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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“3 Libras Acoustic Live” by A Perfect Circle revolves around a rock ballad style with an alternative rock genre. It features distinctive chord progressions and some borrowing from outside of the primary key. The harmonic progression in the chorus is relatively simple but contributes to the melancholic and introspective atmosphere of the song.

The song “The Outsider” by A Perfect Circle has a main key signature of E major, as indicated by the repeated occurrences of the chords B, A, and E. The overall structure is tonal, using chords common in Western music. Some elements of modality are observable though, with the use of the C chord, which in traditional music theory would be considered a borrowed chord from the parallel E minor scale. A sense of tension and release is created through the use of these non-diatonic chords, which ultimately helps to maintain the listener’s interest.

“3 Libras Acoustic Live” by A Perfect Circle revolves around a rock ballad style with an alternative rock genre. It features distinctive chord progressions and some borrowing from outside of the primary key. The harmonic progression in the chorus is relatively simple but contributes to the melancholic and introspective atmosphere of the song.

The given chord progression is the Pre-Chorus section of “After The Storm” by Kali Uchis. The chords in this progression are predominantly built on the 1st and 2nd degrees of the minor scale. The recurring use of the Eaug chord injects an interesting and stylish twist into the music.

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“When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars is in the key of C major. The song relies heavily on diatonic chords and uses a structure that is common in popular music, especially ballads. It follows conventional diatonic chord progressions and also incorporates non-diatonic chords for added tension and resolution.

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The Outsider

Song

All Analyses by Song

The song “The Outsider” by A Perfect Circle has a main key signature of E major, as indicated by the repeated occurrences of the chords B, A, and E. The overall structure is tonal, using chords common in Western music. Some elements of modality are observable though, with the use of the C chord, which in traditional music theory would be considered a borrowed chord from the parallel E minor scale. A sense of tension and release is created through the use of these non-diatonic chords, which ultimately helps to maintain the listener’s interest.

The progression from B to A to E is a common progression in pop and rock music. This progression utilizes diatonic and non-diatonic chords, meaning that the chords all belong to the same key and it suggests the use of borrowed chords. A Perfect Circle tends to use a lot of downward motion in their chord progressions, moving from higher to lower pitches, which can give their music a distinct ‘heavy’ feel.

The song “The Outsider” by A Perfect Circle frequently uses the chord progression [‘B’, ‘B’, ‘A’, ‘E’] in the key of E major. When viewing the chords through the lens of E major we can identify the chord progression as ii, ii, V, I. Furthermore, It shows some interesting harmonic decisions throughout. Most notably, the band makes use of borrowed chords which are chords taken from the parallel minor (in this case E minor). Here, the borrowed chords include A major and C major.