Chord And Melody Metrics

Chord Complexity

How do we judge a chord to be more or less complex? A good way to understand complexity in chords is to start with the seven most basic chords in any key, the so-called “primary chords.” These are the seven chords that are featured in the Hookpad chord palette and taken together, represent the majority of chords found in popular music.

Colored blocks showing chords in C Major

Each chord above contains 3 notes and is built from degrees of a scale skipping every other note. For example, a C chord has the notes C, E, and G, the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the C Major scale.

Notes in C major making C major chord

There are fundamentally two metrics that we consider when judging the complexity of a chord relative to the basic ones above. The first is whether the chords contains additional notes beyond the 3 that form the primary chords described above. Adding notes to a chord increases its complexity because it increases the number and nature of intervals or note interactions that our ear must process. A Cmaj7 chord, for example, is similar to a plain C chord, except it has an additional note: B. In addition to the intervals C — E, E — G, C — G, we now have twice as many when we add C — B, E — B, G — B. The nature of the intervals is changed as well; C — B is called a 7th (as there are 7 notes counting from C to B along the scale), and this interval didn’t exist previously. 7ths are more dissonant than the 3rds and 5ths of the plain C chord, and so our ears perceive this as more complex. Other examples of chords with extra notes are Sus2/Sus4 chords, and add9, 9th chords. Songs that have these chords in them will be judged to have more chord complexity than one that does not.

The second factor we look at is whether a chord contains notes that lie outside of the scale of the song's key. Our ears naturally expect to hear notes in the scale so chords with non-scale tones tend to sound more exotic and complex. Chords that do this are often called borrowed chords because they are using tones they’ve “borrowed” from a different scale. For example, in the key of C major, the 4th chord is normally an F major chord. If instead, we consider the key of C Minor, the 4th chord is an F minor chord. Using an F minor chord in a chord progression that is in the key of C major will sound more complex because our ears simply aren’t expecting it (the same is true for using an F Major chord in a song that is in the key of C Minor). Other examples of chords that contain non-sacle tones are secondary chords, and chords with certain non diatonic alterations (#5, b9, etc.).

Browse songs with above average Chord Complexity

Click on the following songs in to see their chords and melody in the TheoryTab database.

We Are the Champions
by Queen
If I Ever Feel Better
by Phoenix
Unfaithful
by Rihanna
Zelda's Lullaby
by The Legend of Zelda
Lovefool
by The Cardigans
Unbreak My Heart
by Toni Braxton
Jump 'N' Move
by The Brand New Heavies
Mega Man 3 - Snake Man's Stage
by Yasuaki Fujita
Don't Talk - Put Your Head On My Shoulder
by The Beach Boys
Penny Lane
by The Beatles
Where Are We Now
by David Bowie
Never Gonna Give You Up
by Rick Astley
Lovely Rita
by The Beatles
Bohemian Rhapsody
by Queen
Titanium feat Sia
by David Guetta
Beautiful Stranger
by Madonna
Katamari on the Rocks
by Katamari Damacy Soundtrack
Rocky Raccoon
by The Beatles
Rock Your Body
by Justin Timberlake
Seven Days in Sunny June
by Jamiroquai
Don't Know Why
by Norah Jones
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
by The Beatles
Mas Que Nada
by Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66
Skyfall
by Adele
Free Fallin'
by Tom Petty
My Way
by Frank Sinatra
Sultans of Swing
by Dire Straits
Chrono Trigger - Main Theme
by Yasunori Mitsuda
Live Forever
by Oasis
Downstream
by Braid Soundtrack
Killing Me Softly
by Roberta Flack
Hard To Say I'm Sorry
by Chicago
Ken's Theme
by Capcom
Take A Bow
by Madonna
Bottle It Up
by Sara Bareilles
Before He Cheats
by Carrie Underwood
Gangnam Style
by Psy
Day Tripper
by The Beatles
ET
by Katy Perry
The Legend of Zelda Main Theme
by Nintendo
Stairway to Heaven
by Led Zeppelin
Ticket to Ride
by The Beatles
Atma Weapon Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Wonderwall
by Oasis
Don't Speak
by No Doubt
Ms Jackson
by Outkast
Hello Goodbye
by The Beatles
Final Fantasy IV World Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Blanka's Theme
by Capcom
Into The Great Wide Open
by Tom Petty
You Are Not Alone
by Michael Jackson
The Legend Of Zelda Fairy Theme
by Nintendo
Freedom of '76
by Ween
Michelle
by The Beatles
Genie
by Girls' Generation
I Believe I Can Fly
by R Kelly
I Saw The Sign
by Barden Bellas - Pitch Perfect
Be My Baby
by The Ronettes
Locke Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Black Star
by Radiohead
Zulf's Theme
by Bastion Soundtrack
Wasted Time
by Skid Row
One Man and His Droid
by Rob Hubbard
She's Always a Woman
by Billy Joel
No Surprises
by Radiohead
Think For Yourself
by The Beatles
Easy
by Mat Zo and Porter Robinson
This Love
by Maroon 5
Stars Come Out
by Zedd
Something
by The Beatles
You Never Give Me Your Money
by The Beatles
A Day In The Life
by The Beatles
Kick the Rock
by Hunnid-P
Boogie On Reggae Woman
by Stevie Wonder
Virtual Insanity
by Jamiroquai
A Saucerful of Secrets
by Pink Floyd
Canned Heat
by Jamiroquai
Uninvited
by Alanis Morissette
Desperado
by Eagles
Hello
by Lionel Richie
Final Fantasy Prologue
by Nobuo Uematsu
Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
by Tame Impala

