Analyzing Theory of "Ordinary People" Chords

[playhear]

Below are the chords for "Ordinary People." At first, I thought the main progression was a 4-5-1. That would make sense if the chords below were within the key of Bb. However, the chords below are within the key of F. I'm positive the song is in F with these chords because I just saw the published sheet music from John Legend.

Now I'm confused because the main progression Bbmaj7, Ebmaj9, and Fmaj7 is NOT a 4-5-1 within the key of F. What's your take on this?

Somebody wanted chords for Ordinary People so here they are like i said i would.  The chords for most of the song is Bbmaj7, Ebmaj9, and Fmaj7 w/a lot of improvising.  Here is how I play it:

"Ordinary People" by: John Legend
Key F  LH/RH

Intro (from sheet music):

/  D-D (high)
/ C-C
Bb / A-D-F-A
Bb / G-C-D-G
/ C-F-G-C  
Eb / Bb-D-G-Bb
Eb (2x) /
/ Bb
Bb /
Eb / Bb-D-G-Bb
Bb /
Eb / G-Bb-D-G
/ D-G-Bb-D
F / C-E-A-C
C /
F /
/  D-D (high)
/ C-C
Bb / A-D-F-A
Bb / G-C-D-G
/ C-F-G-C  
Eb / Bb-D-G-Bb
Bb /
Eb /
/ G, Bb, C, D, G, low G
Bb /
Eb / G-Bb-D-F
Bb /
Eb / Eb-G-Bb-D
/ Bb
F / C-E-A-C
C /
F /

Verse 1 (my version):

/ C, D
Bb / A-C-D-F *Go to Chorus from here
F / Girl, I'm
Bb / in love with you
/ A-C-D-F
Eb / F-G-Bb-D
Eb (2x) / This ain't the honeymoon
Bb /
Eb / F-G-Bb-D we're
Bb / past the
Eb / F-G-Bb-D infactua-
/ F-G-Bb-D tion
F / G-A-C-E phase
C /
F /
(repeat)

Chorus:

F / We're just
Bb / C-D-F-A ordi-
/ C-D-F-A nary
Eb / Bb-D-F-G people
Eb (2x) /
/ Bb-D-F-G
Bb /
Eb / Bb-D-F-G
Bb / We don't
Eb / Bb-D-F-G know which
/ Bb-D-F-G way to
F / C-E-G-A go
C /
F / C-E-G-A
/ D-D
/ C-C
Bb / C-D-F-A
(repeat)

Verse 2:

Bb / Ab-Db-F Maybe we'll live and learn
Eb / G-Bb-Db-F Maybe we'll crash and burn
F / G-A-C-E Maybe you'll stay, mabye you'll
F / G-A-C-E leave, maybe you'll return
(repeat)

Go back to chorus chords and play it through.  End on the Fmaj7 chord, F / G-A-C-E.  I suggest playing the chords w/out trying to match words to it first cuz it's kind a hard to match every word excatly with every chord.  Any questions feel free to ask me.

[Cmajor13]

john legend have some nice chords in this song i was reading an article and he was saying that he was a church musician and choir directer but after i heard this song and look at the progression and patterns he had used and the different inversion in the song i could tell he had start out in the church. the song is in the key of Bb it is a 1-4-5 progression this is used in alot of hymns and traditional songs it can not be in the key of F because the 1-4-5 in F would be F-Bb-C....hope this helps.....be bless

[T-Block]

It is actually a 4-b7-1 progression in the key of F cuz the sheet music has it written in F.  TheThe 7 can sometimes be substituted for 5 cuz they both want to go to the same place.  It can also be a 4-5-1 in Bb, depending on how u see it.  The reason why the key of F makes more sense is cuz if you get to the end of the song, it ends on the F chord.  If the song was really in Bb, you would feel that urge to get back to the Bb chord, but u don't.  It ends nicely with the F chord and u get a sense of resolution.

