How can one analyze this chord progression from “Vienna” by Billy Joel?

How do you analyze a chord progression?

To do this we:

  1. Determine the key. Find the Key Signature. Find Cadences at end of phrases and sections. Look for ii-V-I’s, V-I’s, and ii-V’s (incomplete cadences that resolve to the I chord at the beginning of the next section)
  2. Label all chords with Roman Numerals based on their relationship to the I chord.


How do you analyze a jazz song?

Quote from video: Right. We hear a resolution. So this is important right here this is a five chord. Okay five one you need to be aware of this now when we look at the key of D major.

What key is Vienna Billy Joel?

Vienna is written in the key of B♭ Major.

How do you Analyse harmony?

Performing a Harmonic Analysis

  1. Identify phrase endings. It’s often helpful to listen for:
  2. Analyze the phrase ending. Listen, and label the cadence if present (it often is).
  3. Look for a strong predominant. Back up from the cadence to look for a strong predominant.
  4. Analyze from the beginning.


What is the importance of chord progression?

You can think of a chord progression as the backbone of a song. It can make or break any piece of music. Without a good chord progression, there’s nothing for the melody to sit on top of, or the rhythms to play off of.

What makes an effective chord progression?



A chord progression works by creating an emotional journey between its beginning and end. Much like a good book, it starts with an introduction, has an adventure in the middle, and resolves at the end. It’s shaped by the key and scale of the song, which dictates the overall tone.

How do you Analyse a song musically?

1. Practicing active listening

  1. Melody – the tune of the music.
  2. Harmony – the individual chords as well as the overall chord progression.
  3. Rhythm – the beat and groove of the song.
  4. Form / Song structure – the different sections in the song.
  5. Texture – the number of layers of music going on.
  6. Tempo – the bpm.

How do you analyze a soundtrack?

Here’s a shorter list, however, of 5 things you can do to improve your ability to understand songs through analysis:

  1. Make a structural map of a song.
  2. Identify any instrumental hooks or riffs.
  3. Write out the chord progressions.
  4. Write out the lyric, and compare verse, chorus and any other section.

How do you analyze a song example?



Quote from video: Pay attention to how the different parts change dynamically. And then pay attention to how these parts themselves change throughout the song for example is the verse.

How do I know what scale to use over a chord progression?

The rule is to use Major pentatonic scales over major chords and minor pentatonic scales over minor chords. This works well for most chords. All you need to do is switch scales with the chord changes.

What is a creepy chord progression?

If you’re a fan of scary movies you’ve definitely heard this chord progression before. The theory behind it is very simple: two minor chords spaced a minor 3rd apart. Don’t just play these chords in root position though; the inversion matters!

How do you discern chords?



One big clue to identifying a chord progression in a song is what the bass is doing. Being able to hear a bass line can help you quickly identify the chords. This is because the job of the bass is generally to play the root of the chord – the note that gives the chord its name – at the moment the chord begins.