Melodic complexity

A melody, at its heart, is a sequence of notes sung or played with specific timings. In “Western” music — a label that describes the bulk of popular music — melodies are based on 7-note scales called “diatonic” scales, like the Major or Minor scales. Whether these scales are simply cultural artifacts stemming from centuries of music doing it this way or rather they are derived from something more fundamental (falling naturally from the laws of nature) is a topic of continued debate.

In either case, it’s almost certain that most of the melodies that you know by heart are based on the 7 notes in one of these scales. For this reason, melodies that use notes outside of the scale create an added complexity. Often these “non-diatonic” notes create dissonance that isn’t available within the normal diatonic notes and require more care in creating a melody that is coherent. In Hooktheory's color notation, non-diatonic notes are labeled with hashed colors.

colored blocks showing a melody in Hooktheory notation

Melodies can also have rhythmic complexity. Notes that are timed with the beats of a song are often perceived as more natural, whereas notes that occur off of a main beat (an “off-beat”) sound more rhythmically complex. Melodies that rely on a large number of off-beat rhythms are called syncopated, and can often give a song a more complex, groovy feel.

colored blocks showing a syncopated rhythm in Hooktheory notation

Browse songs with above average Melodic Complexity

Click on the following songs in to see their chords and melody in the TheoryTab database.

