Tag / chords

by Veronica Tan

Chord Tips to Learn from “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”

Chord Tips to Learn from “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”

“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is one of the Beatles most popular and well-known songs. Buried within this masterpiece are some truly amazing chord sequences! In this article, we’ll break down those chord sequences so that we can learn from them and use these tricks in our own songwriting.

This article is a summarised transcript of our video “These Beatles Chord Moves will Blow Your Mind”. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

Borrowing Chords from Outside the Key

Before we begin to discuss how The Beatles borrowed chords from outside the key, we must first understand the chords that the key contains. The following are the chords in the key of A Major, which is the key of the song:

The verse of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” contains the chord progression A A/G F#m F, which in chord theory is I I7 vi bVI. As you can see, F#m is not in the key of A, and this creates an element of surprise for the listener. So, this F chord really creates a sense of intrigue because we’re not expecting it.

If you need to brush up on what chords are diatonic to a key, then download this free PDF of the “Functions of Chords in a Diatonic System”:

Variation in the Chromatic Bassline

In the verse of the song, the chords are varied slightly the second time around, which creates this really nice descending bass line. When it cycles around to the A, The Beatles could have just used the same A chord in root position. Instead, they used an A/E, which created a descending bassline that goes from G to F# to F then E. 

This is an important lesson on how we can try to look for ways to create variation when a chord progression repeats. It keeps your listeners wondering what’s going to happen next.

Playing with Rhythm and Timing

Another detail worth mentioning in regards to the verse is how the F chord at the end is held twice as long as the other chords in the progression. This is such a great technique because we’re really expecting the sequence to be balanced or symmetrical. 

Prolonging the F chord creates instability because it makes the chord progression have an uneven number of bars. When you have instability or an odd number of bars in a sequence it creates forward momentum because it’s unresolved and you want to hear a resolution.

Modulation Using Borrowed Chords

The second half of the verse is almost exactly the same as the first half, except with the addition of Dm and Dm/C at the end. The Dm has the same borrowed chord sound as the F chord. But one important difference here is how there’s a new descending bass line which goes from D to C, and leads us towards the first chord of the pre-chorus, which is Bb.

In the context of the original key of A Major, Bb would be the b9, C would be the major chord of the b3 and as we’ve previously established, the F is a borrowed chord. When there are 3 borrowed chords in a row like this, it means that we’ve modulated keys.

Our ears will now tell us that Bb is the new key. The presence of the C chord might be confusing since it isn’t diatonic to Bb. However, when we listen to how the V chord ie the F brings us back to Bb, we can confirm that Bb is the new key. The reason our ears accept this key change  is because The Beatles have employed a technique known as priming.

Priming is the process of exposing your listeners to some of the sounds that they’ll hear later on in the progression so that their ears can accustom themselves to it first. So, since we’ve heard the F as a borrowed chord throughout the verse, our ears easily accept that F is the new key in the pre-chorus.

This happens again in the second half of the pre-chorus. We’ve already established that C is a borrowed chord since it’s not diatonic to Bb. The next two chords which are G and C, are also not diatonic to the key of Bb. And since there are 3 borrowed chords in a row, that means we’ve modulated keys again This change is once again, facilitated by the use of priming.

The C chord is easily accepted because a Dm/ C was used at the end of the verse. In addition, the G can be heard in the bass of the A/G chord. The D chord gets introduced to us just for a moment before we hit the F#m in the verse, through the use of the notes in the melody. The progression that is formed creates a modulation to the chorus, which uses the same 3 chords (C G and D) in a different order.

Time Signature Change

An interesting thing to note is that the chorus is in a completely different time signature compared to the rest of the song. Up till the end of the pre-chorus, the song is counted in threes. However when we get to the chorus, we notice that there’s a complete shift to straight fours instead. 

The final trick that The Beatles uses in “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” is to hold the D chord for an extended period of time at the end of the chorus. D is the IV chord of the original key of A Major. So, by playing the modulated chords in the second half of the chorus then holding the D at the end, it makes us feel as if all these chords belong together. This is how The Beatles take us back to the song’s original key.

