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Topic: Is Your Musicianship Lonesome Tonight?  (Read 1108 times)

Offline popcornn

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Is Your Musicianship Lonesome Tonight?
on: January 27, 2012, 10:33:41 AM
I would like to start a thread with chord progressions in popular songs. The purpose is because it is important (from a musicianship side of things)to try and understand how a song is harmonically built up. But also as a practical exercise to transpose the harmony into as many keys as possible to familiarise yourself with the piano layout.

I’d like to begin with, ‘Are you lonesome tonight’ by Elvis Presley (because it is nice - and slow) Any ideas as to the what’s going on in the harmony here?
If you think this is way too easy try it in Fsharp or Gflat Major???

Chords - Upper case Major i.e. III / Lower case minor i.e.  iii:

              I                 iii                  vi        
     Are you lonesome tonight, do you miss me tonight?
              I               I7          IV
     Are you sorry we drifted apart?
                    V                            
     Does your memory stray to a brighter sunny day
                 V7                                         I
     When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?
                I7                                 IV        
     Do the chairs in your parlour seem empty and bare?
            II                                       ii               V
     Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
             I                       III               II          
     Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
                 ii                V7            I    
     Tell me dear are you lonesome tonight.