Django Unchained Theme
by Luis Bacalov
Give Me Everything
by Pitbull
Be Like That
by 3 Doors Down
Wide Awake
by Katy Perry
Your Song
by Elton John
Brain Damage
by Pink Floyd
The Legend of Zelda Main Theme
by Nintendo
The Cave
by Mumford and Sons
Morphogenetic Sorrow - I Am Zero
by Shinji Hosoe
All Along The Watchtower
by Jimi Hendrix
The Chain
by Fleetwood Mac
Blanka's Theme
by Capcom
Easy
by Mat Zo and Porter Robinson
Hello
by Lionel Richie
ET
by Katy Perry
Nyan Cat - nyanyanya
by PRGuitarMan -Yamaha Vocaloid
Yakety Sax
by James Rich and Boots Randolph
Eclipse
by Pink Floyd
Airbag
by Radiohead
Passion for Exploring
by SoulEye
Titanium feat Sia
by David Guetta
Emerald Sword
by Rhapsody of Fire
It's My Life
by No Doubt
Karkat's Theme
by Homestuck Soundtrack
Unfaithful
by Rihanna
Nigel's 'Top of the Heap' 1959 Gibson Les Paul
by Nigel Tufnel
Karma Police
by Radiohead
Showtime
by Homestuck Soundtrack
Love Song
by Sara Bareilles
The Legend Of Zelda Fairy Theme
by Nintendo
Pushing Onwards
by SoulEye
My Grown Up Christmas Wish
by Kelly Clarkson
Final Fantasy Prologue
by Nobuo Uematsu
Final Fantasy IV World Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Kick the Rock
by Hunnid-P
Who Knew
by Pink
Language
by Porter Robinson
Ken's Theme
by Capcom
Katamari on the Rocks
by Katamari Damacy Soundtrack
Monty On The Run
by Rob Hubbard
Locke Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Leave It Alone
by NOFX
Atma Weapon Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Still Alive
by Johnathan Coulton and Ellen McLain
The Great Gig In The Sky
by Pink Floyd
No Surprises
by Radiohead
Flower Power - From C64 Frankie Goes To Hollywood
by Fred Gray
November Rain
by Guns N' Roses
So What
by Pink
Sakuranbo
by Ai Ootsuka
One Man and His Droid
by Rob Hubbard
Don't Speak
by No Doubt
Money For Nothing
by Dire Straits
Zulf's Theme
by Bastion Soundtrack
Mardy Bum
by Arctic Monkeys
One Of My Turns
by Pink Floyd
Time
by Pink Floyd
Ziggy Stardust
by David Bowie
The Rock Theme
by Hans Zimmer
Always
by Erasure
Ever Ever After
by Carrie Underwood
Boyfriend
by Justin Bieber
Creep
by Radiohead
She's Always a Woman
by Billy Joel
Where I End and You Begin
by Radiohead
Seven Days in Sunny June
by Jamiroquai
Mario Brothers Theme
by Koji Kondo
Strobe
by deadmau5
Genie
by Girls' Generation
Morning Music
by Konami
Downstream
by Braid Soundtrack
Teenage Dream
by Katy Perry
Final Fantasy IV Battle Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Domino
by Jessie J
You Know I'm No Good
by Amy Winehouse
Final Fantasy VI Boss Battle Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Tiny Dancer
by Elton John
Bohemian Rhapsody
by Queen
I See You - Avatar
by Leona Lewis
Videotape
by Radiohead
Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites
by Skrillex
Fantastic Voyage
by David Bowie
Basket Case
by Green Day

Chord-melody tension

When a melody is played over a chord progression, their interaction is one of the most important aspects of a song. When a note in the melody is contained in the chord, (for example, the melody note C over a C Major chord, which contains C, E, and G), it creates a sense of stability. If this note is not contained in the chord (for example, the note D over a C Major chord), it creates a sense of instability and tension. In many examples in using Hooktheory notation, you can show which notes are contained in every chord by clicking the "Guides" button. Shown below is a simple chord progression with stable notes highlighted in the note region.

colored blocks showing a chord progression and stable melody notes

Tension, in moderation, is a good thing in music. Melodies that stick to only stable notes over their chord progressions (think “Twinkle Twinkle”), may sound safe, but they are also not very ambitious. On the other hand, melodies that use only unstable notes will sound dissonant and cacophonous. The middle ground involves crafting melodies that intentionally build and release tension at all the right moments.

Browse songs with above average Chord-Melody Tension

Click on the following songs in to see their chords and melody in the TheoryTab database.

