DMB Chordal Analyses

[MahlerGrooves]

So, I have finally gotten to put a few of these together. Let me first go over the format. I have tried about 50 different ways to post them so all the chords and roman numerals I have written will line up perfectly with the TAB, but it is impossible. I have, therefore, written a straight chord by chord analysis of each song, with one chord representing one part of the tab.

There will be two sections for each song, the CHORD section and the FUNCTION section. The chord section will be the actual chord names implied by the TAB, and the function line will be just that: the function of each chord within the key.

For example:

Code: Select all

"Crash Into Me"

Intro/Verse
E:-------------------------------------------------
B:---5------5----5------5----5------5----5------5--
G:---4------4----4------4----4------4----4------4--
D:---2------2----x------x----x------2----x------x--
A:-4-4----0-0--2-2------2----2----0-0--2-2------2--
E:--------------------0-0--4-4----------------0-0--

would be analysed and displayed as:

"Crash Into Me" (Analysis in key of E major)

Intro/Verse

Chords: C#m7 - A5add9 - Bsus4 - E5 - E/G# - A5add9 - Bsus4 - E5

Functions: vi7 - IVadd9 - Vsus4 - I - I6 - IVadd9 - Vsus4 - I

As you can see, there are several numbers that will often follow the roman numerals. These indicate inversion, and really are not totally important unless playing a figured-bass accompaniment, which none of us will 8)

There ARE a few notations that may be visually confusing, and I wish to address those. First, when denoting a second inversion chord (ie C/G), it is customary to write the numbers 6 and 4 stacked vertically next to the numeral indicating the chord. Due to limitations of this forum, I must place these numbers next to one another rather than stacked (eg, C/G in C major is written as I64).

Also, when a slash separates two numerals, the preceding chord is functioning in the key of the following numeral. For example, the symbol V/vi in the key of C major would indicate an E chord. This is because E is the V chord of a minor, which is vi in C major.

I know this all sounds SOOOOO complex, and I appologize if I have glossed over this and people are left confused, but I have been awake for a LONG time today and am going a bit nuts. I trust if I have missed anything or really messed up the theory explanations, fatjack and MWR will help fill you in and leave me to have more time for the analyses.

Without further ado, here they are!

[MahlerGrooves]

Crash Into Me (Analysis in key of E major)

Intro/Verse

Chords: C#m7 - A5add9 - Bsus4 - E5 - E/G# - A5add9 - Bsus4 - E5

Functions: vi7 - IVadd9 - Vsus4 - I - I6 - IVadd9 - Vsus4 - I

"Crash into me..."

Chords: C#m7 - *single notes* G#-A-B *end singles* - E - D/F#

Functions: vi7 - *I6-IV-V* - I - bVII6 (OR N6/vi)

"In a boy's dream..."

Chords: C#m7 ------ A5add9 - Bsus4 - E5

Functions: vi7 ------- IVadd9 - Vsus4 - I

[MahlerGrooves]

Big Eyed Fish (Analysis in key of E minor)

Intro/Verse

Chords: E5 - C5 - G/B - B5 - E5 - C5 - G/B - B5

Functions: i - VI - III6 - V - I - VI - III6 - V

Chorus

Chords: Em - C - G - Bm - Em - C - G - Bm

Functions: i - VI - III - v - i - VI - III - v

Bridge ("No way out...")

Chords: G5maj7 - Cmaj7 - G5maj7 - Cmaj7 - Cadd9 - G5maj7 - Cmaj7 - Dadd2,4 - Em - C - G - Bm

Functions: V7/VI - VI nat.7 - V7/VI - VI nat.7 - VIadd9 - III7 - IV7/III - Vadd 2,4/III - i (also vi/III) - VI - III - v

[MahlerGrooves]

Bartender (Analysis in key of D major)

Intro/Verse

Chords: D5 - D/F# - G5 - D5

Functions: I - I6 - IV - I

Bridge ("I'm on bended knee...")

