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6.11.2
Chords to "Hey Jude": How the Chord Progression Works

The chords to the verse of "Hey Jude" are just the standard three principal chords, I, IV, and V. Same with the bridge, except for a bar of IIm7 on the way to a conventional V7 – I authentic cadence.

However, the last part, the “na-na-na-na” part, which goes on for several minutes, moves outside of the circular harmonic scale and grabs the ♭VII chord (F major in the example below, Figure 92).

If you’re going to use a chromatic chord (or more than one chromatic chord) in a song, it’s vital to firmly establish tonality first. Otherwise your poor brain will have a tough time trying to figure out what key the song’s in.

Also, for the same reason (hanging on to tonality), it’s a good idea to return to the harmonic scale soon after borrowing a chromatic chord.

Chord progression Chase chart for the 1968 hit song Hey Jude recorded and written by Paul McCartney and The Beatles.

FIGURE 92: Chord Map of “Hey Jude,” Last Part (Words and Music by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, 1968)

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