Line #69 Main/HumoresqueProgression


1	A {{chord progression}}, made famous by Music/AntoninDvorak's piano solo piece "Humoresque", in which this features in the middle section.
2
3	The original progression is in a [[{{tonality}} minor key]], and runs as follows: i VI VII III. The effect is a temporary toniciziation of the relative major key--in other words, the music temporarily sounds like it's going to the relative major key. This is frequently followed a chord like v or VII, and even if not, repeated instances of this progression. This progression is used in ways similar to the use of the first four chords of the UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths in a [[{{Scales}} minor key]] (i iv VII III).
4
5	However, that may be hard to distinguish from its relative major key, and would in fact count as vi IV V I if in major, making this a variant of TheFourChordsOfPop. In this case, this functions as a derivative of the UsefulNotes/AuthenticCadence (V I). And again, it tends to be repeated a lot...often using the same transition chord, too (iii, which is the same as v in the relative minor).
6
7	Variations that substitute VI for iv (in minor) or IV for ii (in major) are common.
8
9	Tends to show up a lot in {{Anime Theme Song}}s and {{Japanese Pop Music}}. Has its own list of examples on this page. Relative minor (i VI VII III) and relative major (vi IV V I) examples are also noted.
10
11	!!Examples in Anime/Japanese Music
12	* The opening theme of ''Anime/StellviaOfTheUniverse'', "Asu e no Brilliant Road" by Angela, right at the beginning and subsequently the beginning of each chorus.
13	* ''Music/CliffEdge'' is fond of this. It appears in three songs of theirs that are probably best known to English-speaking audiences for being used in [[FanVid AMVs]] -- "Aishiteru", "Endless Tears", and "The Distance", all in their relative minor version. Their song "Re: Namidaboshi" also features a variant that puts a minor v chord after the first i. Meanwhile, a major version appears in the song "Here", as the second half of the main phrase of the refrain.
14	* ''Music/AyumiHamasaki'' uses this chord a lot. Examples: Dearest, Moments, Moon, Green, Last Minute
15	* "Every Heart" by [[Music/BoaKorea BoA]], ending of Manga/{{Inuyasha}}. Relative Major example
16	* The chorus of Fukai Mori by ''DoAsInfinity'', another Inuyasha ending
17	* Music/{{AAA}} has "Blood on Fire" and "Music!!!"
18	* fripSide's composer, "Sat" (i.e. Satoshi Yaginuma), is fond of this progression. It's found in "Only My Railgun" and "black bullet", while a variant (i v bVI bVII III) is found in "LEVEL5 -judgement-" and "fortissimo -the ultimate crisis-".
19	* Sat also worked on the ALTIMA song "I'll Believe", which also contains this progression.
20	* The first half of the verse of "Time After Time" by Mai Kuraki.
21	* The beginning of the verse of "Take a Shot" from ''Anime/MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' uses the minor version, specifically the variant that adds a v after the i.
22	* Near the beginning of "Koi no Minoru Densetsu" from ''Manga/LuckyStar'', when the guitars come in. (But ''not'' the song it's a parodying, "Koi no Mikuru Densetsu" from ''Haruhi''.)
23	* The verse of "Forever", the opening theme of ''Manga/ElementalGelade'', by SavageGenius.
24	* All My Love by Creator/YuiHorie, opening for ''Anime/MaoChan''
25	* The ending theme of ''Anime/KiddyGrade'', "Future", features this in the chorus.
26	* The ending theme of the ''Manga/SlamDunk'' anime, "Anata Dake Mitsumeteru"
27	* The ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia'' animé theme "Starry Heavens" has this at the beginning of the song and of the chorus.
28	* Sukisugite Baka Mitai by Def. Diva of Music/HelloProject.
29	* Near the end of the first boss battle theme of the ''Manga/MagicKnightRayearth'' {{UsefulNotes/SNES}} RPG.
30	* In the ''VideoGame/MegaManLegends'' soundtrack, the insert song "Your Wind is Blowing", combines the Humoresque Progression with the UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths, by changing one chord of the latter so that the former is embedded in it.