Ass Back Home
by Gym Class Heroes
Somebody That I Used To Know
by Gotye
Lights
by Ellie Goulding
Dreaming With A Broken Heart
by John Mayer
Enjoy the Silence
by Depeche Mode
Someone Like You
by Adele
Duele El Amor ft Ana Torroja
by Aleks Syntek
Airplanes
by B o B ft Hayley Williams
Wild Ones
by Flo Rida
Lust For Life
by Girls
Smile Smile Smile
by My Little Pony
Smells Like Teen Spirit
by Nirvana
Home
by Daughtry
Mardy Bum
by Arctic Monkeys
Firework
by Katy Perry
Kick the Rock
by Hunnid-P
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme
by Chuck Lorre
Temple Of Dreams
by Messiah
Say My Name
by Destiny's Child
Canned Heat
by Jamiroquai
Super Bass
by Nicki Minaj
Forget You
by Cee Lo Green
She Will Be Loved
by Maroon 5
Ghost Of Days Gone By
by Alter Bridge
When I Was Your Man
by Bruno Mars
Never gonna leave this bed
by Maroon 5
Breezeblocks
by Alt-J
The Chain
by Fleetwood Mac
The Show Goes On
by Lupe Fiasco
Don't Stop Believing
by Journey
Like A Rolling Stone
by Bob Dylan
Zulf's Theme
by Bastion Soundtrack
Before He Cheats
by Carrie Underwood
Fantastic Voyage
by David Bowie
So In Love
by Cole Porter - Ella Fitzgerald
Super Hexagon Theme 1
by Chipzel
What's Going On
by Marvin Gaye
Hello
by Lionel Richie
Atma Weapon Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Everybody Talks
by Neon Trees
Take Care
by Drake
Guile's Theme
by Capcom
Baby
by Justin Bieber
Realize
by Colbie Caillat
Katamari on the Rocks
by Katamari Damacy Soundtrack
Last Friday Night TGIF
by Katy Perry
Cooler Than Me
by Mike Posner
Summertime
by Kenny Chesney
Haven't Met You Yet
by Michael Buble
Turn Around
by Conor Maynard
A Long December
by Counting Crows
The Scientist
by Coldplay
Girlfriend
by Avril Lavigne
Boyfriend
by Justin Bieber
Walt Graces Submarine Test January 1967
by John Mayer
Rolling In The Deep
by Adele
Blanka's Theme
by Capcom
Doctor
by Homestuck Soundtrack
Starlight
by Muse
In The End
by Linkin Park
Turn Me On
by Nicki Minaj
It's My Life
by No Doubt
Animal
by Neon Trees
Hold It Against Me
by Britney Spears
Who says you can't go home
by Bon Jovi
Final Fantasy VI Boss Battle Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Whistle
by Flo Rida
Say Yes
by Elliott Smith
Seven Days in Sunny June
by Jamiroquai
That'll Be The Day
by Buddy Holly
Let's Go
by Calvin Harris
Uninvited
by Alanis Morissette
Karkat's Theme
by Homestuck Soundtrack
Don't Look Back in Anger
by Oasis
Epic Sax Guy
by Epic Sax Guy
Like A Prayer
by Madonna
Waking Up In Vegas
by Katy Perry
I Gotta Feeling
by Black Eyed Peas
Malaguena
by Blast
Wonderwall
by Oasis
Iris
by Goo Goo Dolls
Come On Get Higher
by Matt Nathanson
California Gurls
by Katy Perry
Payphone
by Maroon 5
Already Gone
by Kelly Clarkson
Rock Your Body
by Justin Timberlake
Because Of You
by Kelly Clarkson

Chord progression novelty

You’ve probably heard a song somewhere and thought to yourself, “this song sounds just like this other song I know!” With a limited number of chords in the universe, it’s inevitable that the same chord progression is going to be featured in multiple songs. Chord progressions are only one part of a song, and there’s absolutely no reason not to reuse effective ones.

At Hooktheory we keep detailed statistics on the most commonly used chord progressions and chord changes, and we are always impressed to see songs using familiar chords in creative and exciting new ways.

Browse songs with above average Chord Progression Novelty

Click on the following songs in to see their chords and melody in the TheoryTab database.

