CORRECTION: Some of you pointed out that there's no Db in the bass where I said there was a Db. So, you would completely correct. I have no idea why I was hearing a Db there. It's really stupidly obvious that there was no Db😂Thank you for pointing this out. At any rate, there's still plenty to learn about relative major/minor here, so please bear with me while my ears malfunction from time to time. You guys, I made a piano trio version of Clocks with my band! It's a really beautiful song already, we honestly didn't do much to it at all. I've lately been a fan of playing covers in a piano trio style. Like, without turning them into "jazz" per se. Just playing the songs how they were written, only with a different touch that comes naturally from a piano trio style. It's super fun. Totally open to suggestions of things you think would be cool to hear! Check out our version of Clocks here: open.spotify.com/track/2Law2O2qHmJjBC4qXD7CpS?si=e13b9173ccdf4ad1
I love your version of this song! I'm a vocal teacher / pianist, and I'm just recently beginning to explore the "jazz sound". Your videos have helped me understand the chords that make something sound like jazz.
Could you PLEASE do a breakdown of Vienna Teng's "Hymn of Acxiom"? It's so beautiful in it's complicated construction and gets even better/beautiful/complicated/interesting the more it goes! (Also it'd be so cool if you brought up Blucoats 2014 performance, make the band kids overjoyed)
Thise first two albums were absolutely inspired. It took a genius drummer who specialized in death metal/grindcore to enlighten me to them in 2000. I feel like they embodied the optimism, authenticity, and forward thinking that came with the turn of the millennium, a vibe that was obliterated by 9/11. That's why Coldplay, to me, embodies the unanswerable question of "what could have been, if"
@@JosephTavanoI would say the first three albums were inspired. The 4th album is pretty good.. after that they fell off and went super pop except for a few cool songs here and there until that album Everyday Life released in 2019. that kind if was a call back to the style of the first two... Haven't listened to anything since that. Definitely give that one a listen if you haven't!
@@Zack-Hates-TH-cam I forgot how good X&Y is. You're right. If you've ever seen the show Derek, you'll hear Fix You used to the most incredible dramatic effect.
It's a shame that X&Y was the last album the band truly broke ground writing really good original music was sounded like actual Coldplay that the band was known for. Whatever they were doing later, only seemed like they were chasing the Pop chart potential High. Granted, Viva La Vida was still pretty decent. But I had forgotten they kept making music afterwards. They only have 4 albums as far I was concerned.
I wrote my masters thesis in Music Theory on how Coldplay uses these major and minor chords in conjunction all of the time, not intending them to be "major" or "minor" but a specifically combined conglomeration of the two that really just embodies the Coldplay sound. Great work!
Is this floating online somewhere, from like the mid 00s? I think I read it a few years ago. If that's you, it struck me that you were noticing something that I've always wanted to find an explanation for -- that dreamy, ambivalent, unresolved sound Coldplay's early work conjures so well. It moves me so much. There's something analogous going on with the way they write lots of songs hinged on suspended chords; there's something very inbetween-y about the emotional colour of their work. Reminds me of Joni Mitchell's comments about suspended chords as 'chords of enquiry'.
I remember hearing “Clocks” on the radio in my parents’ car multiple times when I was a kid. I was immediately captivated by the song and always hoped the DJ would announce its name afterward, as they sometimes do. Unfortunately, they didn’t that time. Over the course of at least five years, whenever I heard “Clocks” on the radio, I would turn up the volume and listen intently, hoping to catch the song’s name. This exact scenario repeated about a dozen times, and each time it was heartbreaking when no name was given. One day, while on vacation with my family, we were watching TV in our hotel room when Coldplay performed a live concert for some occasion on the channel we were watching. They started playing “Clocks,” and finally, I saw the title of the song. Even now, over fifteen years later, I can still remember the pure joy and excitement I felt when I finally learned its name. I’ve been taking piano lessons since I was five, and I was thrilled to find the sheet music for “Clocks” online soon after that vacation. I brought it to my piano teacher, Ruby, and she happily taught me how to play it. Not long after, I performed a trio of “Clocks,” “The Scientist,” and “Viva La Vida” at my middle school talent show, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. To this day, “Clocks” remains my favorite song. Every time I play it on the piano, I’m reminded of the joy I felt when I finally discovered its name after years of searching and of my kind-hearted piano teacher, Ruby, who taught me to play it before she passed away. My wife and I recently welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world, and I’m so excited to play “Clocks” for him on the piano-and hopefully, teach him to play it someday. “Clocks” means the world to me, and I feel blessed every time I hear or play it.
That's such a great story. Our kids are in piano lessons, and their teacher is extremely supportive of teaching them music that is meaningful to them. I hope that they have similar experiences to what you had with this song as they continue their musical journeys.
@@FlynnMorrow81as someone who went though a couple different piano teachers, it’s definitely much more engaging and enjoyable when you’re learning songs that you know and care about. Like yes, there’s a place for many of the classical greats, but it’s something else to be able to hear a song that you love and be able to think “I can play that”
@@FlynnMorrow81 That’s so awesome! Good for you for putting your kids in piano lessons. What’s incredible about piano is that it translates perfectly to so many other instruments as well. Piano lessons from such an early age made it easy for me to pick up a wide variety of instruments throughout my life. Best of luck to your kids with their lessons! I guarantee that they will be so appreciative and thankful that you offered that opportunity to them if they stay consistent with it for years! ❤️
@@nirav6459 You’re absolutely right. It gives people the incentive to learn and become excited once they can competently play a song from start to finish that they love and cherish!
Dude, I know absolutely ZERO music theory or even notes and chords. I have studied no music at all, but I am SO on board with your breakdowns. I may not be able to describe it, but I feel all the minor chord differences and it blows me away when you show/play examples and compare it all. This is such a cool corner of the music world and I think you explain it super well. Maybe one day when I pick up piano, I'll give one of your courses a shot!
Yeah dude! I learned my instrument with youtube videos actually, i just kinda got fascinated with music really! Its well worth the learn, its a learning process sure, but there's alot more there for you than you think. My brother told me, he said "everyone says 'i want to learn guitar' but if they did, they'd do it." If he hadn't have hammered that home, well i wouldn't be into music i reckon
@@SethCrowderMusic That line is so true for almost everything and it's such a good point. Enough dreaming, let's get out there and do the things we wanna do!
