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Related Music Theory Alchemy

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The piece, ‘1979’ by The Smashing Pumpkins follows an overarching structure with a mix of major and minor chords, what stand out are the rich extended chords, ‘Emaj7’ and ‘Amaj7’. The piece displays a balance between tonic chords and dominant chords, expressing a classic pop-rock style whilst frequent usage of maj7 chords adding a distinctive jazziness to the tune.

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“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins features a chord progression that uses a lot of power chords (fifth chords) which demonstrates its grungy, rock oriented style. It also incorporates major, minor, and suspended second chords, making it an interesting combination of simplicity and complexity.

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 song “Let It Happen” by Tame Impala, which is in the key of A Major, uses a simple yet effective chord progression during its outro. The common pattern of I-vi-IIIIV (Major-minor-Suspended 4) recurs throughout. The G#sus4 chord provides a moment of tension before resolving back to the tonic and restarting the pattern. The progression concludes with an Emaj7 chord, which is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor.

The chord progression in the famous outro of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ illustrates the eccentricity Queen was known for throughout their discography. This section consists of bold modulations, chromatic chord progressions, and borrowed chords, showing off Freddie Mercury’s compositional sophistication and creativity. It’s evident that Mercury’s influence for this song came from various musical genres, including progressive rock, classical, and operatic music.

The Smashing Pumpkins – 1979 – Outro

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Chord Progression

[‘A’, ‘Emaj7’, ‘E’, ‘A’, ‘E’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s the analysis for the chords in the outro:
“`
– A Major (I)
– E Major 7th (V7)
– E Major (V)
– A Major (I)
– E Major (V)
“`

The borrowed chord:
“`
– E Major 7th (V7)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

“Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty:
“`
D (I),
Dsus4 (Isus4),
Asus (IVsus),
A (IV)
“`

“Let Her Go” by Passenger:
“`
(I),
D (V),
Em (vi),
D/C (V/7),
G/B (IV/6),
D7/F# (V7/ii),
G (IV),
G/F# (IV/ii)
“`

“Times Like These” by Foo Fighters:
“`
D5 (I),
C5 (bVII),
G5 (IV),
Em (ii)
“`

Note that while these songs feature somewhat similar chord progressions, the actual voicings, rhythms, and additional musical elements may vary widely.

Musical Analysis

“1979” is heavily guitar-driven, with the chords extensively embellished by arpeggios. While the song is in A major, the extensive use of Emaj7 (a chord borrowed from the key of E major) and E major lends the song a distinctive atmospheric quality.

Overall Analysis

“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins is written in the A major key and showcases various examples of modal interchange, also known as borrowed chords. The song switches often between the major and minor modes, providing a dynamic interplay of moods. The outro particularly stands out due to its use of both major and maj7th chords, a somewhat unusual combination. Emaj7 adds color and complexity to the progression, as a borrowed chord from the E major scale.

Style Analysis

The Smashing Pumpkins are known for their alternative rock/grunge style and “1979” is no exception. However, this song leans more towards the pop end of their sound spectrum, using catchy, pleasant melodies and progressions, while still retaining the atmospheric, somewhat melancholic undertones that are typical for the band.

Chords in the Outro section of 1979 by The Smashing Pumpkins are:

[‘A’, ‘Emaj7’, ‘E’, ‘A’, ‘E’]