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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Landslide” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a cover of the original song by Fleetwood Mac, and it blends rock and folk styles. The song features a variety of chords which predominantly mixes major and minor chords to evoke strong emotions. The simple yet effective chord progression emphasizes the sentiment of the lyrics, illustrating the theme of introspection and feeling a loss of control.

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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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“Wicked Game” by Chris Isaak is in the key of B minor. The chord progression for the section provided, which is the verse, is unique due to its simplicity, making it easily accessible and memorable. Even though it is incredibly simple, consisting of just three chords, the progression manages to evoke a strong sense of melancholy and longing, which resonates powerfully with the song’s lyrical themes.

The given chord progression for Tyler, The Creator’s “Gone Gone” verse 2 is primarily in the key of Bb major with a mixture of chords from other modes. The progression displays a combination of diatonic and borrowed chords, exhibiting the stylistic blending commonly found in modern music such as jazz, R&B, and hip-hop.

The verse 2 chord progression in Tyler, The Creator’s “Earfquake” is a mixture of diatonic and non-diatonic chords. The progression mainly features chords from the Bb Major key, with the D7 acting as a secondary dominant chord (V7/III). The progression has a smooth, jazzy feel that is typical of Tyler’s signature style.

The Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide – Verse 2

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Chord Progression

[‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’]

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s a rundown of the chord progression for the given verse:

“`plaintext
G6 (I6), C (IV), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), Am (ii), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), C (IV), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), Am (ii), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), C (IV), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), Am (ii), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), C (IV), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), Am (ii), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), G6 (I6), Am (ii), G6 (I6], G6 (I6)
“`

In these sequences, the borrowed chord is `Am` from the parallel minor `G minor`, borrowing chords from a parallel key are a common technique used in many songs for its expressive potential.

Similar Chord Progressions

One of the classics that has a similar chord progression is “Sweet Child o’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses. Compared to Landslide, it uses a D instead of the G6 and C, but it has a similar character. The chord progression goes as:

“`plaintext
D (IV), Cadd9 (II9), G (I)
“`

Another one worth mentioning is “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty. While it cycles over D, G, A (IV, I, II in G major), the feel is similar due to the usage of triadic chords. The chord progression is:

“`plaintext
D (IV), G (I), A (II)
“`

Musical Analysis

The usage of the 6th chord indicates influence from the folk and country styles in the choice of harmony. The progression mostly alternates between the I6 (G6) and IV (C), which are very common chord progressions in the rock genre. The occasional ii (Am) offers a ‘minor’ mood contrast to the otherwise ‘major’ sounding G and C chords.

Overall Analysis

“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.

Style Analysis

This progression is very soothing and smooth, consistent with the alternative rock and folk style of The Smashing Pumpkins. The alternation between G6 and C creates a consistent, catchy feel, and when the Am appears, it provides a touch of melancholy to balance out the progression.

Chords in the Verse 2 section of Landslide by The Smashing Pumpkins are:

[‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘C’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’, ‘Am’, ‘G6’, ‘G6’]