Eargasm: Harmony on Please Please Me

The Beatles' extraordinary sense of harmony can be seen in their first recordings. While several of the tracks on their first album, Please Please Me (1963), employ utterly conventional harmony (see 'Misery' or 'Boys'), several also contain exquisite and innovative progressions (see 'Ask Me Why', 'Do You Want To Know A Secret?', or 'There's A Place'). This blog will look at all 14 tracks on the album in the order in which they are heard. Each track is analyzed using Roman Numeral analysis, with the results compiled into a concordance documenting how every chord is approached (what came immediately before it) and how it progresses (what comes immediately after it), followed by a consideration and discussion of the harmonies used on that particular song.

It should be noted that 6 of the 14 songs on this album are covers, meaning The Beatles did not write the harmony. Nevertheless, they chose either to retain the harmony of the originals or tweak that harmony (such as the Picardy third in 'A Taste Of Honey', which is absent from the original). This catalog analyzes the harmony heard on the album - regardless of who decided to use the chords - because that what The Beatles put forth as their finished product.

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​1. 'I Saw Her Standing There'
I: 24 approach: Ø x1, IV x8, V x11, bVI x4
     progress: Ø x1, IV x11, V x12
IV: 14 approach: I x11, V x3
     progress: I x8, V x2, bVI x4
V: 14 approach: I x12, IV x2
     progress: I x11, IV x3
bVI: 4 approach: IV x4
     progress: I x4

The opening track uses fairly standard bluesy harmony. The one unusual chord is found in the refrains, when a bVI is heard on the falsetto "Oh!"

It's the first example of a bVI being used as a V substitute. In other words, this harmony would make perfect sense and be more "normal" if a V had been used instead of a bVI.

This is a trick The Beatles would pull several more times in their career (including 'Hello Goodbye').


2. 'Misery'
I: 16 approach: IV x4, V x8, vi x4
     ​progress: IV x8, vi x8
IV: 9 approach: Ø x1, I x8
     progress: I x4, V x5
V: 8 approach: IV x5, iv x3
     progress: I x8
vi: 8 approach: I x8
     progress: Ø x1, I x4, V x3

Plain vanilla harmony here.


3. 'Anna (Go To Him)'
I: 26 approach: Ø x1, IV x2, V x6, vi x17
     progress: Ø x1, IV x4, vi x21
II: 2 approach: IV x2
     progress: V x2
ii: 4 approach: vi x4
     progress: V x4
IV: 4 approach: I x4
     progress: I x2, II x2
V: 6 approach: II x2, ii x4
     progress: I x6
vi: 21 approach: I x21
     progress: I x17, ii x4

Also pretty tame harmony. The use of a secondary dominant toward the end of the bridge makes a nice harmonic pull back to tonic for the return of the verse...

... but even that is about as conventional as secondary functions get.



4. 'Chains'
I: 16 approach: Ø x1, IV x10, iv x1, V x4
     progress: Ø x1, IV x9, V x6
IV: 13 approach: I x9, V x4
     progress: I x10, iv x1, V x2
iv: 1 approach: IV x1
     progress: I x1
V: 8 approach: I x6, IV x2
     progress: I x4, IV x4

Textbook 12 bar blues harmony here, with the one exception being the subdominant mode mixture (IV-iv) at the end as the track is fading out.

My favorite part of what is - let's be honest here - kind of a dull song!

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​​5. 'Boys'
I: 21 approach: IV x14, V x7
     progress: IV x7, V x14
IV: 14 approach: I x7, V x7
     progress: I x14
V: 15 approach: Ø x1, I x14
     progress: Ø x1, I x7, IV x7

Like 'Chains', 'Boys' is also a standard 12 bar blues. Unlike 'Chains', 'Boys' doesn't deviate from the 12 bar blues model at all, making it complete standard harmony.


