Pink Floyd Progressions I (Comfortably Numb)

Branshen · December 2013

Many agree that they sound awesome. But, why?

Looking at the chords for comfortably numb, we have a song in the key of D. Chords of the chorus are slightly out of the ordinary, introducing a C that moves to an G (4th) that seems to mimics the interval between the 1st to the 5th. Why does this work as a progression?

Also, a thing I've noticed about the progression is that they abstain from resolving the progression (by moving to D). This is something else that is done very often by one of my favourite songwriters, Scott Matthews. Any thoughts on this or any other floyd tunes? Anyone notice any prevalent features of the progressions that make them so unique?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYqReumtxh4

viz · December 2013

Great thread. Well if I were to analyse it, I would look at it like this: firstly I would say the song is in Bm not D major, but indeed it switches to the relative major (D) temporarily for the chorus, which is why that section sounds so good - it's a sudden, optimistic change of gear, caused in the storyline by the drugs working, before sinking back into the minor root for the 2nd verse (or the fade out solo). In my view it's pretty important to determine correctly the 'sex' of the piece, that it's in the minor, Bm, rather than in a major key, otherwise the whole dark and depressing morose nature of it, lifted temporarily by a couple of optimistic relief sections, but ultimately doomed to a soaring though morbidly maniacal ending, is lost.

So if you take a step back and look at it in its entirety, it goes like this:
- Bm verse, very morose
- Bm verse, very morose
- D modulation section (relief from despair, caused by drugs, but only temporary; repeated and then repeated again for the solo)
- Bm verse, extremely morose especially after the relief of the modulation
- Another D modulation, cruelly optimistic because this time you know for sure it won't end here in happiness
- Revert inexorably to the Bm section for fade out.

Now, during this temporary modulation, the first 4 chords are D, A, D, A. Toggling from D to A is moving down a 4th. The next 2 chords are C, G, C, G. This is a repeat, or echo of the DADA bit, but 1 tone lower, because toggling from C to G is also going down a 4th, and in my view should be played as such, so as to reinforce the echo. It's very important to avoid thinking of either D-to-A or C-to-G as going up a 5th, but as going down a 4th, BECAUSE the CGCG has to be a mirror of the DADA. And as the phrase is repeated DOWN a tone, it is better to think of the phrase itself pointing downwards. (If the music were DADA, EBEB, then yes, D-to-A could be considered as going up a 5th but it's a mistake to think this in this song). You ask why that works so well as a progression, well that's the reason. And if you want to make that mirror really effective, it works really well to play D barred at the 5th fret, then A barred at the 5th. Then C barred at the 3rd and G barred at the 3rd, and don't think of any of the toggles as going up a 5th, but as going down a 4th, otherwise the repeat effect is lost, if not to your audience, to you. I don't know how Gilmour plays those toggles, but that's the best way to reinforce the repeat effect, and also in my mind foretells the come-down of the drugs in the story.

Then in the first chorus, it actually echos the complete modulated section once more (DADA, CGCG) - in the 2nd chorus the complete phrase only happens once iirc - before entering an upwards climb which ultimately concludes with the revert back to the Bm root of the song (though in the first chorus there is another round of it, with that awesome solo, before landing back to the Bm).

That climb from major to minor works like this:

Firstly it modulates to the A, then it temporarily progresses back to the D, before landing on the Bm. That progression from A to D has a passing resemblance to the chorus we've just heard, at double the speed and without the first D, because it goes: A, (then a passing chord of G 1st inversion), C, G, D..... Bm.

So during the entire chorus, it's DADA, CGCG (a double couplet repeated a tone down) - then this is either repeated or it isn't - then there's an upwards climb consisting of A, C, D (interspersed with G chords). And after the first chorus, the whole modulated section is repeated with a solo.

As you can see, when you think of the 2 modulated sections in their entirety, they do indeed start and end on D, but you're right, the ultimate resolution isn't to D, it's back to Bm, and one of the great things about the song is that the Bm never really leaves your head, because you know the effect of the drug is only temporary, and that the reality of the painful world is waiting for you after those sections of temporary relief.

