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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Rocket Man” by Elton John is primarily in the key of Bb minor (the verses and chorus), but its outro transposes to the key of C Major, which gives a sensation of resolution. The chord progression in the Outro is a simple two-chord progression (I – V), which is extremely common in all styles of music and impacts the listener with its familiarity and stability.

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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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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.

“Perfect Situation” by Weezer is a pop-rock song that follows a standard verse-chorus format, with a strong focus on melody and harmony. The song is in the key of G major, and the chord progression provided is for the second verse. It features a simple, yet effective progression that creates a sense of movement and tension before resolving back to the tonic chord. This gives the song a very engaging, classic pop/rock feel.

“Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin is a classic and iconic rock song released in 1971, as part of their fourth studio album, Led Zeppelin IV. The song is considered one of the greatest rock songs of all time, featuring an intricate chord progression, a memorable melody, and folk-inspired acoustic guitar work. The verse you provided is the second verse of the song, which shares a similar, but not identical chord progression to the other verses. The song is in the key of A minor, and the chord progression showcases a mix of diatonic and borrowed chords, along with a couple of chromatic alterations.

Rocket Man

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All Analyses by Song

“Rocket Man” by Elton John, released in 1972, is a melodic and harmonically sophisticated example of his pop/rock style. The piece is in the key of G, and the chord progression of Verse 2 introduces some harmonies that exploit john’s expertise in using extended and altered chords, which lend colorfulness and a feel of departure and return. The use of slash chords like G/B and D/F# creates a descending bass line that is very characteristic of pop and rock music, creating a sense of melodic movement within the chords themselves. Verse 2 is navigated skillfully between simplistic and complex harmonies.

“Rocket Man” by Elton John is primarily in the key of Bb minor (the verses and chorus), but its outro transposes to the key of C Major, which gives a sensation of resolution. The chord progression in the Outro is a simple two-chord progression (I – V), which is extremely common in all styles of music and impacts the listener with its familiarity and stability.

This is a beautiful chorus from “Rocket Man,” a song by Elton John. The overall vibe of the song is nostalgic and melancholy, largely due to the combination of key changes, chord progression, and Elton John’s vocal melody. The song appears to be in the key of G major.

“Rocket Man” by Elton John and his long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin is a standout song in Elton John’s discography, well known for its memorable melody line and masterful chord progression that was very innovative for its time (1972). It showcases his trademark style of combining rock with various other genres such as folk.

Overall, the harmony in this song is quite rich and a clear example of Elton John’s ’70s songwriting style: using complex chords and a lot of borrowed chords from other keys that add extra color to the harmonic progression.