Songs that use the Creep chord progression

📌 UPDATE: Since I released this video a new song has been released that also uses the Creep chord progression... "Vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo. I made a little video about it here: • this new hit song uses...
📌Also, Mitski's 2023 track "My Love Mine All Mine" is another new song to use the Creep progression!
Creep by Radiohead is based on a simple but intriguing four chord loop. Today we'll take a look at the handful of other songs that use this same chord progression, and then we'll dig into why this chord progression works so well!
📍Here's my re-upload Chromatic Mediant video: • Songs that use Chromat...
And, an extra special thanks goes to Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Yu Kyung Chung, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / davidbennettpiano 🎹
0:00 Introduction
1:27 other songs that use the Creep progression
4:09 the lawsuits
7:14 How does this chord progression work?
8:00 Secondary dominant or Chromatic mediant
11:02 Minor plagal cadence
12:20 D# or Eb?
15:20 Piano outro

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Try out MelodEar with a free trial: melodear-app.com/ 🎶👂

[@weakw1ll]

Hell yeah david bennett piano

[@matiasreyes8043]

Do you like Steven Wilson & Porcupine Tree?

[@DavidBennettPiano]

@@matiasreyes8043 yeah 😃 I saw them recently in London 😀

[@purplefishy8164]

It's not enough that I pay 20$ a month for youtube red in order not to see ads, I still have to sit through ads implemented by video creators. Ads are the cancer of this world

[@anabell7184]

the chorus of *Isang Anghel by Zild* sounds like creep, also uses the famous chord prog

[@franciscobirrell7887]

I love how this song (creep) is a counter argument to major chords being happy and minors being sad... Three major chords in a row and it just has a depressing aura

[@UmVtCg]

It's all about context. But that's remarkable indeed

[@inherentlyflawed]

IMO, removed from the song it’s most famous for, it has a sad, but somewhat satisfying finality to it. It’s the acknowledgment that something has passed, and it’s the acceptance of that. It’s sad, but it neatly wraps up the story it tries to convey. It’s the acceptance part of grief.

[@briantrowbridge8134]

I dont know who first said it, but most blues musicians at some point are told "it's not about the notes you play, but how you play them". Your comment gives me a deeper appreciation for the quote

[@marcellocadeddu1986]

One of the songs that best demonstrates that one can use major chords and achieve a nostalgic mood is 'Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay', where only major chords are used!

[@lauraholliday9343]

I don't find creep depressing at all!!!!

[@Francis.D.M]

When you realize most of your favorate songs have the creep chord progression and your just now starting to connect the dots

[@RawkL0bster]

You're

[@Wakabatan]

This is me with blackadder chord progression, though I found out about it early instinctively through one composer and didn't know if it was a thing on itself, even if it's still uncommon

[@Mom-pl2xb]

you no, man no grae

[@sushi_tech35]

the creep chord progression kind of sounds like what acceptance should be. The acceptance of sadness or a bad situation, kind of the calm that comes after accepting a bad fate

[@inherentlyflawed]

Exactly! It’s the embodiment of the acceptance part of the 5 stages of grief.

[@bearwynn]

it is the chord progression of a drained and tired sigh

[@IshaanKumar1901]

'Mitski - My love mine all mine' also uses it in A major key I think.

[@hyromusic]

i think also arctic monkeys - no1 party anthem, i remember hearing the two songs together

[@yasininn76]

Oh god we found the fucking mitski fan, everybody take covers

[@iancuello4137]

​@@hyromusic I don't remember but i think No1 party anthem chord progression is I - I+ - I(6) - I7 - IV -iv

[@Ixe2077]

​@@yasininn76 Honestly they're not as bad as Swifties. (Any excuse to shit on them is taken)

[@IZUNKO22]

First love late spring uses it too except instead of an f minor at the end it uses a g

[@Davey101_]

Makes perfect sense that Pixies used it. Radiohead, like many bands of the era started out as basically Pixies tribute bands. They later became so much more!

[@JosephTheAustin]

Pixies were so important, and so few people know it. In my opinion they were the inventors of grunge and probably all of 90s alternative, while Nirvana just popularized it. Mind, Nirvana were brilliant too - in fact I prefer them overall - but the pixies are still the ones who set the fuse. Surfer Rosa was 1988 and you could have easily tricked me into thinking it was 1996 if I didn't know otherwise.

[@Strato_Casterrr9898]

@@JosephTheAustin but after OK C, Radiohead invented the 2000s alternative sound, and coldpaly made it popular.

[@JosephTheAustin]

@@Strato_Casterrr9898 True, and then Imagine Dragons appeared and made it corporate :P

[@Strato_Casterrr9898]

@@JosephTheAustin lmao

[@Reject101Personal]

@@Strato_Casterrr9898 Radiohead made it popular themselves, don't give that hack band Coldplay credit for doing so.

[@shivenchabria6514]

The best part of this channel is just how unpretentious, completely gimmick free and information dense it is, and how despite breaking all the so-called social media rules, it is one of the most popular music theory shows on the internet. Content is king. And people recognize and reward good content.

