The Smashing Pumpkins – Today – Bridge
Today < All Analyses
Chord Progression
[‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘G’]
Chord Progression Analysis
The bridge of the song goes as follows:
“`E Minor (i), G Major (III), B Major (V), repeated.“`
The use of the B Major chord can be considered a “borrowed chord.” It is not typically part of the E minor scale, but it is borrowed from the E Major scale. In traditional music theory, this is called mode mixture or modal interchange.
Similar Chord Progressions
1. Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” makes use of a similar shifting between major and minor tonalities in its iconic progression: F minor (i), Bb Major (IV), Ab Major (bIII), Db Major (bVI).
2. Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” also features a progression with borrowed chords: G minor (i), Bb (III), D (V), Gm (i), A (bII), D (V).
Chord progressions for the aforementioned songs:
Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”:
“`F Minor (i), Bb Major (IV), Ab Major (bIII), Db Major (bVI)“`
Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android”:
“`G minor (i), Bb (III), D (V), Gm (i), A (bII), D (V)“`
Unfortunately, without the exact chord progression for the entire song ‘Today’, we can’t provide a granular breakdown for all of the chords or identify possible key changes throughout the song.
Musical Analysis
The chorus in ‘Today’ does not adhere strictly to the rules of classical harmony – it shifts back and forth between the relative major (G) and minor (E Minor) tonalities without anchoring solidly in one or the other. However, these shifts help to increase the emotional intensity of the song, reflecting the angst and turbulence of the lyrics.
Overall Analysis
The song ‘Today’ by The Smashing Pumpkins is a classic example of mixing major and minor modes in rock music. The majority of the song is modal, centered around D major and B minor. However, the bridge section changes gears and revolves around E minor.
Style Analysis
The Smashing Pumpkins, particularly in the 1990s, are known for their blending of heavy rock with gentler, melodic elements—an approach that ‘Today’ provides a clear example of. The use of the borrowed chord (B Major) in the bridge creates an unexpected, somewhat jarring effect, which adds to the overall intensity of the song.
What are the chords in: The Smashing Pumpkins – Today – Bridge?
[‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘G’, ‘B’, ‘Em’, ‘G’]
