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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.

“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins employs a variety of chords throughout the song, including major, major 7th, and minor 7th chords. The chord progression varies between sections but is based mostly on a mid-tempo groove in the key of E Major. The song utilizes common pop/rock conventions to create a dreamy and nostalgic soundscape, with the juxtaposition of the major and minor 7th chords adding complexity.

“Penny Lane” by The Beatles is an eclectic and elegant piece of music evident in its rhythm, harmony, melody, and lyrics. It is predominantly in the key of A Major, but it has several key changes and introduces chords that are non-diatonic, giving it a progressive and unexpected feel.

“Brown Sugar” by The Rolling Stones is a rock and roll song prominently featuring electric guitar and piano, characterized by its driving groove and catchy chorus. The base key for the song is C Major. The harmonic progression is fairly simple and stays mainly within the diatonic chords, with some occasional borrowing from other modes.

“Sometimes It Snows In April” is a song by Prince in the pop style. It’s characterized by its use of extended and added note chords, as seen in the chord progression for Verse 3. This advanced harmonic content gives the song a distinct, rich, and complex musical texture, typical of Prince’s style.

The Smashing Pumpkins – Landslide – Verse 3

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Chord Progression

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

Chord Progression Analysis

Here’s a detailed chord progression analysis with complete chord names and their corresponding roman numeral forms:

– C Major (‘I’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– A minor (‘vi’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– C Major (‘I’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– A minor (‘vi’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– C Major (‘I’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– A minor (‘vi’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– C Major (‘I’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– A minor (‘vi’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– C Major (‘I’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– G6 (‘V6’)
– A minor (‘vi’)
– G6 (‘V6’)

Similar Chord Progressions

1. “Wonderwall” by Oasis
– Progression: Em7 (‘ii7’) – G (‘V’) – Dsus4 (‘IVsus4’) – A7sus4 (‘VII7sus4’)

2. “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
– Progression: Am (‘vi’) – D/F# (‘II#’) – G/F (‘bVII/F’) – G (‘V’) – Am (‘vi’)

Each of these songs use similar technique of alternating between major and minor chords, creating a memorable tonal landscape that moves the listener. “Wonderwall” also uses a type of 6th chord (A7sus4) that, similar to “Landslide”, creates a unique and distinctive sound.

Musical Analysis

The structure of C – G6 – G6 – Am, repeated several times, beautifully leads into each other, building suspense before resolving back to the C. The G6 chord acts as a transition chord leading to the Am, and then once again leads back to the C, effectively outlining the tonal center of the piece.

Overall Analysis

“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.

Style Analysis

The dominant use of G6 gives a nod to the band’s alternative-rock style, as this is not a conventional chord that is traditionally used. The Smashing Pumpkins have been known for their grunge and heavy metal influences, and incorporating such chords adds a layer of musical sophistication and unpredictability to their songs.

Chords in the Verse 3 section of Landslide by The Smashing Pumpkins are:

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