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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Rocky Raccoon” by The Beatles is noted for its eclectic blend of folk, country, and popular music styles. The song is written in G major and follows a fairly straightforward progression but with a couple of important twists.

The

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is a Beatles song composed in the key of D Major. It’s a classic example of Paul McCartney’s knack for catchy pop songwriting. This song showcases McCartney’s affinity for borrowing chords to make his progressions more interesting.

“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.

“Honky Tonk Women” by The Rolling Stones is a classic rock song heavily influenced by country and blues. The song is characterized by both major and minor chords, primarily G, C, A, and D. The song is in the key of G major from the verse 1 progression you provided, and it has elements of both I-IV-V and I-V-vi-IV.

Verse 1

“Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley is a well-known example of a poignant, introspective ballad with a mix of pop, folk, and gospel elements. It features intricate, emotionally evocative chord progressions that move beyond typical diatonic patterns and uses borrowed chords to create an emotionally charged atmosphere.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Song

All Analyses by 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.

“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” by The Beatles is in the minor mode and its chord progression showcases rich harmonic content and unexpected key changes, common to The Beatles’ music. Harmonically, it features an interesting mixture of chords from the parallel major and minor keys, which is indicative of modal interchange, a key characteristic of The Beatles’ songwriting.