What key/mode is Brokedown Palace?

jweber71
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Wed Sep 02, 2015 12:25 pm

I was having trouble trying to figure out what key or mode this song is in....the chord progression is below:

Grateful Dead - Brokedown Palace

INTRO VERSE

| A / / / | Bm / / / | C / G / | G / D / | D / / / |

| A / / / | Em / / / | C / / / | C / / / | D / / / |

MAIN VERSE (3 VERSES)

| G / / / | C / / / | G / Em / | C / G / |

G / Bm / | C / G / | G / A / | C / G / |

Instrumental between all verses

G / / / | / / C / | G / / / | / / C / |

CHORUS (between each verse)

| G / B / | C / G A | G / A / | C / G / | G / / / |


Let me know your thoughts.....

Thanks!


kelemenj
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Wed Sep 02, 2015 4:28 pm

I played the track and noodled along. I am going to go with the key of F major.
I know some of the chords are not in that key but I still think it is F,
John


leeson
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Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:34 am

The original and recorded versions were in F major.
The you have it there and the way the Dead played it in later years was in G major.
The intro starts off one step up,

I think.

Bill


jweber71
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Thu Sep 03, 2015 7:44 am

yes, i am looking at the way they played it in later years. Most of the chords are G major, but there are oddballs in there, like A major, B major. Does that make the song in a specific mode, or are those just brief lapses into the key of E major?

Also, the intro appears to be in G major as well, with the exception of the A major chord to start the whole thing off.


jweber71
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Sun Sep 13, 2015 8:01 am

Anyone? thoughts? Like I said, it appears to be in G major, but I am wondering about what the changes to B major and also to A major do to the song. Is this just a switch to a different key, or is this song in a mode that I'm not aware of?


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TGNeil
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Sun Sep 13, 2015 9:01 am

jweber71 wrote:
Anyone? thoughts? Like I said, it appears to be in G major, but I am wondering about what the changes to B major and also to A major do to the song. Is this just a switch to a different key, or is this song in a mode that I'm not aware of?
I meant to get to this on the News last week but things were still more out of focus than usual. The key is definitely G, as that is what feels like home. The A and B chords are really borrowed from nearby keys but those keys are never established, meaning feeling like a new home. The B chord actually sounds like a secondary dominant, pulling us to Em but resolving to C (chord VI in Em, known as a deceptive cadence).

Neil


leeson
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Wed Sep 16, 2015 12:51 pm

Whoa, Neil.
Good answer. I think I am a ways off from fully understanding what you are saying but deceptive cadence sounds like a good thing to aspire to. :laugh:

Thanks.

Bill


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