I’m in the process of writing the last batch of songs for the album, and on the lookout for fresh inspiration. I’ve always loved Hall & Oates chord progressions, so I decided to analyze a few of their songs. While many songwriters are happy to recycle the same four chords, H&O utilize a broad palette. They freely borrow chords from the parallel key (which means for example that a song in C major borrows from C minor). Typically the verse and chorus will have a different sense of modality, so if the verse uses chords from the major key, the chorus might use chords from the parallel or relative minor (A minor if the key is C major). I’m sure this already sounds like gibberish to most of you, but here are the progressions anyway. I didn’t include all the repeats, but if you’re familiar with the songs, you’ll figure it out.
I Can’t Go For That
Verse: i IV
Prechorus: I Imaj7 I7 IV
Chorus: iv7 VII
Your Kiss is On My List
Verse: i iv7 VI VII I
Prechorus: iv7 ii7b5 (V)
Chorus: I (V/I IV/I etc) i IV V/I I V
Private Eyes
Verse: I V/I I V/I VI VII ii7 vi iii VI IV/V
Chorus: vi iii vi I/ii ii7 IV/V vi iii vi ii7 VI Vsus4
Bridge: ii7 v V7/vi
Here is the full palette of chords used in the three songs. Mix and match to create the next Hall & Oates classic!
I Imaj7 I7 i | ii7 ii7b5 | iii | IV iv7 | V V/I V7 v | VI vi | VII
You may be wondering why I’ve been listening to H&O in the first place. For that I have to thank the new The Bird and The Bee covers album, Interpreting the Masters, Vol. 1: A Tribute to Daryl Hall & John Oates. Masters indeed!
{ 4 comments }
Bird & The Bee did a cover album of hits by these guys. I love it!
Oh, I just saw the ending comment.
He does use major chords sometimes though
Waiting for the Night and Word Full of Nothing are good examples of songs where he seems to have tried to use minor chords for as long as possible into the song, until he had to give up and throw in a major chord or two. He may not have done it consciously, though.
That’s a very interesting progression! It’s unusual to see so many different chords on the same root key so close together. I’m sure M.L. Gore would enjoy your progression, except for that darn major chord!
I also find it very inspiring to study other people’s song structures. One of my piano pieces uses as many minor chords as possible, until I switch to a major chord a semitone lower than the previous (minor) one, something Mr Gore would certainly approve of! (cf. Enjoy the Silence or Little Soul).
A song that caught my attention last year was Murray Head’s Never Even Thought. At some point it goes:
Dm Bb Bm B7 Em Em#7 E
which induces an unusual (and beautiful) vocal line.
Other people whose chord progressions I find very interesting include David Bowie, George Michael and a-ha.
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