This Muse song changes key 14 times!

[@MrMMoore08]

Fun fact...take a bow ends in B which is then the key of Starlight which is the next song on the album. That song ends on a B major chord, the dominant of Eminor, which gives a perfect cadence into the next song, Supermassive Blackhole. And that is why you should listen to albums in order

[@StrikeEagle14]

In addition the fact that Take A Bow ends on C#11/B which then resolves to the B at the start of Starlight 🔥 take a Bow was initially meant to be the last song on the album but because of the smooth key transitions between the songs it was put first on the album

[@blushandsky]

that is FASCINATING. i’m a fan of muse for years but i never understood why it “fits” for me when i listen to them. never got any music education and i don’t really hear/understand the theory. but their music listened in order is an entire experience. 🙈 is it a common thing that artists do? composing the songs that last chord of one is the opening (?) chord of the next one? i rarely find albums that give me a feeling like the songs fit together that way.

[@ace-smith]

@@blushandsky the reason why you like muse is not the music theory behind their song changes, but track sequencing and the flow of an album is definitely an art that can be hard to master. you should get into concept albums, they'll give you a lot of that feeling

[@blushandsky]

@@ace-smith thank you! and that is what i meant, i don‘t understand the theory but it‘s the flow and a feeling that it works well 👌🏻

[@2255223388]

Fun fact: They wrote the album in order

[@mcwithduo]

This is what makes it such a good opening track. It’s like it lifts you into the album with each change.

[@jyotektosgaimur]

it's also cool how it ends in B major, which is the key for Starlight

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@jyotektosgaimur yeah I still love that transition, if you've got gapless playback on your player

[@mcwithduo]

@@jyotektosgaimur Yea thats cus it fades right into starlight lol. The fuzz drops into the starlight beat intentionally.

[@GregWhiteley]

They missed a trick at the HAARP/Wembley DVD gig by closing with Take a Bow. Thankfully by the time they got to Aus they opened with it. Right on the transition where the guitar finally opens up my hair still stands on end every time, as it did then. Awesome live performers.

[@mcwithduo]

@@GregWhiteley fr, their live performances are stunning to watch, I can't even imagine going to one live (I'll manage it someday)

[@thelanavishnuorchestra]

I knew which song you were talking about instantly. I bought a car from a person 15 years ago. As I drove off, I saw there was a CD in poking out of the player. So I popped it in and Take A Bow started playing. I hadn't heard Muse before and was an instant fan.

[@PinkFloydMuser]

That is an INCREDIBLE way to discover them!

[@lordthicknipples-gt2oq]

Lucky you, all I got in my car was a Disturbed CD and it was scratched to shit

[@atriyakoller136]

My discovery was kinda similar, I was on a bus from music school and a song started playing on the radio. It was early 2004. I didn't pay close attention until I almost needed to leave the bus - and then the melody hit me. I didn't remember the specific melody (perfect pitch but terrible memory 😅😅) but somewhat remembered it. Didn't know who played it but I loved it. Heard Starlight and Supermassive Black Hole on some music channels a few years later, but somehow disliked them, especially Starlight. "Is this what rock music is now?" (Yeah, angsty edgy teenage girl) in 2008, I watched Twilight. I heard the song that played during the baseball game. Downloaded the soundtrack and deliberately skipped the muse song. Oh silly me, it was the song that I was looking for - and I was shocked, because it sounded nothing like what I remembered from seeing the music video in passing. And thus, a fan was born. Then I decided to download another album, which was Absolution. Went to listen, and when Hysteria came on, it clicked as the very song I'd heard 4 years prior on the radio. Oh boy, I was happy to find it. And in 2009, when The Resistance came out, I became a fully fledged fan

[@shazna90]

this is Danny Elfman composing style

[@willrobins]

One of Muse's finest songs and probably their best opening track! Absolutely love it!!!

