The song “Something” by The Beatles has a key center in C major. However, it modulates from time to time using a variety of techniques including secondary dominance and borrowed chords. It is a fine example of George Harrison’s complex songwriting and his adroitness at seamlessly weaving together uncommon chord progressions. Harrison employs an array of chords to inject a rich, nuanced musical quality to the song.
“Yesterday” by The Beatles showcases the innovative use of chord progressions that the group is known for. This song, unlike their other songs, includes borrowed chords and numerous secondary dominant chords. It also uses their favored approach of mixing chords from parallel major and minor scales, hence creating a ‘blended’ modal effect.
Moreover, it uses a mixolydian ♭7 in the main chord sequence, which is quite a popular trick among songwriters for shifting the tonic of a song.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is in the key of A minor and quite uniquely, the song borrows chords from parallel major and minor keys, as well as from modes like mixolydian. It is one of George Harrison’s contributions to the Beatles and showcases sophisticated harmonic techniques and an intricate chordal design, reflecting deeply on the influence of Eastern music and philosophies on his songwriting.
The chord progression in “Ramona” by Beck is a blend of diatonic and chromatic harmony with some borrowed chords from outside the key. The piece is in the key of G major, and it features several instances of voice leading, smooth transitions between chords, and the occasional unexpected chord that adds interest and depth to the progression.
“Hey Jude,” by The Beatles, is an iconic song. The chord progression is in the key of D major and it follows a sort of Variation on I-V-IV-I progression of many pop and rock songs. However, what makes this song extremely unique is its out-of-the-box structure and the experimental use of borrowed cords – it shows The Beatles’ fondness for combining elements of pop, rock and classical music and results in an emotional, powerful progression that resonates strongly with listeners.
The chord progression in the verse of “Help!” by The Beatles is quite characteristic of their style, using common chords but in interesting and unusual ways. The verse of “Help!” notably presents a mix of classic pop chord progression (I-vi-ii-V), secondary dominant chords and chromatic progressions. The Beatles often incorporated novel harmonic structures that added depth and complexity to their pop music, as evidenced in this piece.
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