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Its More Than Just The Medley Unity On A
Its More Than Just The Medley Unity On A
Introduction
! This paper provides music-analytical evidence that the Beatlesʼ 1969 album
Abbey Road forms a complete and satisfying musical whole beyond the confines of its
second-side medley. It will shed light on tonal relationships and tonal transitions
throughout the album. Scholars have discussed unity in the medley, which is reported to
beyond the medley, however, and this paper identifies elements that bind the entire
album, starting with analyses of the medley by Walter Everett, Robert Gauldin, Dominic
Pedler, Alan Pollack and Thomas MacFarlane. Although these scholars have discussed
the medley and its tonal structure, viewing Abbey Road as a coherent unit is new. This
paper will offer a new notion of the tonal focus of the album and will uncover musical
1Walter Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (Oxford University Press,
1999), 245. See also Alan W. Pollack, “Notes on the Abbey Road ʻMedleyʼ,” Notes on... Series no. 192,
Soundscapes - Journal on Media Culture, accessed October 28, 2013, <http://www.icce.rug.nl/
~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/medley.shtml>.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
Literature Review
! Figure 1 below lists all the tracks on Abbey Road, along with their tonal centers,
! Throughout this paper, capital Roman Numerals are used to symbolize major
" Robert Gauldin discusses the “compositional unification” of the second side of
Abbey Road and calls its tonal structure the “rock double-tonic,” in which both A and C
play major roles, while C#-minor and E-major are subordinate.3 Walter Everett states
that “the juxtaposition of A and C seems to be a central concern,” and gives a synopsis
in which tunes in A are about “selfishness and self-gratification,” and tunes in C express
“generosity.”4 He cites both the arrangement of key areas and the repetition of musical
segments as the elements that unify the medley, giving as example the “unexpected
recapitulation of the opening of ʻYou Never Give Me Your Money,ʼ with new lyrics” in
2Information used in the creation of this table is taken from the following five sources: 1. Robert Gauldin,
“Beethoven, Tristan, and the Beatles,” College Music Symposium 30/1 (Spring 1990): 150; 2. Walter
Everett, “The Beatles as Composers: The Genesis of Abbey Road, Side Two,” in Concert Music, Rock,
and Jazz since 1945: Essays and Analytical Studies, edited by Elizabeth West Marvin and Richard
Hermann (University of Rochester Press, 1995), 175–176; 3. Alan W. Pollack, “An Introduction to Notes
on the Abbey Road ʻMedleyʼ,” Notes On... Series, Soundscapes - Journal on Media Culture, accessed
October 28, 2013, <http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/medley.shtml>; 4. Dominic
Pedler, The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles (Omnibus, 2003), 762–763 (note that Pedlerʼs account as
shown here is a summary of all the tunes that many Beatles experts have included: he does not provide
his view of the medleyʼs dividing points beyond confirming “Because” as its prelude); 5. Thomas
MacFarlane,The Beatlesʼ Abbey Road Medley (Scarecrow Press, 2008), 5–6.
3Robert Gauldin, “Beethoven, Tristan, and the Beatles,” 151. Gauldin is the only one to consider “Here
Comes The Sun” as part of the medley, because it is in A major and features a C major section.
4 Everett, “The Genesis of Abbey Road, Side Two,” 227.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
components that contribute to the unification of the medley, although these are not
1. Come Together D-
SIDE 1
4. Oh! Darling A+
MEDLEY
MVT II
MEDLEY
Figure 1. Summary of Abbey Road tracks and keys, and various analystsʼ considerations on what
constitutes the medley.
5Walter Everett, The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology (Oxford University Press,
1999), 264–265 and 267.
6 Gauldin, “Beethoven, Tristan, and the Beatles,” 149–150: “The key, form, tempo, and text synopsis
[frankly speculative] of each song” is given in his summary chart.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
and “dramatic flow.”7 Dominic Pedler acknowledges the A / C duality of the medley.8 He
makes a clear case for “Because” as the medleyʼs prelude, contending that the track
that follows it, “You Never Give Me Your Money,” provides the desired resolution of the
final unresolved do7 (biio7 in C# minor) of “Because,” now reinterpreted as a g#o7, or viio7
of the key of the new track, A minor.9 Thomas MacFarlane bases his medley structure
on “directed tonal motion toward structural goals, as well as various thematic threads
! Analyses and discussions of the composite of the Abbey Road medley are
plentiful, and focus chiefly on tonal relationships and repeated material as explanation
of its unity. We have yet to see an exploration of how all seventeen tracks of the album
can be considered a unified entity. This paper seeks to fill that gap.
