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[alexis]

Hi - I know they didn't invent the chord, per se, but I love how they change the key so that the fifth minor 7th becomes the first chord of the middle eight in two of their earliest songs - "From Me to You" (song in C, then the break in Gm7 - "I've got ARMS ..."), and I Wanna Hold Your Hand (song is in G, but the break in Dm7 - "And when I kiss you...").

I was wondering ... did they come up with this on their own in the back of their little van, sleep-deprived, cold, being bounced around, with Prelly dust and alcohol running through their veins? Or was this change well known/used in popular music before them? I can't recall it in any other songs, but I'm not an expert in pre-Beatles stuff ... :-/

I thought maybe "Take Good Care of My Baby", by Goffin-King (and of course recorded by the Beatles on their Decca Audition) had that pivot in its middle eight, but at least on one online site it doesn't (I'm not at home so I can't do it up for myself).

Thanks for any thoughts. I mean really, they were geniuses of course, but were they THAT good to make up this kind of chord change/key pivot? In my simple mind, putting that into "From Me To You" was really what jump started their song-writing - absolutely brilliant, changed a nursery rhyme ditty ("If there's anything that you want ...") into a really great song that rocketed them straight to Beatlemania.

 

[An Apple Beatle]

I couldn't tell you about relative 5ths and things. They loved their 7's tho and it is often used in old R & B. I imagine they instinctively knew how to make a refreshing middle 8 or in this case I'd also describe as an 'aside' section. GM was always around in the final stages to make sure the musical math made sense. The ditties could have been created anywhere. I definitly have a hunch they were also at the age when they were still fresh loving these kinds of augmentations of chords...They have more depth and therefore an appealing chord progression to your normal g to c to d and straight blues type songs. It's also showing your peers you know a few tricks.

Dunno....jut some thoughts really. Thats the wonder of music.