[@avedic]

Perfectly put. It's just a legit smart cool person, who's great at communicating, giving you a ton of excellent information and ideas and context. I come to this channel.....to get inspired. To watch and listen to David go in depth on a single idea...so that I can then try that idea out in the context of my own stuff. There's nothing gimmicky or click-bait about it.

[@matzemunz2827]

Absolutely! Playing guitar for 22years and still can't read sheet music... But I actually can understand what he's talking about cause it's so comprehensive I'm able to translate it to "fret-board"

[@steamedbryce]

They also reward mediocre content (even those classically trained or are studyng music theory in general) so don't get ahead of yourself

[@mihailmilev9909]

Not completely tho, because his thumbnails are very attractive, why I clicked on it tbh.

[@mihailmilev9909]

@@steamedbryce yeah true, but wym by that

[@XenoLordX]

Vampire by Olivia Rodrigo definitely joined the list

[@xochj]

Most plagiarism lawsuits for pop songs are absolutely ridiculous.

[@peelslowly28]

This is probably one of the most evocative chord progressions I've heard. No wonder Radiohead's use of it is the most famous, Creep perfectly evokes that feeling this progression brings.

[@BlueProphet7]

Well put, it ABSOLUTELY does. I remember being a teenager and hearing it on the radio and thinking 'meh', now I'm in my mid 30s and it's so incredibly well matched regarding progression and melody. It gives me chills whenever I hear it. To be less musically 'scientific' about it... even though the lyrics are in the present during the song "I'm a creep" vs "I was a creep", it feels much more poignant once you're past an event that you relate to the feeling of the piece. I really appreciate the sound, feeling, and lyrics in a nostalgic sense much more than I ever did in an immediate one.

[@peelslowly28]

@Anno Kitsune "evocative" isn't a scientific term, dude

[@leoard12]

@@annokitsune.worldbridgerand music is also a science from how the sound transmits to how diferent sounds work together to how we revive them etc etc etc

[@Halberds8122]

@@leoard12 pretty funny that you guys have made arguments that counter both of their points 😄

[@AutPen38]

I was one of the 6000 people that bought "Creep" on its initial release, which helped it to surge to number 78 in the charts. Best 50p I ever spent. I've just realised that it's the thirtieth anniversary of the release of 'Pablo Honey' tomorrow, which means it's also 30 years since I saw Radiohead play live to a small audience at Sheffield Uni. They were quite good, but Thom Yorke was very drunk. I did not expect to be watching internet videos about them thirty years later.

[@jasperfk]

Shockwave player wasn’t even released until 1995 - I expect very few people predicted that!

[@AutPen38]

@@jasperfk Coincidentally, today it's the 24th anniversary of Flash 4 being launched. I used that to build a music-streaming website (at unlistenably low bitrates on dial-up internet) six years before Spotify existed. I still couldn't have predicted how big the internet would be though.

[@earf-quake]

that’s so cool

[@starwarsbuffyccg]

Thank you!

[@TomJacobW]

That must be worth a good buck today

[@jeffrando]

My favorite is Michelle by Sir Chloe! It uses the progression well. It’s one of my fav progressions personally

[@slimjimmy5159]

Ikr

[@pawa303]

I came back to this video because I was listening to that song and heard the similarity! Same with ‘My Love Mine All Mine’ by Mitski.

[@jeffrando]

@@pawa303 for sureee

[@scotty3739]

if you like sir chloe you should listen to stone by born without bones. kinda different genre, but still sad-ish indie rock. similar chord progression too, but it goes to the iii instead of the III.

[@jeffrando]

@@scotty3739 Word I’ll look

[@Prezzen77]

As an ear-trained musician that's never fully utilized proper notation, it's hard to understate how helpful the "Use a letter, skip a letter" method in triad chords is

[@fangsabre]

I'm gonna need to look into that! I'm very much an ear trained musician outside of clarinet and some saxophone, where i did learn to read music. But my understanding of more advanced music theory is almost entirely ear trained. So chords and keys are hard for me to describe

[@SocksWithSandals]

The violin arrangement over the minor fourth in Sweet Dreams' The Last Shadow Puppet was sublime.

[@lahar2412]

@Anno Kitsune that’s still a fucking music term dumbass

[@SocksWithSandals]

@Anno Kitsune it appears we are talking about your inability to appreciate a beautiful arrangement of music around this chord sequence. Sublime is an emotion, not merely the transition of a solid to a gas.

[@MrPlannery]

@Anno Kitsune minor forth: one of the most common chord progressions. What do you think it is?

[@base4yrface]

Hey just a correction, the artist is The Last Shadow Puppets and the song is Sweet Dreams, not the other way around

[@liamvalois-reilly7478]

@Anno Kitsune smooth brain

[@bugeyedmudafuka2]

In Creeps chorus when the chord B Major is played,Thom sings "weirdo" and on C Minor he sings "I don't belong here". The lyrics line up perfectly with the music, as B major and C minor aren't technically in G major. So they sound a bit weird and don't belong there. It happens multiple times in the song too. Listen to what words he sings when these 2 chords are being played. Almost every time the word perfectly mirrors the role of the chord within the chord progression. See how many you can pick out. Perhaps this might be one of the reasons a lot of people connect with the song? Its happening on a subconscious level. The Beatles of course were masters of this, as in nearly every song the lyrics almost perfectly align with whats happening musically. Whether it was intentional or not, who knows?

