“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.
“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.
“1979” by The Smashing Pumpkins is written in the A major key and showcases various examples of modal interchange, also known as borrowed chords. The song switches often between the major and minor modes, providing a dynamic interplay of moods. The outro particularly stands out due to its use of both major and maj7th chords, a somewhat unusual combination. Emaj7 adds color and complexity to the progression, as a borrowed chord from the E major scale.
“Bullet With Butterfly Wings” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a rock song that alternates between heavy distortion and calm sections. Interestingly, the song is mostly in E minor, but uses a lot of power chords (5th chords) and sus2 chords which give the song a distinctively undecided, floating feeling, as these chords don’t have a clear major or minor character. The song uses a rather straightforward progression with a few deviations and embellishments which provide tension and release.
The given chord progression is from the song “Every Day Is Exactly The Same” by Nine Inch Nails. The overall structure of the song consists of verses, choruses, and a bridge, each with distinct chord progressions that contribute to the song’s moody, melancholic atmosphere. The song is mostly in the key of E minor, with some borrowed chords from the parallel major key.
“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.
Patterns in music are fundamental for creating musical identity. This repetition ensures the music is coherent and familiar for the listener. In the case of “Perfect” by Smashing Pumpkins, the song makes use of a common popular music chord progression known as the I – vi progression.
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