In terms of chords and melody, In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed is more complex than the typical song, having above average scores in Chord Complexity, Melodic Complexity, Chord Progression Novelty and Chord-Bass Melody.
In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed is written in the key of A Dorian. According to the Theorytab database, it is the 2nd most popular key among Dorian keys and the 31st most popular among all keys. The A Dorian scale is similar to the A Minor scale except that its 6th note is a half step higher (F♯). Chord progressions in Dorian have a characteristic sound due to the major quality of the chord built on the 4th scale degree. See the A Dorian Cheat Sheet for popular chords, chord progressions, downloadable midi files and more!