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Related Music Theory Alchemy

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“Paint It, Black” by The Rolling Stones is arranged in a minor key, specifically E minor. The verse chord progression of the song exhibits a fairly common pattern in 60’s rock and pop music, incorporating the use of both diatonic chords and borrowed chords from the parallel major key.

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“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.

The given chord progression is from Beck’s song “Sexx Laws” and runs as follows: B, G#, B, G#, B, G#, A, F#. This progression features chords mainly from the B Major key, but includes borrowed chords from the parallel minor key as well. The harmonic movement showcases Beck’s interesting approach to songwriting and shows some influence from the soul and funk genres.

“The Sound Of Silence” by Simon & Garfunkel is written in the key of Am and follows the Verse-Chorus form common in pop and rock music. The progression consists of a beachfront of common and borrowed chords, showing the use of modal interchange and diatonic chords in creating a memorable and emotive sound.

The chord progression in question is from the verse 2 of Weezer’s “The Good Life.” It is a pop-rock song in the key of G major, and the progression features common chords found in the key, with one borrowed chord – B7 – to add a touch of tension and harmonic interest.

Chord Progression Analysis (with Roman Numerals):
G Major (I) – D Major (V) – A minor (ii) – E Major (VI) – G Major (I) – D Major (V) – A minor (ii) – E Major (VI) – G Major (I) – D Major (V) – A minor (ii) – E Major (VI) – G Major (I) – D Major (V) – A minor (ii) – E Major (VI) – G Major (I) – D Major (V) – A minor (ii) – B7 (`V7/iii`)

The borrowed chord in question is the B7, which is borrowed from the relative minor key (E minor) and functions as a secondary dominant to the iii chord (B minor).

The Rolling Stones – Paint It Black – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘Em’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘B’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Em (i),
B (V),
Em (i),
B (V),
Em (i),
D (vii),
G (III),
D (vii),
Em (i),
Em (i),
D (vii),
G (III),
D (vii),
A (IV),
B (V).

Similar Chord Progressions

Stylistically, the chord progression recalls “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals, another song that plays heavily with minor tonality. The song “All Along the Watchtower” by Jimi Hendrix also exhibits a similar chord progression in the key of C minor (with the chords being Cm, G, Ab and Bb).

– The Animals – House of The Rising Sun:

Am (i), C (III), D (IV), F (VI), Am (i), E (V), Am (i).

– Jimi Hendrix – All Along the Watchtower:

Cm (i), G (V), Ab (bVI), Bb (bVII).

Musical Analysis

The music of “Paint It Black” is characterized by its minor tonality and the use of syncopated rhythms. The chords are strummed in a steady eighth-note rhythm, giving the track its driving feel. The melody of the song is centered around the E minor pentatonic scale, which gives it its haunting and heartfelt quality. The instrumentation includes a wide array of textures, including electric guitar and drums with the sitar, a traditional Indian instrument, as the primary lead instrument. This instrumentation gives the song an exotic and slightly psychedelic feel, further emphasizing the minor tonality of the piece.

Overall Analysis

“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.

Style Analysis

The song exhibits an unconventional approach to rock and roll, playing with minor tonality and uncommon instrumentation. There is a significant influence of Indian classical music, not just in the use of sitar but also in the melody, which is based on the E minor pentatonic scale, a tuning commonly used in Indian classical music. However, the song stays grounded in its rock roots through its use of typical rock instruments and song structure.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones are:

[‘Em’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘Em’, ‘Em’, ‘D’, ‘G’, ‘D’, ‘A’, ‘B’]