You Never Give Me Your Money
by The Beatles
Have You Ever Seen the Rain
by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Dark Side
by Kelly Clarkson
Locke Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Soviet National Anthem
by Alexander Alexandrov
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
by The Beatles
Mas Que Nada
by Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66
Videotape
by Radiohead
You Are Not Alone
by Michael Jackson
The Show Goes On
by Lupe Fiasco
Bottle It Up
by Sara Bareilles
Mary's Song
by Taylor Swift
Thank You
by Led Zeppelin
Stairway to Heaven
by Led Zeppelin
A Day In The Life
by The Beatles
If I Ever Feel Better
by Phoenix
I Get Around
by Beach Boys
Hurts Like Heaven
by Coldplay
The Legend of Zelda Main Theme
by Nintendo
Creep
by Radiohead
Strobe
by deadmau5
This Love
by Maroon 5
Take A Bow
by Madonna
Rock Your Body
by Justin Timberlake
Boogie On Reggae Woman
by Stevie Wonder
Zulf's Theme
by Bastion Soundtrack
Fantastic Voyage
by David Bowie
Never Gonna Give You Up
by Rick Astley
Walkaways
by Counting Crows
Lisztomania
by Phoenix
Love The Way You Lie ft Rihanna
by Eminem
Fireflies
by Owl City
Firework
by Katy Perry
Wonderwall
by Oasis
She Came in through the Bathroom Window
by The Beatles
Hey Jude
by The Beatles
I Believe I Can Fly
by R Kelly
Domino
by Jessie J
Karkat's Theme
by Homestuck Soundtrack
Where Are We Now
by David Bowie
Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay
by Otis Redding
Virtual Insanity
by Jamiroquai
Blanka's Theme
by Capcom
Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
by Tame Impala
Kick the Rock
by Hunnid-P
She's Always a Woman
by Billy Joel
Enjoy the Silence
by Depeche Mode
Be Like That
by 3 Doors Down
If I Could Fly
by Joe Satriani
It's My Life
by No Doubt
Bohemian Rhapsody
by Queen
Temple Of Dreams
by Messiah
Beautiful Stranger
by Madonna
Martha My Dear
by The Beatles
Something
by The Beatles
The Legend Of Zelda Fairy Theme
by Nintendo
Photograph
by Nickelback
Fake Plastic Trees
by Radiohead
ET
by Katy Perry
Downstream
by Braid Soundtrack
Don't Talk - Put Your Head On My Shoulder
by The Beach Boys
Wasted Time
by Skid Row
Michelle
by The Beatles
Titanium feat Sia
by David Guetta
Seven Days in Sunny June
by Jamiroquai
Where I End and You Begin
by Radiohead
One Man and His Droid
by Rob Hubbard
My Way
by Frank Sinatra
Black Star
by Radiohead
Give Your Heart A Break
by Demi Lovato
Think For Yourself
by The Beatles
Killing Me Softly
by Roberta Flack
Canned Heat
by Jamiroquai
Crazy
by Gnarls Barkley
Day Tripper
by The Beatles
Skyscraper
by Demi Lovato
Final Fantasy Prologue
by Nobuo Uematsu
Atma Weapon Theme
by Nobuo Uematsu
Genie
by Girls' Generation
Ken's Theme
by Capcom
Ziggy Stardust
by David Bowie
Hard To Say I'm Sorry
by Chicago
November Rain
by Guns N' Roses
Easy
by Mat Zo and Porter Robinson
No Surprises
by Radiohead
Here Comes the Sun
by The Beatles
Big Bang Theory Theme Song
by Bare Naked Ladies
The Scientist
by Coldplay

Chord Bass Melody

Every chord has a bass note, which is the lowest note in the chord. When the bass notes defined by a chord progression ascend or descend in a stepwise manner (like C → D → E), it creates an additional layer of continuity in the progression that helps it flow. But creating a chord progression that is effective in its own right, compatible with the melody, strikes a good balance of chord-melody tension, AND has an ascending or descending bassline can be a tall order. Crafting chord progressions that do this is an art, and at Hooktheory we enjoy marveling at the brilliance of some songwriters who manage to put all of these pieces together simultaneously.