Chris Martin said that Clocks was inspired by him listening to Muse, and how Matt Bellamy played the piano. He was trying to emulate, or at least was inspired by, Muse.
The harmony throughout Rush of Blood to The Head was almost constantly unique and otherworldly. Daylight, Warning Sign, God Put a Smile on Your Face, Politik, all chord progressions so freaking sick and not progressions you hear often/if ever
The Gb chord is the borrowed 4th. It's a really effective shift to one place to the left on the circle of fifths. Once you start listening for it, you'll see it's everywhere.
I've heard that phrase, "It doesn't really matter", a few times on this channel, and that's something I'd like to hammer home for fresh-faced composers who may feel a sense of imposter syndrome because they don't know what the hell a Phrygian mode is: at the end of the day, what matters about music isn't the math underneath, it's whether it _hits._ If it conveys and compels the emotions and feelings you want to express, you did it right, and the rest-while fun and educating and worthwhile-doesn't really matter.
The most important part of music is the artistic vision. Everything else is just tools that make realizing your vision easier. If you lack vision, it doesn't matter how much theory you know, or how good you are at an instrument, you won't be able to write good music. If you have vision, you can write music that effectively conveys your vision even if you can't play an instrument, can't read sheet music, and know no theory at all.
eh it kinda depends. Like yeah it doesn't really matter, but if you're playing a gig and you've got a song you've never heard before and are asked to solo, but you know the chords, and what modes to use over top of them, you can play something that sounds good through that knowledge. Theory absolutely matters, but it's not the be all end all, and it certainly doesn't matter when it comes to listening
i mean a real life example and a big inspiration I look to personally is deadmau5. He never went to music school, never studied. Only music training he had was some piano lessons as a kid. And as someone with a similar situation and the same deep passion for music sometimes you can just feel your way through the creative process and feel what sounds good or not. He's even said himself that sometimes he feels like an imposter because he never really studied music.
I could never get music theory at school and I'll be honest and say it's a bit above me still. But seeing the joy in your face as you talk through what is such a classic pop song, is so lovely to see. I love watching your videos even though it's not a subject I studied much (even though I have learnt to play the clarinet, piano, and guitar) I learn to listen to music in new ways, and to fully emerse myself in music thanks you and they way you talk through it all. Thank you :)
Pretty sure the bass in the chorus part doesn't go up to Db. It also doesn't play multiple notes at once or the octave dropped down I believe. Instead it plays almost the exact same melody that Chris Martin sings in the end (when the lyrics go "home, home, where I wanted to go." - only difference being the "go" note). That being said, I'm also hearing that Db in there somewhere, probably on one of the lower strings of the guitar chord. In any case, really great video as always, Charles!
Correct. He doesn’t go into it here but he’s probably confusing the bass part with the guitar chords (on the original recording) do - where the Db is more accentuated that second time round the Bb minor chord. Rick Beato’s breakdown goes into detail on this. I understand what he’s getting at though as it all feeds into the rel. maj/min emphasis of the video.
@@MrPeterBL I've also seen that one as well. It was a great analysis. Granted, I'll admit that I'm really not a fan of Rick Beato overall due to his absurd music takes at times. But it was a nice analysis either way.
Would love to see you analyze another Coldplay song: Midnight! The song has harmonies that resonate with me and are so moving it gives me goosebumps. But I don’t really know why? I’m sure you could explain it though! Thanks for your videos-you and Rick Beato have helped dust off my music theory training from decades ago and my life is richer for it.
Hi Charles! I'm not sure, but I think the baseline is basically playing the line "Home, home, is where I want you to go" that Chris Martin sings at the end of the song
I thought it might rate a mention that Martin’s vocal in the intro puts… (1) a seventh and then a fourth into the Bb minor (the former arguably functioning to turn it into a Db6 chord and the latter making that implied D chord into a Db6add9) (2) a ninth into the Fm chord, which rubs against the third, and also turns the implied Ab major chord into a Abmaj7
I learned piano pretty much to learn clocks and then other Coldplay songs. Everything's Not Lost stands out in my memory as another one of their songs that was particularly fun to play. Speed of Sound also has a point toward the end where it gets quiet and the chords were rolled (at least on the sheet music I had) and that was super fun.
I remember this song being played at one point in The Wild (2006), and this breakdown made me appreciate the song that much more. Very, *very* well done on this!
I am surprised he didn’t talk about the progression of the original three chords being 1-5(m)-2, a reversal of the ubiquitous 2-5-1 progression. I feel it gives the song a subtle feeling of… turning back the clock, perhaps?
Seeing you break this down made me realize how much I'd love to see you react to Ain't it Fun and how it doesn't stay on the tonic for more than half a measure until the bridge and then SITS on it for most of the bridge
@penguins.227 Nothing simple minded here. Their music is DECEPTIVELY simple, meaning it’s simplicity on the far end of complexity. There’s a reason why it’s so hard to create even though it’s just a few notes. It requires genius to get there. This is even confirmed by people who write complex music. Take John Williams for example, his music is incredibly complex & harmonically rich, yet ask him what he finds hardest in his process, he’ll say it’s finding those couple of simple notes for the main theme.
Like Sting said, the bass player dictates what the chord is. "It's easier for the bass player to lead the band than almost anyone else, because you can lead without seeming to. It's a very powerful yet very discreet instrument. You can control the music because you can dictate what the chord is - I mean, it's not a chord until the bass player decides what the root is. I can pull the rug out from under everybody when things aren't going right. No matter what the keyboard player and guitarist are doing, I can subvert the whole thing by changing the chord."
Early Coldplay (everything before viva la vida) was actually something resembling an indie band (parachutes is actually an indie record). Then they blew up and became a pop band
Parachutes is incredible. They were definitely in a, dare i say, radiohead-esque lane at that point. And as much as ARoBttH defined a period in my life, i will remain endlessly curious about what could've come from them staying within that particular realm. Little teases like that shoegaze-y 2nd half of "Yes" definitely probe that curiosity
yeah. i really started listening to their stuff some 10 years ago. right around that time in 2014 they released ghost stories or whatever it's called and i knew i would not really dig any of their future work, it was a transition into this commercial kinda dream pop thing that i just... nah man... i actually like mylo xyloto a lot too but everything after that wasn't for me.