6. 'Ask Me Why'
I: 18 approach: Ø x1, ii x6, IV x4, iv x1, V x6
     progress: I+ x4, ii x9, III x3, IV x2
I+: 4 approach: I x4
     progress: IV x4
II: 2 approach: iv x2
     progress: V x2
ii: 15 approach: I x9, iii x6
     progress: I x6, iii x9
III: 3 approach: I x3
     progress: vi x3
iii: 13 approach: ii x9, IV x4
     progress: Ø x1, ii x6, IV x6
IV: 12 approach: I x2, I+ x4, iii x6
     progress: I x4, iii x4, V x4
iv: 3 approach: vi x3
     progress: I x1, II x2
V: 6 approach: II x2, IV x4
     progress: I x6
vi: 3 approach: III x3
     progress: iv x3

Now we're talking! One rather crude measure of harmonic sophistication is the number of different chords used in a song. 'Boys' used just three chords; 'Ask Me Why' uses ten. Furthermore, those ten chords are used in intriguing and unconventional ways.

The chord planing in the initial two phrases of each verse are unusual. This creates an ascending progression (I-ii-iii) that is immediately counter-balanced by the same pattern in reverse (iii-ii-I).

I can't think of any pop song prior to this one to do that, although the classical music of Claude Debussy (1862-1918) immediately comes to mind.

The second iteration of this ascending/descending phrase is propelled by a secondary dominant (III7) to the relative minor (vi).

This isn't terribly rare, but it's also not terribly common - or least not for the time. The Beatles would frequently use this pattern in a variety of contexts throughout the decade (see 'Your Mother Should Know' from 1967,and 'There's A Place' below).

The pull towards vi is a potential threat to I's tonal authority. But that peril is immediately quashed by a strong half cadence that is reinforced with a secondary dominant of its own (this time the more conventional II functioning as a V of V, which ensures I is still tonic).

Also note another example of subdominant mode mixture (iv) similar to the end of 'Chains' except in this case there's no IV preceding the iv.

'Ask Me Why' is also the first use of an augmented chord - in this case a I+. This enhances the secondary function of the chord, as it pulls toward resolution on IV to start the bridge.

Also notice how the IV chord is approached by a iii. This, too, is somewhat unusual - and something The Beatles will use periodically throughout their career (see 'I Want To Hold Your Hand', 'Getting Better', or 'There's A Place' below).

Finally, we've seen above how the III7-vi progression threatens but never overthrows I. The end of the song, however, does overthrow I. The calm alternation between I and IV at the end reinforces the sense of conclusion. And a lesser composer might have ended the song conventionally by retaining I's authority...

.. but John Lennon chose the far more intriguing and highly unusual jazzy iii7.

I have a feeling this is the kind of song Bob Dylan had in mind when he said of The Beatles, "They were doing things nobody was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous, and their harmonies made it all valid. Everybody else thought they were teenyboppers, that they were gonna pass right away. But it was obvious to me that they had staying power. I knew they were pointing to the direction where music had to go." (Encyclopedia of leadership, edited by George R. Goethals, Georgia Jones Sorenson, James MacGregor Burns, page 87)


​7. 'Please Please Me'
I: 24 approach: Ø x1, IV x9, V x14
     progress: Ø x1, bIII x4, IV x19
ii: 3 approach: IV x3
     progress: vi x3
bIII: 4 approach: I x4
     progress: IV x3, bVI x1
IV: 25 approach: I x19, bIII x3, vi x3
     progress: I x9, ii x3, V x13
V: 14 approach: IV x13, bVI x1
     progress: I x14
bVI: 1 approach: bIII x1
     progress: V x1
vi: 3 approach: ii x3
     progress: IV x3

The harmonies of 'Please Please Me' are, for the most part, standard. But a few chords on this album's title track are somewhat unusual.

The opening phrases of each of the three verses contains an energetic non-diatonic progression of three major chords each a major second higher pitched than the previous.

As I illustrate in my presentation The Beatles: Band of the Sixties, this unusual progression was likely lifted from Carl Perkins' song 'Lend Me Your Comb' (1957).

The famous story is that 'Please Please Me' was originally a slow ballad until George Martin suggested they ramp up the tempo and turn it into a rock song instead. Presumably, this was when John borrowed from Perkins' example as a way to inject some enthusiasm into the song.

The other progression that likely resulted from Martin's suggestion was the coda, which employs a secondary dominant on bIII (rather unusual) and uses bVI as a pre-dominant (something The Beatles would use again several times in the future - see 'Run For Your Life', 'Day Tripper', and 'We Can Work It Out').

8. 'Love Me Do'
I: 28 approach: Ø x1, IV x27
     progress: Ø x1, IV x23, V x4
IV: 27 approach: I x23, V x4
     progress: I x27
V: 4 approach: I x4
     ​progress: IV x4

I can tell this was an early attempt at songwriting. The chords, while pleasant, are about as conventional as harmony gets. Not much to say here...


