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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.

“All My Loving” by The Beatles is written in the key of D Major. It’s pop and rock style includes elements of British Invasion and Merseybeat. It shows a common chord progression modified with additional chords and modulation.

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“Killer Queen” is a unique composition with a hybrid style. It manages to combine rock and pop structure with complex harmonic techniques often found in classical and jazz music. Queen’s unique sound can be attributed to Freddie Mercury’s diverse musical influences, hence creating such sophisticated progressions.

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“Stairway to Heaven” is a well-known song by Led Zeppelin, released in 1971 on their untitled fourth album, which is often referred to as “Led Zeppelin IV” or “Zoso.” The song, composed by Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, is a complex piece with various sections and stylistic influences. The section under analysis, Bridge 2, is a chord progression that serves as a connecting passage between the more tranquil sections of the song and the harder, rock aspects that follow. The chords are built on diatonic and chromatic elements, showcasing the band’s skill in creating evocative harmonic progressions.

The Beatles – With A Little Help From My Friends – Bridge 2

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Chord Progression

[‘C#m’, ‘F#’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘A’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The chord progression for Bridge 2 is as follows:

“`
C# Minor (‘vi’), F# Major (‘II’), E Major (‘I’), D Major (‘♭VII’), A Major (‘IV’),
C# Minor (‘vi’), F# Major (‘II’), E Major (‘I’), D Major (‘♭VII’), A Major (‘IV’)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

Back to Black (Amy Winehouse)

“`
D#m (‘vi’), A# (‘II’), G# (‘I’), F# (‘♭VII’), C# (‘IV’),
D#m (‘vi’), A# (‘II’), G# (‘I’), F# (‘♭VII’), C# (‘IV’)
“`

Message in a Bottle (The Police)

“`
C#m (‘vi’), F# (‘II’), E (‘I’), D (‘♭VII’), A (‘IV’),
C#m (‘vi’), F# (‘II’), E (‘I’), D (‘♭VII’), A (‘IV’)
“`

These songs share similar progressions with “With A Little Help From My Friends,” though each artist of course puts their unique spin on it. The borrowed ♭VII is a particularly popular trick in rock music, and you can hear it in numerous songs across the genre.

Musical Analysis

Here, the D Major is a borrowed chord from the parallel major scale of E, taking the flat-seventh ‘♭VII’ position. This is a common Beatles’ trick to transition through different scales and create an appealing, complex progression. They transition from the Minor vi to the Major II, then resolve it on to I. The ♭VII and IV give us an out-of-key but satisfying cadence to round off the progression.

Overall Analysis

The overall analysis of “With A Little Help From My Friends” indicates usage of the classic Pop/Rock chord style that The Beatles were known for. This style often features I-IV-V (1-4-5) progressions and the usage of minor chords to create emotive contrasts. “With A Little Help From My Friends” uses this to great effect, even incorporating borrowed chords from parallel scales for enhanced emotion and “singability.”

Style Analysis

The Beatles use a mix of major and minor chords in a way that’s characteristic of their balancing pop accessibility with emotional depth. Their use of the major II chord adds a bit of tension and interest, as does their use of the borrowed ♭VII. Both of these techniques make the song more dynamic and engaging, straying from the pure, somewhat predictable I-IV-V progressions often found in pop/rock music.

Chords in the Bridge 2 section of With A Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles are:

[‘C#m’, ‘F#’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘C#m’, ‘F#’, ‘E’, ‘D’, ‘A’]