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Related Music Theory Alchemy

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Given by the chords you’ve provided, it appears the song “Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins is primarily in the key of D Major with occasional borrowed chords from D minor and E minor. The varying uses of D Major, D minor, and E minor really showcase the variety in Billy Corgan’s guitar writing.

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The song “Something” by The Beatles has a key center in C major. However, it modulates from time to time using a variety of techniques including secondary dominance and borrowed chords. It is a fine example of George Harrison’s complex songwriting and his adroitness at seamlessly weaving together uncommon chord progressions. Harrison employs an array of chords to inject a rich, nuanced musical quality to the song.

The Outro of “Exit Music (For a Film)” by Radiohead features a striking and emotive chord progression that showcases their innovative approach to harmony. It is characterized by the use of irregular modal interchanges, sustained chords, and slight variations on repeating patterns.

“The Less I Know The Better” by Tame Impala is in the key of E Major. The track has a unique blending of psych pop and synthrock, combining a funky bass line with Tame Impala’s signature synth timbre. Its harmonic structure is moderately complex and features some compelling chord progressions, with a few borrowed chords.

The Smashing Pumpkins – Disarm – Outro

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Chord Progression

[‘Dsus’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘D’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s the chord progression analysis with the full chord names and their functions:

“`
Dsus (V), Em7 (vi7), Cadd9 (IVadd9), Dsus (V)
Dsus (V), Em7 (vi7), Cadd9 (IVadd9), Dsus (V)
Dsus (V), Em7 (vi7), Cadd9 (IVadd9), D (V)
Em7 (vi7), D (V), Em7 (vi7), D (V)
Em7 (vi7), Cadd9 (IVadd9)
“`

The chord D in the outro serves as the dominant (V) function in G major moving to the vi chord (Em7), which uses the tonic function in this context. The Cadd9 is a subdominant IV chord.

Similar Chord Progressions

– “Wonderwall” by Oasis shares a similar chord progression with its use of suspended and added ninth chords (e.g., Asus4 and Dadd9).
– “With or Without You” by U2 also uses a repeated four-chord progression (D, A, Bm, G).
– “Patience” by Guns N’ Roses contains the same chords, though arranged differently (C, G, A, D).

Please note that while these songs utilize the same chords, proceeding chord order, rhythm instrumentation and lyrical content all contribute in creating distinctively different songs.

Musical Analysis

The sparseness and repetition of this chord progression subtly creates a melancholic and introspective atmosphere contributing to the overall mood of the song. While the song primarily moves diatonically within the G major scale, the recurring Dsus chord creates a sense of unresolved tension that elevates the emotional resonance of the piece.

Overall Analysis

“Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a piece that showcases a rather common chord progression structure in pop music, but with added embellishments and variations. The featured chords include Dsus, Em7, Cadd9, G, and Dsus/F# with a key signature suggesting that the song is in the key of G major or E minor. The prominent chord in the outro is Dsus which suggests that the song might be interpreted in the D Mixolydian mode. The use of the slash chord (D/F#) diversifies the sound of the progression and adds harmonic richness. This chord progression uses both diatonic and borrowed chords creating a familiar but interesting sound.

Style Analysis

Billy Corgan, the main songwriter for The Smashing Pumpkins, often employs the use of extended and suspended chords (like Dsus and Cadd9), to create a distinctive sound that straddles between alternative rock and pop. This song, like much of their work, combines relatively simple chord progressions with evocative lyrics and a unique sonic landscape.

Chords in the Outro section of Disarm by The Smashing Pumpkins are:

[‘Dsus’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Dsus’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘D’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Em7’, ‘D’, ‘Em7’, ‘Cadd9’]