I really love the way this guy teaches with so much passion all the time. So much energy being put into music is a special thing. And on top of that this guy has TALENT!! Been playing piano for 10 years and this guy really pushed me to keep looking to get better every day. Thank you Charles!
Proof of the joke that the one person you don't want to piss off in the band is the bass player, because they can change what chord everyone else in the band is playing
Possibly my favorite song of all time. I have been obsessed with it since around the time it originally came out. I even have the opening progression music tattooed around my arm. So much nostalgia with this song. I love playing all the parts, piano/keys/drums/bass and guitar. I’ve recorded a really quick and dirty pass of the original version. I intend to spend more time and record a better version inspired by all the nuances of the various live versions that crank up the energy and the tempo. Thank you for doing this one. I’m so glad it popped up today. It made me smile to see somebody else who feels the emotion of how great the song is. Cheers!
This was the first song I ever learned on the piano by ear. Coldplay made me fall in love with piano and I have enjoyed learning how to play all their songs throughout the years
5:10 I don’t think you got this one right. I am not hearing him going up to the D flat there. Listening to the isolated base track it seems very much to be like a b flat - c - b flat, not b flat c d flat.
Last week I went to the symphony. The main piece played was Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony. Now, I have heard this many times, but this was the first live performance I have ever heard. In the second movement, the bass line does some magical things, that are heard when listening to a recording, but when you combine the visual with the audio, then you can actually see what Beethoven was doing with the bass line. The upper strings…were just playing background while the bass took the stage.
What I think is really interesting is that I think there's a convincing argument that even the verses were kind of in Ab the whole time. The opening chords, Eb-Bbm-Fm, are in a pattern of falling fourths, and my fellow 12tone viewers might recognize it as an incomplete variation of what Cory calls the Cascade progression. The prototypicaal form goes vi-I-V-ii (the chords to, for example, "Mad World" by Tears for Fears), and the chords from "Clocks" could be read as V-ii-vi in the key of Ab major. I think I would personally still interpret the verses in the parallel mode Eb mixolydian, making the chords I-v-ii, but the possibility that they could also tonicize Ab as part of a common chord sequence might be another reason the transition is so smooth to V-IV7-I7 once we bring in the bass motion for the chorus.
Even in the intro where there’s only piano, I’ve always heard the second and third bars as two seperate chords, like as if it’s implied that the second time those notes are played it’s progressed to a different context
You should analyze, "the ordinary world" by duran duran, also a very popular pop aong from the 90s with interesting chords, and strangely timed vocal lines
The funny thing about "Clocks" is that the bassline is exact the same that Chris Martin uses in the Coda. You can say a lot of bad things about Coldplay and some of them might be true. But "Clocks" is a masterpiece. And I'm pretty sure, besides "Amsterdam" from the same album it's their finest.
Their first 4 studio albums were peak Coldplay. Parachutes brought them onto the scene. AROBTTH established them as professional artists. X&Y expanded their technical skills with synthscapes. And Viva La Vida cemented them as a global band with their more experimental side. After then, it has been a constant struggle for them to maintain mainstream success without copying what other contemporary artists are doing.
There's a lot I like about Clocks. I actually like the lyrics for it quite a bit. And the chord progression is pretty interesting too. I just wish they put as much energy into actually playing it as they portray in the music video.
I'm not a musician - I can't read sheet music and don't play any instruments, but I find your videos fascinating. Partly because I *am* a music lover and enjoy validation that my favorite songs are special... Partly because this feels like a higher level math course from college mashed with art principles and those are languages I'm familiar with. The lines between are so fuzzy, and sometimes they flat out overlap and I love it.
For me the first section could either be in Bb minor or F minor, where in Bb minor it would be: IV-i-v and F minor: VII-iv-i. Then when they switch to that Gb major chord, it’s either a iii-IV (Db Major) If we see the first section as Bb minor (relative minor to Db Major), or as a key change from F minor to Db major where in that specific change we see the F minor chord as the third of Db major, transitioning to the fourth which is a pleasant movement used in a ton of songs
Beautiful song. I was jamming with a friend who hasnt studied music theory and they called the hazy ambiguous chord that could be maybe a C6 or Am7 a "Hollow C" which I thought was a beautiful name for that feeling.
Weird. I just spent the morning from 1am listening to everything from Parachutes to Viva/Prospekt, and I haven’t listened to this much Coldplay in a decade.
Awesome video, I would love if you would maybe do a breakdown of Maurice Ravel's Ondine, from the Gaspard de la Nuit suite? It's one of my favorite pieces of all time, and it has such interesting harmony and water imagery using just a single piano! Thanks, love you big man!!
I've been a music theory nerd since I started playing the piano after my retirement, and discovering this was a lightbulb moment. It had been starting at me for months, and when I realized it, I had the same joie de vivre as Charles exhibited, Joie de vivre is French for Happy Face Emoji.
So the progression is I, minor V, ii (In Eb mixolydian) THEN modulates to the bVII (Db major) as the new I and the progression is a classic IV, I, V in Db!! Very cool!!! At least in my humble opinion. Great video!
For good reason - it’s the same minor v/I chord progression as Newbie Melody or Scape Original th-cam.com/video/VNW9TAwImBY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=jmsacIzeuHh4XNb2
This may or may not be in the same topic but dealing with major and minor interchangeability, I’ve always been fascinated by the end of the Bach Organ Fugue in G minor. It ends G minor, Eb major, C minor, D major and then G major! The last chord is major after hearing minor the entire piece is just brilliant. Very uplifting. Coldplay is kinda like Bach.
