Published:
2024-01-05
Updated:
2024-01-05

Learning Ukulele with Curt

Everybody Loves Somebody

Harmonic Analysis (RMA) Worksheet for the song: "Everybody Loves Somebody".

Author(s): Curt Sheller Publisher: Curt Sheller Publications Code: ULHA-YB-78

Main Category: Harmonic-Analysis Main Instrument: Any

Subjects: Chords

2024-01-05

Everybody Loves Somebody

Harmonic Analysis (RMA) Worksheet for the song: "Everybody Loves Somebody".

Everybody Loves Somebody

Single by Dean Martin Released: June 1964

Everybody Loves Somebody is a song written in 1947 by Irving Taylor and pianist Ken Lane, and made famous by Dean Martin who recorded and released his version in 1964.

Although written almost 20 years earlier, by 1964 the song had already been recorded by several artists—including Frank Sinatra—but without much success. Lane was playing piano for Dean Martin on his Dream with Dean LP sessions, and with an hour or so of studio time left and one song short, Lane suggested that Martin take a run at his tune. Dean was agreeable, and the small combo of piano, guitar, drums, and bass performed a relatively quiet, laid-back version of the song (coincidentally, Martin had sung it almost 20 years earlier on Bob Hope's radio show in 1948, and also on Martin and Lewis's NBC radio program at about the same time). Almost immediately Martin re-recorded the song for his next album, this time with a full orchestra and chorus. His label, Reprise Records, was so enthusiastic about the hit potential of this version they titled the LP Everybody Loves Somebody to capitalize on it. wikiwand

Although still a major recording artist, Dean Martin had not had a top 40 hit since 1958. With the British Invasion ruling the U.S. charts, few had hopes that an Italian crooner who had been singing mainly standards for almost 20 years would sway many teenagers. Martin resented rock n' roll, and his attitude created conflict at home with his 12-year-old son Dean Paul Martin, who like many young people at the time worshipped pop groups like The Beatles. He told his son, "I'm gonna knock your pallies off the charts," and on August 15, 1964 he did just that: "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked The Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" off the No. 1 slot on Billboard, going straight up to the top of both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Pop-Standard Singles chart, the latter for eight weeks. wikiwand

Everybody Loves Somebody is in the The Daily Ukulele 365 Songs for Better Living book.

Strum a different song every day with easy arrangements of 365 of your favorite songs in one big songbook! The Daily Ukulele features ukulele arrangements with melody, lyrics and uke chord grids and are in ukulele-friendly keys that are particularly suited for groups of one to one hundred to play and sing.

Ukulele Chords

D D+ G B7 Em C A7 Fdim D7 Am Bm7 E7 Adim

These and many other chords are covered in the Learn A Chord A Day series of lessons.

C Tuning Chords

In the Daily Ukulele series of book the chords are actually listing in their order of appearance. And, are always the basic open position chords when possible.

Starting Melody Note and 1st Interval

  • Everybody Loves Somebody is in 4/4, Common Time and the Key of C . The most famous and Dean Martin's signature song is in the Key of Eb , Tempo: 119 bpm
  • Start on P% ↓ ↑ M6.
  • C Tuning, Low or High G

Intervals Legend: Root=note that begins a scale of the starting key; C is C, D is D, Am is A, Em is E, etc… m=minor; M=Major; P=Perfect; D=Diminished; A=Augmented. • is up/ascending; is down/descending;

Harmonic Analysis (HA) Worksheet

Visit the Harmonic Analysis for Scale and Chord Selection series of lessons for information on creating your own Harmonic Analysis Worksheet

D
D+
G
B7
Em
C
A7
I
I+
IV
II7
II
bVII7
V

C: D Ionian

B Mix-2-6

C Mix

1.

D Fdim
Em
A7
D
A7 :||
I
II
V
I
V

You can ignore single beat, chromatic approach chords for analysis.

2., 3.

Fine

A7
D
D7
Am
D7
V
I
I7
Vm
I7

A Dorian

G
D+
G
Bm7
IV
I+
IV
VI

D Whole Tone

D.C. (2nd ending) al Fine

E7
Em
Adim
Em
A7
II7
II
Vdim
II
V

A DIm

The Harmonic Analysis (HA)

A Harmonic Analysis (RMA/HA) and its worksheet are intended to show the function of the chords, the harmonic principles used, the keys and tonalities the song explores. And, can be used for scale selections and chord and scale substitutions.

NOTE: A Harmonic Analysis Worksheet is NOT intended to be a lead leadsheet. Minimal roadmap information such as repeats, fine, D.S., D.C., and codas has been used in preparing the worksheets to somewhat mirror the leadsheet in the Daily Ukulele book.

Sections, Verse, Chorus, 1st, 2nd Ending, turnbacks …

The worksheets will show 1st, 2nd Ending, turnbacks, etc. as indicated in the Yellow Book. You should start to recognize that 1st endings typically always return to a previous verse or an section. With a 2nd ending, a transition to a different part of the song, a or chorus. Harmonic Principles are used for these repeats and transitions.

If turnback chords are not indicated for these 1st and 2nd endings in the original Yellow Book leadsheet, recommended chord(s) will be indicated in parentheses or as an alternate harmony in Red . Typically the last measures or turnbacks will be a chord that resolves to and harmonically leads you to the next section or turning you back to the same section. Typically a V or direct substitution of that next chord.

Reference Key

This is the key of the source leadsheet.

  • Everybody Loves Somebody is in 4/4, Common Time and the Key of C . The most famous and Dean Martin's signature song is in the Key of Eb , Tempo: 119 bpm

Harmonic Principles Used:

These are the harmonic principles used in Everybody Loves Somebody.

Nashville Number System (NNS)

Nashville Numbering System always uses four bars/measures per line, no bar lines, and default is each number of the number of beats per bar/measure based on the time signature. If multiple chords in same bar then they are underlined. It can be as simple as converting the Roman Numerals above to Arabic numbers.

At its simplest you simply replace the roman numbers with Arabic numbers. e.g., I becomes 1 , II becomes 2 , etc. The only exception is the bVII7 chord becomes 7 as this borrowed chord from the Mixolydian tonality is so common and the VII (half-diminished seventh) in a major chord is so rare (actually never). And, you could go as far as saying all the modes are numbered: I II III IV V VI VII — just as in the major scale. So calling it a 7 is not that far out.

Check the definitive book Nashville Number System

Scale Selection

Once a Harmonic Analysis has been completed, scale selections can be made. These scale selections can be either vertical or horizontal choices. And, really, only needed if you are going to take a solo or embellish the melody with added notes.

Scale Abbreviation Legend

Traditional Scales: Maj: Major (Ionian), Nat Min: Natural Minor, Dim: Diminished, WT: Whole Tone, Har Min: Harmonic Minor

Contemporary Scales: Minor Pent: Minor Pentatonic, Pent: Major Pentatonic, Blues

Scale/Mode Names: Ion: Ionian (Major), Dor: Dorian (Minor), Phrygian: Phrygian, Lyd: Lydian, Mix: Mixolydian (Dominant), Aeol: Aeolian (Natural Minor), Loc: Locrian

Altered Scales: Mix+4: Mixolydian Plus 4 / Lydian Dominant, Mix-2-6: Mixolydian flat 2, flat 6

Checkout the Lesson Series: Harmonic Analysis for Scale and Chord Selection or download the Harmonic Analysis for Scale and Chord Selection book. And the QuickStart Series of Scale and Arpeggio books.

RMA book cover QS1UKES book cover

Performance Notes