How to Apply this in Your Own Songs

Based on everything that we’ve discussed so far, the following are ways you can apply these chord tricks in your own songs:

  1. Write down the chords of the key you’re writing in then look for ‘borrowed chord’ options.
  1. Look for opportunities to extend the form by adding beats or bars at the end of a section.
  1. Consider a modulation (key change) as you move between sections – look to use your borrowed chords as ‘priming’ devices.
  2. Look for opportunities to change the time feel and use other rhythmic variations.

Conclusion: Chord Tips to Learn from “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”

An important lesson here is that Lennon and McCartney were always looking for these little variations and ways that they could surprise their listeners. It’s these changes that help keep our listeners interested and create a truly memorable song.

If you would like more details, explanations and examples, then be sure to check out the video now.

Level up your songwriting with five radically practical exercises used by professional songwriters around the world:

by Veronica Tan

Learn to Turn Basic Chords Beautiful

Learn to Turn Basic Chords Beautiful

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using basic chords. After all, they’re safe, reliable and well-known. However, to truly make the most out of your basic chords, you have to learn how to make them interesting. In this article, we’ll take some of the most common chords on guitar and transform them into beautiful and versatile voicings for your next song.

This article is a summarised transcript of our video “How to Make Basic Chords Sound Beautiful”. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

The C Major Chord

This is a really simple open chord that is often one of the first that beginners learn. The great thing about this chord shape is that you can do a lot simply by moving some fingers around.

For example, by moving your first finger off, you introduce the major 7 note, which turns it into a Cmaj7. Furthermore, dropping your little finger allows you to add the nine note which turns it into a Cadd9. Observe the images below, where from left to right, we have C Maj, C Maj7 and C Add9:

To learn more, click here to download a free chords PDF with 10 pages of detailed diagrams and photo demonstrations to help you make basic chords more beautiful:

The 6/9 Chord

The concept of adding little melodic lines on top of your chords helps take a static chord and introduce some movement to it. However, you can take it a step further and introduce a new chord called the 6/9 Chord.

A 6/9 Chord consists of notes 1 – 3 – 6 – 9. You can optionally add in the 5 on top if you’d like as well. The image below shows a C 6/9 chord, with the optional 5 on top:

The great thing about this shape is that it’s movable. For example, you could move the C 6/9 shown earlier up two frets to create a D 6/9 instead. If you wanted to get even more complex, you could lift your little finger to the #4 or #11 note. Observe in the image below a C 6/9#11:

The G Major Chord

G Major is another common open chord that beginners learn. It sounds great because it relies largely on open strings to create it’s sound. You can enhance that openness by removing all of your fingers and focusing only on the root note, like so:

This is useful because it allows us to hammer-on and pull-off certain notes as we play the chord. Country and folk music often use this technique. You can hear it in John Mayer’s song “Why Georgia” in which he uses a little riff with a hammer-on to set up the whole tune.

E Major and E Minor

The E Major chord on guitar in it’s original form uses all 6 strings, particularly the lowest one. We can augment this shape to create an E add9 instead, which has a really beautiful, and warm effect – especially if you use a backwards rake to help those open strings shine. Below, you can see E Major on the left and E add9 on the right:

We can then turn the E Major chord into an E Minor chord as follows:

And can even further augment this by adding a 9th note to create an E Min9, which sounds really beautiful, dark and mysterious. Here’s what that chord shape would look like:

A Minor and D Minor

You can also add a 9th to A Minor and D Minor to create A Min9 and D Min9 respectively. Have a look at the image below:

Similarly to the idea with the C Major chord earlier –  where you took your first finger off to make a major 7, and then dropped your little finger to create an add9 – you can do the same with a D Minor to create a melodic idea.

These ways of playing chords are useful because they allow songwriters to have chord progressions that aren’t particularly complicated, yet still create a lot of movement, and motion.

