McCartney’s Chromatic Chordal Ascents

The word “chromatic” comes from the Greek noun χρῶμα (khrṓma), which means “complexion” or “color”.

For a musician chromatic means the notes, or tones, that lie outside the key signature of a song. In layman’s terms, you can think of playing a tune on the white keys of a piano, and then introducing a black key for musical effect.

A chromatic chordal ascent means moving up chords by semitones, such as in the sequence C major – C# major – D major – D# major – E major. In this most basic example, the chords move up a fret at a time on the guitar. In more subtle examples, diminished chords are used as “stepping stones” between major chords.

Chromatic ascents are based on the musical principle of tension and release. We hear tension as the music passes through unusual chords. And we feel release when we finally arrive back “home” to the tonic chord.

Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (1971)

Some people think that this song is in G minor, but I tend to think it is in D Mixolydian-flat 6, as the tonal centre is D major, but the notes of C natural and Bb are commonplace.

Listen to the tension and the release from 0:20 as the chords ascend through G minor7, C major and C# major before arriving back on D major. The tension is maintain a little longer as McCartney alternates between A4 and Bb4 on “believe I’m gonna rain”.

Hold Me Tight (1973)

This song begins in A major, with a two-bar intro fixed on the tonic chord. However, our sense of stability is immediately challenged as McCartney employs a chromatically-ascending chord sequence that moves through:

A major – Bb major – B minor – C major – C# diminished – D major.

At 0:55 we have arrived at G major, but McCartney isn’t happy with that – he then takes us on a “round the clock” journey through a further five key signatures!

Beware My Love (1976)

This song has an unusual structure. After two quite different introductions, McCartney heads into a pre-chorus.

This pre-chorus begins in A major (0:42) and then also moves to the chord of Bb major, in the same manner as Hold Me Tight. However, the next chord is C major (0:49), a whole tone above Bb major – and then the tonic chord of D minor. The chord progression in Hold Me Tight carries a sense of unravelling or “revealing” on each step up the ladder. However, Beware My Love is suffused with drama as it climbs from dominant to tonic.

London Town (1978)

A more subtle form of ascent employs diminished chords between major chords.

At the end of the bridge section in London Town (1:18), McCartney offers an interesting ascending interlude that moves through:

A major – F# minor – G diminished – E major/G# – A major

on the words:

Oh, where are there places to go
Someone somewhere has to know

This interlude of tension and release also pays attention to chord inversions in order to achieve a smooth chromatic ascent:

Pipes of Peace (1983)

This is another song that uses a chromatic ascent based on chord inversons and diminished chords.

The song’s opening chords are:

E major – F# major – G diminished – E major/G#

Note the tension of the diminished chord on the word “to” at 0:30. The note of E4 is a suspension from the previous bar. It resolves to B3 on the chord of E major/G# on the word “love”.

Summary

McCartney uses passages of chromatic ascent to add tension and interest in a number of songs after 1970.

They are usually employed to connect two tonic chords. Chord inversions and diminished chords are often used, but sometimes he employs simple parallel chord movement.

Here is a final song that uses parallel chord movement. Can you hear the chromatic chordal ascent and then descent in introduction and then ascent in each verse?

Get On The Right Thing (1974)

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