! The fact that the medley is unambiguously a collection of tunes that make one
large standalone unit makes any salient technique used within this unit a noteworthy
starting-point in the exploration of links between the medley and other songs. This
paper calls attention to three pronounced musical principles that make Abbey Road a
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
satisfying whole. It outlines a global tonal structure for the album, examines the
consistent use of cross-relations, and further links the album by way of recurring
I. Tonal Structure
explored. The synopsis gleaned from previous scholars is that there are four tonal
centers at play in the medley: the most salient are A major/minor, C major, E major, and
battle between A and C, and that C wins out by the time the medley has ended. The
only tonal center present in the album but not in the above synopsis is D major/minor.
The following discussion shows that the two main keys of A major/minor and C major
are within the central D-tonality that encompasses the whole collection.
! The album opens with the D-minor tune “Come Together” and closes with the D-
major tune “Her Majesty”. This final track was originally scheduled to appear in the
medley between “Mean Mr. Mustard” and “Polythene Pam” but Paul McCartney wanted
to scrap it.11 Recording engineer John Kurlander tacked it onto the end of the edit tape,
conscious decision by the band to keep it in the collection as the audible ending of
11 Mark Lewisohn, The Beatles: Recording Sessions (New York: Harmony Books, 1988), 183.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
Abbey Road. It makes a cohesive tonal link when considering it as coupled with “Come
! These broad frames being in parallel D keys hint at modal mixture within the
main body. D modal mixture is seen on a slightly smaller scale on side 1. The first side
of Abbey Road is framed by the two D-minor tunes “Come Together” and “I Want You
(Sheʼs So Heavy)”. This D-minor structure embraces the D-major tune “Maxwellʼs Silver
Hammer”.
! Zooming in to a single song, the A-major medley track “She Came In Through
The Bathroom Window” can be seen as a microcosm: it has sections in both A major
and C major, the main keys of the medley, and the D triad is modally mixed to support
each of these two key areas in different ways. The A-major section sways between I and
IV, or A major and D major, to confirm its tonality. The I chord may be heard as the
dominant seventh of IV because of the bluesy b7 in the melody, but the primacy of A as
the true tonal center is confirmed in the last two bars when IV resolves down to I.
Leading into the contrasting section, the A chord becomes the dominant of the minor iv,
a pivot chord that becomes ii in C major. The minor D chord supports the turn to C major
! With D as the albumʼs overarching tonal center, we can relate the remaining tonal
12Everett, Revolver through the Anthology, 245–246, points out another subtle connection between the
two sides of the album: they each end with an “abrupt splice” or cut.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
C major as bVII, and C# minor as subordinate.13 You might ask “In what way is C# minor
considered subordinate within a larger tonal structure?” Gauldin had it as the iii of A.
However there is another way to see its position in this new overall key scheme.
! The coda of “Octopusʼs Garden” strengthens the case for C# minor as a key area
on the album. The E-major songʼs coda repeats a deceptive cadential gesture to vi
twice before “getting it right” and resolving to I. The vi chord is C# minor, and hearing it
twice in place of the tonic has made it more notable. This coda explicitly shows the role
! Side one can be seen as a large first movement framed by D-tonalities. Side two,
up until “The End”, can be considered the double-tonic second movement, beginning in
A major and ending in C major. “Her Majesty” is the D-major coda to this two-movement
structure. The overall tonal framework suggested by this division is therefore I - V - bVII -
I in D.
13The Beatles so often use the double-plagal progression bVII - IV - I that it seems appropriate to have a
bVII key area within a larger tonal structure.
