Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of vintage Rolling Stones’ songs in various places… and I started noticing how harmonically clever Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were in their songwriting heyday.
Although they’re known for their 3 or 4 chord rock and roll songs, there’s always an inventive, unexpected twist or two in them. This week I’m going to look at a few examples of this, as well as one simple device they use very well.
For best results I suggest you listen to the songs before you read, or as you read. I especially recommend that you play and sing the songs through a few times if you can. This’ll be well worth your while. (Listen at the bottom of the page here.)
Part 1: Surprising Twists
My favorite is in ‘Street Fighting Man‘ (below). After going back and forth in unexpected, rhythmically jagged ways between the I and IV chords (‘C’ and ‘F’ – tuned a little flat) in the Verse, they explode into the V chord (‘G’) for the Chorus (see Part 2 for more on this). So far pretty normal – I, IV, and V in the key of ‘C’.
But then (here’s the twist) the Chorus climaxes on a ‘D’ chord with an F# in the melody – way out of the key of ‘C’. Then, when it settles back into ‘C’ again for the next Verse, it’s also very exciting. The move out of key – and then back in – definitely gives the song a kick in the ass it wouldn’t otherwise have.
Note also that there’s a bar cut off of the ‘normal’ length of almost every section – the Verse is two 5 bar sections, the Chorus is 7 bars.
In ‘Brown Sugar‘ (below) they add more twists to the 3 or 4 chord routine. The Verse uses ‘C’ and ‘F’ chords (with a single ‘Bb’) then, as in “Street Fighting Man’, they jump to the ‘G’ chord (V) for the Chorus.
But the Intro, which is used after each Chorus throughout the tune, has these chords: | Eb | C | Ab Bb | C |. Another really powerful out-of-key move that adds another dimension by providing a break that also makes the 4 chord Verses and Choruses feel fresh every time they return.
(And remember that we’re just talking about the music here – the lyric is way past its sell-by date.)
Part 2: The Exploding V Chord
Both songs mentioned above enter their Choruses using a similar approach.
In their different ways, the Verses of both songs bounce back and forth between ‘C’ and ‘F’ chords (I and IV), building enough tension so that when they finally hit the ‘G’ chord (V) for the Choruses, it’s explosive. Check it out! Same thing in both songs. So simple; so powerful.
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