Name that dream tune

February 23, 2007 10:43 AM

I had a dream in which I was helping a friend figure out chords to a song on a piano. I woke up not remembering the song, but remembering the chords. Can you help me figure out if this is a song?

We were working on three chords. I've googled and I'm not coming up with any contenders. I'm not near a musical instrument, so I can't be sure, but it doesn't sound like any song I know. Any ideas? Thanks!

C (C E G)
Em (played on the piano as B E G)

and the last one was either:
EmDim (Bflat E G)
or
Blflat (Blfat D F)

In that order.

posted by Eringatang to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

Maybe you're the next Paul McCartney? I say your write that shit down and try to get a record contract!
posted by afx114 at 11:23 AM on February 23, 2007

At least using Edim, this is basically C major with a bass line descending stepwise from C, but one thing that comes to mind is the third phrase of the Super Mario Bros. Underwater theme.

I'm sure someone else can come up with a better example than that...
posted by cacophony at 11:34 AM on February 23, 2007

Response by poster: Well, thanks for the support, and the comparison to Paul! Now if only I had a band, a piano, and a recording contract I would be totally set.

I think I know the phrase you are talking about, cacophony, the theme kinda sounds like circus music, right? that's a start, if those are the chords then at least I can hear them in my head now.
posted by Eringatang at 11:48 AM on February 23, 2007

You could think of those chords as:

C (C E G C)
Cmaj7 (C E G B)
C7 (C E G Bb)

As such, not enough to form a complete phrase. One song that comes to mind is "Kiss Me".
posted by Khalad at 11:50 AM on February 23, 2007

Response by poster: Clever Khalad, but these were all three-note chords.
posted by Eringatang at 12:11 PM on February 23, 2007

Actually what you have there is a chord progression.

You can write many a (different) song using exactly the same chord progression in each of them, simply varying melody and timing.

(I did play the progression out. I'd go with the b flat chord myself. *wink*)
posted by konolia at 12:26 PM on February 23, 2007

Clever Khalad, but these were all three-note chords.

True, but the implied chords will still be:
C
CMaj7/B
C7/Bb.
posted by Bearman at 1:00 PM on February 23, 2007

Those are basically the first three chords to Strawberry Fields Forever. Also, This Will Be Our Year (and apparently others, according to one_bean) by the Zombies. Taking a major chord and then having the bass descend by semitones is a pretty common structure.
posted by dfan at 2:22 PM on February 23, 2007

Response by poster: Okay, think I'll know it when I hear it or when I play it now that I have some little snipits of other songs to go on. Maybe my brain wants me to go write something, or is just looking for an excuse to get to a piano! Tricky brain. Thanks for you help, everyone.
posted by Eringatang at 2:56 PM on February 23, 2007

Heh, I was going to say "This Will Be Our Year" too. And that's a great song, so you should go listen to it anyway.

That descending pattern is one of my favorite things. I tend to like most songs that include it. Probably from being exposed to the Beatles, Zombies, etc. in early childhood.
posted by litlnemo at 4:39 PM on February 23, 2007

Other candidates:
"Something" - Beatles
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" - Frankie Valli (this one's not in C, though; it's in E and briefly G)
posted by equalpants at 9:29 PM on February 23, 2007