The Beatles – Yesterday – Outro
Yesterday < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Dm’, ‘G7’, ‘Bb’, ‘F’, ‘F’]
Chord Progression Analysis
In the context of the key of F Major:
1. D minor: Dm (‘vi)
2. G Dominant 7: G7 (‘V7)
3. B-flat Major: Bb (‘IV)
4. F Major: F (‘I)
“Dm – G7 – Bb – F – F”
Similar Chord Progressions
“Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers, another melancholic pop song, follows a similar chord progression:
Dm – E7 – Am – Am
This song, while in the key of Am, employs the relative major’s (C Major) Dominant 7th and similar to Yesterday, makes use of the relative minor at the start of the progression.
Musical Analysis
This progression begins with the relative minor (Dm), which sets a somewhat melancholic tone, typically associated with the minor key. This melancholy is made more complex moving to the dominant 7th (G7), which introduces slight tension due to the tritone interval between the 3rd and the 7th of the chord. This tension is then briefly released with a move to Bb, the subdominant of the key. This release is made final with the move to the tonic F major. The final tonic is repeated twice to emphasize stability.
Overall Analysis
“Yesterday” by The Beatles is a classic Pop song in F Major maintaining a 2/2 time signature. The song changes the chords frequently to create a rich harmonic texture, and is known for its iconic descending guitar melody.
Style Analysis
“Yesterday” is noted for its melancholic mood, primarily established through its chord progression that begins on the relative minor. Although in a major key, the song turns to minor and dominant 7th chords for a more complex harmonic narrative. Authorial traits of The Beatles manifest in this song with the frequent use of the sub-dominant chord, Bb, often employed to create a sense of conclusion and tranquillity.
What are the chords in: The Beatles – Yesterday – Outro?
[‘Dm’, ‘G7’, ‘Bb’, ‘F’, ‘F’]