The F Chord

Instead of playing F Major in it’s standard form with a mini barre across two strings, you can leave the last string open to form F Maj7. Doing this also frees up your little finger to potentially add a 9th to form F add9. Below you can see F Maj, F Maj7 and F add9:

F Major can also be played in a split voicing form where you take your first finger and come across to the sixth string, then put your third finger on the third note to create a sort of tenth voicing, like so:

This voicing is super useful if you’re not comfortable with barre chords because it can be moved up and down the neck while still providing you opportunities to engage the open strings. However, it should be noted that the chords you form with this technique won’t work in every key.

Experimenting with Bass Notes

So far, the main method we’ve been using to create different chord voicings is to use the fingers we have available to create some melodic movement on top of the chord. Another way we can make these chords interesting is by using bass notes that aren’t the root of the chord.

The basic construction of chords is usually 1-3-5 for major chords and 1-b3-5 for minor chords. We can use either the 3 or 5 as the bass note of the chord, instead of the root as usual. 

Let’s use D Major as an example. You could take a finger off to create a D Sus2 or add a finger to create a D Sus4.

The above two forms of D Major sound great but what we’re going to do now is instead put a F# on the top instead of a D, to create a D/ F#. This is a really rich sounding chord and the chord shape would look like this:

You could also use this technique to create smooth transitions between chords. For example, if you went from F/C to C, the C bass note becomes the common note between the two.

Conclusion: Learn to Turn Basic Chords Beautiful

The great thing about guitar is that it has the ability to let open strings ring, and we want to search for those opportunities as often as possible. To help us, we can use techniques such as changing the bass note or adding extra notes on top of our chords. This way, we’ll be able to make the most out of the open chords we know, and create interesting chord progressions for our songs.

If you would like more details, explanations and examples, then be sure to check out the video now

Level up your songwriting with five radically practical exercises used by professional songwriters around the world:

by Veronica Tan

Learning About Secondary Dominant Chords

Learning About Secondary Dominant Chords

Although the “secondary dominant chords” may sound intimidating, it’s a simple concept to grasp once you understand the formula behind it. In this blog post, we’ll discover what secondary dominant chords are, have a look at some song examples and learn how to make this technique our own.

This blog post aims to summarise the third part of our video ‘4 Chord Tricks The Beatles Knew (and you should too!)’’. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

What are Secondary Dominant Chords?

To examine what secondary dominants are, let’s have a look at “Something” by The Beatles. Halfway through the verse, there is a section where the chord progression goes from D7 to G. The relationship between D7 and G is what is known as a secondary dominant relationship.

For secondary dominance to occur, the following three conditions must be met:

  1. A dominant chord must always precede the target chord. Specifically, it must be a dominant seventh chord, which is characterised by Major chord with a flattened seventh on the top.
  2. The root of a secondary dominant chord must always be a perfect fifth above the target chord. For example, if the target chord is G, you must count up a perfect fifth, which is D. Hence, D7 is the secondary dominant of G.
  3. The secondary dominant must always directly precede the target chord. There must be no chord in between the secondary dominant and the target chord or else the effect of secondary dominance would be disrupted (or interpolated).

Click here to download a free PDF eBook with 3 great chord progressions to try in your next song, that you can use to experiment with secondary dominants on:

How to Make Secondary Dominants Our Own

Instead of starting the secondary dominant from the V chord, you could try starting from other chords in the key. For example, in the key of C, the vi chord is A Min. Counting a perfect fifth up from A, we get E. Hence, we could make a chord progression featuring E7 followed by A Min. This introduces a more melancholic sort of feel to a song, and can be quite interesting to use.

You can make a secondary dominant for any chord in the scale, except for the vii dim chord. The reasons involve esoteric music theory explanations that we won’t go into at the moment. However, as long as you stick to this rule, you’ll be able to come up with all sorts of secondary dominant combinations.

Conclusion: Learning About Secondary Dominant Chords

By incorporating dominant type chords that precede target chords, secondary dominants can create tension, anticipation, and captivating progressions. They add sophistication to regular diatonic chord progressions.

If you want to explore more sophisticated chord concepts in songwriting, click here for a playlist on how to adapt chord progressions from other songs in really creative ways.

