Aeolian Harmony

See also Aeolian Shuttles (e.g. i - ♭VII , i - iv, i -♭VI).

1) Simon & Garfunkel, “Sound of Silence,” verse

From Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964), written by Paul Simon.

Score: Image
Audio: Youtube (0:02–0:37)

2) Klaus Badelt, “He's a Pirate”
From the film Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Scores: PDF, Image, MuseScore
Audio: Youtube (0:04–0:11)

3) Bruno Mars, “Grenade,” chorus
From Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010), written by Bruno Mars, Phillip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Brody Brown, Claude Kelly, Andrew Wyatt

Audio: Youtube (0:39–0:49)
Harmonic Rhythm:
| Dm B♭| F C | (x2)

Dm B♭ F

I'd catch a grenade for ya yeah, yeah

C Dm B♭

Throw my hand on a blade for ya yeah,

F

yeah

C Dm B♭ F

I'd jump in front of a train for ya yeah, yeah

4) Toto, “Africa,” chorus

From Toto IV (1982), written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro.

Audio: Youtube (1:09–1:19)
Harmonic Rhythm:
| F#m D | A E | (x2)

F#m D A E

Gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

F#m D

There's nothing that a hundred men or

A E

more could ever do

5) R.E.M., “Losing My Religion,” chorus

From Out of Time (1991), written by Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, Michael Stipe

Audio: Youtube (0:45–1:31)
Harmonic Rhythm:
| Am | Am | Em | Em | Am | Am | Em | Em |
| Am | Am | Em | Em | Dm | Dm | G|
Bridge: |G | F | Dm G | Am | Am |
| F | Dm7 G | Am |G |

[Chorus]
Am

That's me in the corner,

Em

That's me in the spotlight

Am

Losing my religion.

Em

Trying to keep up with you.

Am Em

And I don't know if I can do it.

Dm

Oh no, I've said too much,

G

I haven't said enough.

[Bridge]

G F

I thought that I heard you laughing,

Dm G Am

I thought that I heard you sing.

Am F Dm G Am G

I think I thought I saw you try.

6) Daft Punk, “Face to Face,” verse

From Homework / Discovery / Alive 1997 (2001), written by Todd Edwards, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo & Thomas Bangalter

Audio: Youtube (1:12–1:30)
Harmonic Rhythm:
| G#m | F# | E | C#m | (x2)

G#m

What's going on?

F#

Could this be my understanding

E C#m

It's not your fault I was being too demanding

G#m F#

I must admit it's my pride that made me distant

E C#m

All because I hoped that you'd be someone different

7) Taylor Swift, “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince,” verse

From Lover (2019), written by Joel Little & Taylor Swift

Audio: Youtube (0:11–0:39)
Harmonic Rhythm:
| Bm | A | G| A | (x2)

Bm

You know I adore you, I'm crazier for you

A

Than I was at 16, lost in a film scene

G

Waving homecoming queens, marching band playing

A

I'm lost in the lights

Bm

American glory faded before me

A

Now I'm feeling hopeless, ripped up my prom dress

G

Running through rose thorns, I saw the scoreboard

A

And ran for my life (ah)

8) Adele, “Set Fire to the Rain,” verse

From 21 (2011), written by Fraser T. Smith & Adele

Audio: Youtube (0:07–0:43)
Harmonic Rhythm (student):
| Dm | F | C | Gm |
| Dm | F | C | C | (x2)

Dm F

I let it fall, my heart,

C Gm

And as it fell you rose to claim it.

Dm F

It was dark and I was over,

C Csus(add2)

Until you kissed my lips and you saved me

Dm F

My hands they're strong,

C Gm

but my knees were far too weak,

Dm F/A

Stand in your arms

C Csus(add2)

without falling to your feet,

9) Adele, “Set Fire to the Rain,” chorus

From 21 (2011), written by Fraser T. Smith & Adele

Audio: Youtube (0:58–1:18)
Harmonic Rhythm (student):
| Dm | Dm | C | C|
| Gm7 | Gm7 | Dm | C |

Dm

But I set fire to the rain,

C

Watch it pour as I touched your face,

Gm7

Well, it burned while I cried,

Dm

Cause I heard it screaming out your name,

C

your name

10) Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You),” chorus

From Stronger (2011), written by Ali Tamposi, Greg Kurstin, David Gamson & Jörgen Elofsson

Audio: Youtube (0:41–1:17)
Harmonic Rhythm:
| Am | F | C| G/B | (x4)

Am

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

F

Stand a little taller

C

Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

G/B Am

What doesn't kill you makes a fighter

F

Footsteps even lighter
C G/B

Doesn't mean I'm over cause you're gone

(G/B) Am

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,
F C

stronger, Just me, myself and I

G/B Am

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

F

Stand a little taller

C G/B

Doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone

11) Oasis, “D’You Know What I Mean,” verse

From Be Here Now (1997), written by Noel Gallagher

Scores: Image, PDF, MuseScore
Audio: Youtube (1:05–1:17)

12) Demi Lovato, “Heart Attack,” verse

From Demi (2013), written by Mitch Allan, Jason Evigan, Sean Douglas, Nikki Williams, Aaron Philips, and Demi Lovato

Scores: Image, PDF, MuseScore
Audio: Youtube (0:11–0:22)

13) Simon & Garfunkel, “Sound of Silence,” verse

From Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. (1964), written by Paul Simon.

Score: Image
Audio: Youtube (0:02–0:37)

14) Ella Mai, “Trip,” verse

From Ella Mai (2018), written by Ella Mai, Mustard, Q Gulledge & Varren Wade

Scores: Image, PDF, MuseScore
Audio: Youtube (0:10–0:23)

15) Marshmello & Jonas Bros, “Slow Motion,” verse

Single (2025), written by CASTLE, Connor McDonough, Earwulf, Jake Torrey, Marshmello, Nicholas Gale, Riley McDonough

Scores: PDF, Image, MuseScore
Audio: Youtube: 0:08–0:27

16) Avicii, “Wake Me Up,” verse 1

From True (2013), written by Tim Bergling, Egbert Dawkins, Mike Einziger

Scores: Image, MuseScore, PDF, Braille
Audio: YouTube (0:07–0:24)

17) Taylor Swift, “No Body, No Crime,” verse + prechorus

From evermore (2020), written by Taylor Swift

Scores: PDF, Image, MuseScore, Braille
Audio: YouTube: 0:23–0:48

18) Taylor Swift, “No Body, No Crime,” chorus

From evermore (2020), written by Taylor Swift

Scores: Image, MuseScore, Braille
Audio: YouTube: 0:48–1:14

Additional Examples

Yale Musical Examples Database: See the "Harmonic/Scale" tab at the bottom.