Blue note
A flattened third, fifth or seventh sounded against a major harmony, giving a bluesy colour to a song that is not a blues.
Analysis
By Year
Song count per year
By Songwriter
% of each member's catalogue with this tag (by writing credit)
By Era
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Songs(18)
| # | Title | Year | Album | Lead Vocal(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Hard Day's Night | 1964 | A Hard Day's Night | John, Paul | the verse leans on the flat seventh while the third stays major |
| 2 | Tell Me What You See | 1965 | Help! | John, Paul | the flat seventh opens each bridge |
| 3 | Another Girl | 1965 | Help! | Paul | the flat third is stressed hard enough to leave the mode ambiguous |
| 4 | Run for Your Life | 1965 | Rubber Soul | John | the opening guitar riff works the flat third and seventh; the tune touches the third in passing |
| 5 | Paperback Writer | 1966 | Past Masters | Paul | the Mixolydian flat seventh against a twelve-bar verse |
| 6 | Tomorrow Never Knows | 1966 | Revolver | John | Lennon's vocal alternates a bugle-call triad with a bluesy flat seventh |
| 7 | She Said She Said | 1966 | Revolver | John | a bent blue third in the vocal, the one thing that breaks the modal surface |
| 8 | Within You Without You | 1967 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | George | - |
| 9 | I Am the Walrus | 1967 | Magical Mystery Tour | John | bluesy licks break up the tune's hammering on a single pitch |
| 10 | Lady Madonna | 1968 | Past Masters | Paul | the tune leans on the flat third and the flat seventh |
| 11 | Yer Blues | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | John | - |
| 12 | Birthday | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | Paul, John | the sung verse figure emphasises the flat third and seventh |
| 13 | Cry Baby Cry | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | John | a pentatonic tune touched by the flat third in the instrumental interlude |
| 14 | Don't Pass Me By | 1968 | The Beatles (The White Album) | Ringo | the flat third arrives late in both the verse and the refrain |
| 15 | The Ballad of John and Yoko | 1969 | Past Masters | John | heavy use of the flat seventh, lighter use of the flat third |
| 16 | Oh! Darling | 1969 | Abbey Road | Paul | heavy stress on the flat third, and lighter on the flat seventh |
| 17 | For You Blue | 1970 | Let It Be | George | the tune is inflected throughout with the flat third and seventh |
| 18 | Dig It | 1970 | Let It Be | John | flashes of the flat third and seventh against a talking-blues tune |
A Hard Day's Night
the verse leans on the flat seventh while the third stays major
Tell Me What You See
the flat seventh opens each bridge
Another Girl
the flat third is stressed hard enough to leave the mode ambiguous
Run for Your Life
the opening guitar riff works the flat third and seventh; the tune touches the third in passing
Paperback Writer
the Mixolydian flat seventh against a twelve-bar verse
Tomorrow Never Knows
Lennon's vocal alternates a bugle-call triad with a bluesy flat seventh
She Said She Said
a bent blue third in the vocal, the one thing that breaks the modal surface
Within You Without You
I Am the Walrus
bluesy licks break up the tune's hammering on a single pitch
Lady Madonna
the tune leans on the flat third and the flat seventh
Yer Blues
Birthday
the sung verse figure emphasises the flat third and seventh
Cry Baby Cry
a pentatonic tune touched by the flat third in the instrumental interlude
Don't Pass Me By
the flat third arrives late in both the verse and the refrain
The Ballad of John and Yoko
heavy use of the flat seventh, lighter use of the flat third
Oh! Darling
heavy stress on the flat third, and lighter on the flat seventh
For You Blue
the tune is inflected throughout with the flat third and seventh
Dig It
flashes of the flat third and seventh against a talking-blues tune
Updated