The Beatles – With A Little Help From My Friends – Verse 1
With A Little Help From My Friends < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘E’, ‘B’, ‘F#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘B’, ‘F#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’]
Chord Progression Analysis
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For the verse: [‘E’, ‘B’, ‘F#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘B’, ‘F#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’]
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E Major (‘I’)
B Major (‘V’)
F# Minor (‘ii’) borrowed chord from E major
F# Minor (‘ii’) borrowed chord from E major
B Major (‘V’)
E Major (‘I’)
E Major (‘I’)
B Major (‘V’)
F# Minor (‘ii’) borrowed chord from E major
F# Minor (‘ii’) borrowed chord from E major
B Major (‘V’)
E Major (‘I’)
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The progression is a classic I-V-ii-ii progression repeated twice per line. The F#m is interesting as it is borrowed from E major, making it a borrowed chord or borrowed minor from the major key of the song.
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Similar Chord Progressions
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1. The Monkees, “I’m a Believer”: (I, IV, ii (borrowed), IV, I, IV, ii (borrowed), IV).
2. The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows”: (I, V, ii (borrowed), V, I, V, ii (borrowed), V)
Note that while these examples showcase a similar use of borrowed minor chords like that of The Beatles’ song, they employ it in their own unique pattern and sequence, yielding different melodic and harmonic results.
Musical Analysis
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The song has a moderate tempo and is set in a simple 4/4 time signature. It is accompanied by a repetitive drumbeat and piano accompaniment. The verses contain a consistent chord progression of E-B-F#m-F#m-B-E, which includes borrowed chords that add a layered and interesting dynamic to the piece of music.
In the context of the song, the F#m represents a shift in mood that complements the lyrics’ emotional content, while the alternating E and B major chords generate movement and harmonic interest throughout the song.
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Overall Analysis
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“With a Little Help from My Friends” is a song by the Beatles from their 1967 album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. It features Ringo Starr who sings the song in the role of ‘Billy Shears’, a fictional character from the ‘Sgt. Pepper’ album. It was composed by Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
The full chord sequence you provided represents the verse. The song itself is predominantly in E Major, but contains several borrowed chords and modal exchanges. As was common with Beatles’s compositions, they often incorporated intricate chord progressions and did not strictly adhere to traditional key signatures.
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Style Analysis
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Characteristic of The Beatles’ later work, “With A Little Help From My Friends” blends traditional pop harmonies with more complex chord progressions and subtle shifts in tone – a testament to their innovative and forward-thinking approach to composition. The overall tonal color of the song isn’t just about the chord progressions – it’s also about the arrangement, the instrumentation, and the vocal performance, all of which come together to create the distinctive “Beatles sound”.
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What are the chords in: The Beatles – With A Little Help From My Friends – Verse 1?
[‘E’, ‘B’, ‘F#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘B’, ‘F#m’, ‘F#m’, ‘B’, ‘E’]