Highly HIGHLY recommend the super underrated Jpop artist, Sheena Ringo. She’s done a ton of big band jazz stuff, especially with songs like Present, Manipulate the Time, Leading Lady, and just so many more
Now, the intro piano to this piece, the three arpeggiated chords. I remember writing almost if not exactly the same thing for my CSE music course back in the late 80s. Coincidence of course. But I do recall my music teacher thought it was pants. I need to track him down and say “See - I was right!”
my friend just told me he had a spare coldplay ticket for next month, and now suddenly i am getting fed all these Coldplay videos. Something creeps is going on, but I dont mind! ;)
Thank you for making this video before my music exam, I might actually remember how to go from the minor to the major now 😂 but seriously, I’m doing year 12 music theory and I love your videos for all the stuff I have to partially gloss over. Even when you were showing the chords at the start, I was saying which inversions they were just to remind myself. Thanks so much for your content Charles
I could never grasp music theory at school, and I think we shouldn't have learned it with pencil and paper. Thank you so much for explaining things with the music itself, it makes so much more sense! 🦊💛
Love this, Chris Martin use of chord variations in his piano playing is what makes Coldplay stand out above the rest…please, please review their new song “All My Love”, this is an amazing song!
This is the first time I've had to disagree with you on deconstructing a piece of music. I hear no Db in the bass during the riff. It goes Eb - Bb and then does a little run on Bb-C-Bb-Ab-G- Ab (lower octave). Mimicking the vocal we hear later in the outro ("...where I wanted to go"). I do however hear a low string playing a Db in the chord, perhaps you hear that as the bass.
I just found you about some of the game music videos that you've done and I remember an amazing game that was slept on and the music of it was breathtaking. Advent Rising was a masterpeice that was screwed by the marketing team
Yes! I would say this song is better described as 8/8 rather than 4/4 because it is counted as 123-123-12. It could also be 6/8, 2/8 compound measure if you want to think of it that way, but I'd argue it's more like an 8 beat version of a typical 7/8 structure (12-12-123 or 123-12-12)
Coldplay always has a very musically-pleasing sound. I love how they let the instruments have a turn in the song and emphasize them. Paradise would be a good song to break down as well. Can you cover some Kingdom Hearts music as well?
This is a bit of a tangent away, however I keep thinking about how certain songs are structured differently (but probably still similarly in ways) enough to have the same/similar vibes. For me, and this is kinda a weird pairing: Maniac by Micheal Sembello, and それでは、また明日 (Well Then, See You Again Tomorrow) by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION. They both feel so much like pure nostalgia (weird because my parents would have only let Maniac play on the radio mundanely, while the other song was from a Naruto movie that I only watched thrice lol, and it's not like either are specifically tied to any one real memory that triggers), and more specifically, they both give me this feeling of being alive, triggering all these memories where I felt so present in certain moments.
F and Ab are switching, but I don't know how the hell you're hearing the bassline go up to Db in the chorus, it literally just doesn't do that, listen on headphones, it goes Eb then one note of Ab before Bb then quickly up to C then back gown to Bb, then the little line of Ab to G to staying on Ab then repeating, the bass never touches Db in the chorus, whatever you're hearing as Db is the bass going back to Bb
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CORRECTION: Some of you pointed out that there's no Db in the bass where I said there was a Db. So, you would completely correct. I have no idea why I was hearing a Db there. It's really stupidly obvious that there was no Db😂Thank you for pointing this out. At any rate, there's still plenty to learn about relative major/minor here, so please bear with me while my ears malfunction from time to time.
You guys, I made a piano trio version of Clocks with my band! It's a really beautiful song already, we honestly didn't do much to it at all. I've lately been a fan of playing covers in a piano trio style. Like, without turning them into "jazz" per se. Just playing the songs how they were written, only with a different touch that comes naturally from a piano trio style. It's super fun. Totally open to suggestions of things you think would be cool to hear! Check out our version of Clocks here: open.spotify.com/track/2Law2O2qHmJjBC4qXD7CpS?si=e13b9173ccdf4ad1
Would love to see you do it with Fix You aswell.
Can you please do a breakdown of the Zelda Ocarina of Time Chest Opening mini-song? The structure of it confuses me.
I love your version of this song! I'm a vocal teacher / pianist, and I'm just recently beginning to explore the "jazz sound". Your videos have helped me understand the chords that make something sound like jazz.
Please check out Kaveret! its an old school Israeli band with some REALY interesting music. love these breakdowns
Could you PLEASE do a breakdown of Vienna Teng's "Hymn of Acxiom"? It's so beautiful in it's complicated construction and gets even better/beautiful/complicated/interesting the more it goes! (Also it'd be so cool if you brought up Blucoats 2014 performance, make the band kids overjoyed)
Early Coldplay was just magical. Their sound really did define the early 2000s.
Thise first two albums were absolutely inspired. It took a genius drummer who specialized in death metal/grindcore to enlighten me to them in 2000. I feel like they embodied the optimism, authenticity, and forward thinking that came with the turn of the millennium, a vibe that was obliterated by 9/11. That's why Coldplay, to me, embodies the unanswerable question of "what could have been, if"
@@JosephTavanoI would say the first three albums were inspired.
The 4th album is pretty good.. after that they fell off and went super pop except for a few cool songs here and there until that album Everyday Life released in 2019. that kind if was a call back to the style of the first two... Haven't listened to anything since that.
Definitely give that one a listen if you haven't!
@@Zack-Hates-TH-cam I forgot how good X&Y is. You're right. If you've ever seen the show Derek, you'll hear Fix You used to the most incredible dramatic effect.
It's a shame that X&Y was the last album the band truly broke ground writing really good original music was sounded like actual Coldplay that the band was known for. Whatever they were doing later, only seemed like they were chasing the Pop chart potential High. Granted, Viva La Vida was still pretty decent. But I had forgotten they kept making music afterwards. They only have 4 albums as far I was concerned.
@@gredangeo I agree but was surprised with Everyday Life. You may like it as well. It's the only recent release I care about.
I wrote my masters thesis in Music Theory on how Coldplay uses these major and minor chords in conjunction all of the time, not intending them to be "major" or "minor" but a specifically combined conglomeration of the two that really just embodies the Coldplay sound. Great work!
Is this floating online somewhere, from like the mid 00s? I think I read it a few years ago. If that's you, it struck me that you were noticing something that I've always wanted to find an explanation for -- that dreamy, ambivalent, unresolved sound Coldplay's early work conjures so well. It moves me so much. There's something analogous going on with the way they write lots of songs hinged on suspended chords; there's something very inbetween-y about the emotional colour of their work. Reminds me of Joni Mitchell's comments about suspended chords as 'chords of enquiry'.
Yeah they built their sound around that trick and then so many others copied it!
Is this thesis online?
@sjoerddehaan7224 Unfortunately no, it wasn't that big of a deal. Small, online college.
