Brian's minor-key songs

[pixletwin]

Could be you're right. mostly the last chord of the song is what counts, and the song fades, so it's difficult to pick one.
I would say it's Pryhgian & Lydian

in original key Em(Phrygian)->F6(Lydian)
Em(Phrygian)->F6(Lydian), etc but then at the end below "Oh Caroline, No", it's Cmajor  Fmaj7 indeed

The last chords of Here Today, Good Vibrations and Let Him Run Wild are also major.

Brian developed a style where you couldn't clearly hear what whas the root chord. You can choose different last chords for God Only Knows.

I always want to think of God Only Knows as being in D, because the D major chord is used so much in it with different bass notes, but it doesn't work because there's also such a prominent use of D# in that opening French horn phrase that becomes Brian's countermelody at the end.  And I think the only time there's ever a straight D major chord is when the vocal bridge begins after the instrumental break.

God Only Knows is in A major.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Why does it have to be in one key?

[seltaeb1012002]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Yeah. I'd say it starts in A major, goes to E major until the end of the chorus, and back again.

Then for the bridge it starts in D major and goes to A major.

Really interesting way of building a song, and probably one of the things that separates Brian from his peers. Now that I think about it, a lot of his songs switch keys throughout..

[pixletwin]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Well it doesn't.  

When Mozart writes a piece in A major, it may change to F#minor or E major. But the bedrock key is A. Every modulation functions within a greater context of the original key.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Well it doesn't.  

When Mozart writes a piece in A major, it may change to F#minor or E major. But the bedrock key is A. Every modulation functions within a greater context of the original key.

That was only true until Wagner came along.

[monicker]

Wagner destroyed western music!

[Chris Brown]

I've always thought of "God Only Knows" as being mostly in E, aside from the bridge which is in A.  The cool thing is how he strays just far enough from the "home" key during the verses to sound like he's modulated, but he brings it back so naturally.  "Wonderful" is another tune where Brian works in the modulations masterfully.

[pixletwin]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Well it doesn't.  

When Mozart writes a piece in A major, it may change to F#minor or E major. But the bedrock key is A. Every modulation functions within a greater context of the original key.

That was only true until Wagner came along.

haha But BriDub is hardly a Wagnerian. 

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Well it doesn't.  

When Mozart writes a piece in A major, it may change to F#minor or E major. But the bedrock key is A. Every modulation functions within a greater context of the original key.

That was only true until Wagner came along.

haha But BriDub is hardly a Wagnerian. 

Hardly a Mozartian either.  And don't forget Daryl Dragon's rather puzzling insistence that Dennis's music is Wagnerian.

[pixletwin]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Well it doesn't.  

When Mozart writes a piece in A major, it may change to F#minor or E major. But the bedrock key is A. Every modulation functions within a greater context of the original key.

That was only true until Wagner came along.

haha But BriDub is hardly a Wagnerian. 

Hardly a Mozartian either.  And don't forget Daryl Dragon's rather puzzling insistence that Dennis's music is Wagnerian.

That is puzzling. 

[Spaghettiows]

I saw this thread a few days ago and thought "Lonely Sea" is probably in a minor key.  So I just played the song and strummed along on the guitar with it and lo and behold, it's in D flat MAJOR, at least until the bridge where it goes to A flat minor before it changes back again before the next verse.

My point?  I am amazed by Brian's ability to make a major key song "feel" like a minor key song.  And why is Brian Wilson the only musician that ever composed anything that brings tears to my eyes?

[hypehat]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Well it doesn't.  

When Mozart writes a piece in A major, it may change to F#minor or E major. But the bedrock key is A. Every modulation functions within a greater context of the original key.

That was only true until Wagner came along.

haha But BriDub is hardly a Wagnerian. 

Hardly a Mozartian either.  And don't forget Daryl Dragon's rather puzzling insistence that Dennis's music is Wagnerian.

I thought he always meant in the gigantic sounding orchestras and bombast rather than, y'know, Dennis studying Tristan und Isolde like Brian and a Freshmen record. People call Spector music 'Wagnerian' for the same reason.

[Joshilyn Hoisington]

Why does it have to be in one key?

Well it doesn't.  

When Mozart writes a piece in A major, it may change to F#minor or E major. But the bedrock key is A. Every modulation functions within a greater context of the original key.

That was only true until Wagner came along.

haha But BriDub is hardly a Wagnerian. 

Hardly a Mozartian either.  And don't forget Daryl Dragon's rather puzzling insistence that Dennis's music is Wagnerian.

I thought he always meant in the gigantic sounding orchestras and bombast rather than, y'know, Dennis studying Tristan und Isolde like Brian and a Freshmen record. People call Spector music 'Wagnerian' for the same reason.

You may be right.  Still seems a bit of a reach to me.

[Autotune]

Has the verse of Don't let her know she's an angel been mentioned yet?

[Autotune]

Somewhat related: God rest ye merry gentlemen.

And totally related: the verse of Winter Symphony.

[pixletwin]

Good catches Lenny.

[SunBurn]

I saw this thread a few days ago and thought "Lonely Sea" is probably in a minor key.  So I just played the song and strummed along on the guitar with it and lo and behold, it's in D flat MAJOR, at least until the bridge where it goes to A flat minor before it changes back again before the next verse.

My point?  I am amazed by Brian's ability to make a major key song "feel" like a minor key song.  And why is Brian Wilson the only musician that ever composed anything that brings tears to my eyes?

I had the exact same experience and reached the same conclusion. While I hadn't really thought it through before, I think this is an importnat reason that I can tolerate so many repeated listenings of Beach Boys records.