THE SQUIRE FILES
Modal Analysis of songs from 'THE STONE ROSES'
On this page I will attempt to explain what is going on musically with all the songs (except Don't Stop) from the album 'THE STONE ROSES'. For the beginning guitarist/bassist a lot of the information will probably be useless as some of the concepts (in this case MODES) usually aren't explored until later on.
If you are an intermediate to advanced guitarist/bassist then most of the stuff here should make sense. Alternatively, if you aren't clued up on modes but have been playing for a while, then you are only seeing or hearing a small part of the bigger picture.
I Wanna Be Adored
Chords for the verse and chorus are G major, D major and E minor.
The Key centre (or the chord that makes the song sound finished) is the E minor chord.
All these chords belong to the Key of E Aeolian.
Here are the notes
E Aeolian scale (E F# G A B C D E)
For the middle 8 / guitar solo section the chords are D major and C major.
The song's tonal centre shifts towards the D chord instead of the E minor here so we have a modal change to D mixolydian.
Here are the notes
D Mixolydian scale (D E F# G A B C D)
Note that both the E Aeolian and D Mixolydian scales have the same notes.
However, the emphasis is on a different chord at different points in the song.
This dictates which mode is being created.
She Bangs The Drums
Chords for the verse are E major and D major.
The tonal centre here is the E major chord. The chords come from the Key of E Mixolydian.
Here are the notes
E Mixolydian scale (E F# G# A B C# D E)
For the chorus the chords are A major, D major and E major.
The tonal centre shifts towards the A chord so we have a modal change to A Ionian.
Here are the notes
A Ionian scale (A B C# D E F# G# A)
Again, note that both E mixolydian and A Ionian modes have the same notes.
It's just another case of the tonal centre shifting to a different chord which dictates the mood or mode of the song.
For the bridge section the chords switch between A major and E major while the main riff is played back and forth 4 times. The emphasis is still on the A major chord, so we are still in A Ionian mode.
For the guitar solo the emphasis shifts again back to the E major chord as the song goes between the E major and D major chords (Basically repeating the verse structure). So we're back to E mixolydian again.
When the chorus comes back in again the tonal centre returns to the A major chord. So it's back to A Ionian mode until the end of the song.
Waterfall
This song is slightly different to ones we have looked at so far in the way that it has a modal change but retains the same Root note.
So it starts out with the verse chords essentially a Gb power chord, but the tonality implies a Gb major chord. Then there is a descending melody in the bass of the following chords Cb major, Gb major/Bb, Ab minor. The second time it goes up at the end like this
Cb major, Gb major/Bb, Db7sus4.
So all these chords belong to the Key of Gb Ionian.
Here are the notes
Gb Ionian scale (Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb F Gb)
Some of you may prefer to think of it as F# Ionian. In which case the notes will be (F# G# A# B C# D# E# F#)
Which ever way you look at it in a written sense it looks a nightmare, but it's a beautifully simplistic sounding song.
Anyway, as it goes to the chorus. The 2nd descending melody in the bass is different.
The chords this time are:
Fb major, Cbsus4/Eb, Dbmin7
The tonal centre is Still Gb but it shifts slightly by way of the Fb major chord (otherwise known as an E major chord) to Gb Mixolydian.
Here are the notes
Gb Mixolydian scale (Gb Ab Bb Cb Db Eb Fb Gb)
Again, it's maybe easier to think of it as F# Mixolydian which hosts the same notes but in a slightly friendlier fashion.
F# Mixolydian (F# G# A# B C# D# E F#)
In this case the last 3 chords would read like this:
E major, Bsus4/D#, C#min7.
It returns to Gb Ionian again for the verse riff.
Then the fast bit!!
Here the tonal centre shifts again to the Ab Dorian mode.
The chords are Ab minor, Cb major, Db major.
The notes are the same as the Gb Ionian scale, but the emphasis is on the Ab minor chord during this section.
And finally.........
The end section.
We're back to our Gb power chord which again implies a major chord.
This time Squire stays with the Gb Mixolydian mode throughout to give it a more moody feel.
Bye Bye Badman
The intro starts with a muted D major chord.
The melody soon spells out the D Mixolydian scale.
Here are the notes
(D E F# G A B C D)
The chords then change to G major and then G minor before returning to the D major chord.
This G minor chord belongs to the key of D Aeolian.
Here are the notes
D Aeolian scale (D E F G A Bb C D)
This type of thing is usually called borrowing chords.
However the Key centre is still D, so it is a "modal change" and not a key change.
A Key change is where the tonal centre changes to another letter like "A" or "B".
It repeats this sequence for the verse and bridge parts.
A recurring theme for the roses is for the chorus to jump into Ionian mode which it does again here.
So we're into D Ionian here. Here's the notes
(D E F# G A B C# D)
The chords are D major, G major, B minor, E minor, G minor, A major.
