sensation further enhanced by the varied and unusual chord choices which bring a sense of pathos to the composition. It showcases George’s unique usage of modal interchange, extended harmonies, and diatonic substitution, thereby depicting a groundbreaking depth in popular music of the time.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of While My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles are:

[‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘F#m7b5’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus4’, ‘D’, ‘Dsus2’, ‘D’, ‘Esus4’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Am/G’, ‘F#m7b5’, ‘Fmaj7’, ‘Am’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’]