This is only the third of four chord tricks we have for songwriters. Check out the full article for all 4 tips or check out the video here.

Level up your songwriting with five radically practical exercises used by professional songwriters around the world:

by Veronica Tan

Exploring Minor Line Clichés

Exploring Minor Line Clichés

Since we previously learnt about major line clichés in this article, we will now learn about its darker cousin – the minor line cliché. Among the topics we’ll discuss are what is a minor line cliché, examples of songs with minor line clichés, and how we can incorporate them into our songwriting.

This blog post aims to summarise the second part of our video ‘4 Chord Tricks The Beatles Knew (and you should too!)’’. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

What is a Minor Line Cliché?

Unlike its major counterpart, the minor line cliché commences with a minor chord, lending a melancholic foundation to the melody. For instance, in “Something” by The Beatles, the second half of the verse beautifully exemplifies this technique.

Starting from the A Min chord, we slide the highest note down a semitone, producing an intriguing chord known as A Min Maj 7. If we slide the highest note down a further semitone, then we get an A Min 7 chord.

As a result, we create a chord progression that has an incredibly wistful, emotive, and sophisticated sound.

Click below to download a free PDF containing major and minor line cliches in 2 positions:

Examples of Songs that Use Minor Line Clichés

  1. “Nothing” by Bruno Major

Bruno Major’s “Nothing” beautifully demonstrates the use of a minor line cliché in the bridge section of the song. The chords progress from A minor, descending chromatically to create a captivating melodic line that infuses the composition with a sense of yearning and emotional depth.

You can check out this video here to see me elaborate on that, and teach you how to use a minor line cliché in the bridge of a song

  1. “Eleanor Rigby” by The Beatles

Another Beatles classic, “Eleanor Rigby,” features a prominent minor line cliché. The verse melody begins with an A minor chord and descends chromatically to create an evocative melodic line. The melancholic tonality of the minor line cliché contributes to the haunting and introspective atmosphere of the song.

How to Incorporate Minor Line Clichés into Our Own Songwriting

To ensure that we don’t fall into the trap of merely mimicking techniques that we‘ve learnt from songs, we must try and add our own spin on the minor line cliché. Below are some techniques that you could use to customise your minor line cliché:

  1. Use alternative chords

Instead of starting your minor line cliché from A Min, try starting it on a different minor diatonic chord instead. A min is the vi chord of the key C Maj, but it’s important to remember that it’s not the only minor chord in the key. Chords ii and iii are also minors, and you could start your minor line cliché from either of them instead.

  1. Rethinking placement

Where you use the minor line cliché is also an important choice to make. For instance, if you introduce the minor line cliché at the beginning of your song, you set the tone for the emotional journey that lies ahead. Alternatively, explore the impact of incorporating the cliché into a distinct section of your song, such as the bridge.

Conclusion: Exploring Minor Line Clichés

The minor line cliché, with its hauntingly beautiful tonality, offers a captivating twist on its major counterpart, inviting artists to explore new depths of emotional expression. By skillfully adapting the minor line cliché to your unique artistic vision, you can infuse your songs with a timeless allure, crafting melodies that resonate with listeners on a profound level.

If you want to explore minor line clichés in more detail, click here for a playlist on how to adapt chord progressions from other songs in really creative ways.

This is only the second of four chord tricks we have for songwriters. Check out the full article for all 4 tips or check out the video here

Turn your inspiration into beautiful songs with step-by-step guidance through two professional songwriting methods. By the end of this course, not only will your tool belt be stocked; you’ll have a plan and a method for finishing your songs – all of them.

by Veronica Tan

Explaining Major Line Clichés

Explaining Major Line Clichés

There are many techniques we can use to spice up our chord progressions, and the one we’ll learn about today is major line clichés. Some of the topics that we’ll cover include what is a major line cliché, and how can we incorporate them into our songwriting.

This blog post aims to summarise the first part of our video ‘4 Chord Tricks The Beatles Knew (and you should too!)’’. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

What Is a Major Line Cliché?