[@MaquiladoraIII]

New Born: exists

[@AtomizedSound]

@@MaquiladoraIIIbut not better

[@toxa35]

@@AtomizedSound Better Take a bow is great tho still

[@AtomizedSound]

@@toxa35 not better but Take A Bow is a banger

[@Antimonuu]

It's always a great day when david talks about muse

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😊😊

[@iancuello4137]

​​We can say the song is made on the harmonic major scale. It uses the major scale notes but with the bVI degree. That's why the 4th degree is minor and the VI b.Those are chords that belongs to the major armonic scale (bVI+, minor iv)@@DavidBennettPiano

[@etienneporras7252]

"Take a Bow" is a song about being pulled along as a victim by forces you have no control over. Muse progressing through the circle of fifths gives you the feeling of "pull", of being dragged step by agonizing step through life. And you feel *comforted* by that pull.

[@taradresbach4684]

OMG, this song! It being a Circle of Fifths song makes so much sense. It really adds to it's huge, theatrical, epic feel. Plus, it's just beautiful with a rolling rhythm. I have to go listen to it now.

[@petertrudelljr]

I love how the key chages keep lifting the tension higher and higher until its final release.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😀

[@gregorystace8176]

Thanks!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thank you!!

[@tlagudtjq]

Take A Bow is one of my favorite Muse songs! I’m so glad that you made the video about it XD

[@MaquiladoraIII]

Definitely captures the mood of the time, too. I guess it's about Bush and Blair, in a roundabout way.

[@mateusbmedeiros]

Same!

[@JeffScottKing]

I got into this album through an ex-boyfriend who absolutely adored it. I remember being stunned when I first heard this song with him, the way it was constantly changing keys put me in a headspin that kind of bewildered me at first. But then I heard it more and more through him, and realized its constant shifts were what made it such a thoroughly excellent piece of music, especially with Matt Bellamy's amazing voice topping it all. I'm still thankful for my ex-BF introducing me to this one-of-a-kind band -- Black Holes and Revelations was my introduction to them and is arguably their definitive record.

[@lugnut59]

I absolutely agree, I love many of the surrounding albums as much as the next guy but Black Holes and Revelations feels like the perfect centerpiece to their discography and maybe one of the most thorough concept albums ever, right next to Absolution in my opinion

[@some_random_guy_mk2]

​@@lugnut59New Born for me literally sold Muse for life. But so many epic ones. 🥰

[@ElBenjadoYT]

DID YOU SAY MUSE???

[@valentinamusic92]

🎉 FINALLY ❤😊

[@nomnom112]

He misspelled Radiohead

[@TrrsnSmrg]

Comment of the month🎉🎉😂😂😅😅​@@nomnom112

[@Sotang10]

Just no ​@@nomnom112

[@Scorpey]

No, you misheard

[@katl8825]

bizarrely, I discovered Muse because Zedd did a piece in collaboration in his latest album... I was stunned by Matt Bellamy's vocals and am currently spending my commutes going through their discography on Spotify.

[@MarcoPerez-kb4oj]

Huge

[@natlara758]

I audibly said "TAKE A BOW" when i saw the title of the video. I used to nerd out on that album so hard 😭

[@DavidBennettPiano]

❤

[@gikem4882]

How lucky I am that you posted this video as I was spending my Sunday trying to figure out ways to teach my music theory class about the circle of fifths this week

[@atriyakoller136]

I now want to attend your class 😂 if only we were taught by someone who wouldn't shy away from modern music, I might've retained way more from my music school years - even though I love classical music too

[@astrosoup]

So glad muse is get recognized for their mastery of composition.

[@RaccoonHenry]

I finally understand how it works! I never quite got it but now that I'm finally studying music properly, it suddenly makes sense!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Great 😊

[@lewthedrummer]

This song is the definition of EPIC. Great tune.

[@stephenharwood381]

This track BLEW MY MIND when I was just getting into music/Muse

[@DerHerrMitR]

Holy hell that took me right back. I'm 40, and when BHAR came out and it opened with this...I had sooo many goosebumps!!! It's my favorite Muse record, always will be. Starlight was my wedding song.

[@martinrosschou]

I always liked this song, never realized "what was going on", until now

[@gabelee417]

My mom and dad owned a Black Holes and Revelations CD, and we had a thing where they'd play a CD from our collection on particularly long road trips. On one of these trips, my mom threw in Black Holes and Revelations. As soon as this song played, I was blown away. Up to that point, I had only been listening to traditional rock that played on the radio stations, or that my parents would play. Stuff like Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, etc. Four year old had literally never heard a song like that in my life. If I were being dramatic, I'd probably say it changed my life. But it didn't. It just put me in awe of the things you can do with music.

