The Rocky theme intro
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 427 posts since 24 Sep, 2009
Hello,
I have a little analysis question on the intro of the theme music for Rocky.
I've always thought the second chord of the intro was really cool, but now that I try to analyze what it is, I'm kind of lost.
If you look at this score:
http://d29ci68ykuu27r.cloudfront.net/pr ... 375_01.jpg
It starts C major, and then the second chord I'm talking about is a Esus4, which lands on a D minor.
You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioE_O7Lm0I4
Well, now that I know what chords they are, I can be happy and leave it, but I'd like to have a better understanding of this.
Why does this work? Have you seen anything like this in another song?
If you had to write up a harmonic analysis of this intro, what would you have written?
I have a little analysis question on the intro of the theme music for Rocky.
I've always thought the second chord of the intro was really cool, but now that I try to analyze what it is, I'm kind of lost.
If you look at this score:
http://d29ci68ykuu27r.cloudfront.net/pr ... 375_01.jpg
It starts C major, and then the second chord I'm talking about is a Esus4, which lands on a D minor.
You can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioE_O7Lm0I4
Well, now that I know what chords they are, I can be happy and leave it, but I'd like to have a better understanding of this.
Why does this work? Have you seen anything like this in another song?
If you had to write up a harmonic analysis of this intro, what would you have written?
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JumpingJackFlash JumpingJackFlash https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=44005
- KVRian
- 1227 posts since 10 Oct, 2004
Where did you get that from?neueliteratur wrote:the second chord I'm talking about is a Esus4,
Unfamiliar words can be looked up in my Glossary of musical terms.
Also check out my Introduction to Music Theory.
Also check out my Introduction to Music Theory.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 427 posts since 24 Sep, 2009
lol, I don't know why I read E A B E.JumpingJackFlash wrote:Where did you get that from?neueliteratur wrote:the second chord I'm talking about is a Esus4,
But then, E B D E? I don't know what to call it, nor what degree it is!
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- KVRist
- 279 posts since 13 May, 2003
well, it is E sus later, here in the intro he omits the a, but it still as some form of v of A.
You finally get the resolution to A at the very end.
The fact he delays it by going to iv is why it still sounds 'fresh' I suppose.
You finally get the resolution to A at the very end.
The fact he delays it by going to iv is why it still sounds 'fresh' I suppose.
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- KVRist
- 231 posts since 15 Apr, 2012 from Toronto, ON
I would analyze it as follows:
- C (I) at the beginning obviously
- E7 (V/vi) at m. 5, omitting the G#.
- Instead of going to Am (vi, the relative minor) at m. 9, it's a deceptive cadence and the Dm chord can be labelled as iv/vi = ii. That is, the Dm chord is iv in Am and ii in C.
This actually happens in Imagine as well during the second chorus, where it goes F - G - C - E7 - F, but instead of E7 to Dm, it goes E7 - F. So it would be VI/vi = IV. This has roots going back to Schubert at least.
And as a final point, another reason why this works is the stepwise motion of the bass: F - E - D - C, etc.
- C (I) at the beginning obviously
- E7 (V/vi) at m. 5, omitting the G#.
- Instead of going to Am (vi, the relative minor) at m. 9, it's a deceptive cadence and the Dm chord can be labelled as iv/vi = ii. That is, the Dm chord is iv in Am and ii in C.
This actually happens in Imagine as well during the second chorus, where it goes F - G - C - E7 - F, but instead of E7 to Dm, it goes E7 - F. So it would be VI/vi = IV. This has roots going back to Schubert at least.
And as a final point, another reason why this works is the stepwise motion of the bass: F - E - D - C, etc.
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- KVRist
- Topic Starter
- 427 posts since 24 Sep, 2009
Interesting, thank you.