This chord progression is in the key of C Major, but incorporates a variety of borrowed chords and slash chords that add complexity and color to the song. It’s a good example of how Elton John takes popularly-used chord progressions and puts his own unique spin on them.
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” is a pop song by Elton John from the album “Caribou,” released in 1974. The song is set in the key of C Major, with some interesting chord changes and borrowed chords that are rich and reflective of Elton John’s unique harmonic style. The chorus especially impresses with unexpected chord shifts, demonstrating a sophisticated songwriting technique.
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“Im Still Standing” by Elton John is a classic rock/pop song composed in E Major. You can see that this is a complex composition with frequent chord changes, giving it a rich musical texture. The chord progression is not diatonic, which means that it includes chords from outside of its home key of E Major.
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“Give Me The Night” is a classic R&B and jazz-infused song by George Benson, released in 1980. The song was written by Rod Temperton and produced by Quincy Jones. It features a smooth, soulful groove, lush harmonies, and a sophisticated chord progression that is characteristic of the late 70s and early 80s R&B and jazz fusion style. The verse of the song makes use of diatonic chords with a few borrowed chords, giving the progression a rich and interesting harmonic content.
The progression from B to A to E is a common progression in pop and rock music. This progression utilizes diatonic and non-diatonic chords, meaning that the chords all belong to the same key and it suggests the use of borrowed chords. A Perfect Circle tends to use a lot of downward motion in their chord progressions, moving from higher to lower pitches, which can give their music a distinct ‘heavy’ feel.
This chord progression is in the key of C Major, but incorporates a variety of borrowed chords and slash chords that add complexity and color to the song. It’s a good example of how Elton John takes popularly-used chord progressions and puts his own unique spin on them.
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“Im Still Standing” by Elton John is a classic rock/pop song composed in E Major. You can see that this is a complex composition with frequent chord changes, giving it a rich musical texture. The chord progression is not diatonic, which means that it includes chords from outside of its home key of E Major.
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The piece “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars showcases a common pop ballad structure that follows a typical 4-chord progression with common tone substitution as well as some chords borrowed from the relative minor. Its simplicity is one of its strengths as it allows the focus to fall on Bruno’s vocals and the lyrics, which matches the direct, emotional content of the song effectively.
“Just The Two Of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. is a soulful song with a distinct R&B and smooth jazz style. The song is in the key of E minor during the verses, but frequently borrows chords from the parallel major, E major, delivering a rich harmony that is both pleasing and surprising to the ear.
“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.
“A Star Is Born – Shallow” by Misc Soundtrack uses common chords found in pop music and combines them in a fresh way. The progression makes use of diatonic chords and even includes a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key. It showcases a feasible balance of tension and resolution, often transitioning through a variety of chord inversions to add color and depth to the harmonies. The song moves around the circle of fifths, which allows for smooth transitions between keys.
“Somewhere Only We Know” by Keane is a pop/rock song written in the key of A Major, although the chord progression given seems to be transposed to the key of C Major. It is characterized by its use of repeated motifs and sequenced chord progressions to create a sense of familiarity and typical of the pop genre.
“Zombie” by The Cranberries is in the key of E minor. Its structure is generally pop and rock, with the power of distorted guitars and a heavy drumbeat complemented by Dolores O’Riordan’s haunting vocals. It utilizes a four-chord progression, which is common in many pop and rock tracks and has been a popular choice amongst songwriters for its simplicity and versatility.
“Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak is in the key of B minor. The chord progression for the section provided, which is the verse, is unique due to its simplicity, making it easily accessible and memorable. Even though it is incredibly simple, consisting of just three chords, the progression manages to evoke a strong sense of melancholy and longing, which resonates powerfully with the song’s lyrical themes.
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“Viva la Vida” mostly utilizes a four-chord progression thorough the song which is fairly common in popular music. The verse we are focusing on replicating the verse goes like this: C – D – G – Em. The chord progressions are pretty simple, catchy and give the song an uplifting feel.
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“Don’t Look Back In Anger” uses simple yet effective chord progressions common in pop/rock music. It incorporates both major and minor chords, showing some classic pop sensibilities. The song is situated in the key of C Major. Embedded within this progression are instances of borrowed chords – the E7 for instance, is a secondary dominant, often used to inject a bit of tension and to give strong resolution leading into the next chord.
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