Harmonic Analysis Worksheet
& Performance Notes Below

Analysis Worksheet Chords Melody Scales Performance Links

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown

Released: March 20, 1973

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown is an uptempo, strophic story song written by American folk rock singer Jim Croce. Released as part of his 1973 album Life and Times, the song was a No. 1 hit for him, spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1973. Billboard ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1973.

Croce was nominated for two 1973 Grammy Awards in the Pop Male Vocalist and Record of the Year categories for "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown". It was his only number-one single before his death on September 20 of that year. (wikiwand);

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown 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.

The Daily Ukulele — 365 Songs for Better Living • INDEX of Songs

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

INTERVALS: 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;

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

Harmonically an easy song. Simple thing 1 2 3 4 5 chords and major chord types, either seventh or major.

Scale-wise the G Pentatonic scale is a great, simple scale choice: G A B C E F G` .

G

G

A7

A7

I

II7

G:

A Mixolydian

B7

C

D7

G

III7

IV

V

I

B Mixolydian

The B7 is not a Secondary Dominant, just sneaking in through the backdoor to the IV chord, the C .

G

G

A7

A7

I

II7

A Mixolydian

B7

C

D7

G

III7

IV

V

I

B Mixolydian

Lines 3 and 4 are harmonically the same as lines 1 and 2. Just different lyrics in the Daily Ukulele book.

G

G

A7

A7

I

II7

A Mixolydian

To Coda

1., 2., 3.

B7

C

D7

G

III7

IV

V

I

B Mixolydian

Lines 5 and 6 are harmonically the same as lines 1 and 2 as well as 3 and 4. Just different lyrics in the Daily Ukulele book.

As the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd endings are harmonically the same I combined them here.

Remember these Harmonic Analysis (RMA) Worksheets are not a leadsheet. Simply an analysis of the harmonic content, the chords with a bit of the roadmap as in the Daily Ukulele book.

G

G

A7

A7

I

II7

A Mixolydian

D.S. al Coda

B7

C

D7

G

III7

IV

V

I

B Mixolydian

Coda

G

B7

C

D7

G

I

III7

IV

V

I

B Mixolydian

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, fines, D.S., D.C., and codas has been used in preparing the worksheets to somewhat mirror the leadsheet in the Daily Ukulele book.

The worksheets will show 1st, 2nd Ending, turnbacks, etc. as in indicated 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 the these 1st and 2nd endings in the original Yellow Book leadsheet recommended chord(s) will 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.

• Bad, Bad Leroy Brown is in 4/4, Common Time and the Key of G .

Harmonic Principles Used:

These are the harmonic principles used in Bad, Bad Leroy Brown.

• Full Diatonic
• Partial Diatonic • Full Diatonic includes Secondary Dominant chords

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 convert the Roman Numerals above to Arabic number.

At its simplest you simply replace the roman numbers with aberic 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).

When you run the Numbers, it actually is somewhat easy to remember a lot of songs — in any key. Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown just goes op the harmonized scale of the major key of the song. The second and third chords are Seventh chords and the V chord is a Seventh chord.

NOTE: This will give you an idea of just what the Nashville Number System is — basically a Harmonic Analysis (HA/RMA) using Arabic numbers vs. traditional Roman Numerals with a specific goal of creating a shorthand roadmap of a song that can be performed in ANY key. The main reason it was created in the first place, in Nashville studios to save time and money and not have to rewrite a chart for a singer in a different key that the original chart.

Here is a good overview of the The Nashville Number System Demystified by Dave Martin ( July 8, 2022 ) . Bottom line is you need to know your music theory and how chords work.

Check the definitive book Nashville Number System

Once a Harmonic Analysis has been completed then scale selections can be made. These scale selections can be either vertical and 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), 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

Checkout LESSONSeries : 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.

Bad, Bad Leroy Brown is harmonically lines 1 and 2 for the whole song.

Intro

Seven measures of the I chord, G with the Rockin' Fifths Strumming Pattern and then the V chord, D7

On the original recording the intro is performed on piano with a boogie-woogie, rock feel. Using the Rockin' Fifths Strumming Pattern below.

Strumming

Ukulele players always ask What strumming pattern do I do?. For this song the Rocking Fifths strumming pattern sticks close to the original feel of the song.

Rockin' Fifths

Rocking Fifths is where you would rock between the fifth and the sixth of the chords. The fifth on beats one and 3 and the sixth on beats two and four.

Intro

Accompaniment

Original temp approx. 148 bpm. Same changes for Verse and Chorus. High or Low G, C Tuning.

Audio (MIDI) from MuseScore of above.

Low "G", C Tuning Alternate Version Last Two Measures

The Bass walks down, descends to scale starting on the Root of the V chord and down to the Root os the I chord. In the Yallow Book keys is is: D C B A to G .

Low G, C Tuning Alternate Version

• (wikiwand) Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
• (wikiwand); Bad, Bad Leroy Brown
• Jim Croce: Bad, Bad Leroy Brown •