[@hannaha1474]

“What key is it in” “Yes”

[@AtomizedSound]

Neapolitan lol

[@Detached_Jam_18]

Yeah sry the A and E machines are broken

[@kj_09]

So... Npolitn then?

[@felixoum7901]

It is known (because of the piano being his first instrument he learnt) that Matt writes most of his riffs on the piano first. Then transpose them wherever he feels it belongs which makes him (and Chris and Dom) musical geniuses. And you can actually see many early live performances of Take a Bow played live in 2004 on the... piano!

[@IncrediBILL]

Great vid!!! Take a bow's always been one of my favourite muse songs, im gonna have to listen to the rest of the album again now haha

[@Garrielx]

Finally a video on this song!!! I've been waiting so long for this!

[@Muse36]

Thank you, now I must listen to the whole record.

[@paulanderson9650]

Me too! This album had this magical way of making miles disappear behind the wheel.

[@Muse36]

@@paulanderson9650 fr

[@sVieira151]

I always loved this tune. Nobody around me seemed to appreciate it that much but it was always one of my favourites.

[@HofTheStage]

A perfect video man, love me some Muse, and this one was a real treat.

[@zapzapfishes5878]

This thing with cycling downwards, then upwards and downwards again through the circle of 5ths is pure bonkers, and that's not even considering the altered key to get the aug-chord in there also. Reminds me what made me fall in love with these albums of theirs a long time ago

[@Lix_Skywalker]

such a good and underrated song

[@LotsOfZs]

Great visualization, thank you! This song to me encapsulates a lot of what makes Muse great; such a strong opener to such a strong album

[@matteonatoligirino5788]

Glad to see this song finally getting some recognition! And I know you've mentioned it before but I think Space Dementia off their previous album also deserves its own analysis video, the Rachmaninoff-inspired harmonies on that one are insane 🤯

[@Benjamin-om3ih]

Take a bow is incredible. Ive always though its like Queen, RATM, and Radiohead all perfectly combined into one

[@camillereadss]

one could say muse is a combination of the three

[@Bilge-ko5qp]

I knew it was going to be Take A Bow lol - Muse are geniuses 💙 Thank you for this wonderful, educational video David! It truly means a lot to me ❤

[@gustavoibarracarrizalez]

I haven't seen the video or read the comments and I know exactly what the song is: Take a Bow 🏹❤ I'm glad you made a video talking about this amazing song 🎉

[@tmrogers87]

This song is great. Saw them do it live in St. Louis at a small venue in 2006. What an experience

[@maryfreegirl2029]

omg i dropped everything i love this album!!!!

[@Heightsomethinghuman]

MUSE Take a Bow is such an epic song - cinematic really. I can’t stand still when I hear it I get so pumped!

[@nulakiustha]

I love this song, the chords , the continuous modulations and the lyrics. Happy to see someone made analysis of its harmony ❤

[@DarkSideofSynth]

- OK, guys, I'll play along, what key are we in? - It's complicated...

[@esmockingjay9730]

I listened to your new EP and it was just beautiful. I love the piano work and the singers were great. Well done. ❤️

[@DavidBennettPiano]

@@esmockingjay9730 thank you!!

[@BK-lx5mo]

More Muse. Great examples of chord progressions, key changes, arpeggios… I’m examining “Time is Running Out” at the moment.

[@rdvgrd6]

Knights of cydonia from that album also changes keys quite a lot

[@Mejoree113]

Think it's just 3 times, starting in Em, going up a major 3rd each time, ending back on Em after the 3rd 'verse'. Kinda interesting how the album starts and ends with a track that uses cyclical key changes though.

[@pankas87]

Amazing analysis of an incredible song. Learning how to modulate to closely related keys surely is giving me a lot of ideas for my music, thanks

[@mhoppy6639]

Giant steps used circle of fifths but in a totally different way so you couldn’t get more contrasting but effective ways that Coltrane / muse display. Very satisfying.

[@NeonRadarMusic]

Hot take but this one of the greatest songs ever written, in my opinion. And one of the greatest openers, for sure. Matt Bellamy is a genius. This was also the song that proved to me that Muse weren't the Radiohead ripoff their haters claimed they were, and this album and the HAARP concert made me a fan.

