Music Theory Alchemy

Search

Related Music Theory Alchemy

“Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins draws from the band’s unique style of alternative rock influenced by a distinct palette of harmonic choices. Particularly in the songwriting of Billy Corgan (the band’s primary songwriter), the band tends to use a mix of common and uncommon chords, together with a tendency of exploring different tonalities. Often, the chord changes are driven by guitar inversions, suspensions, or additions.

“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is an alternative rock song released in 1995. The song is in the key of E minor and primarily uses power chords derived from the E minor scale throughout the song. Power chords or ‘5’ chords, like B5 or G5, don’t have a major or minor quality and are often used in rock music for their strong and neutral sound. The song also applies modal mixture (borrowing chords from parallel keys) for color and tension.

“Rocket Man” by Elton John and his long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin is a standout song in Elton John’s discography, well known for its memorable melody line and masterful chord progression that was very innovative for its time (1972). It showcases his trademark style of combining rock with various other genres such as folk.

Overall, the harmony in this song is quite rich and a clear example of Elton John’s ’70s songwriting style: using complex chords and a lot of borrowed chords from other keys that add extra color to the harmonic progression.

“Somewhere Only We Know” composed by Keane, is a pop-ballad that is based in the key of A Minor. It makes use of both diatonic and borrowed chords in a modern pop style progression that creates an oscillating feel, with repetition for familiarity and simple melody drawn from the underlying chords.

**

“Riptide,” by Vance Joy has a classic, highly repetitive chord progression that creates the folk/pop character of the song. It is written in the key of C Major and uses the simplified I-IV-vi progression, which is also widely used in pop music. In addition, it has a common modulated transition via V chord (G) to the vi chord (Am). There are no borrowed chords in this progression. This repetitive structure can be appealing due to its simplicity and familiarity.

**

The Smashing Pumpkins – Tonight Tonight – Verse 1

Add To Favorites Remove From Favorites

< All Analyses

Chord Progression

[‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’]

Chord Progression Analysis

The key of the song seems to oscillate between C major and G major, which provides a fresh and somewhat unpredictable sound to the ears. The chords of Verse 1 proceed as follows:

“`
A minor (vi)
C Major (I)
G Major (V)
D Major/F# (V/vi)
E minor (iii)
A minor (vi)
C Major (I)
C add9 (Isus2)
G Major/B (V6)
D Major (V/V)
C add9 (Isus2)
G Major/B (V6)
D Major (V/V)
“`
The use of slash chords like ‘D/F#’ and ‘G/B’ add further color and complexity to the harmonic vision of the song. The D Major (which would not typically fit in a C Major key) and its inversions (D/F#) can be considered borrowed from the parallel minor.

Similar Chord Progressions

A similar chord progression can be found in U2’s “With or Without You” which has a constant IV-I-V-vi progression. This creates a similar sense of anticipation and grandeur as “Tonight, Tonight.” Another example includes “Let it Be” by The Beatles, which follows the progression I-V-vi-IV, similar in ways but a reflection of “Tonight, Tonight”‘s development and diversity.

Musical Analysis

The chord progression creates a sense of anticipation and suspense, always pushing the listener forward. The Em-Am-C progression is a typical i-VI-III progression often found in pop and rock music. In contrast, the D Major chord creates a feeling of departure, or a slight tension due to its role as a secondary dominant. Finally, the progression often resolves back to a G Major chord, giving a certain satisfaction to the listener.

Overall Analysis

“Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song happy to embrace classical music tropes. An orchestral, string-heavy arrangement propels the song, surrounding the listener with a rich tapestry of sound. The grandiose sound of the full orchestra is bolstered by the band’s dual guitars and Billy Corgan’s characteristic singing.

Style Analysis

The style of the song blend grunge rock, pop, and symphonic elements. The frequent use of add9 chords bring a degree of sophistication and elevation that is frequently associated with orchestral music. Additionally, the passing tones and borrowed chords add to the complexity of the song, ensuring that the song remains interesting throughout its entirety.

Chords in the Verse 1 section of Tonight Tonight by The Smashing Pumpkins are:

[‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘G’, ‘D/F#’, ‘Em’, ‘Am’, ‘C’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’, ‘Cadd9’, ‘G/B’, ‘D’]