Chords: B5 - G5 - D5

Functions: vi - IV - I

[MahlerGrooves]

Grey Street (Analysis in key of D major)

Intro/Verse

Chords: Bm - G - Aadd4 - D/F# - G - Aadd4 - D/F# - G

Functions: vi - IV - Vadd4 - I6 - IV - Vadd4 - V6/IV - IV

Chorus

Chords: Bm - A - D - G

Functions: vi - V - V/IV - IV

[gumbomadness]

Grey Street (Analysis in key of D major)

Intro/Verse

Chords: Bm - G - Aadd4 - D/F# - G - Aadd4 - D/F# - G

Functions: vi - IV - Vadd4 - I6 - IV - Vadd4 - V6/IV - IV

Chorus

Chords: Bm - A - D - G

Functions: vi - V - V/IV - IV

btw, i love this. anyway...

sorry if i missed it..
but why is it V/IV// if it was all in the key of D major, wouldnt D be I not V/IV?

i like this analysis man, but, i have a reqquest.. Two Step, and also.. just to challenge you, What Would You Say Jam.. ^_^

[MahlerGrooves]

Well, in my opinion, in addition to finctioning as a I chord, that D chord serves as a dominant to G major at that moment, and I have therefore indicated it as such. It is from the feeling I get from the song and the surrounding chords. SOME of analysis is always subjective.

As for others, once my gf is better and I go home, I will do WAY more, including two step and wwys. I should be on that tomorrow night at some point.

[gumbomadness]

[You_Enjoy_Myself]

You're like......smart and stuff.

[filmdude100cms]

You're like......smart and stuff.

yes i dont like it.

[gumbomadness]

and mahler, whats the deal with your cloud signature? Is it from a book or something..

[DMBFan63]

Well, in my opinion, in addition to finctioning as a I chord, that D chord serves as a dominant to G major at that moment, and I have therefore indicated it as such. It is from the feeling I get from the song and the surrounding chords. SOME of analysis is always subjective.

As for others, once my gf is better and I go home, I will do WAY more, including two step and wwys. I should be on that tomorrow night at some point.

I understand the explaination, but I'm not grasping it still. Why wouldn't a plain old D chord be a I chord in the key of D? There aren't any key changes in Grey Street, correct? How is it a dominant to the G maj? Sorry if it's obvious, but I'm not that far into theory as of right now, so I'm not grasping the concept of that. I know D is the V chord in G, and G is the IV chord in D, but why is it analyisized as a IV/V chord?

[MWR]

Well, in my opinion, in addition to finctioning as a I chord, that D chord serves as a dominant to G major at that moment, and I have therefore indicated it as such. It is from the feeling I get from the song and the surrounding chords. SOME of analysis is always subjective.

As for others, once my gf is better and I go home, I will do WAY more, including two step and wwys. I should be on that tomorrow night at some point.

I understand the explaination, but I'm not grasping it still. Why wouldn't a plain old D chord be a I chord in the key of D? There aren't any key changes in Grey Street, correct? How is it a dominant to the G maj? Sorry if it's obvious, but I'm not that far into theory as of right now, so I'm not grasping the concept of that. I know D is the V chord in G, and G is the IV chord in D, but why is it analyisized as a IV/V chord?

Keep in mind he did say that some of it is subjective. You certainly wouldn't be wrong if you called it I.
But if you listen you should be able to hear what mahler is getting at. Don't just listen to the chords listen to the melody too. Does that D seem to have any sense of resolution in the context of the section? Not that I can hear. To me it sounds like the melody is resolving (somewhat) over G.
There are moments in music when the key is easily definable but the sense of key is not. This is when you have to really use your ears intstead of thinking C# and F# = D.

[DMBFan63]

Well, in my opinion, in addition to finctioning as a I chord, that D chord serves as a dominant to G major at that moment, and I have therefore indicated it as such. It is from the feeling I get from the song and the surrounding chords. SOME of analysis is always subjective.

As for others, once my gf is better and I go home, I will do WAY more, including two step and wwys. I should be on that tomorrow night at some point.

I understand the explaination, but I'm not grasping it still. Why wouldn't a plain old D chord be a I chord in the key of D? There aren't any key changes in Grey Street, correct? How is it a dominant to the G maj? Sorry if it's obvious, but I'm not that far into theory as of right now, so I'm not grasping the concept of that. I know D is the V chord in G, and G is the IV chord in D, but why is it analyisized as a IV/V chord?

Keep in mind he did say that some of it is subjective. You certainly wouldn't be wrong if you called it I.
But if you listen you should be able to hear what mahler is getting at. Don't just listen to the chords listen to the melody too. Does that D seem to have any sense of resolution in the context of the section? Not that I can hear. To me it sounds like the melody is resolving (somewhat) over G.
There are moments in music when the key is easily definable but the sense of key is not. This is when you have to really use your ears intstead of thinking C# and F# = D.

I get yah now. I didn't really think along the lines of the melody, just straight thinking of why it wasn't a I chord. Thanks for filling me in

[c_tietze]

You guys, Fatjack and the rest of 'em are waaaaay to deep for me. Lol!