I would LOVE to read this!!
I remember hearing “Clocks” on the radio in my parents’ car multiple times when I was a kid. I was immediately captivated by the song and always hoped the DJ would announce its name afterward, as they sometimes do. Unfortunately, they didn’t that time. Over the course of at least five years, whenever I heard “Clocks” on the radio, I would turn up the volume and listen intently, hoping to catch the song’s name. This exact scenario repeated about a dozen times, and each time it was heartbreaking when no name was given.
One day, while on vacation with my family, we were watching TV in our hotel room when Coldplay performed a live concert for some occasion on the channel we were watching. They started playing “Clocks,” and finally, I saw the title of the song. Even now, over fifteen years later, I can still remember the pure joy and excitement I felt when I finally learned its name.
I’ve been taking piano lessons since I was five, and I was thrilled to find the sheet music for “Clocks” online soon after that vacation. I brought it to my piano teacher, Ruby, and she happily taught me how to play it. Not long after, I performed a trio of “Clocks,” “The Scientist,” and “Viva La Vida” at my middle school talent show, and it was one of the best experiences of my life.
To this day, “Clocks” remains my favorite song. Every time I play it on the piano, I’m reminded of the joy I felt when I finally discovered its name after years of searching and of my kind-hearted piano teacher, Ruby, who taught me to play it before she passed away.
My wife and I recently welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world, and I’m so excited to play “Clocks” for him on the piano-and hopefully, teach him to play it someday. “Clocks” means the world to me, and I feel blessed every time I hear or play it.
That's such a great story. Our kids are in piano lessons, and their teacher is extremely supportive of teaching them music that is meaningful to them. I hope that they have similar experiences to what you had with this song as they continue their musical journeys.
@@FlynnMorrow81as someone who went though a couple different piano teachers, it’s definitely much more engaging and enjoyable when you’re learning songs that you know and care about. Like yes, there’s a place for many of the classical greats, but it’s something else to be able to hear a song that you love and be able to think “I can play that”
@@FlynnMorrow81 That’s so awesome! Good for you for putting your kids in piano lessons. What’s incredible about piano is that it translates perfectly to so many other instruments as well. Piano lessons from such an early age made it easy for me to pick up a wide variety of instruments throughout my life. Best of luck to your kids with their lessons! I guarantee that they will be so appreciative and thankful that you offered that opportunity to them if they stay consistent with it for years! ❤️
@@nirav6459 You’re absolutely right. It gives people the incentive to learn and become excited once they can competently play a song from start to finish that they love and cherish!
wow what a story
Dude, I know absolutely ZERO music theory or even notes and chords. I have studied no music at all, but I am SO on board with your breakdowns. I may not be able to describe it, but I feel all the minor chord differences and it blows me away when you show/play examples and compare it all. This is such a cool corner of the music world and I think you explain it super well.
Maybe one day when I pick up piano, I'll give one of your courses a shot!
Same, the breakdowns are awesome.
Same- I’m a complete no-nothing, but I’m sittin here going yeah yeah, it’s the minor 6th frygian.. 😂😂
Yeah dude! I learned my instrument with youtube videos actually, i just kinda got fascinated with music really! Its well worth the learn, its a learning process sure, but there's alot more there for you than you think.
My brother told me, he said "everyone says 'i want to learn guitar' but if they did, they'd do it." If he hadn't have hammered that home, well i wouldn't be into music i reckon
Music theory is insanely fun!
@@SethCrowderMusic That line is so true for almost everything and it's such a good point. Enough dreaming, let's get out there and do the things we wanna do!
Chris Martin said that Clocks was inspired by him listening to Muse, and how Matt Bellamy played the piano. He was trying to emulate, or at least was inspired by, Muse.
Inspiration is not emulation. Just saying.
@@wisemoon40 They're not mutually exclusive either.
@@wisemoon40you know what tf he meant 🙄 why are yall like this?
Muse is great so this makes 100% sense to me
Seems like Muse was a muse.
The harmony throughout Rush of Blood to The Head was almost constantly unique and otherworldly.
Daylight, Warning Sign, God Put a Smile on Your Face, Politik, all chord progressions so freaking sick and not progressions you hear often/if ever
The Mixolydian mode is absolutely stunning
I agree. Also people dont talk about this mode as much as the Dorian or Lydian mode. I personally feel that the I-Vminor chord change is stunning.
(Back in Black starts playing in background)
Mixo b6 is my favorite mode
@@absolut.4075I-v is amazing
@@pacolopez9577haha I learnt about that mode by analysing the original Fortnite title screen music because it sounded so cool and mystical to me
I love the piano outro melody on clocks, it's really nice too..
The Gb chord is the borrowed 4th. It's a really effective shift to one place to the left on the circle of fifths. Once you start listening for it, you'll see it's everywhere.
I've heard that phrase, "It doesn't really matter", a few times on this channel, and that's something I'd like to hammer home for fresh-faced composers who may feel a sense of imposter syndrome because they don't know what the hell a Phrygian mode is: at the end of the day, what matters about music isn't the math underneath, it's whether it _hits._ If it conveys and compels the emotions and feelings you want to express, you did it right, and the rest-while fun and educating and worthwhile-doesn't really matter.
The most important part of music is the artistic vision. Everything else is just tools that make realizing your vision easier.
If you lack vision, it doesn't matter how much theory you know, or how good you are at an instrument, you won't be able to write good music.
If you have vision, you can write music that effectively conveys your vision even if you can't play an instrument, can't read sheet music, and know no theory at all.
eh it kinda depends. Like yeah it doesn't really matter, but if you're playing a gig and you've got a song you've never heard before and are asked to solo, but you know the chords, and what modes to use over top of them, you can play something that sounds good through that knowledge. Theory absolutely matters, but it's not the be all end all, and it certainly doesn't matter when it comes to listening
@@holdeenyo8914 Well I mean I was specifically talking to composers, not performers
i mean a real life example and a big inspiration I look to personally is deadmau5. He never went to music school, never studied. Only music training he had was some piano lessons as a kid. And as someone with a similar situation and the same deep passion for music sometimes you can just feel your way through the creative process and feel what sounds good or not. He's even said himself that sometimes he feels like an imposter because he never really studied music.