DulcetJones · December 2013

Along with the song structure they also use more creative synth/keyboards than a lot of bands. While all of the musicians do their part to give each song something special I always notice that first, and then Gilmore lets fly and it all goes off into another place.

mike_l · December 2013

@viz ; good dissection fella.

I'd say going up a fifth from D-A and C-G rather than down a fourth. But I guess that just a different way of learning things.

I can see why you said down a fourth though.

viz · December 2013

Yep well I think the most important thing is that the 2 couplet pairs are thought of in the same way, and it's purely interpretational. Out of interest how do you in fact play a D-A going up a 5th?

mike_l · December 2013

As per CN, just I view it as going up a scale by a fifth, not down a scale by a fourth.

Same as I see Hey Joe as each chord a fifth up in scale terms rather than fourth down, fifth up etc.

viz · December 2013

Ok got you. Not sure how I think of hey joe. Probably downwards in 4ths throughout. Or maybe down 4, up 5, down 4, down 4. But that 5th upwards is just because it's difficult to play G-D downwards. I don't think of the final A-E as going upwards. At least I think I don't think I do.

mike_l · December 2013

I view it that way from scales as you go up A-B etc

I can see exactly why you are saying down.

as for the final A-E yep, the usual voicings are A at the fifh fret to an open E so you're (literally) going down the fretboard. But you know how I like to mess with the E chords in HJ

viz · December 2013

Yep I know

mike_l · December 2013

>:D<

mike_l · December 2013

And to add to today's spookiness, just put my Ipod on, first song?

Comfortably numb.

viz · December 2013

But seeing as you only have comfortably numb, hey joe and hallowed be they name on your phone, that's to be expected every now and then isn't it?

mike_l · December 2013

viz said:

But seeing as you only have comfortably numb, hey joe and hallowed be they name on your phone, that's to be expected every now and then isn't it?

Close, I don't have Hey Joe on it..... =(( =((

More spookyness, yesterday I changed my avatar to Bigjon and me playing C.N.

Branshen · December 2013

Thanks @viz and everyone for contributing. Can always count on viz to provide the schooling. I understood most of what you said, just gotta let it sink in. Thanks for the great insight into the construction of the song.

I've got another thing I want to ask. I've always thought of progressions as having a key, and a relative minor. e.g. D and Bminor. when I first started learning, I was taught major and minor pentatonics and the D major and B minor pentatonic were essentially the same notes with a different starting point. Now I'm slightly more advance and can see that the tonal center of a song shifts when you talk about a song being in major of it's relative minor. But besides determining the overall atmosphere of the song, does it really matter? "standard" chords of the two are the same. Are there more right and wrong chords for these progressions?

mike_l · December 2013

B major and D minor are the same. In D major the chords will point back to a D major chord, whereas B minor they'll point towards a Bminor chord.

Think of Major as happy, trimphant etc and minor as sad, downbeat etc

Branshen · December 2013

mike_l said:

In D major the chords will point back to a D major chord, whereas B minor they'll point towards a Bminor chord.

This is new to me and a very refreshing way of thinking. Thanks!

mike_l · December 2013

Generally (NOT always) the first/last chord of the progression will be the root chord.

mike_l · December 2013

@Branshen

I'd definitely go with Bm for the intro/verse progression as it both starts and finishes on a Bm chord, the other chords point back towards Bm (Maybe I've heard the song too many times)

As for the solo (main not first) it starts with a big slightly sustained D5 chord, so I'd interpret that as the drugs going in (D major - happy) then it's Bm (the come down - sad) all the way.

Branshen · December 2013

Thanks Mike, I'll give those ideas a spin.

I've heard the song sooo many times but I've never thought that it was to do with drugs. Seems to be common knowledge around here.

mike_l · December 2013

Branshen said:

Thanks Mike, I'll give those ideas a spin.

I've heard the song sooo many times but I've never thought that it was to do with drugs. Seems to be common knowledge around here.

It's famously about heroin addiction.

The solo is mostly in Bm pentatonic. Actually most of Mr Gilmours solo's are taken from pentatonic scales.

Boring side fact, one of our master techs was taught by Roger Waters' mum......

Branshen · December 2013

Roger Waters' mum was a guitar tech? Are we referring to ICBM or...?

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Pink Floyd Progressions I (Comfortably Numb)

Comments