Talk:Any Major Dude Will Tell You

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I would say that Any Major Dude Will Tell You, as written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagan, and as originally recorded by Steely Dan... is in A MAJOR. Definitely NOT a piece of music to be described by saying "the melody is in a minor key", as stated in the existing wikipedia article. You need to 'change your tune' on that statement! :-)

The melody may perhaps be theoretically analyzed to be major, minor, or pentatonic - IF (and only if) you take a very small snippet of melody out of the larger context of the work. Nevertheless, it is wholly incorrect to state that the melody is "in a minor key". The work is in A major. Like many fine pieces of music (that actually use more than just three, or even one chord), Any Major Dude Will Tell You has been thoughtfully composed using some very tasteful harmonic progressions. Its melody works appropriately within that framework.

Here is the harmonic progression:

INTRO (instrumental) | D | G | D | G |

VERSE (singing starts here) | A A/C# | D | A A/C# | G |

CHORUS | Bm7 Fm7 | Gm7#11 | Bm7 F#m7 | Gm7#11 | | Bm7 Bm/E AM7 | GM7 F#m7,11 B7 | A7 G9 | F#m7,11 | D G9 | which leads beautifully (and logically) to our TONIC KEY chord at the start of the...

INTERLUDE (instrumental) | A G | A G | A G | A G A | which, after another verse and chorus, leads to the...

BRIDGE which does some more nice stuff, leading beautifully and logically back to another verse material section (this time as instrumental), followed by another sung chorus section (with a bit of extended harmonic progression toward its tail end), leading to the OUTRO (which is like the INTERLUDE).

The work is most definitely in the key of A Major and its melody follows its harmonic progressions perfectly.

(My sources are my ears, 46 years of piano playing, and my music theory knowledge.)

Please, please... Don't thank me! You know?... Any major dude will tell you. ;-)

Thank you, Thomas Sicard Pianist 73.183.203.139 (talk) 10:03, 31 January 2018 (UTC) 73.183.203.139 (talk) 09:57, 31 January 2018 (UTC) 73.183.203.139 (talk) 19:58, 30 January 2018 (UTC)[reply]