The Beatles – With A Little Help From My Friends – Coda
With A Little Help From My Friends < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘D’, ‘A’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The chord progression you’ve provided appears to be the closing / final progression of the song, often referred to as coda.
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D major (‘IV’),
A major (‘V of IV’),
C major (‘♭III’ – borrowed from E minor),
D major (‘IV’),
E major (‘I’)
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Notice here that the IV – I (‘D – E’) motion occurs twice, bookending the `A – C – D` sequence. The C major may seem out of place but it provides a profound emotional height through a common Beatles trick, borrowing from the parallel minor.
Similar Chord Progressions
The use of borrowed chords, especially the ♭III in a major key, is prevalent in many popular music compositions.
– Elton John’s “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” employs a IV – ♭III – IV – V – I quite similar to “With A Little Help From My Friends”, but borrowing from the parallel minor happens on the second chord in the sequence.
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F# major (‘IV’),
D major (‘♭III’ – borrowed from A minor),
F# major (‘IV’),
G major (‘V’),
A major (‘I’)
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– David Bowie’s “Life On Mars?”:
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E major (‘I’),
G major (‘♭III’ – borrowed from E minor),
C major (‘♭VI’ – borrowed from E minor),
D major (‘♭VII’ – borrowed from E minor)
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Here, the borrowed ♭III chord plays a similar role to the one in “With A Little Help From My Friends”, introducing an unexpected turn in the color and mood of the progression.
Remember, these are just a few examples of the use of borrowed chords in contemporary pop music and how they create unique progressions and tonalities in their music.
Musical Analysis
The C major chord is borrowed from the parallel minor of E, i.e., E minor. Modal interchange, or borrowing chords from a parallel key, was a frequent technique used by The Beatles. This borrowed ♭III chord adds to the tension and sense of unpredictability, driving home the resolution to the home key of E major.
Overall Analysis
The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” is in the key of E major and the coda chord progression special in its context. It is a clear example of a piece from the pop or rock genre exhibiting a distinctive use of chord progressions and modulation without adhering strictly to the classical traditions. Common prevailing characteristics of music by The Beatles are exemplified in this piece through its use of borrowed chords, chromatic mediants, and modal interchange, providing a distinct harmonic color and texture.
Style Analysis
The Beatles’ songwriting often featured innovative and complex harmonic structures. “With A Little Help From My Friends” is emblematic of their innovative use of harmony throughout their catalog, eschewing the straightforward, diatonic progressions of a majority of pop music. They often employed borrowed chords or chords from a parallel minor key to enrich their compositions. This provides a certain depth and complexity to the otherwise simple melodies.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – With A Little Help From My Friends – Coda?
[‘D’, ‘A’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’]
