The aforementioned F7 (containing Eb) fools us we're heading into a Bb major bridge. He continually messes with our heads by switching between E natural and Eb throughout the song. The bridge sections ends with F7 to C7 which implies McCartney loves tonal ambiguity. My money's on the latter, as the coda is clearly mixolydian. The verse is solidly in F major but the transitional F7 seems to imply we've transposed to Bb major ( Ticket 45) or at least to F mixolydian ( Ticket 51). The symmetrical verse contrasts with the bridge's odd shape - an extra bar of F7 serves as a transition between the two sections (0:52) but then reoccurs in the middle of the bridge (a Lennon Extension - Ticket 52).
The verse has a solid root inversion chord progression that is almost hymn-like compared to the bridge's elegant descending bassline that moves at twice the speed. tune played twice) is exactly the same as Mother Natures Son and the coda's melodic structure (ABBC) is the same as the chorus of Carry That Weight. This contrast between verse and bridge (unrepeating melody vs. There's is no repetition in the 8 bar verse melody, but the bridge is a 4 bar melody which is repeated and the coda melody, short and simple though it is, consists of 3 one bar phrases with only the 'middle' bar repeated Look at the number of syllables that precede the first beat of each bar.Īnother point is the contrast between the three sections ( Ticket 5). The verse is notable for it's use of anacrusis. But, for lesser mortals like us, the more we consciously emulate great techniques the more likely we are to become instinctual artists.
How much of this is conscious or premeditated? Probably very little. It really makes the melody 'sing' (pardon the pun). Note also Paul's gift for placing words - the way he goes down on the words 'bad' and 'sad' but then lifts up on 'song'. The childlike simplicity of the chord progressionĪnd the melody's 'conversational' rhythm perfectly represent the subject matter and intention of the song. The only variation is the coda slurs the 'He-ey' over two notes. This “Hey Jude” motif occurs in all three sections of the song, moving in the same direction and by the same amount - dropping down a minor 3rd (or one and a half tones). Hey Jude (F - D) refrain (F - Bb) don't car- (F - D) - ry the world upon (D - C) your should- (Bb - A) - ders Similar two note descending motifs appear all through the bridge In the verse it's C - A (the 5th to 3rd of the F chord) in the bridge F - D (the 5th to 3rd of the Bb chord). The opening motif ( 'Hey Jude') reappears in the bridge over a Bb chord. Paul uses a fragment of the verse to craft the melodies in the bridge and coda ( Ticket 9).