9. 'P. S. I Love You'
I: 22 approach: ii x4, IV x6, V x3, bVII x6, vii° x3
     progress: Ø x1, ii x4, IV x8, V x7, bVI x2
ii: 4 approach: I x4
     progress: I x4
IV: 9 approach: Ø x1, I x8
     progress: I x6, vii° x3
V: 11 approach: I x7, vi x4
     progress: I x3, bVI x4, vi x4
bVI: 6 approach: I x2, V x4
     progress: bVII x6
vi: 4 approach: V x4
     progress: V x4
bVII: 6 approach: bVI x6
     progress: I x6
vii°: 3 approach: IV x3
     progress: I x3

Quite similar to 'Please Please Me', 'P. S. I Love You' also employs the non-diatonic progression of three major chords each a major second higher than the previous. In this case, however, it's using bVI-bVII-I (whereas 'Please Please Me' used bIII-IV-V).

While they're not identical (different keys, different chords, different scale degrees), they are quite similar. I suspect that 'P. S. I Love You' was also inspired by Carl Perkins' 'Lend Me Your Comb', though it's a less obvious influence.

'P. S.' is also The Beatles' first use of a diminished chord. In the introductory bridge - and, curiously, only in the introductory bridge - a highly unusual vii° is inserted in between the conventional IV and I.

Why this diminished chord is not reprized in the two subsequent the bridges has mystified me for years. And right now, as I'm typing this, it finally dawned on me: The other bridges contain harmony vocals, but the introductory bridge does not. To retain the vii°, then, would have required alterations to the vocal harmonies to reinforce that diminished chord in a way that was not necessary in the intro.


10. 'Baby It's You'
I: 17 approach: Ø x1, ii x3, IV x4, V x5, vi x4
     progress: IV x3, vi x14
ii: 3 approach: vi x3
     progress: I x3
IV: 9 approach: I x3, vi x6
     progress: I x4, V x5
V: 5 approach: IV x5
     progress: I x5
vi: 14 approach: I x14
     progress: Ø x1, I x4, ii x3, IV x6

'Baby It's You' employs five chords, all in standard ways. The one possible exception might be the cadence ii-I.

This is unusual in classical contexts, but fairly standard in pop contexts. The Beatles would use this resolution on occasion (see 'Till There Was You' or 'I Want To Tell You').


11. 'Do You Want To Know A Secret?'
I: 15 approach: V x12, bVI x3
     progress: iii x15
i: 2 approach: Ø x1, iv x1
     progress: bIII x1, iv x1
bII: 1 approach: bIII x1
     progress: V x1
ii: 21 approach: biii x15, IV x2, v x1, vi x3
     progress: V x16, bVI x3, vi x2
bIII: 1 approach: i x1
     progress: bII x1
biii: 15 approach: iii x15
     progress: ii x15
iii: 15 approach: I x15
     progress: biii x15
IV: 5 approach: V x4, v x1
     progress: ii x2, V x3
iv: 1 approach: i x1
     progress: i x1
V: 20 approach: bII x1, ii x16, IV x3
     progress: Ø x1, I x12, IV x4, vi x3
vi: 2 approach: vi x2
     progress: ii x1, IV x1
bVI: 3 approach: ii x3
     progress: I x3
vi: 5 approach: ii x2, V x3
     progress: ii x3, v x2

'Do You Want To Know A Secret' incorporates 13 different chords - the most of any song on Please Please Me. This is due, in part, to the introduction. Four of the intro's five chords are never heard again in the song - the one exception being the V.

While the first phrase is harmonically conventional (i-iv-i), the second is anything but. It's the first example in The Beatles' work of a Neapolitan chord (bII). And the tritone root motion of bII-V also fits into Dylan's "just outrageous" category. Overall, the intro to 'Secret' strongly foreshadows Lennon's introduction to 'If I Fell' from one year later.

Similar to 'Ask Me Why', 'Secret' also employs chord planing - in this case iii-biii-ii.

Unlike 'Ask', however, this time it's chromatic. No doubt the inspiration was 'Till There Was You'.

Similar to 'I Saw Her Standing There', 'Secret' also uses a bVI as a V substitute.

