Kate Bush's unique chord progression
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Published 2024-01-15
Here is my video on Chromatic Mediants: Ā Ā Ā ā¢Ā SongsĀ thatĀ useĀ ChromaticĀ MediantĀ chordsĀ Ā
Kate Bush's debut single, Wuthering Heights, instantly established her as someone special, someone who, aged 18, could write a highly unusual song and, despite its unique chromatic mediant chord progression, have it surge to the top of the charts!
The outro music to this video is my track "Mothers Day" which you can hear in full on Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/0wKKJoOZd8JQJDgGU8sb8V?si=ā¦ š¶
And, an extra special thanks goes to Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channelās Patreon saints! š
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All Comments (21)
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The way the lyrics say "I've come home" at the exact moment the song finally resolves with a perfect cadence after all this chromatic wandering is pure genius. Amazing to think that Kate was still a teenager when she came up with this unique and mature example of the art of songwriting.
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She wrote that song at 18 in one evening, recorded it during the night and was ready to release it the next morning. And it's her most popular song ever. Mind blowing
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Taylor Swift could definitely learn a lesson or two in songwriting from Kate Bush, especially regarding chord progressions!
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Amazing work!! Now that you're on the subject of Kate Bush and modulation, I'd love to see a video on her song Babooshka which also has two completely unique chord progressions and uses parallel modulation using borrowed tonic! It also has 3-bar phrases!
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Finally a video on Kate Bush! Please explore her discography. Her songs are so unusual and intricate, with so many different time signatures!
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I grew up in SE London - my brother had some friends who had a band. They were looking for a singer, and turned down this girl from Blackheath who auditioned. Six months later she was on TOTP singing this song. I remember when it came out, it was sensational - completely revolutionary and seen as such.
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Kate Bush is a freaking genius, and not just the old stuff. Get the good headphones, put on her Sky of Honey suite from Aerial (start with Prelude), turn off the lights, lie down, and spend the next 45 minutes in sonic bliss.
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A masterpiece of a song, and a masterpiece of an analysis!
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I must have heard this song a million times, but I've NEVER realised just how WEIRD it truly is. And yet, it works! One of the greatest songs ever written.
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I must have listened to this song thousands of times, just like everyone else. I always sensed that it had a unique chord progression, but I never dwelled on it. What sets you apart and makes you superior to many musicians is this. Thank you endlessly.
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That first explanation of chromatic mediants reminded me of the ācrawling spiderā technique used by Mellotron players to compensate for the instrumentās mechanically limited sustain. It worked by moving from chord-to-chord one or two notes at a time, with the remaining note(s) tying over from one chord to the next and so on, ācrawlingā across the keyboard - creating lush harmonies as you go. King Crimsonās In the Court of the Crimson King is a good example of this technique.
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The move to the Ab and the delivery as she sings 'I hated you, I loved you too' is just perfect! It always makes me smile.
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Kate Bush AND David Bennett? I thought Christmas was last month!
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I love it because, despite being a weird chord progression, it sounds so natural and can be liked by so many people. Plus her voice is so melodic and unique.
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That song has been always astonishing for me, not only due to the chords progression but to the bars 5/4 and 7/4 inserted in the chorus too. Never tired of listening to it. And the guitar solo as outro !!!(wich most of radio stations cut as soon as the voice is fading). That record is a gem.
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Smile turns to anger turns to hope to swoon to sadness to ... One of the most expressive songs ever created. Great look into the tonal relationships.
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Kate herself has LOTS of unusual chord progressions. Check out Fullhouse, Moving, the Man with a Child in his Eyes, In search of Peter Panā¦
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I canāt believe you upload this just as Iām about to submit my case study on Kate Bush for uni! Iām so glad this strange beautiful song got the recognition it deserved when it released.
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An absolutely delightful analysis of Kate Bushā¦ America did not carry Kate Bush albums when I first discovered her in 1978ā¦ I had to special order the albums from the UK. So many of her songs had unique chord progressions and fascinating melodies on top of the progression. Everything about Kate Bush is unique, and I am still a huge fan to this day.
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Absolutely one of my all-time favourite songs. I never tire of it and now, seeing the shifting key and time signatures, I'm not surprised why. The "you know it's me, Cathy" part and the short phrase after at the end of the bridge is goosebump-inducing every damn time!