14 Everett, Revolver through the Anthology, 254, states that on April 26, 1969, a backing track was
recorded for “Octopusʼs Garden” and transposed to E major from its original C major. If the tune had
stayed in C major, the vi chord would have been A minor instead of C# minor. The C major key would still
fit in the overall tonal scheme proposed here, but C# minor would have been more tenuous as a
subordinate member.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
" The medley not only features A major and C major as main key areas but also
has frequent instances of tonic chords in both of these keys sounded adjacently. For
example, the concluding A-major “One sweet dream” segment of the track “You Never
Give Me Your Money” ends with the chord progression bIII - bVII - I (C - G - A) that
repeats until fadeout: Amaj and Cmaj are persistently heard next to each other (Figure
2). The middle G-chord is passing, is on a weak beat, and is not supported by the bass
drum. The harmonic progression allows the guitar and bass to have a smooth descent
from b3 to 1.
!"##########$####################%
Figure 2. The ending of “You Never Give Me Your Money” (the “One sweet dream” section): C - G/B - A
repeat until fadeout, and the guitar and bass have a smooth descending line of b3 ‐ 2 ‐ 1.
! Looking more closely at this chord pair, two characteristics of their combination
become apparent: the first is that their roots are a minor third apart; the second is that a
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
major chord built on each of these involves chromatically altering one of the two pitches
these chords have in common. Amaj and Cmaj share E and forms of C in common: the
C is sharp in one and natural in the other. This cross-relation is prominent when the two
that appears in many Beatles recordings before Abbey Road, featuring a variety of
chord pairs and harmonic progressions beyond the current example of “One Sweet
Dream.” Pollack cites the D-major “Eight Days A Week” and the G-major “Sgt. Pepperʼs
characteristic of and perhaps originating with the Beatles. Everett recognizes the
preparation for the dominant in the progression ii - bVII - V7, and names “All My Loving,”
15Alan W. Pollack, “Notes on ʻI Donʼt Want To Spoil The Partyʼ,” Notes on ... Series #62, in Soundscapes -
Journal on Media Culture, accessed November 24, 2013, <http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/
DATABASES/AWP/idwtstp.shtml>.
16Alan W. Pollack, “Notes on ʻSgt. Pepperʼs Lonely Hearts Club Bandʼ,” Notes on ... Series #106, in
Soundscapes - Journal on Media Culture, accessed October 4, 2013, <url: http://www.icce.rug.nl/
~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/splhcb.shtml>.
17 Walter Everett, Revolver through the Anthology, 312.
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Page 10 of 35
2. Something (C+, !"#$"$""#%"""""&%"""""'(""""")"""""""* End of verse connection to The organ contains the smooth melody A"+"G#"+"G&"+"F#"+"F&",!"+"#$"+"
A+ bridge) vi - V/V - IV - 'III - V6/4 - I recurring intro hook &$"+"#%"+"&%-. The bass and guitar then move in contrary motion: the
a D F Eb G C guitar plays A - B' - B& - C with F - E' - D - C (&%"+"'("+")"+"*) in the
bass. See figure 4.
4. Oh! Darling (A+) .(")"*""".(")"*""""""""""""""* Beginning of the bridge, rehearsal 'VI is a stopping point in the progression IV - 'VI - ('VII) - I. The
IV - 'VI - ('VII) - I letter C cross-relation provides a reharmonization for the repeated melodic
D F (G) A C& - B - A (.("+")"+"*). See figure 5.
7. Here Comes The Sun """""""%""""""#%"""""$ Chorus V/V resolves to I instead of V. The cello plays the chromatic line D -
(A+) I - IV - V/V - I D# - E (%"+"#%"+"$) over the harmony IV - V/V - I resolving the cross-
A D B A relation parsimoniously. See figure 8.
9. You Never Give Me Your C7 - A7 Between rehearsal letters E and The two-chord cross-relating model is sequenced up a minor third
Money (A-, C+, C+, A+) E'7 - C7 F, transition from “Oh that magic three times. Everettʼs octatonic system, and Pedlerʼs “glittering
F#7 - E'7 feeling” (C+) to “One sweet showcase.” See figure 10.
dream”
A7 - F#7 (A+)
10. Sun King (E+, *"("""")"""""#*"""""&*"("""")""""#*" C+ middle section, rehearsal VI - I: a repeated unit in which an inner accompanying voice sings
C+ middle section) I - v7 - VI - I - v7 - VI letter B C - E - D - C# (*"+"("+")"+"#*) over I - v7 - VI.
C g7 A C g7 A IV - V/V: V/V goes to I, thwarting a resolution to V. The F# (#%) of
the V/V is transferred from the organ and vocals to the lead guitar
to create the chromatic line F - F# - G (%"+"#%"+"$). See figure 9.