[@AutPen38]

I love the idea of "I don't belong here" being sung over the non-diatonic chord. Very cool. In Cole Porter's 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye' (Ella Fitzgerald did the definitive version, fact fans) the lyric over its most famous chord change is more literal: "How strange the change from major to minor". In a similar vein to Radiohead's lyric, The Four Tops had a song with an unexpected key change for the chorus, in which Levi Stubbs sang "I'm in a different world" when he entered into a different key. A trick that used to be quite popular (I think McCartney used this one) was to use phrases like "I'm coming up" over rising melodies. A chorus can sound more uplifting if the lyrics refer to "Moving on up" at the same time that the melody does so. You can get the reverse effect by singing things like "I'm going down" over a descending melody.

[@bugeyedmudafuka2]

@@AutPen38 Ya, for sure. Similar things happen in a lot of songs. The more theory I've learned over the years the more stuff like this just jumps out when you hear it. Very cool 😎

[@waylandsmith]

Another song with musically literal lyrics is Hallelujah, specifically the first verse. "I've heard there was a secret cord… It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift…" At the appropriate words come the fourth and fifth chords of the key, followed by minor and major variants of another chord.

[@AutPen38]

When I saw Nirvana play at Reading in '92 and they did a cover version of the Wipers' song "D-7" (which none of us had ever heard before), I assumed that Kurt was shouting "D major 7" in the chorus. I was disappointed to learn much later that the lyric was actually "Dimension seven" and it was sung over a D sharp 5 power chord. All songs should just feature singers yelling out the correct chords, imo.

[@romulusbuta9318]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👍👍🙏🙏

[@MrCerir]

Creep, Space Oddity and Where is my Mind are songs I've listened to 17,486 times... Never heard a similarity 😮

[@jackthesmoltangerine]

Rip

[@geekraverlq8913]

you should thank you my twilight by the pillows

[@SulphurS16]

same fr but now i cant unhear it

[@bluepixelsxo]

same lmao

[@aidanitsme]

during lana’s 2018 lalapaloza performance, she performed “get free” and finished it by saying “now that my lawsuit is over i can sing that song whenever i want”

[@blinkerz4676]

blatantly copied creep

[@VintageFlowers]

@@blinkerz4676 It's pretty much the exact same song with different lyrics

[@siljamolstad9118]

@@blinkerz4676 the chorus is in a different chord progression… the majority of the song isn’t similar at all

[@siljamolstad9118]

@@VintageFlowers the chorus is in a different chord progression… the majority of the song isn’t similar at all

[@joshs7160]

@@VintageFlowers clown logic

[@zubrhero5270]

This song on guitar makes so much sense. It's 3 barre-chords with very minor hand movements. When you break it down for piano, it seems genius, but it's basically like what you'd find naturally by noodling around on an acoustic in the 90s. (Which to be fair is probably how it was written lol)

[@kleiber1729]

I like to play it Open E -- then a strange Ab (pinky play Ab 4th fret E String, index barre 1st fret), then open A, and open Amin.. picking bass and the 3 middle strings, so that the B string is always the highest -- this emphasises the chromatic voicing that is perfectly on the highest (B) string: B C Db C -- What do you think?

[@Joeypompello]

It’s so easy on guitar that I kinda hate playing it

[@charliekahn4205]

I accidentally ran into a pop-punk version in A major when I was a kid

[@harrisbeatsfrankou6304]

True its like an unschooled "dont know theory" Kurt Cobain Riff. He was instinctive.

[@woundedsanity]

respect@@kleiber1729

[@HimanXK]

I love that you always surprise with your examples. And always such good picks. Rick and Morty! Steven Universe! Alex Turner! Who would have expected those songs to all be in the same list?

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😃😃

[@N4m43]

Totally agree! I did not expect to hear the Steven Universe opening in here! Super cool track!

[@pilcrow182]

Like Goodbye Moonmen, I had always assumed that We Are the Crystal Gems was inspired by Space Oddity as well. Still, I'm surprised that Bennett included it in this video! I was expecting to point it out afterwards in the comments! 😄

[@user-cd5vn2th3g]

The two I was going to comment are the SU theme song and “Jerome” by lizzo.

[@JH-lo9ut]

The Rick and Morty song is by Jemaine Clement of "flight of the conchords" (he also does the voice acting for the trans-dimensional fart cloud) The conchords are absolute masters of tribute/parody songs, and the song is so obviously a take on Bowie's "space oddity". I am not smart enough to figure out it is the exact same chord progression, but it totally makes sence.

