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Related Music Theory Alchemy

The chorus of the Pink Floyd song “Breathe” features a mixture of diatonic and non-diatonic chords and creates a dreamy, spaced-out mood. The combination of major and minor seventh chords, as well as dominant 7th chords with altered 9ths, contributes to this atmospheric quality.

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd is an iconic rock ballad from their 1975 album of the same name. The song’s verse chord progression evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing, featuring a combination of major and minor chords, as well as borrowed chords and inversions that create a unique and emotional soundscape.

“The Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins essentially revolves around the use of power chords, or 5th chords, to project a raw, grungy intensity. The chord progression (B5, Em, G5), extracted from the second verse of the song, is prominent throughout. The use of power chords results in a composition that doesn’t transpose to a traditional major or minor key, but fits within a modal framework.

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones is a rock song in the key of C major. The chord progression is simple and effective, reflecting the band’s blues and rock ‘n’ roll influences. The overall structure includes three verses with the same chord progression.

“Landslide” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a cover of a popular folk-rock song by Fleetwood Mac. In this song, The Smashing Pumpkins show their alternative rock style, while also paying homage to the folk-rock genre and especially to the founder of Folk-Rock “Fleetwood Mac”. The chords used throughout the song are predominantly composed in the key of G major, with the occasional use of a common borrowed chord (Am) from the G minor key.

Pink Floyd – Breathe – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

Em, A7, Em, A7, Em, A7, Em, A7

Chord Progression Analysis

Em (i) – A7 (IV7)

Similar Chord Progressions

1. The Doors – “Riders on the Storm”
Chord progression: Em9 (i9) – A7 (IV7)
2. The Beatles – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Chord progression: Am (i) – G (bVII) – Am (i) – G (bVII)
3. Led Zeppelin – “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”
Chord progression: Am (i) – C (III) – G (bVII) – Am (i) – C (III)

These examples follow a similar alternation between a minor chord (usually the tonic) and another chord, either borrowed from the parallel major (as in “Riders on the Storm”) or invoking a sense of tension and resolution (as in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You”).

Musical Analysis

The chord progression consists of two chords: Em, which is the tonic or home chord, and A7, which is the dominant seventh chord built on the fourth scale degree in the key of E minor. The A7 chord is borrowed from the parallel major key (E major), which is why it is considered a borrowed chord in the progression. The alternation between these two chords creates a sense of movement throughout the entire verse. The dominant seventh chord (A7) brings tension and instability in the progression, making the listener eager to hear the resolution to the tonic chord (Em).

Overall Analysis

The given chord progression is from the verse of Pink Floyd’s “Breathe,” a song from their 1973 album, “The Dark Side of the Moon.” The progression consists of alternating Em and A7 chords throughout the entire verse. This creates a sense of movement and tension between the chords while also being relatively simple and repetitive. The harmonic back-and-forth between these two chords gives the song a dreamy and immersive quality that is a signature sound of Pink Floyd’s style.

Style Analysis

Pink Floyd’s music often delves into the realms of space rock, progressive rock, and psychedelic rock. The alternating Em and A7 chords in the “Breathe” verse serve as a perfect example of Pink Floyd’s ability to create an ethereal, otherworldly, and hypnotic atmosphere within their music. The simplicity and repetitiveness of the chord progression, combined with Pink Floyd’s trademark use of effects and atmospheric sounds, give “Breathe” its unique sonic character.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Breathe by Pink Floyd are:

Em, A7, Em, A7, Em, A7, Em, A7