31	* The theme tune of the two ''[[VisualNovel/EfAFairyTaleOfTheTwo Ef]]'' series.
32	* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': When the main melody of "To Zanarkand" comes in.
33	* From the ''''VideoGame/MegaManX4'' soundtrack:
34	** the prologue theme in the Japanese version: Yukie Nakama, "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWuHmlWn-bs Makenai ai ga kitto aru]]"
35	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgHySggqItE Storm Owl's stage theme]], which is [[{{Pun}} composed]] entirely of this progression. Each loop consists entirely of 18 instances of this progression spanning two keys (A minor and C sharp minor).
36	** Part of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu8-7lBISyM Jet Stingray's stage theme]], starting at 0:14, contains two instances of this progression.
37	* {{apple41}}: "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yne85uw_W8M Puzzle]]", composed for Music/{{vocaloid}} Miku Hatsune: intro and chorus, relative major example
38	* The fourth (and final) ending theme of ''Anime/EurekaSeven'', "Canvas" by COOLON. Relative major example
39	* Music/UtadaHikaru's "Can You Keep a Secret?", a relative major example (vi IV V I).
40	* The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVi6j8OEk94 velvet room theme]] in the ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'' games has this progression.
41	** ''VideoGame/Persona4'' has the track [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95pYVdb_dH0 "It's SHOWTIME!"]].
42	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvoncs3EUeg EXEC_REBIRTHIA=PROTOCOL/.]] from [[VideoGame/ArTonelicoQogaKnellOfArCiel Ar Tonelico 3]] does it as well, sounding [[SuspiciouslySimilarSong suspiciously similar]] to the Velvet Room theme as a result.
43	* The second ending theme of 'Manga/YourLieInApril'', "Orange" by 7!!.
44	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elWN-Iim3so The Poloy Forest theme]] from ''VideoGame/TailsAdventure'' (starting at 0:08).
45	* ''VideoGame/SuperMarioWorld'''s Athletic theme. In this one, however, The first two chords are major and minor, respectively, instead the other way around. (Relative major example)
46	* Music/KanakoItou - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if0rdGMcD5c "Star Crossed"]] (bridge, relative major example)
47	* Creator/MariIijima and Robbie Ford - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jr4WL_YGZEQ "Eternal Summer"]]
48	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlO5ag1vx8c "Give a Reason"]], the ''[[Literature/{{Slayers}} Slayers NEXT]]'' opening song (chorus)
49	* Music/YukiKajiura uses this progression a lot in her music
50	** Chorus of ''[[https://youtu.be/izOf3ZhR-Yg stone cold]]'' by Fiction Junction (''Sacred Seven'' OP)
51	** Appears in many Music/{{Kalafina}} songs, including the choruses of ''[[https://youtu.be/l3pWlPfaN6Q believe]]'' (''Fate/stay night [unlimited blade works]'' ED 1), ''[[https://youtu.be/LtHSlpL7lHg One Light]]'' (''The Heroic Legend of Arslan'' ED 2), and ''[[https://youtu.be/ExIHmrIckpQ Kimi ga Hikari ni Kaeteiku]]'' (''Kara no Kyoukai'' 2nd Movie ED)
52	* Suwako's theme, "[[https://youtu.be/P7dLp2Eb7cg Native Faith]]", from ''VideoGame/TouhouFuujinrokuMountainOfFaith''.
53	* Multiple songs in the ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' series:
54	** The B-section of "[[https://youtu.be/IHCgGNGJXDA Final Battle]]" from ''VideoGame/YsIAncientYsVanishedOmen''.
55	** "[[https://youtu.be/YDcE9gnAv0g Field]]", "[[https://youtu.be/UZqHkPu6fD4 The Great Forest of Celceta]]" and "[[https://youtu.be/c08MkZsai_A Beyond Reminiscence]]" from ''VideoGame/YsIVMaskOfTheSun'', ''VideoGame/YsIVTheDawnOfYs'', and ''VideoGame/YsMemoriesOfCelceta''.
