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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

“Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins, was released in 1993 on their second album, “Siamese Dream.” The song is classic-’90s alternative rock with its layered guitars and emotionally raw lyrics. key is “E minor.”

“Rocky Raccoon” by The Beatles incorporates chords commonly associated with the genre of folk or country music. It is primarily built on a repetitive chord progression which consists of Am7, D7sus4, D7, G7, C, and C/B. There’s also a use of plenty of sevenths and suspensions to create a slightly jazzy feel. It’s also worth noting The Beatles’ penchant for chords that provide a mix of major and minor tonalities.

“In My Life” is a song written by The Beatles which stands as a hallmarks of their inventive songwriting and command of complex musical structures. The song is primarily in the key of A Major, but it employs a number of borrowed chords and modal interchange to create a more interesting and richer harmonic landscape. The melody, rhythm, and lyrics of this song are poignant and memorable, making “In My Life” an enduring classic in the Beatles’ catalog.

The chord progression in Muse’s Hysteria (verse 2) is a fairly unique progression that revolves around a minor tonality with some hints of E7 acting as a secondary dominant. It seems to have an ambiguous key center, fluctuating between E minor and A minor. The progression is repeated, providing a sense of tension and familiarity throughout the verse.

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’]