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Related Music Theory Alchemy

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“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a classic alternative rock song that cleverly uses uncommon, sophisticated chords to evoke an emotional, melancholic atmosphere.

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Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ contains a rich mixture of chord progressions, which is typical of the band’s complex songwriting. The outro of the song makes use of the F, F7, Bb, and Gm7 chords. This progression is in the key of F Major, with F being the tonic (I), F7 being the dominant 7th (V7), Bb being the subdominant (IV) and Gm7 being the submediant 7th (vi7). The Bb chord is a borrowed chord from the parallel minor key (F Minor) and the usage of F7 serves to add a level of tension before resolving to the Bb.

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.

“Welcome to the Machine” by Pink Floyd is a progressive rock piece that features a rather minimalistic chord progression, with only one chord during the outro. The piece is characterized by its lush soundscape, synthesizer layering, and the use of sound effects to create an atmosphere of a mechanized world.

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’]