Musical Structure
The song is in the key of G and opens on "I'll tell you" with a D-B, B-D melody note drop and rise over a I (G) chord. Controversy exists over the landmark chord that Lennon stated McCartney hit on the piano while they were composing the song. Marshall considers it is the minor vi (Em) chord (the third chord in the I-V7-vi (G-D7-Em) progression). Everett is of the same opinion. Pedler claims however that more surprising is the melody note drop from B to F# against a III7 (B7) chord on "understand". Music theorists are divided over whether this chord is a iii (Bm), a B major or a B7 or even a B5 power chord with no major or minor defining third.
Read more about this topic: I Want To Hold Your Hand
Famous quotes containing the words musical and/or structure:
“I was with Hercules and Cadmus once,
When in a wood of Crete they bayed the bear
With hounds of Sparta: never did I hear
Such gallant chiding; for besides the groves,
The skies, the fountains, every region near
Seemed all one mutual cry. I never heard
So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Science is intimately integrated with the whole social structure and cultural tradition. They mutually support one other—only in certain types of society can science flourish, and conversely without a continuous and healthy development and application of science such a society cannot function properly.”
—Talcott Parsons (1902–1979)