Clever Chord Progressions - God Only Knows (The Beach Boys)
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- Опубликовано: 29 июл 2024
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A clever chord progression is one that sets up a listener’s expectation, and then breaks that expectation in an interesting way. One song that does this well is ‘God Only Knows’ by The Beach Boys.
This song makes clever use of modulations, inversions, and song form.
![CENTRAL CEE - GEN Z LUV [VERTICAL VIDEO]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VIbidJm9q34/mqdefault.jpg)
Also, it is INSANE how he gets back to the key of E for the final verse out of A. With that truncated 3 bar chorus, he doesn't even bother with a passing chord, he literally just starts playing the next key (from Bm7 to D/A) using the descending bassline as an aural justification for the modulation! It is WILD. WILD!
Brian Wilson being one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, I can never get sick of this song. Sonically pleasing and just composed with utter style and executed with great precision. It's timeless.
I agree. It’s absolutely genius
Probably among my favorite Beach Boy songs showing how brilliant Brian Wilson was.
Yes!!! You get it!! Always great to see someone out there who gets the genius of Brian Wilson on a deeply musical and theoretical level. His greatness lies in how he tore apart and reinvented the pop song, in a manner greatly influenced by Bach and figured bass harmony. “Walk that bass!” Great video
Great analysis, very comprehensive, especially discussing the chords that can be analyzed more than one way. I would suggest though that this is not a Verse-Chorus song form, it is a Verse-Refrain form with no chorus, most commonly used in folk music, like "The Times They Are A Changin" by Bob Dylan.
The first time I heard this song (yesterday), I wondered if the chorus contains a plagal cadence. Your video proves that - bingo! - it does. That contributes to the eerie hymnlike feel of the whole song - especially with the increasing tension of the melodic shape of the verse. This tension resolves, not a strong cadence, which would be the usual cliche - but an ambiguous and haunting IV-I. Well done Brian Wilson.
This song was written in a half hour by Brian Wilson. Not a single thought about chords, harmony or any theory when he felt this song burst out of his chest. Of course that doesn't matter a jot because his ear led him to those sounds through pure intuition. I rate Brian Wilson right up there with The Beatles for stunning melody and brilliant compositions that we mere mortals just can't attain. Oh well I just listen and marvel and continue to learn the wonderful world of music:)
Completely agree with you. Everything about this song is perfect. A love song that starts with the words "I may not always love you" instead of the usual "I'll love you forever and never let you go blah blah blah.....". As you say, Brian Wilson is a genius! :)
I think Brian understood theory, he took harmony courses in college and high school. Obviously that doesn’t make him any less of a genius but I always thought he did think about chords and such, I think I read something about that too that he would search for complex chords
Brian has more songwriting talent than all the Beatles combined
@@clickbate7972 Brian had such a great talent but making statements like that is just silly. It was Brian and The Beatles who were pushing the boundary to the limits back then. You need to understand music theory very well for yourself otherwise how can you make such judgements? They inspired each other like they were chasing each other up a never-ending spiral as Brian Wilson put it. They are my favorite groups of all time and still to this day nobody has done it better. I'm pretty sure you know very little about anything I'm talking about but that is OK. Have a great day and always enjoy the music...peace out:)✌
@@MICKEYISLOWD I have a literal degree in music composition so I think I might even know more than you :-)
OMG I have been in love with this song since i heard it!!
AWESOME!!!!
FWIW, I've always explained the chord in bar 8 as... A#m7(b5) = like F#9/A# (though omitting the F#), akin a non-functioning secondary dominant (II7) in E, going to the IV chord (A). Like F#7-A-E, or F#7/A#-A-E. Also nabbed by MR. BIG in "Green-Tinted 60s Mind."
Me too. Totally agree.
I have known this song very well for most of my life, but never realized until now that there is an actual key change in it.
I'd assume it's the part that goes "ahhh ahh ahh bah bah bop bop" and then he repeats the chorus at a higher transposition. not that hard to spot lmao.
