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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Beast of Burden” by The Rolling Stones uses a common rock arrangement with a focus on the V, I, and vi chords. The distinguishing factor for this particular progression is its consistent use of inverted chords to create more linear, and stepwise, bass lines.

“As Tears Go By” by The Rolling Stones is a classic rock ballad featuring a simple, yet effective chord progression and harmonic language. The song is in the key of G major, and the chord progression features a mix of diatonic chords from the G major scale, with the non-diatonic A major chord included as a borrowed chord from the parallel minor (G minor) key.

The outro of George Benson’s “Give Me The Night” features a smooth, soulful chord progression that is common to jazz, R&B, and pop music. The progression has a descending movement with alternating minor 7th and major 7th chords. This repetition creates a sense of ambience and resolution, making it an ideal conclusion to the song.

“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.

The song “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails has a tonal center around the key of B minor, as it is the most prominently featured chord in both the verse and chorus sections. The verse features a simple three-chord progression (Bm-D-E), and the chorus introduces additional chords (G, A). The outro mainly repeats the chords from the verse. The style of the piece can be characterized as haunting, melancholic, and somewhat minimalistic with only a few chords creating the harmonic landscape.

The Rolling Stones – Beast Of Burden – Outro

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Chord Progression

[‘E’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
E Major (I)
B Major (V)
C# Minor (vi)
A Major (IV)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

A vast number of pop and rock songs use this same chord progression. Here are a few examples:

Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey:
“`
E Major (I)
B Major (V)
C# Minor (vi)
A Major (IV)
“`
Let It Be by The Beatles:
“`
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
A Minor (vi)
F Major (IV)
“`
Can You Feel The Love Tonight by Elton John:
“`
Bb Major (I)
F Major (V)
G Minor (vi)
Eb Major (IV)
“`
In conclusion, the chord progression in the outro of Beast Of Burden is classic and has been commonly used in rock and pop music because of its pleasant consonance and harmonic continuity.

Musical Analysis

This chord sequence falls into a tried-and-true pattern of pop and rock music progressions: the I-V-vi-IV. Starting with the I chord (E Major) puts the song firmly in the key of E Major. This is followed by the V chord (B Major) leading to the vi chord (C# Minor), which often acts as the relative minor to the E Major. Then going from the vi chord to IV chord (A Major) is a move down a third, a smooth and typical chord progression.

Overall Analysis

“Beast of Burden,” by The Rolling Stones, a song characterized by a typical rock-pop structure, primarily uses a IV-chord loop in the key of E major. The chord progression in the outro follows a specific sequence: E, to B, to C#m, to A. The return to the E at the end of the progression gives it a circular feel that encourages cohesion.

Style Analysis

The style of this chord progression is typical of The Rolling Stones’ blues-influenced rock music. The guitar-based songs mainly use common open chords (like E, B, and A) mixed with barre chords (like C# Minor). The progression is rhythmically driven, with its chugging acoustic guitar strum pattern and complimentary bass line.

Chords in the Outro section of Beast Of Burden by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘E’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’, ‘E’, ‘B’, ‘C#m’, ‘A’]