%"""""""#%""""""""&%""""""#%""""""""$
IV - V/V - IV - V/V - I ...
F D F D C
11. Mean Mr. Mustard (E+) $"""""./""""""$"" Second half of the verse Chromatic-stepwise fillers connecting V and 'VII in both directions.
V - 'VII - V Melody transposes equally, emphasizing B then D in a model-
B D B sequence fashion. See figure 7.
13. She Came In Through In C+: V - I - V - I - VI (VI => I in A+) Bridge, five bars after rehearsal This serves to retransition directly from C+ to A+.
The Bathroom Window letter B
(A+, C+ bridge)
! Figure 3 shows the cases of cross-relations on the Abbey Road album. Eight of
the seventeen tracks contain this harmonic element, three of which are non-medley
tracks. The chart suggests the non-harmonic concerns that are addressed by these
and melodic settings were more important for the Beatles than was harmonic syntax.
Although these harmonic progressions “break the rules,” the cross-relating progressions
support smooth stepwise and chromatic internal lines and provide the means for the
C tonal structure. The trackʼs instrumental frame features the chromatically ascending
line 6 ‐ b7 ‐ n7 ‐ 1 in the lead guitar over the cross-relating progression IV - bIII - V6/4 - I
harmonic progression.18 To modulate to A major for the bridge, the ultimate I of this unit
is replaced, not by vi, the usual tonic substitute in a deceptive resolution, but by its
parallel major VI. The guitarʼs chromatic line 6 ‐ b7 ‐ n7 ‐ proceeds to #1 as a result of this
gesture, facilitating the direct modulation to A major (Figure 4). The new key area is
! The coda of the song features a summary of these two keys. The trackʼs
recurring framing instrumental unit, IV - bIII - V6/4 - , is heard twice, first deceptively
resolving to the “incorrect” VI (Amaj) as it did to modulate for the bridge, then satisfying
18Alan W. Pollack, “Notes on ʻSomethingʼ,” Notes on ... Series #178, in Soundscapes - Journal on Media
Culture, accessed December 19, 2013, <url: http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/
s.shtml>.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
“I donʼt want to leave her now / You know I believe and how” the organ plays the
#4 ‐ n4. This line continues even further: when the organ arrives at n4, the bass joins in
chord (V9/V) had progressed to V, the #4 would have been expected to resolve upwards
and the return to the signature opening instrumental unit would have been different.
different fashion. The harmonic progression of the first four bars of the bridge is IV - bVI -
(bVII) - I in which the cross-relating bVI is a stepping-stone on the way to I from IV.19
Darling,” the bVI chord is a perfect substitution for IV, providing reharmonization for Paul
McCartneyʼs unchanging vocal melody (Figure 5). This also makes it possible for the
19 Iʼve indicated bVII in the progression: although the score doesnʼt show it, the second bridge on the
recording features an upward bass line 4 ‐ #4 ‐ 5 ‐ b6 ‐ b7 ‐ 1 which Iʼve interpreted as IV - bVI - bVII - I. The
b7 is indicated in Figure 5 in parentheses over the notated bass line.
20 Walter Everett, Revolver through the Anthology, 312, on the bVI chord.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
!"""
'("""""""""""""#("""""""""""""""'$
vi V/V
""!""""""""""%)""""#)"-*.""" """"""""""""""""""""","""""""""+
A+:
#$"""
#$""""""""""""%+"""""",
C+: IV %III V6/4 (I) IV %III V6/4
A+: "%VII I
Figure 4. “Something”: !"&"'("&"#("&"'$"&"#$"in the organ, followed by contrary motion between bass and
guitar (guitar: !"&"%)"&"#)"&"*; bass: $"&"%+"&","&"*). The pivot into the bridge is marked by a rectangle around
the G/D chord before rehearsal letter B.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
!!"!#$!!!!!"!!!!%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#$!!"!%!!#$!!!!"!%"%
[V7] IV #VI
&!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!&!'&!(!!#)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*#+,
Figure 5. Bridge of “Oh! Darling.” IV and bVI are cross-related (the chordal third of IV is lowered to get
bVI). Both chords support melodic pitches b3‐2‐1, and the bass has a smooth upwards ascent from 4 to 8.
