The song, “As Tears Go By” by The Rolling Stones, is primarily in the key of G major. Its chord progression contains elements of classic pop songwriting, particularly from the 1960s, featuring major and minor chords, functional harmony, and a few borrowed chords. The verse has a repeating chord sequence that eventually concludes with a resolution to the tonic chord.
The chord progression can be divided into three main sections (please see the details below). The first section is based around the I chord (C), the second section introduces the IV chord (F), then it returns to the I chord. The third section introduces a borrowed chord (bVII – Bb from C Mixolydian), a V chord (G), then returns to the I chord with a brief excursion back to the V chord. There is repetition in this section with the return to the I chord.
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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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“Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song happy to embrace classical music tropes. An orchestral, string-heavy arrangement propels the song, surrounding the listener with a rich tapestry of sound. The grandiose sound of the full orchestra is bolstered by the band’s dual guitars and Billy Corgan’s characteristic singing.
The chord progression in the verse of “Congratulations” by MGMT is an interesting blend of conventional pop and classical harmonies with some use of borrowed chords. The progression features mostly diatonic chords in the key of G major, but there are moments of modal interchange and suspensions that add color and tension to the progression.
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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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“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.
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“Paint It, Black” is in E minor key, with verse 3 having an exciting harmonic progression: Em – B – Em – B – Em – D – G – D – Em – Em – D – G – D – A – B. The chord progression suggests that the Rolling Stones utilise borrowed chords to impose an air of ambiguity that reflects the song’s lyrical themes. Additionally, this song is a blend of rock and raga rock style and exemplifies the Stones’ 1960s exploration into psychedelia and Eastern musical styles.
“Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones is a famous Rock song heavily influenced by the Indian classical form of music called Raga rock. The song is written in E minor and it has a very distinctively descending minor key tonality. The chords progression in the verse sequence doesn’t follow the conventional rules of western tonal harmony as it navigates through various key centers, showcasing the bands exploration of exotic and unconventional songwriting.
“Paint It Black” by The Rolling Stones is a masterful example of the band’s ability to incorporate a variety of musical elements into a rock setting. This song, in particular, unites a classic rock ‘n roll backbone with an exotic influence, likely derived from Eastern music, especially with the use of the sitar.
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