All of these belong to D Ionian except the G minor which moves to D Aeolian as explained above.
As the chorus continues into the end section a C major chord appears to pull things into the Key of G Ionian
The chord sequence goes C major, G major, B minor, C major, D major.
So, to sum up on this one........
Intro and Verses
D Mixolydian/D Aeolian/D Mixolydian
Chorus
D Ionian/D Aeolian/D Ionian
End
G Ionian
Elizabeth My Dear
A nice and easy one!!!!!!!!!
It's in B Aeolian mode for the main with a modal change to B Dorian.
Here are the notes
B Dorian (B C# D E F# G# A B)
B Aeolian (B C# D E F# G A B)
Here's the chords
B minor, A major, D major, E major, G major.
The E major chord is the one that changes it to B Dorian.
It could be argued that the main part of the song is in B Dorian and changes to B Aeolian for the G major chord. This is because all the chords except the G major can be constructed from the Aeolian mode.
But for my ears it sounds mostly like the Aeolian mode.
Sugar Spun Sister
This one starts with A major and D major with the emphasis or tonal centre being the A major chord.
So we are in A Ionian.
The notes: (A B C# D E F# G# A)
The verse chords are A major, C# minor, D major and E major.
So everything still in A Ionian.
The chorus chords are to start with A major and D major and the melody is still in A Ionian.
Then we have a D major to G major sequence.
Now the Key centre still returns to the A major chord.
So what we have here is a modal change to A mixolydian.
Here's the notes (A B C# D E F# G A)
It goes back to the A Ionian mode for the rest of the song.
Made of Stone
The verse chords here are E minor, D major, C major and B major.
All these chords except B major belong to the Key of E Aeolian ( 6th mode of the G major scale ). The B major chord belongs to the Key of E Harmonic Minor.
Here are the notes to both scales:
E Aeolian E F# G A B C D E
E Harmonic Minor E F# G A B C D# E
The chorus changes to the relative major key which is G major.
This is also known as the Ionian mode, so we have a modal change also.
The chorus chords are G major, D major and C major.
Here are the G Ionian scale notes.
G A B C D E F# G
Notice that these are the same notes as the E Aeolian mode.
The instrumental and solo sections use the same chord sequences as the verses, so they would be in E Aeolian over the E minor, D major and C major chords, and then E harmonic minor over the B major chord.
However, in the main guitar solo Squire uses some double stops at the 14th fret on the B and G strings. This could be seen as momentarily shifting the mode to E Dorian over the E minor chord. It returns to E Aeolian for the D major and the C major.
E Dorian notes:
E F# G A B C# D E
The second time through the same chord sequence Squire uses the same double stops mentioned above over the C major chord. These notes of the double stops and the notes of the C major chord don't fit into a normal scale.
C major chord notes: C E G
Double stop notes E&B, C#&A, B&G.
The key centre is still E Aeolian because of the C major chord, so this would have to be viewed as the E Aeolian mode with an extra note.
E F# G A B C (C#) D E
So the extra note is C#
And over the B chord the double stops are used giving the notes B&G and C#&A.
This would be the E Harmonic minor scale with an extra note, again the C#.
E F# G A B C (C#) D# E
There is then an instrumental verse. Chords same as verse ones.
Then the chorus returning to G Ionian and then back to E Aeolian for the ending.
Shoot You Down
This one starts of in C Ionian and changes to C Dorian very briefly over the F7 chord.
The change takes place over this lyric. "And the time has come to shoot you down"
Over the word "come" this is the change to the F7 chord, so it is at this point that there is the modal change to C Dorian. If you're wondering Dorian is a minor mode, but the key centre is C major. How does that work?
Well, here's the answer.
The key centre is always C in this song. So when it changes to the F7 chord, this chord is actually the fifth (V) chord of Bb major. But because the key centre stays with the note C then you have to view the C note in relation to the Bb major scale. So you will find that C is the second note of the Bb major scale. And the second mode of that scale is Dorian mode. So you end up with a modal change from C Ionian to C Dorian.
Here's the notes:
C Ionian C D E F G A B C
C Dorian C D Eb F G A Bb C
Notice the F7 chord can be constructed from the C dorian mode.
F7 notes F A C Eb. This can't be said for the notes of C Ionian.
The rest of the song is in C Ionian apart from the very last 2 chords at the end.
It is a C major chord, but Mani implies C mixolydian mode by playing the notes F, G, C and Bb. The Bb note being the one that gives it away.
Squire then follows suit by playing a C7 chord this confirms the tonality.
C Mixolydian mode notes:
C D E F G A Bb C
Again, the C7 chord notes are C E G Bb.
This should show which scale the chord comes from.
This Is The One
Thankfully another easy one!!!
This one is in E Ionian mode all the way through.
The chords are E major, B major and A major.
Here are the notes:
E F# G# A B C# D# E
I Am The Resurrection
I get asked quite a lot what key is this song in.