Page 14 of 35
MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
! The use of two cross relations within the second half of its verse gives the
raucous “Polythene Pam” two coincident steady vocal lines. The verse opens with the
double-plagal progression bVII - IV - I (D - A - E). John twice sings the stepwise descent
(4 ‐ 4 ‐ 3) in the higher vocals. Everything changes on his third attempt at the melody.
The harmony starts on bIII (G) instead of bVI (D): the accompanying vocals easily step
downwards from G# to Gn to subsume the resulting cross relation. The next chord, being
V (B), sees John singing Dn to D# to smoothly incorporate the second cross relation,
continuing upwardly to the high-point E before descending to end the verse. To round
things off, the upper vocals and bass comprise smooth parallel lines in contrary motion
to the end of the melody. Although John likely didnʼt study music theory fundamentals,
this case, the chords are all functional, so there is no concern for cross relations.
However, the result of this progression is that the piano part includes the chromatic
ascent Dn ‐ D# ‐ E, offering a link between “Maxwell” and “Pam.” Another chromatic line
arises in this tune in the link between the chorus and the verse (see rehearsal letter E):
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
!"#!!!!!!!!!!!!!$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"#!!!!!!!!!!!!!$!!!!!!!!!!!%
(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
"VII IV I "VII IV I
!"#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!&#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!%
") ")!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!%
Figure 6. “Polythene Pam”: the move from I to bIII (circled above) provides a new harmonization for b7 in
the melody. Rectangular boxes highlight the recurring melodic b7 and its harmonic support.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
recurring melody. The difference in this arrangement is that the melody is transposed by
the same interval as the harmony. A fluid chromatic line develops between the model
and its sequence in the bass line that connects them. First it ascends chromatically from
5 to b7. To sequence the unit downwards to where it originated in the model, the bass re-
descends from b7 to 5 to effect the transposition down a minor third (Figure 7).
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
model
V
!""#$""%$""#&
↑ sequence ↓ sequence
#VII V
"#&"$"#$""!
Figure 7. “Mean Mr. Mustard:” cross-relations are connected by a chromatic ascending and descending
bass line.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
! When root motion between the two components is downwards, the second chord
sounds like an applied dominant. For example, the pairing IV - II#, which sounds like IV -
the Beatlesʼ repertoire. This variant of the cross-relation occurs in the A-major “Here
Comes The Sun”. The harmonic progression of the chorus is I - IV - V/V - I. The move
from IV to V/V leads to the cross-relation 4 ‐ #4, introducing the leading tone that
tonicizes and yearns for the V chord that never comes. In terms of voice-leading, the
cello integrates the cross-relation and proceeds with 1 ‐ 4 ‐ #4 ‐ 5 over the progression I -
IV - V/V - I, suggesting that the resolution of this chromatic line was the main musical
I IV V/V I (not V)
!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!%
cello ->
Figure 8. “Here Comes The Sun.” Parsimonious voice-leading (4 ‐ #4 ‐ 5) in the cello part.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
! The E-major tune “Sun King” makes use of the same IV - V/V progression in its
C-major middle section, repeating the cross-related pair of chords and thereby thwarting
the resolution to V not once, but twice (Figure 9). In this case, the smooth ascent from 4
!!!!!!!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!$"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!%
IV V/V IV V&V I
! In the very special case of “You Never Give Me Your Money”, the cross-relating
chord pairing is a means of modulation between C major and A major. A model pair of
minor third. Sequencing by this interval allows several things to happen: firstly, it will
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
take exactly four iterations of the model to get to the new key, providing a rhythmically
complete four-bar modulation. Secondly, each pair features one of the two previous
pairʼs chords, ensuring a constant lineage from one bar to the next and from “Oh that
magic feeling” into “One sweet dream.” The sequence is broken off after the fourth
! In this example, the bass has the first pitch of the cross-relation, and the
Telecaster has the second: the cross-relation is transferred up several octaves. Even
with this distance between the cross-related pitches, the effect remains highly palpable,
and is intensified by rhythm, the guitar distortion, and the rising ambitus. This section of
music receives more attention in the following section on the topic of transitions from
21Walter Everett, Revolver through the Anthology, 262, confirms that the high C# at the end of the
progression is on “[Harrisonʼs] Telecasterʼs very highest fret”.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
model
Johnʼs Casino ↓
Georgeʼs Telecaster ↓ * C!