[@aquisaysheanmifelamerot.6606]

More examples that aren't mentioned here 3:00 Michelle - Sir Chloe Blues de mar - Gaby Moreno Introverted - Elita Edit (2024): Vampire - Olivia Rodrigo Ere - Juan Karlos

[@chemicalfuzzy]

adding on with some of my personal favorites ! Skeleton Appreciation Day in Vestal, NY - Will Wood New Normal - Jack Stauber Love Me Too Much - Car Seat Headrest Sweet Hibiscus Tea - Penelope Scott

[@lo.lo_marie]

I love Michelle😭 that explains why lol

[@astroboystan]

I KNEW ID HEARD IT BEFORE

[@willb963]

Mitski's new song My Love Mine All Mine uses this progression! I picked up on it as soon as I heard it thanks to this video

[@Kludgedean]

That explanation about why to use a sharp or flat was amazing, and something I've always wondered! (Slowly learning music theory)

[@dylankempthorne]

I used to think it really didnt matter but in this context I can see how that would be confusing

[@mauricemusician7636]

Spelling counts in music. U Kan spel ehnee wey u want but ur Reeder wil shtrugel 2 understand kwiklee

[@urbangorilla33]

Although I'm sure that is all correct as David stated it, it seems to be that it makes more sense to explain like this: B and Cm in the key of C are both borrowed chords (taken from other keys). In their own keys, they use the different notations. This is because B exists on the circle of 5ths - which uses sharps, whereas Cm (relative minor of Eb) is on the circle of 4ths, which uses flats. Ok I'm not sure that's any simpler as an explanation, but that is how I think of this distinction.

[@2fs]

@@urbangorilla33 Yeah, I'd agree...not really "simpler." Certainly, if someone asks, okay but WHY do we name chords skipping steps like this? then this answers that.

[@noel6024]

@@urbangorilla33 Great example. The truth is, those key signatures are given their sharps and flats for much the same reason as the Eb/D# in the video. Most Western music theory (including notation) is built on triadic harmony. So the key of Cm, for instance, has an Eb (not D#) because, in triadic harmony, the accidental in question is the 3rd of Cm-the 3rd of the key-and must be an “E”. (Of course, this isn’t the _only_ reason, just one part that works in tandem!) You can really see this break down with “artificial” scales, like the whole-half scale, which has 8 notes. Because it has more notes than letter names, you end up reusing one (e.g, F and F#). Chord spellings in whole-half scales look incredibly unintuitive on paper, and the accidentals are often switched from flats to sharps depending entirely on context. It all goes back to triadic harmony.

[@WarpRulez]

I think this chord progression is so unique and distinctive that if any song uses it, it immediately resembles "that song by Creep" in most people's minds. Maybe that's the reason why it's not used so much. This much unlike other more popular chord progressions, like the Axis one, which is so "generic" and non-distinctive that it doesn't really give vibes of any particular song.

[@TheRenegade...]

You mean "that song by Radiohead"?

[@Kimbie]

I was recently jamming with a friend (in a really weird tuning as usual) and she really liked one of the things I played, then after I began thinking about what it was I realized it was really the Creep™ chord progression (with most of the melody notes on top) which made me sad because it means I can never use it :c it didn't even really sound *that* much like creep. I've since had to cut her out of my life and contemplated suicide due to the dishonour and embarrasment.

[@tbird81]

Sounds like that song by The Hollies

[@ale14zoppi]

Damn Radiohead ruining chord progressions

[@richatlarge462]

@@tbird81 Exactly. I've done the mashup myself a few times when playing out - switching between the two songs, while making the adjustment for the shorter lengths of the C/Cm intervals.

[@breaker2470]

The Lana Del Rey song actually lines up a lot closer to the verse from Creep than the chorus.

[@bermudasq]

Radiohead and Lana are both fantastic, and I am so glad that both Creep and Get Free were written and released for our listening pleasure. Not to mention, the chord progression is just used in the Get Free verses, and the bridge and chorus of the song are original and fresh.

[@Lotselance]

It's annoying that artists getting sued for using the same chord progressions or similar riffs still happens. It really shouldn't be a thing

[@omeressu]

​@@Lotselanceit really wasn't by accident tho. Using the same chord progression is extremely common but get free has the exact same harmonies and melody as creep, Im highly certain every Radiohead fans caught that upon first listening

[@PinchyLobster]

@@Lotselanceto be fair, even i think that it is very clearly copied. like its almost the same but with different words. and im normally very much against stuff like this

[@AthosJosue]

Del rey is far from fantastic, come on 🤣

[@joedurantguitar1447]

Lana Del Ray ripped off Radiohead a lot more than Radiohead ripped off The Holiies.

[@kikosawa]

I dislike Del Ray, but I really think this melody is so on the nose that even I could have come up with it on accident

[@michaelistoma8356]

@@kikosawa absolutely not. Radiohead have much more common. Not only a chord progression but melody too.

[@michaelistoma8356]

@@kikosawa but it kinda strange that no one said her that and she didn't got it during whole the time before release.

[@kikosawa]

@@michaelistoma8356 not impossible though. I don't know, it's weird talking about something so obscure and evasive as plagiarism. At least Del Ray has a lot of her own songs, so even if this one is true, it's not the end of the world

[@michaelistoma8356]

@@kikosawa i love Lana. Just find it strange. I don't think she need to steal to make a good song. She's a brilliant songwtiter by herself. But i don't understand how you can not catch that it's Creep. It's so obvious. Anyway even though i'm a fan of Radiohead too i think their lawsuit against Lana is a trash move. Especially given the fact they themselves were sued for plagiarism.