The entire Parachute album is genius. Please do more
I could never get music theory at school and I'll be honest and say it's a bit above me still. But seeing the joy in your face as you talk through what is such a classic pop song, is so lovely to see. I love watching your videos even though it's not a subject I studied much (even though I have learnt to play the clarinet, piano, and guitar) I learn to listen to music in new ways, and to fully emerse myself in music thanks you and they way you talk through it all. Thank you :)
15:30 Your gentle jazz rendition at the end is really nice.
Has anyone confirmed that he did it himself? Or if there is a standalone version from that cut? I’d love a whole song like that.
Pretty sure the bass in the chorus part doesn't go up to Db. It also doesn't play multiple notes at once or the octave dropped down I believe. Instead it plays almost the exact same melody that Chris Martin sings in the end (when the lyrics go "home, home, where I wanted to go." - only difference being the "go" note). That being said, I'm also hearing that Db in there somewhere, probably on one of the lower strings of the guitar chord. In any case, really great video as always, Charles!
You're right. The bass riff he got wrong.
Correct. He doesn’t go into it here but he’s probably confusing the bass part with the guitar chords (on the original recording) do - where the Db is more accentuated that second time round the Bb minor chord. Rick Beato’s breakdown goes into detail on this.
I understand what he’s getting at though as it all feeds into the rel. maj/min emphasis of the video.
@@WillStubbs37 of course yeah. 👍🏼
Yeah, he got that part really wrong. That whole segment was odd because it's actually quite easy to tell what the bass is doing there.
So glad someone else said it - thought i was losing it lol
Still have 'Clocks' as my ringtone it never become old for me. Loved your music breakdown.
Never clicked a video so fast, lol! I love Coldplay, so it's cool to see some analysis of one of their most iconic songs.
You should watch Rick Beatos What makes this song great about it as well!
@@MrPeterBL I've also seen that one as well. It was a great analysis. Granted, I'll admit that I'm really not a fan of Rick Beato overall due to his absurd music takes at times. But it was a nice analysis either way.
Coldplay sucks
This chord progression gives me the vibe of coming home after a journey far away.
It destroys me with nostalgia this song, absolutely wrecks me
Would love to see you analyze another Coldplay song: Midnight! The song has harmonies that resonate with me and are so moving it gives me goosebumps. But I don’t really know why? I’m sure you could explain it though! Thanks for your videos-you and Rick Beato have helped dust off my music theory training from decades ago and my life is richer for it.
That's one of their very best songs imo. So sad it gets no attention
Hi Charles! I'm not sure, but I think the baseline is basically playing the line "Home, home, is where I want you to go" that Chris Martin sings at the end of the song
Yes!! Was looking for someone to point this out!
I thought it might rate a mention that Martin’s vocal in the intro puts…
(1) a seventh and then a fourth into the Bb minor (the former arguably functioning to turn it into a Db6 chord and the latter making that implied D chord into a Db6add9)
(2) a ninth into the Fm chord, which rubs against the third, and also turns the implied Ab major chord into a Abmaj7
I learned piano pretty much to learn clocks and then other Coldplay songs. Everything's Not Lost stands out in my memory as another one of their songs that was particularly fun to play. Speed of Sound also has a point toward the end where it gets quiet and the chords were rolled (at least on the sheet music I had) and that was super fun.
I remember this song being played at one point in The Wild (2006), and this breakdown made me appreciate the song that much more. Very, *very* well done on this!
I am surprised he didn’t talk about the progression of the original three chords being 1-5(m)-2, a reversal of the ubiquitous 2-5-1 progression. I feel it gives the song a subtle feeling of… turning back the clock, perhaps?
Seeing you break this down made me realize how much I'd love to see you react to Ain't it Fun and how it doesn't stay on the tonic for more than half a measure until the bridge and then SITS on it for most of the bridge
Coldplay 🤝 Hans Zimmer
Unleashing genius using only 3 chords.
My two favorites. Coincidence? I guess my simple brain wants small numbers and pretty sounds.
@penguins.227 Nothing simple minded here. Their music is DECEPTIVELY simple, meaning it’s simplicity on the far end of complexity. There’s a reason why it’s so hard to create even though it’s just a few notes. It requires genius to get there.
This is even confirmed by people who write complex music. Take John Williams for example, his music is incredibly complex & harmonically rich, yet ask him what he finds hardest in his process, he’ll say it’s finding those couple of simple notes for the main theme.
Like Sting said, the bass player dictates what the chord is.
"It's easier for the bass player to lead the band than almost anyone else, because you can lead without seeming to. It's a very powerful yet very discreet instrument. You can control the music because you can dictate what the chord is - I mean, it's not a chord until the bass player decides what the root is. I can pull the rug out from under everybody when things aren't going right. No matter what the keyboard player and guitarist are doing, I can subvert the whole thing by changing the chord."
i absolutely love early Coldplay. Wish they made more stuff like this
Early Coldplay (everything before viva la vida) was actually something resembling an indie band (parachutes is actually an indie record). Then they blew up and became a pop band
Viva la Vida was still a great album, one of their best. After that, it's been bits and pieces.
First two albums really were their best work
Parachutes is incredible. They were definitely in a, dare i say, radiohead-esque lane at that point. And as much as ARoBttH defined a period in my life, i will remain endlessly curious about what could've come from them staying within that particular realm. Little teases like that shoegaze-y 2nd half of "Yes" definitely probe that curiosity
yeah. i really started listening to their stuff some 10 years ago. right around that time in 2014 they released ghost stories or whatever it's called and i knew i would not really dig any of their future work, it was a transition into this commercial kinda dream pop thing that i just... nah man... i actually like mylo xyloto a lot too but everything after that wasn't for me.
Parachutes is a masterpiece, not many albums can afford to have a song like "Careful where you stand" as a B side
I really love the way this guy teaches with so much passion all the time. So much energy being put into music is a special thing. And on top of that this guy has TALENT!! Been playing piano for 10 years and this guy really pushed me to keep looking to get better every day. Thank you Charles!