[playhear]

john legend have some nice chords in this song i was reading an article and he was saying that he was a church musician and choir directer but after i heard this song and look at the progression and patterns he had used and the different inversion in the song i could tell he had start out in the church. the song is in the key of Bb it is a 1-4-5 progression this is used in alot of hymns and traditional songs it can not be in the key of F because the 1-4-5 in F would be F-Bb-C....hope this helps.....be bless

The arrangement I'm looking at, written by John Legend, is in the key of F with these exact chords. So, this song is in F.

[playhear]

It is actually a 4-b7-1 progression in the key of F cuz the sheet music has it written in F.  TheThe 7 can sometimes be substituted for 5 cuz they both want to go to the same place.  It can also be a 4-5-1 in Bb, depending on how u see it.  The reason why the key of F makes more sense is cuz if you get to the end of the song, it ends on the F chord.  If the song was really in Bb, you would feel that urge to get back to the Bb chord, but u don't.  It ends nicely with the F chord and u get a sense of resolution.

Thank you T-Block, I'm actually not guessing that the song is in F. I'm currently looking at an arrangement written by John Legend himself. The arrangement is in F with the chords you correctly posted.

Given the song is in F, here's another question: why does the b7 chord want to resolve to the 1 chord? By playing the b7, it's clear that the b7 chord does want to resolve to the 1 chord. I'm just not sure why.

[Cmajor13]

thanks for the correction guys i thought it was in the key of Bb because of the structure i didnt thank about how it in on F because i have played song where they end on the 4 or the 5

[elio]

Given the song is in F, here's another question: why does the b7 chord want to resolve to the 1 chord? By playing the b7, it's clear that the b7 chord does want to resolve to the 1 chord. I'm just not sure why.

If you look at the Eb triad, it contains Eb, G and Bb. Now, if you simply add a C on the bass you have a Cmin7, ie the relative minor fifth of F (the root), which wants to resolve to F.

You can think of it as a substitution (ie from C7 to Cmin7 to Eb); you can try it on a lot of I-ii-V or I-IV-V songs, turning them into I-ii-bVII or I-IV-bVII.

Hope this is useful...

[playhear]

Given the song is in F, here's another question: why does the b7 chord want to resolve to the 1 chord? By playing the b7, it's clear that the b7 chord does want to resolve to the 1 chord. I'm just not sure why.

If you look at the Eb triad, it contains Eb, G and Bb. Now, if you simply add a C on the bass you have a Cmin7, ie the relative minor fifth of F (the root), which wants to resolve to F.

You can think of it as a substitution (ie from C7 to Cmin7 to Eb); you can try it on a lot of I-ii-V or I-IV-V songs, turning them into I-ii-bVII or I-IV-bVII.

Hope this is useful...

OK, now we're talking. Maybe that little twist adds just enough zing to make this song something special. Is that a common substitution in gospel or jazz?

[elio]

Not sure it's used that often, as it sounds a bit harsh (of course, it depends on the context). Rock guitarists use the bVII->I a lot, but that's another story.

[T-Block]

playhear wrote:

Given the song is in F, here's another question: why does the b7 chord want to resolve to the 1 chord? By playing the b7, it's clear that the b7 chord does want to resolve to the 1 chord. I'm just not sure why.

T-block wrote:

TheThe 7 can sometimes be substituted for 5

[slburks]

I can see why it would throw someone off. There is no Eb in F major (it's supposed to be E natural). Strictly speaking ("diatonically"), the only notes in F major are F G A Bb C D E F. That's it.

In classical music terms, using chords/pitches  that are not in a key is called "mode mixture." Happens all the time in black music. Also, whenever you lower the 7th scale degree (in this case, E) so that it's a whole step beneath the 1st scale degree, the resulting pitch is called the "subtonic" (in Western theory).

Taking it back, George Benson goes back and forth between the subtonic and the tonic (b7 and 1) chords in the recording, "On Broadway."

So, short answer, sometimes people still refer to a song as being in a particular key, even though they might vary from it a bit.

[slburks]

Also, John sings strictly in the key of F major, so sometimes we get our sense of a key from the vocalist/ melody, in spite of the little colorful variations in the accompaniment.

[playhear]

Also, John sings strictly in the key of F major

For real? That's useful trivia.