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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Glory Box” by Portishead from the album Dummy (1994) presents a haunting and somewhat melancholy ambience commonly found in their trademark trip-hop style. This song, in particular, draws from a palette of jazz-influenced harmony. The chords used, their extensions, and inversions, conjure complexity beyond basic triadic harmony. The chord progression listed appears to be in the key of D minor and employs common jazz techniques like ii-V-I progressions and usage of the half-diminished chord.

“Sour Times” by Portishead is characterized by dark, brooding sounds and melancholic melodies that gives the song its distinct feel, largely due to the specific chord progression that is used throughout the song. Written in the key of E major, the song makes use of a diverse selection of chords that offers a wider blend of harmonic options to navigate through different moods and tonal landscapes.

“The song When Doves Cry” by Prince features a very distinctive chord progression in its chorus section. Technically the song is written in a minor key, but the progression tends to flow in a way that feels almost like a major key at times. This is a common characteristic of many Prince songs, signifying the unique and innovative style of the artist.

“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is an alternative rock song released in 1995. The song is in the key of E minor and primarily uses power chords derived from the E minor scale throughout the song. Power chords or ‘5’ chords, like B5 or G5, don’t have a major or minor quality and are often used in rock music for their strong and neutral sound. The song also applies modal mixture (borrowing chords from parallel keys) for color and tension.

The song “Every Day is Exactly the Same” by Nine Inch Nails is in E minor key. The chord progression found in the chorus consists mainly of common chords found in the E minor key, along with a couple of borrowed chords from E major. The use of borrowed chords adds unique color and tension to the music.

Portishead – Glory Box – Chorus

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Chord Progression

[‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’, ‘Bbmaj7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’, ‘Bbmaj7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’, ‘Bbmaj7’, ‘Dm’]

Chord Progression Analysis

“`
Dm (‘i’)
Dm/C (‘i with VII in the bass’)
Bm7b5 (‘vi half-diminished’)
Bbmaj7 (‘♭VI Major 7’)
Dm (‘i’)
Dm/C (‘i with VII in the bass’)
Bm7b5 (‘vi half-diminished’)
Bbmaj7 (‘♭VI Major 7’)
Dm (‘i’)
Dm/C (‘i with VII in the bass’)
Bm7b5 (‘vi half-diminished’)
Bbmaj7 (‘♭VI Major 7’)
Dm (‘i’)
“`

Similar Chord Progressions

1. Radiohead’s “Exit Music (For A Film)” also utilizes a minor to major seventh movement, though in a different key:
“`
Am (‘i’)
E (‘V’)
G (‘♭VII’)
Dmaj7 (‘IVmaj7’)
“`

2. Billie Eilish’s “when the party’s over” uses a similar pattern to start, moving from minor to half-diminished:
“`
Fmaj7 (‘I’)
Fm7 (‘i’)
G7 (‘V’)
Fmaj7 (‘IV’)
“`

Musical Analysis

This progression is quite intriguing, utilizing a mixture of chord types – minor, half-diminished, and major seventh – that adds considerable depth to the piece. This progression does not follow a typical pop/rock pattern but rather leans into Portishead’s characteristic trippy, brooding style. The chord transitions smoothly thanks to common tones and stepwise movement in the bass.

Overall Analysis

The “Glory Box” by Portishead chorus progression is based in D minor and moves between this primary D minor chord and three other chords: Dm/C, Bm7b5, and Bbmaj7. The Dm/C chord is the same as the D minor, but with a different note in the bass (C). The Bm7b5 is a half-diminished chord. The Bbmaj7 is major seventh chord.

Style Analysis

Portishead is known for their unique, cinematic blend of styles known as trip-hop, which marries elements of jazz, rock, hip-hop, and electronic music. The unusual chord progression in “Glory Box” helps create the moody, atmospheric sound that defines this song and much of their work. The progression’s focus on dark, minor chords and half-diminished chords highlights their jazz influences, while the bass movement underscores the rhythmic drive found in hip-hop and electronic music.

Chords in the Chorus section of Glory Box by Portishead are:

[‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’, ‘Bbmaj7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’, ‘Bbmaj7’, ‘Dm’, ‘Dm/C’, ‘Bm7b5’, ‘Bbmaj7’, ‘Dm’]