[@boomerbear7596]

Nice video David! The observation about the neighboring keys in the circle of fifths having only one note different made me realize that the augmented chords are also one note different from both the I chord and the IV chord (which becomes the I in a key a fourth away). This must be why they work so well.

[@yautjan6063]

I love this song, I'm so stoked to see you analyze it in detail!

[@kjdjdhgdhsj8859]

YEEESS!!! One of my favourite songs, from my favourite band. I'm going to watch this video a lot of times

[@pequalsa]

Can't believe this album is nearly 2 decades old now... it was the first Muse album I was waiting to be released, after getting into them shortly after Absolution was released. My brother in law and I were sitting in my home recording studio at the time, watching music videos on Yahoo videos of all things, and "Time is Running Out" came on

[@EB-bl6cc]

My favorite song off that album actually. Initially you tend to go with some of the other ones but over time this one really comes to life. Way better than the singles they chose

[@aldeayeah]

Knights of Cydonia is the kind of maximalistic Muse nonsense we know and love.

[@tylerhackner9731]

That’s why this is such a good opening track

[@AtomizedSound]

This song is fun to play. Hell of an opener in any show

[@NightwalkReal]

Great breakdown as always!

[@EmmaCarinaG]

I love this song (and the whole album in fact!) Such a brilliant opener 😁

[@slash196]

Black Holes and Revelations is the album where muse both found and perfected the "sound" that is truly, unambiguously theirs. Every album afterwards is sort of an attempt to do that same thing again, maybe why none of the others have really landed the same way (with me at least).

[@nerea4327]

This song makes me feel so tense, and now I know why!

[@gunshins]

I love your videos so much! They got me into learning music theory

[@DavidBennettPiano]

That's awesome!

[@Victorcolongarcia]

I remember the 1st listen. I dont know music but could guess everything (except the outro and arrangements). Everything made sense and you just explained why. Thanks

[@Victorcolongarcia]

The last note made me laugh so hard. Still does. A complete WTF

[@astropan]

This song, together with the Exogenesis Symphony, where the ones that awakened me to the fact the The Muse are not just another 00's radio pop/rock band, but the greatest post 90's band ever!! Sadly their inspiration didn't last into the 2010's...

[@antarius46]

I know almost nothing about music theory, but I always find it fascinating how it steers the emotions felt while listening to these tracks. Great stuff!

[@Chico50445]

As a huge Muse fan who follows your channel, I saw this and thought it might either be this song, or Knights, but I think Knights only has 2 key changes, at the end of the intro, the first verse, and the rest is in Em I think. I had no idea this song travels through the circle of fifths. That's amazing.

[@Dlweta57]

Wow. First time hearing this song , its very ' busy' , love this technical break down ... Thank you

[@epicanova]

Brilliant video! I was waiting for this one. Also the final B chord transitions into Starlight, which is also in B.

[@gregorystace8176]

Absolutely brilliant breakdown. I always share your videos and this is exactly why. So well narrated and explained 👍🏻

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rockinmuse]

Big fan of Muse and this song! It always reminded me of Ravel’s Bolero.

[@Chris-hg8cw]

Awesome video!!! There's another KZbin video of this song with tonnetz representation that is mind blowing too 🤯 but both are great 👏 thanks

[@ff_crafter]

video about MUSE lets goooo!!!!

[@abxorb]

I remember this song coming out, and now this song is old enough to vote in most countries. I feel old. 👴🏻

[@timhiker5512]

Thanks for explaining the key changes in this song.

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😀😀😀

[@kamik7372]

One of the best tracks off of that album, probably my personal fav

[@TheOwensillars]

Muse in 2006 foreshadowing the next 20 years with that interview

[@tommacpherson5852]

Great video. Love it when you breakdown Muse songs!

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Glad you liked it!

[@tommacpherson5852]

@@DavidBennettPiano *Loved it! Would love to see a ranking of your favourite Muse songs, with your favourite musical moment of each track, if you ever delve into that kind of content :)

[@ace.of.space.]

i love that song so much - was great to hear live

[@donnywiggins3929]

Please do more Muse!

