Layla Chord Analysis? (seriously!)

**BirdLives!** · 05-07-2023, 12:09 PM

I have been wondering about this for years, so somebody please help me out.

Why does this chord progression sound so good and so natural, even though it jumps between 2 seemingly unrelated keys? The switch from chorus to verse and verse to chorus sounds seamless and natural, you wouldn’t even really notice that a key change happens at all if you are listening passively.

so the chords for the chorus (from memory) are:

Dm - Bb - C - Dm

Then the verse chords are:

C#m - G#7 - C#m - C - D - E - E7
F#m - B - E - F#m - B - E - A7

The transition from Dm to C#m I would not think would work on paper, but then it just sounds so right.

Are there any other historical examples of this? Layla is the only song I’ve ever heard do this.

thank you!

**pauln** · 05-07-2023, 01:48 PM

Originally Posted by BirdLives!

I have been wondering about this for years, so somebody please help me out.

Why does this chord progression sound so good and so natural, even though it jumps between 2 seemingly unrelated keys? The switch from chorus to verse and verse to chorus sounds seamless and natural, you wouldn’t even really notice that a key change happens at all if you are listening passively.

so the chords for the chorus (from memory) are:

Dm - Bb - C - Dm

Then the verse chords are:

C#m - G#7 - C#m - C - D - E - E7
F#m - B - E - F#m - B - E - A7

The transition from Dm to C#m I would not think would work on paper, but then it just sounds so right.

Are there any other historical examples of this? Layla is the only song I’ve ever heard do this.

thank you!

It's all about this movement by fifths:
C# -> F# -> B -> E -> A -> D
(C#m is played as inversion E)

Verse goes:
C#7m - G#m7 - C#m7 - C - D - E - E
F#m - B - E - A - F#m - B - E - A
Try this:
A - Bm - C#m - D that sounds very normal
A - Bm - C#m - Dm that sounds very close to normal (not weird)
Now play the cadence Dm to A
Now play it with the A played as A69 (a substitute for major 7th) like this [54445x]
Now compare playing Dm into A69 and Dm into C#m7

That C#m7 and E are the same thing
Try playing E - G#m7 - E - C - D - E - E
Try playing E to F#m and compare that to C#m to F#m

The verse path back to Dm is the series of fifths...
C# (played as E) F# B E A D

Another tune you might like that has a similar local modulation with nice chords for the verse is Bell Bottom Blues

Chorus is
C - E7 - Am - Am/G - F - G - F - G
C - E7 - Am - Am/G - F - G - F - G
Verse is
A - A/G# - F#m - D - E
A - A/G# - F#m - D - E
A - A/G# - A/G - D - E
A - A/G# - A/G - D - E - F - G

A lot of the good stuff from this period was based on composing for the vocals.

**ragman1** · 05-07-2023, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by BirdLives!

Why does this chord progression sound so good and so natural, even though it jumps between 2 seemingly unrelated keys?

I have to be honest, I don't think it sounds natural at all, especially the first time it happens, it's a surprise. After that, because it's basically in C# minor (he uses a G#7 here, not G#m) then E major, it uses an A chord to get back to the D minor part, which makes sense. That bit does sound seamless.

As for analysing it, I don't think applying jazz-type theoretical analysis works with this kind of tune. These guys don't think like that, they tend to play what sounds good to them. Really. I'm not ducking analysing it!

Here's a live version. After a long preamble in D minor, to which the ear becomes accustomed, the tune starts at about 1.06. So when he hits that C#m there's a jolt.

**BirdLives!** · 05-07-2023, 08:17 PM

Originally Posted by pauln

It's all about this movement by fifths:
C# -> F# -> B -> E -> A -> D
(C#m is played as inversion E)

Verse goes:
C#7m - G#m7 - C#m7 - C - D - E - E
F#m - B - E - A - F#m - B - E - A
Try this:
A - Bm - C#m - D that sounds very normal
A - Bm - C#m - Dm that sounds very close to normal (not weird)
Now play the cadence Dm to A
Now play it with the A played as A69 (a substitute for major 7th) like this [54445x]
Now compare playing Dm into A69 and Dm into C#m7

That C#m7 and E are the same thing
Try playing E - G#m7 - E - C - D - E - E
Try playing E to F# and compare that to C#m to F#m

The verse path back to Dm is the series of fifths...
C# (played as E) F# B E A D

Another tune you might like that has a similar local modulation with nice chords for the verse is Bell Bottom Blues

Chorus is
C - E7 - Am - Am/G - F - G - F - G
C - E7 - Am - Am/G - F - G - F - G
Verse is
A - A/G# - F#m - D - E
A - A/G# - F#m - D - E
A - A/G# - A/G - D - E
A - A/G# - A/G - D - E - F - G

A lot of the good stuff from this period was based on composing for the vocals.

Wow, thank you so much for this pauln, this is above and beyond! I will thoroughly chew through this and get back to you!

**BirdLives!** · 05-07-2023, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by ragman1

I have to be honest, I don't think it sounds natural at all, especially the first time it happens, it's a surprise. After that, because it's basically in C# minor (he uses a G#7 here, not G#m) then E major, it uses an A chord to get back to the D minor part, which makes sense. That bit does sound seamless.

As for analysing it, I don't think applying jazz-type theoretical analysis works with this kind of tune. These guys don't think like that, they tend to play what sounds good to them. Really. I'm not ducking analysing it!

Here's a live version. After a long preamble in D minor, to which the ear becomes accustomed, the tune starts at about 1.06. So when he hits that C#m there's a jolt.

Hi ragman1, I definitely agree that the A7 to Dm sounds more natural, but I would have thought that a verse basically coming in 1 half step lower in key would sound like more of a jolt. I am yet to test pauln’s analysis, but am looking forward to it. I agree that Eric may not be thinking this way, but it works nonetheless, so I’m guessing there must be some reason why.

**pauln** · 05-07-2023, 11:18 PM

Be sure you are listening to the original version, I've always thought the later "unplugged" slow folksy version is pretty lame.

**ragman1** · 05-08-2023, 07:16 AM

'Due to the circumstances of its composition, "Layla" is defined by two movements, each marked by a riff. The first movement, which was recorded in the key of D minor for choruses and C-sharp minor for verses is centred around the "signature riff", a guitar piece using hammer-ons, pull-offs and power chords.'

Layla - Wikipedia

' “Jim Gordon … had been secretly going back into the studio and recording his own album without any of us knowing it. … We caught him playing this one day and said, ‘Come on, man. Can we have that?’ So he was happy to give us that part. And we made the two pieces into one song.” '

Behind the Song: “Layla,” Eric Clapton