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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones is a rock and roll song prominently featuring electric guitar and piano, characterized by its driving groove and catchy chorus. The base key for the song is C Major. The harmonic progression is fairly simple and stays mainly within the diatonic chords, with some occasional borrowing from other modes.

“As Tears Go By” by The Rolling Stones is a popular song from the mid-60s that features a mix of major and minor chords along with modulations between closely related keys. The overall harmonic structure shares similarities with other rock and pop songs of that era, including The Beatles and Bob Dylan.

Base Key and

This is simply a repetition of the F major chord, played four times. This does not provide much variety or harmonic interest, but it might create a sense of stability and could be used to produce a strong tonal center.

The song constantly oscillates around C#m, which is the presumed root key. Harmonically, the 8-bar verse progression involves the frequent use of borrowed chords, as well as secondary dominants, which are frequently used in the Beatles’ compositions, to provide a colorful and subtle tension.

The chord progression from verse 3 of Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” is in the key of C major and shows a mix of diatonic chords and borrowed chords. The progression creates a sense of smooth journey and has a certain melancholic yet uplifting character.

The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

[‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
F Major (IV)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
Bb Major (bVII)
C Major (I)
Bb Major (bVII)
G Major (V)
G Major (V)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
C Major (I)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The I-IV-bVII-V progression can be found in numerous songs across various genres, particularly in rock and pop music. Here are a few:

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses
“`
Db Major (I)
Ab Major (V)
Bb minor (vi)
Gb Major (IV)
Db Major (I)
Ab Major (V)
B Major (bVII)
“`

“Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty
“`
D Major (I)
D Major (I)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
B minor (IV)
A Major (V)
G Major (IV)
B Major (bVII)
“`

Note: Bear in mind that different songs might have variations in their chord progressions.

Musical Analysis

The aforementioned structure introduces tension and release within the song and provides a clear directional movement. The usage of the borrowed bVII chord (Bb) adds variety and deviates from the straightforward major key progression, transiently hinting at a Mixolydian mode. The solidly anchored harmonic rhythm also provides continuity and predictability.

Overall Analysis

The chord progression can be divided into three main sections (please see the details below). The first section is based around the I chord (C), the second section introduces the IV chord (F), then it returns to the I chord. The third section introduces a borrowed chord (bVII – Bb from C Mixolydian), a V chord (G), then returns to the I chord with a brief excursion back to the V chord. There is repetition in this section with the return to the I chord.

Style Analysis

Like many Rolling Stones songs, “Brown Sugar” is grounded in blues and rock. The borrowed bVII chord is a common trope in rock music that often comes from the Mixolydian mode, which is just a major scale with a flat 7th degree. The Rolling Stones are particularly known for their mixture of rock and blues stylings, and this chord progression reflects that well.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Brown Sugar by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘C’, ‘Bb’, ‘G’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’, ‘C’]