56	** [[https://youtu.be/d1Frk5gwXmI Niena's theme]] and the last section of "[[https://youtu.be/kjFXyC2UhMA?t=1m Field of Gale]]" from ''VideoGame/YsVLostKefinKingdomOfSand''.
57	** "[[https://youtu.be/dUakoWorDss?t=17s Defend And Escape]]" from ''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim''.
58	* Used in conjunction with the DooWopProgression in the A-section of ''Film/{{Kikujiro}}'''s theme song "Summer", composed by Music/JoeHisaishi.
59	* The first phrase of the Marble Zone theme from ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1''(UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant).
60	* The verse and chorus of the {{Eurobeat}} song "[[https://youtu.be/wTjO034xRDs Baby Kiss Me All Night]]" by Doll Sisters.
61	* The synthesizer riff of Ace's "[[https://youtu.be/fXIYIl4YbPs In The Fire of Victory]]" is another Eurobeat example.
62
63	!!Other Music
64	* The chorus of Music/TaylorSwift's I Knew You Were Trouble
65	* Music/SelenaGomez 's Love You Like a Love Song
66	* The trope namer is Dvořák's "Humoresque" #7 in G flat major. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmAZoexenx8&t=1m19s This link]] goes to the middle section of the piece, where it most famously appears.
67	* Briefly in the first movement of Music/LudwigVanBeethoven's violin concerto, when the second theme temporarily goes to minor.
68	* Music/MikeOldfield includes this progression in his famous song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLTrNl02cNM Moonlight Shadow]]". Listen to the first four chords when the voice comes in. Listen to them repeat.
69	* "Heart of Gold" by Music/NeilYoung, when the harmonica comes in, and again when the voice comes in.
70	* Two phrases (1:21 and 3:06) in the middle of the "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-HXjvmcLa8 Chess]]" piece from ''Theatre/{{Chess}}'' uses this progression. At other times it follows the traditional UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths and uses iv instead of VI.
71	* Music/TalkTalk's "It's My Life" in the prechorus; the chorus uses the UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths.
72	* The chorus of Music/BonJovi's "Livin' on a Prayer".
73	* The beginning of the title theme of ''VideoGame/MonsterTale'', though it uses a major I chord rather than a minor i chord as is standard (Amaj Fmaj Gmaj Cmaj, rather than Amin Fmaj Gmaj Cmaj).
74	* "Where I Come From" by Music/MontgomeryGentry (verses)
75	* Dido - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TO48Cnl66w "Thank You"]] (verses), and [[{{Sampling}} by extension]], Music/{{Eminem}} - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaFrcDsU8cA "Stan"]].
76	* The Real [=McCoy=] - "Another Night" (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant)
77	* Basshunter - "Boten Anna", and by extension, "Now You're Gone"
78	* Music/{{Cascada}} - "Bad Boy" (chorus)
79	* Deborah Cox - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ4wFCmmA9s "I Never Knew"]] (except for the bridges)
80	* "So Serious" by Music/ElectricLightOrchestra: chorus (Relative major example)
81	* "Crash Into Me" by Music/DaveMatthewsBand. (Relative major example)
82	* "Time Is Love" by Josh Turner. (Relative major example)
83	* Examples from contemporary Christian music: the choruses of "Knocking on Heaven's Door" by Avalon and "Facts Are Facts" by Steven Curtis Chapman.
84	* The chorus of "Something Happened on the Way to Heaven" by Music/PhilCollins (Relative major example)
85	* The chorus of Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" (Relative major example)
86	* Toni Braxton's "I Love Me Some Him" uses the UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant (iv instead of VI) (Relative major example)
87	* The first part of the chorus to Music/REOSpeedwagon's "Take It on the Run." (Relative major example)
88	* Electric Youth - "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfoLqZ-gtwU The Best Thing]]"
89	* Lolita - "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B46bWGCmBFU Goin' On]]" (synth and chorus; the former is relative major and alternates with the UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant)
90	* Anders Lundqvist - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBUOFoEvYn8 "Mission to the Stars"]](riff, alternates with vi-IV-V-iii)
91	* Cyber Space - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xI0_sTNS8qY "Die Zeit (Back to Mars)"]]
92	* The A-section of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W29uMcp5BWU "Gypsy Bard"]] from ''WebVideo/FriendshipIsWitchcraft''.