Proof of the joke that the one person you don't want to piss off in the band is the bass player, because they can change what chord everyone else in the band is playing
I was fully prepared for a video about chord inversions and voice leading here, this is not what I expected
Possibly my favorite song of all time. I have been obsessed with it since around the time it originally came out. I even have the opening progression music tattooed around my arm. So much nostalgia with this song. I love playing all the parts, piano/keys/drums/bass and guitar. I’ve recorded a really quick and dirty pass of the original version. I intend to spend more time and record a better version inspired by all the nuances of the various live versions that crank up the energy and the tempo. Thank you for doing this one. I’m so glad it popped up today. It made me smile to see somebody else who feels the emotion of how great the song is. Cheers!
Your passion for explaining music has always got me. Thank you for these videos.
This was the first song I ever learned on the piano by ear. Coldplay made me fall in love with piano and I have enjoyed learning how to play all their songs throughout the years
Not gonna lose the hope for a Made in Abyss video. Still listening to VOH
this 👆👍
yeah I wanna hear Tomorrow so bad
5:10 I don’t think you got this one right. I am not hearing him going up to the D flat there. Listening to the isolated base track it seems very much to be like a b flat - c - b flat, not b flat c d flat.
Clocks is the reason I play the piano! That album changed my life!
Last week I went to the symphony. The main piece played was Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony. Now, I have heard this many times, but this was the first live performance I have ever heard. In the second movement, the bass line does some magical things, that are heard when listening to a recording, but when you combine the visual with the audio, then you can actually see what Beethoven was doing with the bass line. The upper strings…were just playing background while the bass took the stage.
Even though I'm not great with music theory, I hear layers clearly and always loved how the bass worked with the tune
What I think is really interesting is that I think there's a convincing argument that even the verses were kind of in Ab the whole time. The opening chords, Eb-Bbm-Fm, are in a pattern of falling fourths, and my fellow 12tone viewers might recognize it as an incomplete variation of what Cory calls the Cascade progression. The prototypicaal form goes vi-I-V-ii (the chords to, for example, "Mad World" by Tears for Fears), and the chords from "Clocks" could be read as V-ii-vi in the key of Ab major. I think I would personally still interpret the verses in the parallel mode Eb mixolydian, making the chords I-v-ii, but the possibility that they could also tonicize Ab as part of a common chord sequence might be another reason the transition is so smooth to V-IV7-I7 once we bring in the bass motion for the chorus.
Even in the intro where there’s only piano, I’ve always heard the second and third bars as two seperate chords, like as if it’s implied that the second time those notes are played it’s progressed to a different context
Your enthusiasm is just as awesome as the content. x
You should analyze, "the ordinary world" by duran duran, also a very popular pop aong from the 90s with interesting chords, and strangely timed vocal lines
Fantastic song;
Did you know Simon LeBon did this song in duet with Pavarotti?
Absolutely brilliant!
Excellent and underrated song in the States. I feel like this was the true final song of the 1980s.
The funny thing about "Clocks" is that the bassline is exact the same that Chris Martin uses in the Coda. You can say a lot of bad things about Coldplay and some of them might be true. But "Clocks" is a masterpiece. And I'm pretty sure, besides "Amsterdam" from the same album it's their finest.
I don't know. "Fix You" gives me the same feels as "Clocks." I'm not sure if that makes it a masterpiece, but it sure hit me just as hard.
Their first 4 studio albums were peak Coldplay. Parachutes brought them onto the scene. AROBTTH established them as professional artists. X&Y expanded their technical skills with synthscapes. And Viva La Vida cemented them as a global band with their more experimental side.
After then, it has been a constant struggle for them to maintain mainstream success without copying what other contemporary artists are doing.
There's a lot I like about Clocks. I actually like the lyrics for it quite a bit. And the chord progression is pretty interesting too. I just wish they put as much energy into actually playing it as they portray in the music video.
You should watch their newer live performances of the song
Go check out Clocks live from Toronto 2006, possibly the best live performance of the song ever
I'm not a musician - I can't read sheet music and don't play any instruments, but I find your videos fascinating. Partly because I *am* a music lover and enjoy validation that my favorite songs are special... Partly because this feels like a higher level math course from college mashed with art principles and those are languages I'm familiar with. The lines between are so fuzzy, and sometimes they flat out overlap and I love it.
One of my favorite songs of all time. No question.
You make me so excited about music! ♫♪ Thank you for your infectious joy!
Gbmaj7 does fit in because you could say it's just Bbm with a Gb in the bass.
For me the first section could either be in Bb minor or F minor, where in Bb minor it would be: IV-i-v and F minor: VII-iv-i. Then when they switch to that Gb major chord, it’s either a iii-IV (Db Major) If we see the first section as Bb minor (relative minor to Db Major), or as a key change from F minor to Db major where in that specific change we see the F minor chord as the third of Db major, transitioning to the fourth which is a pleasant movement used in a ton of songs
Beautiful song. I was jamming with a friend who hasnt studied music theory and they called the hazy ambiguous chord that could be maybe a C6 or Am7 a "Hollow C" which I thought was a beautiful name for that feeling.
Nostalgia! This song is largely the reason I pursued music as a career. Thank you for sharing, can’t wait to check out your trio version
Weird. I just spent the morning from 1am listening to everything from Parachutes to Viva/Prospekt, and I haven’t listened to this much Coldplay in a decade.
I love this song! Great video as always Charles.
Gbmaj7 is basically just a Bbm with a different bass note, so you could say they're kind of still using one of the three chords there.
Awesome video, I would love if you would maybe do a breakdown of Maurice Ravel's Ondine, from the Gaspard de la Nuit suite? It's one of my favorite pieces of all time, and it has such interesting harmony and water imagery using just a single piano! Thanks, love you big man!!
I second this - I love Ondine and would love to see your analysis of it, Charles!
Chris Martin has said several times, even specifically about Clocks, that he doesn't know music theory, he just writes songs that sound good to him.
This guy is awesome. No BS long intro, no waiting 6 minutes to show us what the chords are.
So amazing! Thank you for the breakdown.
I've been a music theory nerd since I started playing the piano after my retirement, and discovering this was a lightbulb moment. It had been starting at me for months, and when I realized it, I had the same joie de vivre as Charles exhibited,
Joie de vivre is French for Happy Face Emoji.
This song has been in my head for the past week and lo and behold, there’s a Charles analysis video of it on my feed!