In Hooktheory notation, chords are colored by the color of their bass notes, so chord progressions that have stepwise ascending or descending bass melodies will follow a rainbow pattern.

colored blocks showing a chord progression with an ascending bass line

Browse songs with above average Chord-Bass Melody

Click on the following songs in to see their chords and melody in the TheoryTab database.

All American Girl
by Carrie Underwood
I See You - Avatar
by Leona Lewis
Canned Heat
by Jamiroquai
Annie's Song
by John Denver
Come On Get Higher
by Matt Nathanson
All My Life
by K-Ci and Jojo
Haven't Met You Yet
by Michael Buble
Rimushotto Bungie Jump
by Frog Fractions Soundtrack
Can't Help Falling In Love
by Elvis Presley
Ass Back Home
by Gym Class Heroes
Baby One More Time
by Britney Spears
Memories
by David Guetta
Breakaway
by Kelly Clarkson
Someone Like You
by Adele
Come On Over
by Christina Aguilera
Jupiter
by Ayaka Hirahara
Tik Tok
by Kesha
My Heart Will Go On
by Celine Dion
Take A Bow
by Madonna
100 Years
by Five For Fighting
What a Wonderful World
by Louis Armstrong
November Rain
by Guns N' Roses
Before He Cheats
by Carrie Underwood
Let's Go
by Calvin Harris
You're Beautiful
by James Blunt
My Way
by Frank Sinatra
Thank You
by Led Zeppelin
Because Of You
by Kelly Clarkson
Hard To Say I'm Sorry
by Chicago
Say My Name
by Destiny's Child
Defying Gravity
by Lea Michele from Glee
Sultans of Swing
by Dire Straits
Soviet National Anthem
by Alexander Alexandrov
Push
by Matchbox 20
When You're Gone
by Avril Lavigne
Ever Ever After
by Carrie Underwood
Levon
by Elton John
Smile Smile Smile
by My Little Pony
Teenage Dream
by Katy Perry
Dust In The Wind
by Kansas
ET
by Katy Perry
Where Are We Now
by David Bowie
Nothing Else Matters
by Metallica
We Are Young
by Fun
The Road And The Radio
by Kenny Chesney
Say Yes
by Elliott Smith
Mardy Bum
by Arctic Monkeys
Realize
by Colbie Caillat
Take Care
by Drake
Ziggy Stardust
by David Bowie
Your Song
by Elton John
Good-bye Baby
by Miss A
Zulf's Theme
by Bastion Soundtrack
All Along The Watchtower
by Jimi Hendrix
If We Hold On Together
by Diana Ross
Free Bird
by Lynyrd Skynrd
Living On A Prayer
by Bon Jovi
You Shook Me All Night Long
by ACDC
I Can't Help Falling In Love
by Elvis Presley
Lean on Me
by Bill Withers
Love The Way You Lie ft Rihanna
by Eminem
Lights
by Ellie Goulding
Walt Graces Submarine Test January 1967
by John Mayer
Desperado
by Eagles
Whataya Want from Me
by Adam Lambert
Can You Feel The Love Tonight
by Disney
Piano Man
by Billy Joel
I Don't Want To Miss A Thing
by Aerosmith
Somebody That I Used To Know
by Gotye
Out From Under
by Britney Spears
The Show Goes On
by Lupe Fiasco
Home Sweet Home
by Motley Crue
Bring Me To Life
by Evanescence
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Theme
by Chuck Lorre
Breathe
by Faith Hill
Rolling In The Deep
by Adele
Tiny Dancer
by Elton John
Want You Gone
by Jonathan Coulton and Ellen McLain
California Gurls
by Katy Perry
She's Always a Woman
by Billy Joel
Stairway to Heaven
by Led Zeppelin