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Magical Mystery Tour album cover

“Ahh”

An instrumental built on a 12-bar blues chord sequence in C, with all four Beatles chanting a wordless 'Aah' melody over Lennon's Mellotron. Notable as the band's only track credited collectively to Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starkey.
VinylCD

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Year1967
AlbumMagical Mystery Tour
Track3 · Side 1
Duration2:17
Songwriter(s)Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, Starkey
Lead Vocal
RecordedSeptember 8, 28, 1967
ReleasedNovember 27, 1967

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Text18 tags

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Music98 tags

Arrangement

Backing vocalsElectric guitarBass guitarOrganMellotronDrumsPercussionMaracasTape loopsOther percussionSound effects

Instrument group

GuitarsKeyboardsPercussion

Keyboard work

Mellotron soloKeyboard solo

Music genre

PsychedelicRockAvant-gardeBlues

Vocal work

Aah vocalsChantingGroup vocals

Solo / Riff

Mellotron soloKeyboard soloSolo on verse

Melody

Appoggiatura

Tempo

Moderate

Key

C major

Time signature

4/4

Song form

StrophicAANo verse-chorus12-bar blues

Sections

No chorusMultiple instrumentals (2+)Has soloHas codaHas introStandard verses (2-4)

Section links

Coda based on verseSolo on verseIntro based on verseSolo on intro

Harmony

Rock/Mixolydian cadencePlagal cadence

Composition

All major chordsTonic openingTonic endingMinimal harmonyVerse in ITonic verse

Mode

Ionian

Chord type

majordom7

Scale degree

IIV7V7

Chord degree

IV–II–IV–I–VV–IV–II–IVI–V–IVI–VV–IVIV–I–VI–IV–I–V–IV

Chord shape

C → GC → F → C → GC → B♭ → FC → G → FC → G7C → B♭C7 → B♭7C → FC → G → DC → F7C7 → GC → F → C → G → FC7 → B♭7 → FC7 → G → D7C → G7 → F7C → F7 → C → G7C → F7 → C → G7 → F7

Chord literal

C → FF → CC → GG → FC → G → FC → G7F → C → GC → F → C → GG → F → CG7 → F7C → F → C → G → FF7 → CC → G7 → F7C → F7C → F7 → C → G7 → F7G7 → F7 → C
You might also like:Harmony & Voice LeadingSheet Music Plus – Beatles Collection

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Sources & references

Tags on this page are original analysis, transcribed and cross-checked against the fine work of others: Alan W. Pollack's “Notes on…” series, the Beatles Complete Scores (Hal Leonard), Mark Lewisohn's session histories, Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Dave Rybaczewski's Beatles Music History and Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear for the instruments and studio equipment, and others besides - then verified by ear against the recordings. Full bibliography: Sources & thanks.

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