E# G# B"/A!
Figure 10. Transition from “Oh that magic feeling” to “One sweet dream” in “You Never Give Me your
Money.” The score has an error at the star (*): the D# should have been transcribed as C#.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
! The use of cross relations and chromatic lines are typical of the Beatlesʼ style in
general, but are particularly important to this album. Three out of seven non-medley
Abbey Road tracks (“Something,” “Oh! Darling,” and “Here Comes The Sun”) exploit
these cross-relationships and parsimonious melodic lines which are plain to see in the
! In his discussion of the Abbey Road medley, Pedler charts the modulation
• Pivot chords (see Pedlerʼs entry in the chart for “You Never Give Me Your Money”:
“G as V of C” indicates that G is the pivot chord between the previous A minor
and the new C major)
• Diminished ascent (between “Oh that magic feeling” and “One sweet dream”)22
22 Pedler, Songwriting Secrets, 432, calls this the “glittering showcase” of “key switching with advanced
ʻdimʼ runs”, a further development of the use of diminished chords in “Michelle.” Walter Everett, Revolver
through the Anthology, 262, describes this transition as an octatonic system in which “tonal centers of C
and A battle for primacy.”
23In the medley, the cycle of fifths plays the dual role of modulation technique and reference to the
double-tonic relationship of the medley. For example, Pollack, “Notes on the Abbey Road Medley,”
mentions that the opening of “You Never Give Me Your Money” is a non-modulating cycle of fifths, starting
on A minor, and “walking right through C major” on its way back to A minor.
Page 23 of 35
MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
,
, , " 1,"'"""0,,,1 ,"ITo
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'Socau",,' , , "' ,
" a" GI >as V off
; , , , ,,
, -You N.,-., G,..e Me , :;;c.: ,
You, Moo,,},'
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10 -"
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" I 0.0 ' ,
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s usually described as starting with 'You Never Give Me Your Money', although many Beatles e:\:perts h
Figure 11. Dominic Pedlerʼs Abbey Road medley chart, including methods of modulation.24
" Within Abbey Road, no additional techniques of modulation are used between
:
WI'
keys. The discussion that follows will bring out how some of these methods are used in
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
and A major in “Octopusʼs Garden,” and between D and A minor in “I Want You (Sheʼs
So Heavy).”
Something
! “Something” is in C major with an A major middle section, the two main keys of
the medley. This track opens with the two-bar instrumental progression IV - bIII - V6/4 - I
(F - Eb - G/D - C), a unit that recurs throughout the track. Just before rehearsal letter B,
in preparation for the A major bridge, the ending tonic C chord is replaced by an A chord
as shown in Figure 4. The G/D chord acts as a pivot: it is V in C major and bVII going to
I in A major.25
backwards plagal progression that breaks off to return to the A major tonic (I - IV - bVII -
I). The first four-bar unit of this bridge is then repeated, but instead of ending on I, the
descending fifth sequence goes one step further to land on C (A+: I - IV - bVII - bIII)
where it remains. C is confirmed as the new tonic by the return of the original verseʼs
harmonic progression. In summary, to get from C major to A major, the Beatles pivoted;
25 Ibid, 383.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
Octopusʼs Garden
! This tune is in E major with a middle section in A major, following the pattern of
the “middle eight cliché” that goes from I to IV for the bridge.26 The chorus pivots on its
ultimate E chord to the bridgeʼs A major via a V - I gesture in the new key. The bridge
ends with an A chord that acts as pivot back to E major in the IV - V - I retransition to the
last verse.
minor frame.27 The 6-bar D minor introduction is a recurring unit that frames each verse
as well as the entire track. This unitʼs harmonic progression is i - i6 - V7/V - VI - Vaug7 (d -
d/F - E-9/7 - Bb7 - Aaug7), ending on the dominant of D minor.28 After a pause, the verse
dominant Amaj chord that ended the intro unit. This modulation from D minor to A minor
is direct.
a). The final A-minor tonic is the pivot, acting as v of D minor. In the D minor repetition of
26 Ibid., 358 + 364. “Octopusʼ Garden” breaks the conventional cliché by confirming IV as a local tonic
(i.e.: the IV chord changes function and becomes I for the duration of the bridge).