@@EASFromTheWest I think he is talking about the key change in the verse
Very clear explained lesson. Helps me to understand the magic of this song. Thanks !
on your end summary what makes this song so interesting, you forgot to include the fact that it has so many inversions (which of course you pointed out earlier in you video. Great job! Thanks for sharing!
The chord progression is more complex that this video tries to indicate. For instance the chord before the D/A chord is C/G and the chord that follows it is Bm6. Neither are part of Key of D. It's actually pretty hard to see that the verse starts in D, or in any clear key for that matter.
Excellent! Thanks for the analysis.
It’s great to see that you’ve put a new lesson online. Thank you.
When it comes to jazz music theory, you and Mark Levine are my go-to people
this is a great series! i love that it incorporates "pop"
Really nice and helpful analysis. You should make more chord progression analysis videos like this 😃
The notion "...be without you?" is itself the idea of incompleteness, hence the lack root position tonic chord as cadences.
Genius!
Great explanation for a song I never gave much thought to!
wonderful video!
Excellent, thank you,
Great!Thanks
This song is genius. Great analysis. Thank you
That’s because Brian Wilson is a musical genius!!!
Excellent tutorial for those that know how to play.. and even those that are beginners,
Thanks, God blessyou
A#m7b5, perhaps as a vii half dim in B? That's where that chord is diatonic.
Thank you for the best analyses ive seen ive always hummef along with it ehen ive heard it on the radio and suspected a key change but an old Beach Boys song book i aquired never mentioned it and no one explains the Bach like Fugue instremental which is indeed heavenly ? a word often used to describe this song We know Brian Wilson grew up listening to the 4 Freshmen and the Hi Lo s vocal groups featering the great Mel Torme at the time ie late 1940s early 50s ? Also Bach etc so its only natural he absorbed and developed his sound Very stimulating work cheers from Scotland
What if i just see everything in A MAJOR
The F# melodic min is just F # min B7 C#7 or F# min...B Maj C Maj
it's typical people play C maj D7 into G7...all day long
The Bb dim and C7...are just from the N6...after MAJOR's TONIC
A harmonic min b2...A melodic min b2 or D double harmonic min...
You can play it after MAJOR or minor's tonic...
simply becuase
A min D min/dim E7 into A min
A Maj D min /dim E7 into A MAJOR
You could make it Maj7. dominant augment, dim...ect
Lydian #6 , Lydian #5, #6, ... ( 1, #4, #6 or 1, 3, b7
Lydian #2, #6. ( 1, #2, 5....1, #2, #4,
Melodic min b2 is sort like a WHOLE tone with Maj7 passing/option note.
In other words it's symmetrical ( whole step)
Never the less...from A....Bb C D E F# G#....maj7. dominant, dim , aug or wthatever is
clever....
From F# ...G A B C# D# F...
@@mer1red it just depends....Even you see it in E Major/C# min
The C7 is loc b4, phrygian, b4, lydian #2, #6..ect.
Sometimes I inverted minor's TONIC to C# lydian b3...so I could play
C# min D#7 into G# Major or G#/Ab Harmonic MAJOR to F min
or basically C7 into F min..
once in F min....Ab maj G7 into C MAJOR.
but it's the same movement
A min C maj7 B7 into E Major
E Maj into A min....C Maj7 B7 into E Major
or A min G#7 into C# min....
The C7 to C#min/E MAJOR.
I could see the A# dim C dim/aug..dominant to C# melodic min
The D Maj ...is the n6 to C# minor....which you could use to
play to B min/D Maj7.
it's still cool to under stand it different ways becuase music is limitless
People see things different ..writes different sounding songs..
which is a GOOD THING.
I can go like this...C Maj Db/C# lydian #2,#6 ( min7) D#dim or min into E MAJOR
the D# min ...could be D# dorian b2 :-P
@@mer1red Im a guitar player..it's a different instrument.
I dont have a problems playing wacked chord names in whatever the hell
root position or not....
example a SIMPLE... E MAJOR chord at the NUT
E, 5, octave, 10, 12, 15......On paper the Octive is the ROOT...ROOT
I can Miss strum or miss pick the low E string....