A major line cliche is a chord progression technique that involves taking a major chord and shifting one note within the chord down by a semitone. This subtle movement creates a beautiful sequence of chords that enhances the emotional impact of a song. 

In the case of the song “Something” by The Beatles, the major line cliché is demonstrated in the opening chords: C Maj, C Maj 7, and C Dom 7. If you write out all the notes in these 3 chords, you’ll notice that the higher C in C Maj just gets lowered by a semitone for each successive chord.

Although these chords may appear complex on paper, they are easy to use once we understand how they are formed. This then enables us to form interesting and beautiful chord progressions to use in our songs.

Click here to download a free PDF which contains major and minor line cliches in 2 positions:

Examples of Songs that Use Major Line Clichés

  1. “Michelle” by The Beatles

Another iconic track by The Beatles, “Michelle,” features the major line cliche in a captivating manner. The song begins with a C Maj chord, followed by a descending movement of the highest note in semitones, resulting in C Maj 7 and C Dom 7 chords. This creates a harmonically rich and evocative sound that complements the song’s romantic atmosphere.

  1. “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer

The 90s hit “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer also incorporates a major line cliche. In this song, the progression starts with a G major chord, and the highest note is successively moved down by semitones, leading to G major 7 and G dominant 7 chords. This creates a melodic and enchanting quality that adds to the song’s memorable appeal.

How to Incorporate Major Line Clichés into Our Songwriting

Although learning about major line clichés via song examples is useful, we must also try to make them our own. Otherwise, we run the risk of merely mimicking songs, instead of learning from them and using them in our own ways.Here are a few ways we can make the major line clichés we’ve just learnt into our own:

  1. Key Changes

Experiment with transposing the chord progression to different keys, allowing you to explore new tonalities and thus evoke different emotions. For example, change a song in C Major to maybe D Major instead. The keys aren’t that far away from each other, but the change creates a different feel and sound to the ear. 

  1. Changing the Tempo or Time Signature

Altering the tempo or time signature of a major line cliche can also bring a fresh perspective to the progression and open up new creative avenues. 

  1. Change the Feel, Style or Groove

Explore playing the major line clichés you’ve learnt in different ways. This can allow you to discover song ideas you hadn’t thought of before. Maybe a slow chord progression might sound nice played upbeat instead or vice versa.By employing these strategies, you can transform the major line cliché into a tool that expresses your individuality and adds a personal touch to your songs.

Conclusion: Explaining Major Line Clichés

Major line cliches, exemplified in songs like “Something,” “Michelle,” and “Kiss Me,” are a testament to the enduring beauty of chord progressions in pop music. By understanding and embracing these techniques, you can add a touch of personality to your songwriting.

If you want to explore major line clichés in more detail, click here for a playlist on how to adapt chord progressions from other songs in really creative ways.

This is only the first of four chord tricks we have for songwriters. Check out the full article for all 4 tips or check out the video here

Level up your songwriting with five radically practical exercises used by professional songwriters around the world

by Veronica Tan

Chord Tricks to Learn from “Something” by The Beatles

Chord Tricks to Learn from “Something” by The Beatles

George Harrison’s song ‘Something’ (on The Beatles’ iconic 1969 album Abbey Road) contains 4 exquisite chord moves – once you know what they are and how to use them, you can use them in your own songwriting to create some of the same harmonic sophistication that characterizes so much of The Beatles’ music.

This blog post aims to summarise our video “4 Chord Tricks The Beatles Knew (and you should too!)’’. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

Tip #1: Major Line Cliché

The first chord move we encounter in “Something” is called a major line cliché. ‘Cliché’ here isn’t derogatory – it’s just the name that is used for it. To examine this tip, we’re going to be looking at the first verse of “Something”.

This technique involves taking a major chord and moving one note in the chord by semitones. For example, in the key of C, starting with C Maj, we can move the higher C note down by semitones. If you move it down once, you create a C Maj 7, and moving it down again creates a C Dom 7. 

This line cliché is great to use in your songwriting, but it’s important to try and change it in different ways so that we’re not just stuck in the reference song. Some things that you can try are as follows:

  • Change the tempo of the progression.
  • Change the key.
  • Change the time signature.
  • Change the feel/ groove/ style of the way that we’re playing.

