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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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