[@ChumleyYT]

you're legitimately the first music youtuber that can explain things in a way that makes sense to me. thank you

[@Lil_Yuri]

Goodbye Moonmen always reminded me of both Creep and Space Oddity, it wasn't all my imagination. Nice explanation!

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Goodbye Moonman is definitely intended to remind you of Bowie, including hiring Jemaine Clement as the voice. He also does a Bowie impression for the song from his character in Moana. If anyone has a Bowie type in mind for a voice role, Jemaine Clement is your man.

[@avokka]

​@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep iirc Jemaine kind of wanted it to be a sort of homage to Bowie, plus the writers felt honored to get to write a piece in tribute to him

[@kc5onyoutubification]

David is amazing. All these information given in a short amount of time while making it entertaining. And slowly eases out of the video using a piano outro. The calmness is just surreal.

[@kevinwilliams1602]

Oh boy, David, I am so pleased to have come across your channel. I am on the cusp of 71 years of age and have been in love with music in most of it's genres since childhood, but have never had any formal education. Having owned guitar for around 15 years and learned to play quite a few songs(badly) I have always struggled with how all those chords work together. Thank you for your informative "lessons", though I think I may have left it too late to become a Rock Star/Opera Singer/Concert Pianist, I will be able to go to my grave with some music theory, hopefully enough to write a score or two before I go.

[@fnafpizzawithhotsauce]

You seem like such a beautiful soul, keep pushing! There is no age limit in music ❤

[@KeenCrim]

Absolute legend hope i grow up to be like you

[@davidwolanski8704]

Nothing to lose but a little bit of time. Bask in your sunset. Hope it's longer than you think.

[@Novemberbridges]

Please stay this way, man. You are one of the irreplaceable gems of the internet. Absolutely incredibly helpful content with no bullshit and gimmicks. No clickbaits. You give us hope. Everything isn't that bad on this planet, after all.

[@myca.]

I love this style, with the chords visibly laid out on the keyboard like this! And the in-depth explanations of related principles!

[@OrtonLongGaming]

been listening to The Brobecks all week and didn't even realise Better Than Me had the same chord progression until the list popped up on screen

[@MrNucleosome]

I am a self-taught musician. I am impressed. You teached me a lot. Once, I also ended up using the same chord progression. Since I've realized that, I decided to abonden the song. Probably going to return to it. Didn't know how many songs out there used it too. Thanks.

[@kevinlittrell3407]

I think it’s pretty much impossible to make a 4 chord progression that hasn’t already been used. In my mind, harmony is like public domain. What usually makes a song distinct is melody and rhythm.

[@blinkerz4676]

you taught* me a lot.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Don't abandon the song! It's okay. I ended up with a similar beat to Gangsta's Paradise in one of my songs by complete accident but the melody was different. You're not Lana Del Ray, you can make those similarities.

[@frb5237]

III (or V/vi) and iv are two of my favorite "outside the scale" chords. Put both together in one chord progression and it has a very distinct identity.

[@victorwilburn8588]

And it's called the III rather than the V/vi in this case because it doesn't precede the vi. (You probably know that already, but I'm elaborating on your post for the benefit of other readers.) EDIT: Though it seems the David differs. Interesting. I guess that makes sense in the context of a deceptive cadence, which is usually going to the vi or VI instead of the tonic, and C is the VI of Em.

[@frb5237]

@@victorwilburn8588 You're right, but actually I included that because I thought people might get annoyed if I only called it III lol. Some music theory people might see III as nonsense and prefer to call it V/vi regardless. You could call it V/vi if you view it as secondary dominant in a deceptive cadence like in the video, and that's fine. I do like V/vi in the sense it helps you easily identify why the chord works; as opposed to making a minor chord major just because or borrowing from an extremely obscure mode. But III takes less mental steps to figure out what the chord actually is. I'm not opposed to either name.

[@YannyEw]

NO WAY THE AMBATUKAM CHORD

[@Mr.Despair.]

The way you break down how and why sharp and flats get named the way they do in context and in writing, especially as a "by the way", is literally the best break down I've ever seen in my life at record speed. holy heck.

[@dizzyhayride]

Going from a major to a minor of the same chord in a song like this always breaks my heart. The heartbreak chord. Roy Orbison's "Crying," goes from G major to G minor and it breaks my heart every time when he sings, "you held my hand so tight, when you stopped _____ to say hello..."

[@headlessnotahorseman]

You'll love This Ain't a Love Song by Bin Jovi then. The verse and intro chord progression goes E B Bm A Am E B.

[@PotatoesAreUs]

This progression becomes even more powerful when you make the iv a iv6. Something about that iv6 makes me really feel things.

[@dreamynachos3439]

When you add the natural 6th to a minor chord it creates a tritone against with the 3rd. So it's basically like the minor version of a dominant chord.

[@Omii_3000]

@@dreamynachos3439 Yes! It's the negitive harmany of the V7 chord. well technickly the negitive harmany of the V7 is the ii b7 b5, but its the same thing as the iv6 just with a diferent bass.

[@vib80]

Yep, it's just an inversion of iiø... half diminished chords are a colourful lot. Often seen smoothing gaps in things like line clichés, but sometimes they get to shine on their own.