Two more songs that use the major line cliché are “Michelle” by “The Beatles”, and “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer.

Click here to download the free PDF I created which contains major and minor line cliches in 2 positions:

Tip #2: Minor Line Cliché

The minor line cliché is exactly the same concept as the major line cliché, but instead of starting off on a major chord, we start off on a minor chord instead. This can be observed in the second half of the verse of “Something”.

Since we are In the key of C, we start off with the relative minor, which is A Min. If the higher A note is moved down by a semitone, you get an A Min Maj 7, and moving it down another semitone creates an A Min 7. This creates an incredibly wistful, emotive and sophisticated sound.

Again, it is important for us to discuss ways in which we can make this chord progression our own, instead of just mimicking the original. One neat trick is to start the minor line cliché with a chord that’s completely different to A Minor, but is still in the key of C. Examples of this are either the ii or iii chord, as they’re both minor in a major key.

Another great way to deal with this is to move the chord progression to a different part of your song. So, instead of putting it into the verse of “Something” like George Harrison, perhaps put it in the bridge instead.

A song that I love which also uses the minor line cliché, is “Nothing” by Bruno Major. You can check out this video here to see me elaborate on that, and teach you how to use a minor line cliché in the bridge of a song.

Tip #3: Secondary Dominants

Secondary dominants are chords that add complexity and interest to your progressions. In “Something,” we encounter a secondary dominant chord halfway through the verse. Here, D7 precedes the G, and thus the relationship between D7 and G is known as the secondary dominant relationship.

A secondary dominant can be summarised by 3 main characteristics:

  • It is always a Dom 7 chord. 
  • It is always a perfect fifth above the target chord. 
  • They always precede the target chord.

Note that you don’t always have to use the V chord as the target chord. You can even use the vi, ii or IV chords.

Tip #4: Magic Chord Modulation

We can observe what I call the magic chord modulation, by examining how we get to the new key in the key change that takes us into the bridge of “Something”.
 
This technique involves using a pivot chord, which belongs to both the original key and the key you want to transition to. In this case, the G major chord acts as the magic chord, functioning as the flat seven major chord in the new key of A major.

Although the flat seven major chord doesn’t actually belong to the key of A Major, it works because in any major key, we can swap out the seven diminished chord with the flat seven major chord. This means that we take the root of the diminished seventh chord and flatten it by a semitone, thus creating either a major chord or a dom 7 chord, depending on how you voice it.

You can also hear the magic chord modulation in “Natural Woman” by Carol King and Jerry Goffin, and made famous by Aretha Franklin.

Conclusion: Chord Tricks to Learn from “Something” by The Beatles

Now that you’ve learnt 4 different cool chord techniques from “Something” by The Beatles, it’s time to turn them into your own. Experiment with these techniques, adapt them to different keys and sections of your song, and watch as you bring a new level of depth and emotion to your chord progressions.

If you want to explore some of these musical concept in more detail, click here for a playlist on how to adapt chord progressions from other songs in really creative ways.

If you would like more details, examples and explanations, then click here to watch the full video. 

Turn your inspiration into beautiful songs with step-by-step guidance through two professional songwriting methods. By the end of this course, not only will your tool belt be stocked; you’ll have a plan and a method for finishing your songs – all of them.

by Veronica Tan

Song Analysis – ‘You Oughta Know’ by Alanis Morissette

Song Analysis – ‘You Oughta Know’ by Alanis Morissette

Alanis Morissette’s 90’s smash hit ‘You Oughta Know’ has three weird and wonderful musical moves that make it totally unique. This blog post, for songwriters and musicians, dives into the musical concepts, and shows you how to use them in your own songwriting.

This blog post is a summary of our video ‘This 90’s Hit is Far Weirder than You Thought (Modes, Modulations and more)’. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

Exploring the Dorian Mode

The verse and pre-chorus sections of “You Oughta Know” are both in the Dorian mode. This can be explained by examining the chord progression in both the verse and pre-chorus. In both sections, the chord progression just moves back and forth in between F# Minor and B Major.

