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"Bridge Over Troubled Water": How the Chord
Progression Works
For the most part, the harmony of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" is pretty conventional: lots of descending fifths and a smattering of second and third progressions.
However, the verse and chorus each borrow one chord from outside the key.
- In the verse, it’s good ol’ versatile ♭VII (the chord B♭ on the word “tears”).
- In the chorus, it’s a rootless diminished chord (E♭º on the word “over”).
The song owes its harmonic richness in part to the large number of chords (13 in all), uncommon in a song that does not modulate.
Speaking of modulation, here comes a short course.