[@roan9914]

One of my favorite songs

[@tommytam100]

Thanks for doing Take a bow job

[@buzzsmith8146]

Wow. Thanks, David.

[@gicknardner]

this album is almost two decades old now...

[@BanksHoliday]

As soon as I saw key change 14 times I knew it was Take a Bow. Such a majestic song!

[@cdprince768]

My favorite thing about this song is that it sounds nothing like Radiohead.

[@dougwells4358]

Radiohead sucks, Muse is way better

[@thepenguin9807]

I personally would disagree, both are amazing! Different sounds tbh

[@mdogg094]

@@dougwells4358lmao why does it HAVE to be a competition?

[@kbreslin7289]

​​@@mdogg094 Yeah, it's not like they both lost a bit of rock cred on those Twilight movies.😂

[@mateusbmedeiros]

The majority of Muse's songs sounds nothing like Radiohead.

[@nedim_guitar]

This is sick!

[@zachary963]

I saw the thumbnail for a tenth of a second and I heard the song in my head

[@DavidBennettPiano]

😊😊

[@catalinaalvarez8474]

Incredible!! The genius of Muse 💥

[@ceilingfansclocksminecraft1226]

That is very interesting! I might try that album out at some point.

[@parrisworld7837]

You are the best David!!!

[@KremBotop]

The best thing about TaB is how it can perfectly work as both an opener and closing song on gigs, as seen in the BHaR tour when it frequently alternated positions with KoC. And it kept being played in its original key up until 2017 I think, only starting getting downpitched for the Simulation Theory tour. Considering how a few major songs got that treatment immediately (like Madness) or very shortly after release (like Sing for Absolution), it's fairly impressive. Anyway, hopefully we get a remixed BHaR reissue with better mixing and plenty of rarities in 2026 for the 20th anniversary, just like the previous two records. I think it's the one thats needs it the most.

[@andersjjensen]

It's not that moving freely around the circle of fifths is easier to understand on a piano than on a guitar... it's that on a piano you won't get into situations, where growing extra fingers in weird places or spraining your hand is required for a clean exit strategy.

[@eurodara]

except Matt plays piano

[@theteacupbunny632]

Muse is one of my favorite bands because they're just so brilliant!!! Could you do some analyses on Sleep Token's music? You explain things so well and Vessel is a brilliant musician so it would be nice to have the things he does explained as well as you do it

[@StainlessHelena]

Great opening track to imho their best album, just banger after banger! It will always hold a dear place in my once angsty teen heart and still does in my adult heart diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.

[@dyannetravel]

What a great way of explaining what the circle of 5ths is

[@DavidBennettPiano]

Thanks 😊

[@QuasarEE]

I wrote a tune that does this, a short choral sketch. It starts in the key of G and steps through the circle of fifths seven times, ending up in G-flat. I also have a part in another piece that's based on various modes of G, with most of the piece in G Phrygian. However one of the three cycles ends up stepping from G Dorian to G Aeolian and then back to the Phrygian, though at that point it's effectively acting as E-flat major instead. Same motion, adding a flat to the key sig each time. It then jumps to G major with a dominant to tonic progression. I'm quite fond of the device, especially when it's done in a subtle way that keeps the ear from really noticing anything changed at each step.

[@princesspiranha]

I love Take a Bow as the opening number of the album. When it released I bought the album. It was my favourite band back then, so a new Muse album was an instant buy. No need to listen to it in the record store or anything haha. So when I first put on this album at home, Take a Bow starts and BAM. So much impact!

[@evildrganymede]

I love that whole album, but I'm definitely going to have a new appreciation for Take A Bow next time I listen to it!

[@Aaa-pz6nh]

I already knew what song you were talking about before I knew it was Take A Bow, lol. Awesome song. It kinda reminds me of Mourning Mood by Greig with the key changes and b6 that shows up

[@soccerringettedad]

This is why I love Muse ❤

[@rubydoobyd00]

this would be so fun to play on accordion (accordion buttons are arranged in the circle of 5ths) this is the kinda song that'd be very easy to write on an accordion LOL

[@davidecardullo1779]

you should do a channel just to analyse the madness of matt bellamy

[@jason_samosa]

Great track