Gospel Instruments > Gospel Keyboard / Piano
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?
--- Quote from: T-Block ---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.
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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 :D
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:
--- Quote from: 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 :D
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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:
--- Quote from: 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.
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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.