27Frank Samarotto, The Trope of Expectancy/Infinity in the Music of the Beatles and Others, unpublished
paper presented at the Society for Music Theory conference, 2012.
28
Pedler, Songwriting Secrets, 419–420, shows how the E-9/7 chord in this track was originally used by
George Harrison in “I Want To Tell You” as a musical expression of frustration.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
the verse, the cadential progression changes to i - III - VII - VI - [N.C.] - V-9/7/V (d - F - C
- Bb - [N.C.] - E-9/7) (where N.C. = “no chord”). The Bb chord preceding the dominant of
! After the expanded A-minor dominant E-9/7, the tune modulates directly to D
minor for the return of the framing unit. This track makes use of both pivot chords and
Pivot chords
! The table in figure 12 below summarizes the pivot chord modulations in Abbey
Road in chronological order. The modulations in “Octopusʼ Garden” and “I Want You
(Sheʼs So Heavy),” discussed above, are similar to each other, using the same
functional pivot chord (I => V of the new key) to move to a key that is a fifth lower, and
pivoting to get back to the original key. All the other pivoting modulations are between
! The A- pivot chord in “Money” is found at 1:10 in the track, between “You Never
Give Me Your Money” and “Out of college,” and is used to transition from A minor to C
major. Repeating the same melodic and harmonic material, “Carry That Weight”
contains the same pivot-chord modulation.29 In Sun King, the F+/G chord is at 0:59 and
is the first instance of vocals in the track. This chord serves to transition from E major to
29Pedlerʼs chart shows the modulation in “Carry That Weight” as direct, but I disagree. The similarity is
too great to not notate this event in the same way as in “Your Never Give Me Your Money.”
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
C major.30 Like “Something,” these medley tunes use a pivot to shift to a key that is a
third away.
rehearsal letter D)
“Because” to “You Never Give Me Your Ddim7 C# minor (bIIdim7) A minor (VIIdim7 - I)
Money”
! Pedler states that “Because” modulates from C# minor to F# major and back:
30 Ibid, 763. Pedlerʼs analysis of modulation within “Sun King” is unclear. Referring to the Complete
Scores, I consider the E to C modulation to use the F+/G chord just before rehearsal letter B as pivot. I
also disagree that there is a pivot back to E major: this is a direct modulation facilitated by an upward-
stepping bass line from F, the root of IV in C, to A, the root of IV in E, just before the return to rehearsal
letter A.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
remain in the key of C# minor, is more coherent.31 The Ddim7 chord keeps “melting” into
either the C# minor or the F# major chords, introducing modal mixture but not new keys.
! The interpretation of a pivot chord transition between “Because” and “You Never
the D diminished chord can now be seen retrospectively to have conspired in another modulation by no
Figure 13. Dominic Pedlerʼs explanation of the connecting pivot chord from “Because” to “You Never Give
nor', with theMeAI.Your
note (now
Money”. 32 enharmonirally a G#) becoming the leading note ofthe new tonal centre.43
uingly, using this 'cloak and dagger' approach to hannonir design, the famous medley on side 2 of Abb
th 'You Never Givemodulation
Direct Me Your Money', as every Beatles fan has been led to believe, but one track earlier
s the question whether the location of 'Because' in the final running order, ahead of that A minor k
In theasmedley,
a true stroke!of genius there is
a precursor todirect modulation
the medley in “She
itself. Came
Or was In Through
it just Theupon
stumbled Bathroom
as a musical fluk
se' transition - Abbey
Window.” The two direct hidden
Road's keyareswitch?
modulations between the tonal centers C and A, a third
31Alan W. Pollack, “Notes on Because,” in Notes on ... Series #184, in Soundscapes - Journal on Media
Culture, accessed December 24, 2013, <url: http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/
s.shtml>. Pollack sees this as a “pseudo modulation” and never analyses the track in anything but C#
minor.
32 Pedler, Songwriting Secrets, 442.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
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apart, connecting the slower-moving “Didnʼt anybody tell her” to the more active verse.