[@richatlarge462]

Yes, I agree. I sometimes have done that, and that chord is Cm6 (using the example of the first chord being G). Or instead I play the sixth note (in this case the A note) as the bass to the Cm chord, and the Cm/A is almost but not quite an Adim chord, plus the g note still on top. Very haunting.

[@Omii_3000]

@@richatlarge462 yes! It's called an A half diminished 7 or Aø

[@Wampert]

For anyone intrested, the I->III is considered heavily a "Space cadence" or part of the "God Chords" that psund epic, and also de IV->iv is the strongest way to make something sad, so the combination of I III IV iv make is epicly sad, and the use of IIIsus4->III its interpreted as a floaty sound, so i think if you combine all of this elements the results are just amazing!

[@skyhr]

Do you mean I -> III? Not II?

[@Wampert]

@@skyhr yess it was a typo thank you!

[@Grumplefut]

That outro you played was beautiful. Thanks for the lesson!

[@lbentforleather9654]

I've always associates this chord progression with nostalgia and stuff like that - although it doesn't have the same progression, The Beatles' In My Life also uses the IV chord and changes it to minor at the end, which I always thought sounded fairly sad and depressing

[@toddpacker4683]

I love the Beatles use of the minor fourth chord, nowhere man, she loves you, I’m so tired, bungalow bill, L.S.D., in my life, and lots more all use it at some point

[@jj9749]

Half of the Beatles songs use IV iv

[@paulmcgrath6118]

Lana del Rey and Pete Doherty use it often too

[@AutPen38]

I was tickled by the mention of the Ink Spots as early pioneers of the "Creep chord progression", since Ella Fitzgerald sang with them and she also did the definitive version of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye", which contains the deliciously meloncholic line "How strange the change from major to minor" over a chord that changes from major to minor.

[@Atlas65]

This characteristics was really common in 50's music. After all In my Life always gave me a 50's vibe, that song is obviously inspired by American 50's music. Like many of the of the Beatles songs were. And this major to minor change on the same chord. Or to jump straight to a minor chord where it it would be more typical to put a major chord, according to music theory. like in Sleepwalk, is very 50's pop music style. Therefore this major to minor on the same chord in Creep always gave me a 50's feel. So there is no wonder you associate this chord progression to nostalgia.

[@martinedwards2004]

Another famous song that comes close to this progression is Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay. It uses I, III, IV, II. It’s interesting to see what voice leading the II chord gives versus the iv.

[@Raidoven]

Your explanation of how the chord progression of creep breaks from the norm, therefore producing tension, is like the musical equivalent of jelking. Brilliant.

[@thecutmusic1]

It's nice to throw this progression into a bridge of a song when composing. the melodic harmonies you can create with this progression are so beautifully melodramatic.

[@yotadisigma]

I had been saying "Why does this chord progression sound somewhat familiar?" Then he put the Steven Universe opening and I inmediately landed.

[@victorwilburn8588]

The Creep chord progression is just about the most efficient study in how to introduce chord substitution and the flatted 6th that I can think of. It may repeat through the whole song, but it works because it is so damned effective and efficient (well, and because the lyrics and performances are great, and it varies dynamics very well).

[@enlightenedjohnson]

Thank you David! I am new to music theory and you have made me come back over and over again to continually learn more from you!

[@paulnoupier665]

I've discovered your channel this series of videos not long ago and the explanations are very thorough and neat! Thanks for that!

[@helminenjuha]

This episode made me feel like the theory and how we react to music by instinct are not at all so far away from each other. Like.. I've known this all along, if I skip processing, it's all within us. Superb video!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you! 😊 if theory didn’t at least in part help understand why music makes us feel the way it does then it wouldn’t be very useful!

[@andrewlowden322]

wow, that bit starting at 13:31 is so straightforward and easy. you are a BRILLIANT teacher David! Thank you! Also, the cat at the end!

[@axshman6914]

I love you man, It’s been days since I’ve felt any sort of satisfaction and relaxation and your video brought me that so thank you🙏🏼

[@SynbaddYT]

Magic city is definitely my favorite use for this progression. Great video as always!

[@gabe_s_videos]

I'm glad you mentioned the Steven Universe theme song. I always think of Creep when I play that one.

[@rayne6240]

it crushed my soul with anticipation to hear some of my favourite songs be cut off right before the best bits lol

[@andyshtroymish4997]

Boy, You made me understand flat/sharp naming in THREE MINUTES! Something I've failed to cath onto for quite a few years now... Huge thanks my man!

[@chrissachs7713]

OMG, I absolutely love your improvisation on the creep chord progression at the end. It randomly reminds of Yann Tiersen's "Comptine d'un autre été : L'Après-Midi", from the Amélie soundtrack. I love that style of piano music, but I don't know what it is about it that I like, or what to even call that style of music. One of the most satisfying things about your videos is getting that insight into what leads a musician to a particular place; that there's more to it than just stumbling onto something that sounds good. I would love to know what you were doing, in your mind, at the end there. Thanks for all the great videos. I've learned so much from you.

[@sidthesloth12]

Really not surprised the Pixies made it on this list...for how few people know of their music they really were huge in influencing a lot of bands during the 90s and 00s.

