Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Paint It Black” plays with minor tonality, which isn’t extremely common in rock and roll music of the era. The song is in the key of E minor and uses the chords Em, B, D, G, and A. The verse has an interesting use of harmonies, incorporating the minor i, major V, minor iv, major bIII, and major IV chords.

The song “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver is written in the key of G Major. The chord progression in the bridge made use of the four main chords in this key, which are G, Em, C, and D along with an interesting use of the F chord, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key of G minor.

“The Long And Winding Road” by The Beatles presents us with a classic example of their innovative approach to harmony and composition. Drawing from various sources of influence, the song incorporates elements of traditional pop ballad form with a hint of the Baroque harmonic palette. This song is an excellent study in complex harmony and modulation within a pop music context, a trait that underpins much of The Beatles’ later work.

“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song that alternates between heavy distortion and calm sections. Interestingly, the song is mostly in E minor, but uses a lot of power chords (5th chords) and sus2 chords which give the song a distinctively undecided, floating feeling, as these chords don’t have a clear major or minor character. The song uses a rather straightforward progression with a few deviations and embellishments which provide tension and release.

The Rolling Stones – Miss You – Bridge

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s the listing of the full chord names and their corresponding roman numerals:

“`python
F -> F Major (‘VI’)
Em -> E minor (‘V’)
Dm -> D minor (‘IV’)
F -> F Major (‘VI’)
Em -> E minor (‘V’)
Dm -> D minor (‘IV’)
E -> E Major (‘V’)
E -> E Major (‘V’)
Am -> A minor (‘I’)
Dm -> D minor (‘IV’)
“`

Borrowed chords:

The inclusion of the E Major chord in this progression is a borrowed chord. Here’s the borrowed chord in code block format:

“`python
E -> E Major (‘V’)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

The V-IV-I progression in the bridge is common in many rock songs.

1. The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand”:

“`python
G -> G Major (‘V’)
D -> D Major (‘IV’)
C -> C Major (‘I’)
“`

2. Eagles’ “Hotel California”:

“`python
B -> B Minor (‘V’)
F -> F# Major (‘IV’)
A -> A Major (‘I’)
“`

3. Fleetwood Mac’s “Go Your Own Way”:

“`python
F -> F Major (‘V’)
C -> C Major (‘IV’)
G -> G Major (‘I’)
“`

These all utilise a similar progression, though with different root chords due to different keys.

Musical Analysis

Generally, in the key of A minor, the chord built on E should be a minor chord, i.e., E minor. However, in this chord progression, the song switches to E Major (‘V’), before resolving back to the root Am (‘I’). This gives the song a sense of tension and release, common in many blues songs.

Overall Analysis

“Miss You” by The Rolling Stones is in the key of A minor. The main chord progression in the song is quite consistent — Am, Dm, Am, Am, Dm, Am, Am, Dm — with some variations in the bridge. The song’s chord progression is bluesy in nature, given the usage of minor chords and the parallel movement. In particular, the usage of E, the V chord in A Minor, gives a resolution back to the root chord (Am), which gives the song a sense of tension and release.

Style Analysis

“Miss You” falls under the umbrella of rock and roll with a distinctive bluesy feel. The blues influence comes from the chord progression’s reliance on the minor key and parallel movement used throughout the song. The intro and verse maintain a consistent Am-Dm progression, typical in many blues compositions, which grounds the song in the minor tonality while adding a rhythmic drive. For the bridge, it briefly switches to a VI-V-IV progression, adding variety and interest to the composition before resolving back to the root chord (Am).

Chords in the Bridge section of Miss You by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘F’, ‘Em’, ‘Dm’, ‘E’, ‘E’, ‘Am’, ‘Dm’]