On paper it would take alot of explaining for something that's
simple to play......
I can simply place 2 fingers on the 2nd fret these
are the notes....E A E A B E...
it's A sus 9....with the 5th...
Then Im simply going to make a C# min triad
E, C#, E, G# B ,E.... C# min 7
If i simply strum it...but I wont..I use different picking patterns..
On paper....you'll have to say C# min7.....DROP De 2 whatever hell Jerkins Jazzmiester says...simply becuase the E is the SECOND
Arpeggio of the C# min7 ( its a SIMPLE CHORD to PLAY.
Then Play C# min with this fingering ...it's a simple chord to make
but it'll sound different..it's sort an inverted C# min add 9/A
E A G#, C# D#, E....
It' only requires three fingers to make that chord.
I can easily play the D note with my middle finger..
Finger pick it....
E D G# C#, D#, E ( 4-ea cluster notes)...it's a pretty chord. :-P
Then Im simply going to slide down to frets...make this simple chord
E A E B G# E.
I personally call it the A sus 9/#11.....The Low E is the 5th
This also leaves my middle finger to play these notes
on the low E and A string....
G#, C#
Or the C note...
- C, E, B D# E C Maj7 add # 9....the 5th is omited.
it's a litle bit disonence...it just depends when I play the C note...
I can soften it...simply by lifting a finger let the OPEN D string ring
C , D B D# E...C maj7 add 2/#9
or I can smooth it even more by simply playing C AUG, maj7 into A Maj7
back to C#min/E MAJOR...ect
It works becuase the B and E note are ringing off and on (perfect 4th or inverted 5th)
it's actaully a softer sound ...rather than to play C dim into C# min
@@oneeyemonster3262 dude, chill….
Sir, I love this! Brian is my musical hero and inspiration. If I may....I believe your transcription or playing *may* have an error. The 3rd chord in the interlude doesn't sound right to me. You have written it as F#m, which i believe is correct, but I swear it sounds like it's being played as F# major. Is this my ear playing tricks on me? Is this what you referenced when you said it sounds "atonal?" No matter how many times I listen to it, that chord jars me. When I listen to the original track it sounds perfect. Help!
Great job. Where can I purchase a pdf of this music?
When I was trying to figure the key centre on my own I thought there was a possibility that it was in A and then goes to E but if you play an A7 to establish the key in D and then sing and play the progression you’ll know it has to be D. It just won’t work if you establish yourself in A.
Good and informative video ! One critique: if you play the modulations all the way through, or at least pickup to the next section, it would be easier to hear the harmony.
The first IV-I-ii-I section in E is actually in A with I-V-vi-V
5:13 also this end doesn’t sound resolved at all because it’s the V chord of A.
By the way. This seems like something that would take someone to sit and write for hours. But it only took him twenty minutes to write.
Could the sheet music be accessible?
This is amazing content. I do study from this. only if you could improve a little the quality of the voice recording would be awesome.
I liked it when you broke down the chord progressions and "pivot chords", but I felt you potentially missed a few opportunities. It would be quite interesting to hear how the interlude leads to the key of G. I've taken a look before, and I cannot remember where I landed--it may have been a non-sequitur--but it would have been cool to see that addressed.
One of the beauties of this song is how the lyrics are so uncertain, and the music complements that perfectly.
Is this the original key? I think I play this in A major from the leadhseet
Yes it's the original key.
It does start with an A chord, but the key is E. It is just a rare occurrence that the first chord of a song isn't the key of the song, VERY unusual in pop music. The song's key is as ambiguous as it gets, but it makes the most sense to say that it is in E with borrowed chords that make it harmonically complex.
Habr you guys ever been recommended a video so many times that you finally click it?
YESSS
Paul Of the Beatles says he knew everything about music naturally.Paul Simon doesn’t believe it. Even the genius Brian Wilson had a firm foundation in music theory.You decide who is telling the truth or trying to hoodwink you.
Interesting analysis, but I'm sure the Beach Boys were not aware of any of this.