The following are the chords usually in F# natural minor:

F#min  G#dim  Amaj  Bmin  C#min  Dmaj  Emaj

And the following are the scale degrees:

1  2  b3  4  5  b6  b7  1

In comparison, the following are the chords usually in F# Dorian:

F#min  G#min  Amaj  Bmaj  C#min  D#dim  Emaj

And the following are the scale degrees of F# Dorian:

1  2  b3  4  5  6  b7  1

The Dorian mode is a minor mode characterized by a raised sixth scale degree (natural six), which distinguishes it from the natural minor scale. 

In the case of ‘You Oughta Know’, we can see this in the F# Minor and B Major chord progression. This combination creates a classic and characteristic Dorian sound, where the dark tonality of the minor chord is complemented by the brightness of the raised sixth scale degree.

You can also hear how Alanis Morissette picks the notes of the Dorian scale to use in the melody, particularly in the pre-chorus. 

Studying Parallel Modulation

The chorus of “You Oughta Know” introduces a significant musical shift through a technique known as parallel modulation. 

Instead of starting on an F# Minor chord like the verse and pre-chorus, the chorus begins with an F# Major chord. This change in tonality signals a transition to F# Mixolydian, another mode with a unique sound. Mixolydian is essentially a major scale with a flattened seventh scale degree (b7). For reference, the following are the scale degrees in a major scale:

1  2  3  4  5  6  7  1

And the following are the scale degrees in a mixolydian scale:

1  2  3  4  5  6  b7  1

In the chorus, the E chord, built from the F# Mixolydian scale, adds the flat seven major chord, enhancing the Mixolydian flavor. The combination of the one major (F#) and flat seven major (E) creates a distinctly Mixolydian chord progression, which adds brightness and complexity to the song.

Examples of some other popular songs that use the Mixolydian scale are:

  • Norwegian Wood by The Beatles
  • Sweet Child of Mine by Guns n Roses
  • Royals by Lorde

Click below to download the free PDF ‘3 Chord Progressions Using Parallel Modulation’.

Modal Borrowing

Once Alanis is in F# Mixolydian in the chorus, she also uses chords from a different F# mode as well. Below are the chords in F# Mixolydian:

F#Maj  G#Min  A#Dim  BMaj  C#Min  D#Min  E

And below are the chords in the chorus:

F#  E  A  D

The chord progression is using the AMaj chord, which does not exist in the F# Mixolydian scale. That AMaj chord is a flat three major chord (bIII) in reference to the tonic of the key i.e. F#. When a chord is used that is not from the scale, this is known as modal borrowing, and that chord is known as non-diatonic.

It is important to be careful when using non-diatonic chords, as too many of them will cause the song to lose track of its tonal centre. When we lose track of the tonal centre, we also lose the ability to create resolution and meaningful tension. So, the key is to be sure to use just enough non-diatonic chords to add colour to a song, or to really put a spotlight on specific moments.

Conclusion: Song Analysis – ‘You Oughta Know’ by Alanis Morissette

‘You Oughta Know’ is a lot more interesting and complex than you might think on first listen. There are three particularly unusual and usable chord moves at play: Dorian mode, parallel modulation and modal borrowing. Try using these chord techniques in your next song!

If you would like more details, explanations and examples, then be sure to check out the video now.

Turn your inspiration into beautiful songs with step-by-step guidance through two professional songwriting methods. By the end of this course, not only will your tool belt be stocked; you’ll have a plan and a method for finishing your songs – all of them.

by Keppie

How to Write a Song—Starting With Chords

How to Write a Song—Starting With Chords

Songwriting is a creative process that can sometimes feel challenging, especially when it comes to finding the right balance between music and lyrics.

By understanding the importance of chords and how they lay the groundwork for your song, you’ll gain valuable insights and techniques that will help make the songwriting process far less anxiety-inducing for you.

This blog post aims to summarise the first part of our video ‘5 Simple Steps to Write Your First Song’. Click here to watch the video for more details, explanations and examples.

