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“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys employs a series of chord progressions that echo the rising tension and resolution in the song’s narrative. The song is primarily in the key of D minor, with moments of temporary modulation, which allows for colorful and unexpected harmonies to emerge. This harmonic and melodic complexity is one of the defining characteristics of Brian Wilson’s writing style, highlighting his ability to push the boundaries of pop music.
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“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys is one of their most well-known pieces and a primary example of the sophisticated harmonic writing characteristic of the group’s 1966 “Pet Sounds” record. This piece is particularly designed in the key of A major. The Outro of the song includes the following chords: ‘A’, ‘E/G#’, ‘F#m7’, ‘E/G#’ and many other chords throughout the song with complex chord changes that might not be typical in a pop song, but are characteristic of the band’s sound.
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“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys employs a series of chord progressions that echo the rising tension and resolution in the song’s narrative. The song is primarily in the key of D minor, with moments of temporary modulation, which allows for colorful and unexpected harmonies to emerge. This harmonic and melodic complexity is one of the defining characteristics of Brian Wilson’s writing style, highlighting his ability to push the boundaries of pop music.
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“Across The Universe” by The Beatles, written mostly by John Lennon, is known for its rich and complex harmonic structures that added new dimensions to pop music. The song is predominately in the key of D major, with occasional borrowings from the parallel minor (D minor) and the closely-related key of B minor. The verse 1 progression – D, Bm, F#m, Em7, A, A7, D, Bm, F#m, Em7, Gm – creates an affectingly melancholic mood through its mix of major, minor and borrowed chords, producing a unique ambience that evokes a sense of cosmic contemplation, matching with the philosophical lyrics of the song.
“Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones is a classic rock song heavily influenced by country and blues. The song is characterized by both major and minor chords, primarily G, C, A, and D. The song is in the key of G major from the verse 1 progression you provided, and it has elements of both I-IV-V and I-V-vi-IV.
Verse 1
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“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys employs a series of chord progressions that echo the rising tension and resolution in the song’s narrative. The song is primarily in the key of D minor, with moments of temporary modulation, which allows for colorful and unexpected harmonies to emerge. This harmonic and melodic complexity is one of the defining characteristics of Brian Wilson’s writing style, highlighting his ability to push the boundaries of pop music.
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The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” presents an interesting mix of major and minor chords with excellent use of chord inversions and borrowings. The song is harmonically adventurous, showcasing the band’s pop mastery with Brian Wilson’s unmatched compositional skills. This song is primarily in the key of A Major, with many borrowed chords and modulation that creates its unique feel.
“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys is highly complex and represents an exceptional use of harmonic structuring. The richness of the piece lies in Brian Wilson’s innovative and unpredictable songwriting, who was making significant use of modulation at the time, constantly shifting keys, in this case especially during the transition bridge.
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