It's such a good song that every time you played just the intro and stopped, it physically hurt 😭
So the progression is I, minor V, ii (In Eb mixolydian) THEN modulates to the bVII (Db major) as the new I and the progression is a classic IV, I, V in Db!! Very cool!!! At least in my humble opinion. Great video!
Having a chord progression utilizing the G-F conclusion, especially in the root, definitely lends a nostalgic or memory-based edge to the background.
What is bro cooking 🗣️⁉️
@@nathanbegel4505 yeah idk what bro meant
1:57 why does that suddenly make me think of runescape
newbie melody th-cam.com/video/VNW9TAwImBY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=1DTfrxSco5bnDNMm
For good reason - it’s the same minor v/I chord progression as Newbie Melody or Scape Original th-cam.com/video/VNW9TAwImBY/w-d-xo.htmlsi=jmsacIzeuHh4XNb2
This may or may not be in the same topic but dealing with major and minor interchangeability, I’ve always been fascinated by the end of the Bach Organ Fugue in G minor. It ends G minor, Eb major, C minor, D major and then G major! The last chord is major after hearing minor the entire piece is just brilliant. Very uplifting. Coldplay is kinda like Bach.
Highly HIGHLY recommend the super underrated Jpop artist, Sheena Ringo. She’s done a ton of big band jazz stuff, especially with songs like Present, Manipulate the Time, Leading Lady, and just so many more
Man, you are a fantastic piano player (not because of this song haha) and you explain it either such enthusiasm. Thank you!
Love your channel, thank you, lovely choice of this nuance, too!
I'm one of your 1.70th subscriber congrats.
It's not a pop song and It's not just 3 chords, but still a beautifull video and breakdown of the song👍🏼
Now, the intro piano to this piece, the three arpeggiated chords. I remember writing almost if not exactly the same thing for my CSE music course back in the late 80s. Coincidence of course. But I do recall my music teacher thought it was pants. I need to track him down and say “See - I was right!”
One of the greatest songs of all time, and I will die on that hill. Nostalgia or not, the song makes you feel a very different way.
I thought they'd never top it, but then I heard Fix You...
Both songs are absolute crap.
"THEY USED 3 CHORDS! Except for that G flat major 7, we don't need to talk about that." 😂We see you. But still dope.
Thanks for the wonderful explanation. You may have missed the outro melody which is where he uses different notes on tbe piano.
I'd love to see you dive into the band Muse and more specifically Muse's Matt Bellamy and his piano playing.
Awesome video. I really enjoyed this one. 👍🏻
my friend just told me he had a spare coldplay ticket for next month, and now suddenly i am getting fed all these Coldplay videos. Something creeps is going on, but I dont mind! ;)
Thank you for making this video before my music exam, I might actually remember how to go from the minor to the major now 😂 but seriously, I’m doing year 12 music theory and I love your videos for all the stuff I have to partially gloss over. Even when you were showing the chords at the start, I was saying which inversions they were just to remind myself. Thanks so much for your content Charles
thanks! your videos are a huge inspiration!
I could never grasp music theory at school, and I think we shouldn't have learned it with pencil and paper. Thank you so much for explaining things with the music itself, it makes so much more sense! 🦊💛
Love this, Chris Martin use of chord variations in his piano playing is what makes Coldplay stand out above the rest…please, please review their new song “All My Love”, this is an amazing song!
Yay! Some Coldplay appreciation
A section in Ab/Fm (Eb the dominant, Bbm the ii), bridge a modulation to the subdominant (Db), fairly basic classical harmony maybe?
This is the first time I've had to disagree with you on deconstructing a piece of music. I hear no Db in the bass during the riff. It goes Eb - Bb and then does a little run on Bb-C-Bb-Ab-G- Ab (lower octave). Mimicking the vocal we hear later in the outro ("...where I wanted to go").
I do however hear a low string playing a Db in the chord, perhaps you hear that as the bass.
thanks for the video, charles!
I just found you about some of the game music videos that you've done and I remember an amazing game that was slept on and the music of it was breathtaking. Advent Rising was a masterpeice that was screwed by the marketing team
You listen to this stuff, or any of the stuff until Ghost Stories actually, and then you hear their most recent shit. It's depressing to think about.
It really isn't depressing, Coldplay is love
@@leob4403 Yeah but they are also shit now lmao. You can preach love and still make good music lol
@@pratyushrudra5797 dude people still idolize guns n roses and go to their concerts they literally have one great album and thats it
Would have loved to see an explanation of the timing in this song! It's in 4/4, but the main clave is counted in a unique pattern of 3+3+2 = 8.
Yes! I would say this song is better described as 8/8 rather than 4/4 because it is counted as 123-123-12. It could also be 6/8, 2/8 compound measure if you want to think of it that way, but I'd argue it's more like an 8 beat version of a typical 7/8 structure (12-12-123 or 123-12-12)
Do Hoppípolla next!
Coldplay always has a very musically-pleasing sound. I love how they let the instruments have a turn in the song and emphasize them. Paradise would be a good song to break down as well.
Can you cover some Kingdom Hearts music as well?
Coldplay makes me want to rip my ears out. Nothing pleasing about it.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you!
this proves that 7th chords do have a place in pop music, which is oft debated. the struggle
This is a bit of a tangent away, however I keep thinking about how certain songs are structured differently (but probably still similarly in ways) enough to have the same/similar vibes. For me, and this is kinda a weird pairing: Maniac by Micheal Sembello, and それでは、また明日 (Well Then, See You Again Tomorrow) by ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION.
They both feel so much like pure nostalgia (weird because my parents would have only let Maniac play on the radio mundanely, while the other song was from a Naruto movie that I only watched thrice lol, and it's not like either are specifically tied to any one real memory that triggers), and more specifically, they both give me this feeling of being alive, triggering all these memories where I felt so present in certain moments.
Thank you Charlessss
F and Ab are switching, but I don't know how the hell you're hearing the bassline go up to Db in the chorus, it literally just doesn't do that, listen on headphones, it goes Eb then one note of Ab before Bb then quickly up to C then back gown to Bb, then the little line of Ab to G to staying on Ab then repeating, the bass never touches Db in the chorus, whatever you're hearing as Db is the bass going back to Bb
Up until like a year ago I always thought the third chord was an a flat major instead of an f minor, but I eventually realized why I went wrong