Music Theory Alchemy

Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

The Smashing Pumpkins

“Landslide” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a subtly complicated piece of music. At first glance, the chord progression may seem simple, but it actually incorporates a number of rich musical techniques that give the song its iconic depth and emotional resonance. The song follows a simple yet powerful chord progression and relies heavily on the interplay between the root C major chord, the G6, and the Am minor. There is a recurring theme of returning to the G6, which creates tension and suggests feelings of melancholy or introspection.

View More

The Smashing Pumpkins

“Perfect” by The Smashing Pumpkins is written in the key of D major. The song takes a relatively standard and common approach in chord progression, particularly with the cyclical variations that have the onset within a classic pop/rock realm. The tonality and mid-tempo pacing give the song a melancholic and nostalgic tone.

View More

The Rolling Stones

“Dead Flowers” by The Rolling Stones, from their album “Sticky Fingers” (1971), features a fairly straightforward repetitive chord progression of D, A, G, D in the verse. The key here is D Major. This common progression falls into a I-V-IV-I pattern known as a “plagal cadence”. It’s a progression which consists of a major key followed by its dominant (V), then its subdominant (IV), taking us back to the tonic (I).

View More

The Beatles

Across the Universe by The Beatles is a melancholic, introspective piece set in the key of D major, imbuing an overall sound spectrum that’s somber with a hint of hopeful resolution. The chord progression utilizes both diatonic and borrowed chords, making it both unusual and interesting.

View More

Nine Inch Nails

“Every Day Is Exactly The Same” by Nine Inch Nails is primarily composed in the key of E minor. The song consists of four sections: Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, and Bridge. The chord progressions in the song are relatively simple, with a distinct alternation between E and C chords in the verses, while the chorus and bridge sections feature a broader range of chords such as A, C, and G.

Chord Progression Analysis (Verse 2):
E minor (i), C major (VI), E minor (i), C major (VI), E minor (i), C major (VI), G major (III), F major (♭VII; borrowed chord from E Phrygian), E minor (i)

*G major (III) and F major (♭VII) are both non-diatonic chords in E minor, with the F major chord being borrowed from the E Phrygian mode.

View More

The Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide – Verse 2

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

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’]

Music Theory Alchemy
Facebook Twitter Youtube

Resources

Blog

Educational Institutions

Free Use Sample Data

Company

About Us

Terms Of Use

Privacy Policy

Copyright 2024 ©

Music Theory Alchemy

Music Theory Alchemy

Music Theory Alchemy Home

Artists

Songs

Favorites

Popular

News

About