[@Ducky-oz8fb]

I wish I knew of this channel when I had music as a creative class back in school. Your method of teaching is infinitely better than my teacher, just watching this alone makes me feel as if I learned more here than throughout that entire course. Thank you. :)

[@jeremyduval3472]

So glad youtube recommended this to me! You're very good at explaining things, and very good at piano of course. Instant subscribe, excited to learn some more music theory!

[@axeldorman262]

Immediately recognized the chord progression as something that was used within an Alex Turner-related song. Absolute banger that song is

[@Skootavision]

With Lana Del Ray, one thing I recall from my IP module at Uni was that you can't steal something if it was already stolen, hence the (example) defence "the defendant DID steal this song but not from you, from Jerry Pinklewinkle in his 1936 recording 'Im a creepy wierdo'" . Could Radiohead sue if they have accepted they 'borrowed' from 'The Air That I Breathe'?

[@Atlas65]

do you know what is similar to the Del Rey Song and Creep. If you do. You wouldn't say this. Because the melody in Del Rey's verse is the same melody as in the chorus in Creep. So no. Del Rey is not stealing what Radiohead were accused of stealing. Del Rey is stealing, what is completely original by Radiohead. - The melody which Radiohead were accused of stealing is the melody which Thom belts out in the middle 8 of Creep. That same melody is sung in the verse of Air that I Breath by the Hollies. And that melody is nowhere to be found in Del Rey's song. So this defence that you can not steal something if it was already stolen does not work here at all.

[@Skootavision]

@@Atlas65 Flippin heck - she even pinched the vocal ornaments! Just watched some versions - apologies, I completely agree.

[@GailIllich]

Thank you so much! I’ve been trying to learn this song and was really confused by the chord progression. They sounded great, but I was stuck thinking the chords should come from the same key most of the time. I realize that I really don’t know much about music theory!! I love your improvisation at the end, it reminded me to stop, listen ,and enjoy!!

[@carlybun231]

Your explanation of why we say a flat or a sharp just clicked into place a question I've had for so long I forgot I had it. Thank you so much for these videos, I've been learning more about music theory watching you than I did in four years of choir

[@stevenreed7380]

I'm so happy that the brobecks was on that list, they're such a great and underrated band

[@sloanc8517]

hey nice

[@damonnomad3846]

The explanation of enharmonic naming conventions at 13:30 is the clearest I’ve ever seen on KZbin! Great!

[@Altersentia]

As an amateur guitarist slowly learning music, that tidbit about whether a note should be called sharp or flat was extremely insightful to me and makes SO MUCH sense. Thank you for what you do, keep it up!

[@hydra09minecrafteer]

Albert Hammond wrote “The Air That I Breathe,” which uses the exact chord progression years prior to the Hollies covering it and/or Radiohead writing Creep

[@randyk1919]

Yes! Creep also pales in comparison as a song. "The Air That I Breathe" is a masterpiece of pop songwriting.

[@squidsbizarreadventure]

Yes, it is discussed 5 minutes into the video, if anyone cares to watch it

[@humanbean4037]

@@randyk1919and yet so many more people know about creep. The genius of creep is in its simplicity

[@LSSTmusic]

@@squidsbizarreadventure can't have that, people in the comments have to show how smart they are so everyone knows lmao

[@InventorZahran]

I've always known this chord sequence as "the Space Oddity progression".

[@LarchenkoTF]

Thought i was the only one who clearly sees Creep as a nod towards David Bowie's masterpiece. It just couldn't have been inspired mostly by anything other than that imho.

[@blinkerz4676]

@@LarchenkoTF no. you thought the entirety of Creep was just a nod by radiohead to f*ckin bowies major tom? come on bro the hollies song so clearly played much more of a role than Space Oddity

[@LarchenkoTF]

@@blinkerz4676 i know man, it's a total rip-off from The Hollies + the Bowie progression in the chorus. Bands from 90's often used a few songs of old to compile something new. There's nothing to prove to me here..:) They all still do that...

[@nielssymons5169]

Bruh i just got a midroll ad with David on this video with David. He is taking over youtube lmao

[@iain-duncan]

It's amazing how much this imparts a specific tone into your song, and also how much that tone can be accentuated by both the notes and the subject matter, taking a tune that is reminiscent to the core in a direction of either happy or sad memories

[@williamgoree9259]

Part of what makes this chord progression so memorable to me is the bold I - III change in the beginning. I associate it with Neutral Milk Hotel's "Two-Headed Boy," which has the same huge I - III shift - and is also in G!

[@allijnera]

Skeleton Appreciation Day- Will Wood I was always told that the major III was the "soul chord" and had its roots in a lot of southern jazz, so it makes sense Will would use a chord progression like this with such a jazzy-inspired sound

[@LeonBerrange]

I just love this progression. If I just sit and noodle on the piano it always pops in at some point!

[@oreanthgaming1260]

I’ve been a big fan of the Brobecks and the fact you found that and used it as a reference made me very happy

[@JH-xp9vn]

Oh my god, I used to watch your videos over a decade ago when I was like 12. You've made it! Nice to see you again Dave. I remember you had an original song about trains and a Dan Le Sac cover. I probably still have the ripped mp3s somewhere.