This passage could easily have instead used the more conventional V.

Lastly, 'Secret' is the first example in The Beatles' catalog of a deceptive cadence (V-vi).

​12. 'A Taste Of Honey'
I: 1 approach: IV x1
     progress: Ø x1
i: 14 approach: Ø x1, IV x8, bVII x5
     progress: bIII x3, IV x11
bIII: 5 approach: i x3, IV x2
     progress: bVII x5
IV: 11 approach: i x11
     progress: I x1, i x8, bIII x2
bVII: 5 approach: bIII x5
     progress: i x5

'A Taste of Honey' is the first Beatles song in a minor key. As I blogged about yesterday, just 40 (19.0%) of the band's 211-song catalog employ at least one minor tonality. And of those 40, just eight are only in minor - and 'Honey' is the first. In that sense, the harmonies of 'Honey' are unusual for The Beatles simply because they're in minor. But within that somewhat unusual minor framework, the harmonies are pretty standard.

That being said, it's worth mentioning the Picardy third that concludes the song as it's one of only two in the Beatles catalog (the other being 'And I Love Her').

​13. 'There's A Place'
I: 16 approach: Ø x1, II x2, IV x10, vi x3
     progress: III x2, IV x11, vi x3
II: 2 approach: vi x2
     progress: I x2
III: 2 approach: I x2
     progress: vi x2
iii: 2 approach: V x2
     progress: IV x2
IV: 14 approach: I x11, iii x2, V x1
     progress: Ø x1, I x10, V x1, vi x2
V: 4 approach: IV x1, vi x3
     progress: iii x2, IV x1, vi x1
vi: 8 approach: I x3, III x2, IV x2, V x1
     progress: I x3, II x2, V x3

'There's A Place' is a sibling of 'Ask Me Why'. Both are "under the radar" kind of songs, with neither typically considered among The Beatles' best work, but their harmony is extraordinary and similar.

One noteworthy aspect of 'Place' that is not found in 'Ask Me Why' is a particular pattern of four chords in which the second and fourth are the same, but the first and third are similar but not identical. In this case, its the progression iii-IV-I-IV.

Two things stand out about this phrase. First, this four-chord pattern will reappear periodically throughout The Beatles' catalog ('No Reply' comes to mind, which uses vi-iii-IV-iii). The band obviously liked this pattern since they continued to use it.

Second, it's another example of iii functioning as a leading tone (or more precisely leading chord) to IV, something also found in 'Ask Me Why'. Just as scale degree 7 has a strong harmonic pull towards scale degree 1, so too scale degree 3 has a strong pull toward 4. That's unsurprising as 3-4 and 7-1 are the two half steps in the major scale. What is somewhat surprising, however, is the use of the iii chord (not just scale degree) resolving to the IV chord. As mentioned earlier, this is distinctly unclassical (I don't believe Beethoven ever wrote such a progression), but it's relatively common in popular styles.
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Another earcatcher is the cadence II-I, similar to the ii-I cadence mentioned above in both 'Ask Me Why' and 'Baby It's You'.

This, too, is distinctly unclassical, yet it's relatively common in pop contexts.

Finally, the above is also another example of III functioning as a secondary dominant of vi, as cited above in the consideration of 'Ask Me Why'.


14. 'Twist And Shout'
I: 34 approach: Ø x1, V x33
     progress: Ø x1, IV x33
IV: 33 approach: I x33
     progress: V x33
V: 33 approach: IV x33
     progress: I x33

Like 'Boys' and 'Love Me Do', the three-chord harmony on 'Twist And Shout' could hardly be more simple. Now, let me be clear: Simple doesn't mean bad. In this case, the minimal quantity of chords are used to maximum effect - particularly the two "ah" build-ups on V that create so much harmonic tension that their resolutions are absolutely eargasmic.

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Tomorrow I return to my signature program:

​Thursday, 17 November 2016, 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Mead Public Library, 710 N 8th St, Sheboygan, WI​
The Beatles: Band of the Sixties
Explore the music of The Beatles in this 60-minute multimedia presentation (part history and part musical analysis) spanning the full 1960's: beginning with the band's seminal visits to Hamburg, continuing through Beatlemania, and concluding with Abbey Road. The program will be supplemented with audio clips of music and excerpts from interviews with the band members.