Music · Harmony

Drone

A sustained note or chord held beneath shifting harmonies - common in Indian-influenced and psychedelic tracks

30
songs

Analysis

By Year

Song count per year

By Songwriter

% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)

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Songs(30)

Year
Album
Writer
Lead vocal(s)

Eight Days a Week

1964·Beatles For Sale·John

Ticket to Ride

1965·Help!·John

Sustained A drone under verse and outro

If I Needed Someone

1965·Rubber Soul·George

Sustained A pedal throughout verses

Day Tripper

1965·Past Masters·John

Sustained B in bridge under solo

You Won't See Me

1965·Rubber Soul·Paul

Sustained organ pedal note in outro

Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

1965·Rubber Soul·John

Sitar sustained against vocal melody

We Can Work It Out

1965·Past Masters·Paul

Rain

1966·Past Masters·John

G chord sustained under reversed-vocal outro

Paperback Writer

1966·Past Masters·Paul

Single G chord under most of verse

Love You To

1966·Revolver·George

Tamboura on C throughout

Tomorrow Never Knows

1966·Revolver·John

Single C chord under entire song

She Said She Said

1966·Revolver·John

Sustained B♭ tonality across most of song

Doctor Robert

1966·Revolver·John

Sustained harmonium chord on bridge

Eleanor Rigby

1966·Revolver·Paul

the E minor tonic is held long enough to read as a drone

Getting Better

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·Paul

Tambura sustained pedal

Within You Without You

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·George

Tamboura on tonic throughout, no Western chord changes

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

1967·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band·John

Tambura drone

Baby, You're a Rich Man

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·John

Sustained G pedal under verse

Hello, Goodbye

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul

Blue Jay Way

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·George

Sustained C tonic across the track

The Fool on the Hill

1967·Magical Mystery Tour·Paul

The Inner Light

1968·Past Masters·George

Sustained E♭ tonic across breaks

Good Night

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Ringo

Mother Nature's Son

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·Paul

Dear Prudence

1968·The Beatles (The White Album)·John

Sustained D pedal across verses

It's All Too Much

1969·Yellow Submarine·George

Sustained G pedal point throughout

Across the Universe (Wildlife version)

1969·Past Masters·John

Tambura drone underpins arrangement

Across the Universe

1970·Let It Be·John

Tamboura sustains D throughout

The Long and Winding Road

1970·Let It Be·Paul

I've Got a Feeling

1970·Let It Be·Paul

Updated