The Rolling Stones – Heartbreaker – Chorus
Heartbreaker < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘E’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’]
Chord Progression Analysis
Given the key of the song is E Major, the three basic triads in the aforementioned section are E Major, G Major, and C Major. The full chord names and their corresponding Roman numerals are as follows:
– E Major (‘I’)
– G Major (‘♭III’)
– C Major (‘♭VI’)
The Roman numerals indicate the position of the chord within the key itself. So, in this case, the E Major corresponds to the ‘I’, or the first chord in E Major. The borrowed chords in the progression are G Major and C Major. They are borrowed from the key of E minor, positioning G and C as the flat third and flat sixth chords respectively.
Code Block:
“`music
Borrowed Chords: G Major (‘♭III’), C Major (‘♭VI’)
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Similar Chord Progressions
A similar chord progression can be found in the song “Free Bird” by Lynyrd Skynyrd, which employs the use of major and minor chords, as well as borrowed chords to create a dynamic and compelling auditory experience. It uses the progression [‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘F’, ‘C’, ‘D’] for the verse and chorus
Chord progression of “Free Bird” with the full chord names are:
– G Major (‘I’)
– D Major (‘V’)
– E minor (‘vi’)
– F Major (‘♭VII’)
– C Major (‘IV’)
– D Major (‘V’)
The borrowed chord in the verse is F, so not the exact same chords as ‘Heartbreaker’, but the use of borrowed chords in a similar genre makes it a fitting comparison.
Musical Analysis
This sequence of major chords is not uncommon in Western music and makes the listener subtly aware of descending motion. Ascending in pitch but descending in terms of the scale degrees. It’s a method used frequently in order to create tension and anticipation before resolving back to the tonic chord (E Major in this case).
Overall Analysis
“Heartbreaker” by The Rolling Stones is a rock song that exhibits some fundamental rock and blues progressions and chord changes. The chorus of the song is a three-chord progression [E, G, C] that repeats four times.
Style Analysis
The style exhibited in this song is typical of The Rolling Stones—blues-rock with a rebellious edge. The use of major chords gives the chorus a bright, powerful sound, which contrasts with the darker verses underlined by minor chords. The incorporation of borrowed chords, which are more commonly associated with minor keys, introduces a sense of unease or tension into the otherwise major-key song. This is a characteristic feature of the Stones’ songwriting, enabling them to blend cheerful choruses with more thought-provoking verses.
What are the chords in: The Rolling Stones – Heartbreaker – Chorus?
[‘E’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘G’, ‘C’, ‘E’]
