Whole song with no Tonic chord?

[Uncle E]

Hmm that sounds like a pretty unlike progression to me.

If this were in Eb and the Cm followed the Bb, it would be a deceptive cadence.

[ichijou]

Thanks for the help everyone, it makes sense now to think it's in Cm, to which I'll be sure to look into relative minors now. oh, and it was from a sheet music book, containing the whole album of which that song was on.

[jancivil]

"Laura". The tonic chord appears only at the very end, after 64 measures or so. And that feels forced, like "we can't very well end on anything else, so let's throw in a quick modulation".

Victor.

I doubt that. Cite the key, the changes and the melody.

In Explanation/Note Well: if it's a "modulation", that IS NOT the tonic chord, now is it.

[Melkor]

John Lee Hooker was quite fond of the other extreme .....

Songs containing ONLY the tonic.

I7 - I7 - I7 - I7 and repeat/colour to taste.

Gold

[Sascha Franck]

While "Ride Like The Wind" is clearly in C minor (as has been explained), there's quite some tunes that don't resolve into any "real" tonic chords.
Just one example: Lionel Ritchie's "Don't Stop The Music".
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=rW4_8uIoUqM
The chords are Cmin7, Dmin7, Ebmaj7 F/G. The entire tune sounds completely like Bb major, yet there's no Bb chord.
Ok, one *may* argue that the F/G could be the parallel minor, hence becoming a sort of tonic chord, but when you listen to it, it's all too clear that it doesn't work as a tonic (and there's no Bb note in it, either), instead of a G one could as well play a D in the bass and the function of the chord wouldn't change much (if at all).

- Sascha

[simesf]

Here's another couple - I think - I could be wrong - there's always a first time. 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division. The root note is right at the end which provides a very effective release from the song. That and 'Holding Back the Years' by Simply Redheaded Git, where Hucknall stopping singing provides a very effective release from the song; very similar in structure to 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac.

[Aroused by JarJar]

Here's another couple - I think - I could be wrong - there's always a first time. 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' by Joy Division. The root note is right at the end which provides a very effective release from the song. That and 'Holding Back the Years' by Simply Redheaded Git, where Hucknall stopping singing provides a very effective release from the song; very similar in structure to 'Dreams' by Fleetwood Mac.

Love Will Tear Us Apart- only cover song I've ever done! (well not counting classical and folk stuff of course). Never bothered to analize it but I think you might be right, going over it in my head it does "float", and I remember going "hm!" when I was figuring out the chords in Just Intonation. Hmmm, have to check it out again, I'll get back on this if I get a few moments to spare on it, argh.

Joy Division is my mother's favortie rock band by the way, we had an "ethnic" and classical music household and a friend of mine who gave me my first rock record ever, in 83, very accurately predicted that I'd love Unknown Pleasures- but she didn't know my mom would dig it too. Humorously enough I found out later that one of the first fans of JD in the area was a conductor at one of the symphonies

[VicDiesel]

"Laura". The tonic chord appears only at the very end, after 64 measures or so. And that feels forced, like "we can't very well end on anything else, so let's throw in a quick modulation".

Victor.

I doubt that. Cite the key, the changes and the melody.

You doubt what?

Actually, it's not a modulation, it's just quickly walking down the cycle of fifths until you hit the tonic.

Key is C. I'm only giving the basic chords, they all have lots of 5+, 9-, 13, whatnot added.

Am7-D7-G
Gm7-C7-F (<-not really a tonic chord, since it's a seventh in passing)
Fm7-Bb7-Eb-Cm Adim7-D7-Gmaj7-E

(second half repeats same melody, but with different ending)
Am7-D7-G
Gm7-C7-F
Fdim-Em-A-D7-G7-C

Those last three chords always sound disappointing to me. It's almost like a foreign key.

Victor.

[jancivil]

"Laura". The tonic chord appears only at the very end, after 64 measures or so. And that feels forced, like "we can't very well end on anything else, so let's throw in a quick modulation".

Victor.

I doubt that. Cite the key, the changes and the melody.

You doubt what?

Actually, it's not a modulation, it's just quickly walking down the cycle of fifths until you hit the tonic.

OH. Thought not.

"Laura" is in G major, btw. Then, it goes to F. Think about it.