“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.
“All My Loving” by The Beatles is a mid-tempo pop song written in the key of E minor for the verse and D Major for the bridge and outro, featuring a distinct, upbeat walking bassline. The grey, almost mournful verses, along with the brighter, major-toned bridges and chorus, create a juxtaposition of feelings within the piece. The bridge also highlights The Beatles’ use of secondary dominants and chromaticism. Concluding in the tonic key of D Major, the song has an interesting interplay between Em and D Major throughout, which could be perceived as a Em: i, VI, III, II and D: vi, V7, I, vi, IV, ii, I progression.
“In My Life” is a song written by The Beatles which stands as a hallmarks of their inventive songwriting and command of complex musical structures. The song is primarily in the key of A Major, but it employs a number of borrowed chords and modal interchange to create a more interesting and richer harmonic landscape. The melody, rhythm, and lyrics of this song are poignant and memorable, making “In My Life” an enduring classic in the Beatles’ catalog.
“A Day In The Life” is a progressive rock song from the “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album, released in 1967. The progression includes some well-known chords, along with more unusual chords and alterations that contribute to the unique sound of the song.
“Something” is composed in C Major; however, it modulates to several different keys. The song’s chord progression is relatively complex and less adherent to traditional tonality, typical of much of The Beatles’ work, particularly in their later years. Throughout the song, they make use of several common progressions, but with a few unique changes.
“Here, There and Everywhere” is a Beatles song from the album “Revolver”, released in 1966. The song is in the key of G major and showcases an advanced use of borrowed chords and modulations, a topic that contributes to the originality of this song. McCartney credited the song’s structure of changing key to Brian Wilson’s influence in the same period.
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