The direct modulations in “I Want You” are between the tonal centers D and A, a fourth
apart. Although the intervallic distance is different, the connection lies in the technique:
pivots were used elsewhere in “I Want You” but direct modulation was preferred
between the two differing melodies of the track. This makes “I Want You” more similar to
the medley in that the direct modulation functions to connect two contrasting units to
! The cycle of fifths is the only method of sequencing modulation used in the
medley. In “Golden Slumbers” and “Carry That Weight,” the descending cycle of fifths is
! Like the medley, “Something,” “Octopusʼ Garden,” and “I Want You (Sheʼs So
Heavy),” use direct, pivot-chord, and sequence modulation techniques. Although these
types of modulations were common both within and outside the Beatlesʼ repertoire, their
use in Abbey Road as discussed above is unifying. The absence of other common
modulation techniques makes the use of these three types even more remarkable and
unifying.33
33Pedler discusses other techniques in the Beatlesʼ repertoire such as I-V alternations, I-vi developments,
four-chord turnarounds and semitone shifts, none of which appear in Abbey Road.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
Conclusion
is made clear. All the songs can be interpreted as belonging to a coherent whole within
this tonal frame. The prevalence of cross-relating chord pairs and key areas, as well as
methods of modulation between two key areas provides further support for unification
over the length of the album. In its endeavour to expand the scope of discussions on
unity in Abbey Road, this paper has begun to uncover a wholeness beyond the medley.
The approach taken in this study can be applied to any rock artistʼs pursuit of extended-
form compilation to extract strategies that link a single work to a larger sampling, either
! Other considerations that could open further relevant discourse include the
systems of introduction and closure. Several tracks on Abbey Road open with a
complete unit that returns throughout the track and can be seen as a frame for the main
body of the tune. An investigation of these in conjunction with Mark Spicerʼs (ac)
cumulative form and Frank Samarottoʼs expectancy/infinity trope may expose further
links among the seventeen tracks.34 Additional unifying evidence may be found in a
review of the orchestration and instrumentation throughout the album. For example, the
recording of Abbey Road was the first time the Beatles used the Moog synthesizer. The
album is also said to have been Ringoʼs “tom-tom madness” album. Recording
techniques may reveal more applicable connections: Abbey Road was the Beatlesʼ only
34Mark Spicer, “(Ac)cumulative Form in Pop-Rock Music,” in twentieth century music 1/01 (March 2004):
29–64. Samarotto, The Trope of Expectancy/Infinity.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
8-track LP, and guitars and bass ran directly to the sound board, two new innovations in
1969.
! For those who are not convinced that Abbey Road is greater than the sum of its
parts, this paper offers points from which new discussions can arise, providing more
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
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Bibliography
Beatles, et al. The Beatles: Complete Scores. London: Wise Publications, 1993.
Everett, Walter. “The Beatles as Composers: The Genesis of Abbey Road, Side Two.”
Concert Music, Rock, and Jazz since 1945: Essays and Analytical Studies. Edited
1995: 172–228.
———. The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology. Oxford University
Press, 1999.
Gauldin, Robert. “Beethoven, Tristan, and the Beatles.” College Music Symposium 30/1
Lewisohn, Mark. The Beatles: Recording Sessions. New York: Harmony Books, 1988.
MacFarlane, Thomas. “Sgt. Pepperʼs quest for extended form.” Sgt. Pepper and the
Beatles: It Was Forty Years Ago Today. Edited by Olivier Julien. Ashgate, 2008:
33–44.
———. The Beatlesʼ Abbey Road Medley: Extended Forms in Popular Music. Plymouth,
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
Pollack, Alan W. “Notes on ʻSgt. Pepperʼs Lonely Hearts Club Bandʼ.” Notes on...
2013. <http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/medley.shtml>.
———. “Notes on the Abbey Road ʻMedleyʼ.” Notes on... Series #192. Soundscapes -
~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/medley.shtml>.
———. “Notes on ʻI Donʼt Want To Spoil The Partyʼ.” Notes on ... Series #62.
www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/idwtstp.shtml>.
~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/s.shtml>.
~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/s.shtml>.
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MUTH 653 - Analyzing the Beatlesʼ Music! Term Paper - December, 2013
Prof. Nicole Biamonte! Kelly Symons U-M ID: 81134332
Samarotto, Frank. The Trope of Expectancy/Infinity in the Music of the Beatles and
Others. Unpublished paper presented at the Society for Music Theory conference,
2012.
Spicer, Mark. “(Ac)cumulative Form in Pop-Rock Music.” Twentieth Century Music 1/1
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