The Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide – Chorus
Landslide < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘D/F#’, ‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’]
Chord Progression Analysis
**
“`G (I), D/F# (V/ii), Em (ii), C (IV), G6 (I6), Am (vi), D/F# (V/ii), G (I), D/F# (V/ii), Em (ii), C (IV), G6 (I6), Am (vi), G6 (I6), C (IV), G6 (I6), Am (vi).“`
– G: Tonic – the chord the progression is based on and resolves to.
– D/F#: Secondary dominant – the major triad or dominant seventh chord built on the supertonic (second scale degree)
– Em: Supertonic – usually leads to the dominant or tonic, providing some instability.
– C: Subdominant – precedes the dominant chord (D), giving a sense of coming home.
– G6: An extended tonic chord, adding variety to the sound.
– Am: Submediant – A minor chord built on the sixth degree of the G major scale. Provides variety and some minor color to the progression.
**
Similar Chord Progressions
**
1) “Let It Be” by The Beatles
“`C (I), G (V), Am (vi), F (IV), C (I), G (V), F (IV), C (I)“`
2) “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley
“`C (I), G (V), Am (vi), F (IV)“`
These songs share similar chord progressions with “Landslide”, primarily because they use the same primary chords (I, IV, and V) and the vi chord in their progressions. This chord progression is known as the pop or doo-wop progression. Notably, they also mix the major and minor mood to denote depth and nuance to the overall feeling of the songs.
Musical Analysis
**
“Landslide” predominantly features folk-inspired finger picking on the acoustic guitar, allowing the beauty of the chord progression to shine through. The progression is cyclical and repetitive, creating an almost hypnotic effect that aids in the conveyance of the song’s introspective mood. The addition of the G6 chord is a notable color chord, supplying a distinct emotional texture to the progression.
**
Overall Analysis
**
“Landslide” by The Smashing Pumpkins, originally by Fleetwood Mac, is written in the key of G major. The song features simple, but effective, chord progressions that are common in the folk and rock genres. The progression utilizes primary chords in the key (G, D, and C), along with some modal mixture via the borrowing of the minor iv chord (C) and minor vi chord (Am) from the parallel minor key (G minor). The secondary dominant D/F# creates tension and movement towards the Em chord. There is also the use of a G6 chord which adds color to the piece.
**
Style Analysis
**
The Smashing Pumpkins’ version of “Landslide” stays true to the original Fleetwood Mac recording. The chord progression reflects strong folk and rock influences with its repeated patterns and simple, open chords. A definitive element of this song and its chord progression is the constant interplay between the major and minor mood, a technique often used in introspective and emotionally driven songs.
**
What are the chords in: The Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide – Chorus?
[‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘D/F#’, ‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’]