The Power of Chords

Chords are a fundamental element of music, providing harmonic structure and creating a sense of progression and emotion. When you start with chords, you establish a solid foundation for your song, giving you a musical structure to build upon. This approach can be especially helpful if you’re an instrumentalist or if you find it easier to create music before working on lyrics.

Choosing the Right Chords

To begin with, it’s useful to establish some parameters for choosing your chords. Pick a specific key to work in, as this will help ensure that the chords you choose harmonise well together. 

Each key consists of seven chords that naturally fit together, and have a relationship of tension and release with one another. By utilising chords within the same key, you’ll ensure that they sound good together no matter how you choose to arrange them.

Click below to get instant access to the free PDF ‘3 Great Chord Progressions to Try in Your Next Song.’

Exploring Chord Progressions

Now, let’s delve into three different chord progressions within the key of G to illustrate the versatility of different permutations of the same 4 chords. These progressions will help you understand how different chord arrangements can evoke different emotions and moods.

  1. 1-5-6-4 Progression:

The first progression we’ll explore is the 1-5-6-4 progression. In the key of G, this means using the G chord as the I chord, followed by the D chord (V chord), the E minor chord (vi chord), and the C chord (IV chord). This progression is extremely familiar to many of us and can be heard in numerous popular songs across various genres.

Examples of songs that use this progression include:

G, D, Em, C :

  • “Let It Be” by The Beatles
  • “Someone Like You” by Adele
  • “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers
  1. 1-6-4-5 Progression:

Next, let’s examine the 1-6-4-5 progression. Using the G chord as the I chord, you’ll then progress to the E minor chord (vi chord), followed by the C chord (IV chord), and finally the D chord (V chord). This progression offers a slightly different musical flavour while still retaining a sense of familiarity.

Examples of songs that use this progression include:

G, Em, C, D :

  • “Zombie” by The Cranberries
  • “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s
  • “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day
  1. 4-1-5-6 Progression:

Lastly, we have the 4-1-5-6 progression, which evokes a sense of anticipation or even a more contemplative mood, depending on how you build upon it. Starting with the C chord (IV chord), you’ll then move to the G chord (the I chord), followed by the D chord (theV chord), and finally the E minor chord (the vi chord). 

Examples of songs that use this progression include:

C, G, D, Em :

  • “With or Without You” by U2
  • “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz
  • “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People

Choosing Your Chord Progression

Out of the 3 above chord progressions or any others that you may come up with, it’s crucial to choose the progression that resonates with you the most. Trust your instincts and select the progression that aligns with the emotions you want to convey or suits the overall theme of your song. 

This choice will serve as the backbone of your song, providing a stable structure to guide your songwriting process.

Conclusion: How to Write a Song—Starting With Chords

At this point, you’ve successfully completed the first step of the songwriting process by starting with chords. 

By understanding the significance of chords as the foundation of your song and exploring different progressions within a chosen key, you’ll be able to establish a strong musical groundwork for your song. 

However, this is just step 1 of a 5-step process. Check out the full article that outlines all 5 steps, or check out the video now.

For 3 variations on how to use simple chords to create great songs, check out our mini course, ‘The 5 Most Powerful Songwriting Exercises…Revealed!’ right here:

by Keppie

14-Day Songwriting Challenge: DAY 2

#2. Starting in motion.

Write a verse (with lyrics and melody). Instead of I V vi IV (the most used 4-chord progression in pop music of the last 40 years), try IV I V vi.

In the key of C, this would be:      F    C    G    Am
In the key of A:                             D    A    E    F#m
In the key of D:                            G    D    A    Bm

Meta: This is a gentle chord-based way to start down a less obvious road. It starts your song on a chord that is not ‘home’, so the song starts in motion. The last chord, the vi, is also a motion chord, so the progression itself, though simple, has a lot of movement and tension in it. 

I enjoyed this David Bennett video analysing the chord progressions of Taylor Swift’s songs (there are some she’s used more than 20 times…), and seeing this one feature heavily. 

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