The answer is "A few!!!"
The key centre for the verse is the B major chord.
Now, most guitarists tend to think "The Key centre is a B major chord, so it's in the key of B major". They then try and use the notes of the B major scale to do any lead work or single note stuff. End result: dodgy notes in particular over the A major chord!
Reason why: Wrong conclusion. You need to assess the whole chord sequence first. And then possibly the melody on any single note playing instrument.
If you take the notes from the verse chords B, A and E major you get this
B major = B D# F#
A major = A C# E
E major = E G# B
Put these in alphabetical order like a scale, and you get this.
B C# D# E F# G# A B
This is the B mixolydian scale. It is the 5th mode or rotation of the E major scale.
E.G
E major (Ionian) scale = E F# G# A B C# D# E
B mixolydian scale = B C# D# E F# G# A B
Notice they have the same notes.
The mixolydian sound is not actually confirmed until the A major chord, as the song could be initially thought of as being in the Key of B major (Ionian mode).
The reason for thinking it could initially be in Ionian mode is because the B major chord is common to both B Ionian and B mixolydian keys. Also the absence of the A or A# note in either the vocal melody or Bass line over the B major chord. Check to see the difference between the 2 scales. You will see they only have one note difference, the A and A#.
B Ionian = B C# D# E F# G# A# B
B Mixolydian = B C# D# E F# G# A B
It isn't until the A major chord which consists of the notes A C# E that swings the tonality towards B mixolydian.
The hook riff that takes the song into the bridge is an indicator of a mode change as it uses the notes B, A#, C# and G#. This uses the notes of B Ionian for the last 3 beats of the B major chord before the bridge.
The bridge section has the chords G# minor, E major and B major. The Key centre is still the B major chord, so we are still in the B Ionian mode.
Later on in the bridge we have the F# major at the end. Again, these all belong to B Ionian mode.
On to the chorus.
The chords are E major, E minor and B major.
The key centre is the B major chord so we are still in B Ionian mode over the E major chord, we switch to B phrygian dominant mode (fifth mode of E harmonic minor scale) over the E minor chord, and then back to B Ionian for the B major chord.
Here are the 2 scale notes
B Ionian = B C# D# E F# G# A# B
B Phrygian Dominant = B C D# E F# G A B
WWWWWWWWhhhhhhhoooooowwwwwww..... How do you suss out that scale I hear you say.
Well if you check out the vocal notes Ian Brown sings for the lyric "Resurrecion", you get 2 notes. These are D# and E. Now, the E minor chord would normally belong to the B Aeolian mode. Problem being is that the B Aeolian mode has these notes.
B Aeolian = B C# D E F# G A B
You might notice there is no D# note in there. So you're looking for a scale that has a B note, a D# note and be able to construct an E min chord aswell. So you could add the notes of that chord Emin = E G B.
None of the modes of the major scale work over this one. So you have to check the other scales.
i.e Harmonic and Melodic Minor and their respective modes.
Ok,
Now for the solo.
Well again the key centre is still B. But it changes in and out between B Dorian and B mixolydian.
Here are the notes:
B Dorian notes B C# D E F# G# A B
B Mixolydian notes B C# D# E F# G# A B
To give you some more idea of when it is Dorian and when it is Mixolydian, here is a breakdown in terms of the cd times.
Solo start
03:48 - 04:24 (B Dorian)
During the first part of the solo Mani uses the D# note occasionally which could be said to be from the B Mixolydian mode. However, because of the more frequent occurrence of the D note this leans things more towards the B Dorian mode. Also, because there are no chords being played here the tonality is merely implied by the melodic instruments (guitar and bass). So theoretically they could change the mode by altering one note and then change back again. And in this case it sort of does that. Although because of the main tonality being B Dorian, the D# note would be viewed as a passing note or added note to the B Dorian mode.
04:24 - 05:20 (B Mixolydian and B Dorian)
This is my all time favourite bit of guitar playing. In the same token it is also the hardest bit to explain theoretically. This is where it changes between the two modes quite a bit more. There is some more chord playing here. We have a B major chord played by Squire and the notes B and A being played underneath by Mani. This is B Mixolydian because of the D# note in the B major chord. Although whenever Squire comes away from the B chord and plays lead he tends to play notes fromt the B Dorian mode.
At 04:48 the chord sequence goes B major, D major/A (this just means a D major chord with an A bass note, and an E major chord. So whenever he playes the B major chord it is B mixolydian, but when it goes the D major/A and E major the notes seem to be taken from the B Dorian mode.
After the stop it seems to sit on the B major chord with Mani doing the B and A notes implying B Mixolyian again.
At 06:01 it shifts back into B Dorian for the lead break. We see the D note pop up all the time by Squire over the B, A and E bass notes by Mani. This implies the B Dorian mode.
At 06:17 it shifts back to B Mixoldian till the end of the song over the chords B, A and E major.
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