93	* Luianne - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNdHLTFyjew "Liveliness"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mu30P5to8A0 "Dawning"]]
94	* The Whispers - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_ARiZT2F88 More of the Night]] (verses) (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant)
95	* Luxor - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXi-4Gc-MJo Megaforce Theme]] (B section)
96	* Music/SavageGarden - "To The Moon and Back" (chorus)
97	* Project Pitchfork - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9aJ85G81m70 "Lament"]] (verses, relative major example)
98	* Music/JessicaSimpson - "Where You Are" (verses, combined with UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths)
99	* Ian van Dahl - "Castles in the Sky"
100	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlMLh3Xpa78 "Daytime Drama"]], a production music piece used in ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'' (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant), and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OusGol4iC0 "Woe is Me!]], another such track (while there is no accompaniment, the melody implies this progression).
101	* Music/VNVNation - "Everything" (bridge, relative major example)
102	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J34P7M0O5WE "Leave Your Castle"]] from ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight''.
103	* A Girl Called Momo - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yV4-IsuiuQ "Believe"]].
104	* Savage - [[https://youtu.be/pj9ZWjBlFew "Only You"]] (verses, intro uses UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths)
105	* Music/{{Train}} - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lv_kecbON_g "Call Me Sir"]] (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant)
106	* [[Music/{{Madvillainy}} Madvillain]] - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noPlIn8TJSQ "All Caps"]] by way of an ''[[Series/{{Ironside 1967}} Ironside]]'' [[{{Sampling}} sample]] (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant).
107	* FM Attack -[[https://youtu.be/1jaixB3GBo0 "Echoes"]] (Relative minor example)
108	* [=DeBarge=] - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dsCxATYMYk "A Dream"]] (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant)
109	* Music/StevieWonder - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YGc6RMOYF8 "Isn't She Lovely"]] (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant, relative major example)
110	* Carl Carlton - [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rkBVzyhtWg "She's a Bad Mama Jama"]] -- Besides being a relative major example, the song offers a twist; the progression is the UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant, but with a II chord instead of the usual ii.
111	* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcwlGjDNkkw Kaye Ballard - In Other Words]], the ''[[CoveredUp original]]'' version of the oft-covered "Fly Me to the Moon", uses the UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant in the chorus. It's also a relative major example. Naturally, covers of the song are used as the EndingTheme for [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion an anime.]]
112	* The chorus of "This is What You Came For" by Music/CalvinHarris & Music/{{Rihanna}}.
113	* Music/BackstreetBoys - "As Long As You Love Me"(Verses, relative major example)
114	* Music/{{Aurora\|Singer}} - "A Dangerous Thing" (relative major example)
115	* "[[https://youtu.be/xKau76yc4HE Llorando se fue]]" by Music/LosKjarkas, and by extension "[[https://youtu.be/iyLdoQGBchQ Chorando se foi(Lambada)]]" by Kaoma. Music/JenniferLopez's interpolation of the melody in "On The Floor" replaces the progression with the minor version of TheFourChordsOfPop.
116	* Many of the songs from the album "Gott Och Blandat by Music/{{Caramell}} including:
117	** "Skattjakt" (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant)
118	** "Bara Vänner" (UsefulNotes/CircleOfFifths variant)
119	** "Som En Saga"
120	** "Luftballong"
121	* Music/TheMostMysteriousSongOnTheInternet, AKA [[https://youtu.be/zPGf4liO-KQ?si=yA6FEPsNU8nPhQlI "Like The Wind"]] (verses, alternating with i VI III VII).

Context Main / HumoresqueProgression