[@althealligator1467]

The chorus of As the World Caves In uses the Creep progression, except it starts on the IV chord, so instead of being I-III-IV-iv, it's IV-iv-I-III.

[@Forevopera]

This chord progression is used in two songs by Will Wood, "Skeleton Appreciation Day" and "Love, Me Normally"

[@batsinthebelfry_]

love me normally is I - III - vi - IV

[@aembattledturtle8562]

I’ve recently been teaching myself theory, and this video helped me finally understand how a chord related to the key. It was such an amazing discovery I shouted Oh out loud, thank you

[@RasiRon]

These chord, progression discussions are extremely useful and very clearly done

[@lowriogilvie6665]

Quite a few songs on Razzmatazz by I Don’t Know How But a they Found Me use this progression, it almost defines the sound of the album it’s in so many tracks

[@rorywilliams8187]

Nobody Likes The Opening Band, From The Gallows, I’m sure there’s at least one more that I’m missing?

[@OuaisAmelie]

Better than me by the brobecks is mentioned at 3:04!!! The brobecks was Dallon weekes’ band before IDKHOW so it seems like he’s been using it for a while :)

[@TheGreschler]

Always a great lesson about music. Thank you David!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thanks David 😃

[@bubba452]

This video showed me the "The Air That I Breathe". THANK YOU!!

[@jacksonkisling1684]

Fascinating analysis. This makes me want to try and construct a Creep/Space Oddity mashup.

[@schmohawk777]

Such a distinctive chord progression, doesn’t matter what key it’s played in, I just hear Radiohead. Great video :)

[@MaxRamos8]

Maybe in non-equal temperament it would be more interesting

[@defnotnaruto222]

I just hear steven universe :(

[@andym2612]

Thank you dude. Your explanation about Secondary Parallel Chords/Secondary Dominants has confirmed that I am still able to absorb new information on music theory at 47 years old and playing for 32 of them. I had made the educated guess that the III chord was actually a V/vii your confirmation was a relief that I wasn't misinterpreting it all.

[@Rie_Bot]

i love this chord progression apparently. i love all the songs that use it and i didnt even realise.

[@mariafloyd4879]

I don't know if what he was playing at the end was a song that's been made already, but I do know that that was my favorite thing ever. That was absolutely sublime and I now need that to be playing for me always.

[@sharpeningtheaxe]

How is it it possible that you uploaded this a day after I started making a playlist of songs that use this chord progression? Get out of my head! I only had a few that you didn’t mention: Jerome- Lizzo I Kissed Someone (It Wasn’t You)- dodie Tightrope- Electric Light Orchestra For the Movies- Buckcherry Red Swan- Yoshiki (Attack on Titan theme)

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😂😅😊

[@LaneGreene]

Yeah I saw Lizzo last year, heard "Jerome", thought "that's a great progression; someone should do it slow with some crunchy guitar", went home, tried it and realized it was "Creep"...

[@sharpeningtheaxe]

@@LaneGreene LOL

[@richatlarge462]

@@DavidBennettPiano Wow, I haven't thought about "Tightrope" in four decades. That was (is) a great song!

[@fluffycat5403]

That’s why red swan is so emotional to me!!!! Omg 😭

[@t.p6791]

Hayoooo, your improvisation was particularly insane this time, I loved it, the melody you managed to create really touched me :))

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you 😊

[@ARomashchenko]

very satisfying that you talked about voicing in detail

[@mas1n5]

I WAS LOOKING FOR A VIDEO LIKE THIS THANK U

[@paul-emileboulet5072]

Thanks for this very instructive video! I especially enjoyed your earliest example! I found another song which has almost the same progression as Creep, but in C instead of in G. In the middle of Happier Than Ever, Billie Eilish briefly uses the following chord sequence: C - E7 - Am - F - Fm. So if you remove the Am, you have the same progression.

[@pXnTilde]

The singer of Goodbye Moonmen, Jemaine Clement, played Bowie on and episode his TV show Flight of the Concords (a fictionalized version of the lives of the duo he was a member of, also called the Flight of the Concords) 100% intentionally styled after it.

[@brucetownsend691]

Thank you so much for the very clear explanations. At last I am starting to understand the grammar of music and how music theory interfaces with music as I experience it.

[@inwen8258]

For someone learning on their own your videos are such a great resource. I picked up guitar during covid19 in order to remain sane. At some point I discovered music theory and it helps immensely to understand what's going on on the fretboard. Thank you so much!

[@callumdoherty7204]

I’d love a video on the Happier than Ever chord progression (I, III, vi, IV) which is quite similar to Creep’s progression (using the secondary dominant) and features the same chromatic movement. This chord progression is one of my favourites and is all over the place!

[@thegothaunt]

This was so fascinating, even the lawsuit section! I loved the song examples you used as well, I knew and loved so many of them (and a new enjoyment of that Sweet Dreams, TN one!! I'll check it out) -- I just love the way you teach and expose people to music!

[@bassmaschine]

Love your Interpretation of the Song at the end

[@ianwickham8719]

Very nice playing at the end of the video!