Ticket 68: Use The Root b7 6 b6 Progression

This idea can be started from a major tonic chord (Dear Prudence) or minor (While My Guitar Gently weeps) and often appears in the bass line of the progression. (Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks continues this progression with 5 4 b3 2 1).

Dear Prudence – main riff
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – main riff
I Am The Walrus - 2nd half of each verse (eg sitting on a cornflake)
Magical Mystery Tour – bridge
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – verse
Wild Honey Pie - instrumental

also

25 Or 6 To 4 (Chicago)
Addicted To You (Avicii)
Babe I'm Gonna Leave You (Led Zeppelin)
Can't Find My Way Home (Blind Faith)
Dream On - verse and end of chorus (Aerosmith)
Gloomy Sunday (Billie Holliday see also Sarah McLachlan's version)
Hitchin' A Ride – verse (Green Day)
Needle And The Damage Done (Neil Young)
Shangri-La – bridge (The Kinks)
Sunny Afternoon (The Kinks)
Tales Of Brave Ulysses (Cream)
The Changingman (Paul Weller)
White Room – verse (Cream)

See also

Ticket 1: The Flat 6 Chord
Ticket 7: Avoid Using All Three Major Chords Early In The Song
Ticket 8: The Minor 4
Ticket 17: Chromatic Descent Starting From The Root
Ticket 28: Use At Least One Out Of Key Chord
Ticket 31: Chromatic Descent Starting From The b7th
Ticket 32: Chromatic Ascent Starting From The 5th
Ticket 51: Use The Mixolydian Mode


See the full list of songwriting tips here - Tickets To Write

Thanks to Nancy Rost, Timothy Ray Echols and Martin Quibell on the BSA forum and The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles by Dominic Pedler for examples