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Related Music Theory Alchemy

“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.”

“Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins is a piece that showcases a rather common chord progression structure in pop music, but with added embellishments and variations. The featured chords include Dsus, Em7, Cadd9, G, and Dsus/F# with a key signature suggesting that the song is in the key of G major or E minor. The prominent chord in the outro is Dsus which suggests that the song might be interpreted in the D Mixolydian mode. The use of the slash chord (D/F#) diversifies the sound of the progression and adds harmonic richness. This chord progression uses both diatonic and borrowed chords creating a familiar but interesting sound.

“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.

“Riptide” by Vance Joy is in the key of C major. The chord progression is a repeated sequence of Am, G, C and Fmaj7, with the Fmaj7 being a borrowed chord from the parallel minor, C minor. Given that the majority of the song follows this pattern, it’s simple yet effective, providing a catchy and persistent structure to the song.

The chord progression in the bridge of “Gone, Gone” by Tyler, The Creator can be described as a combination of diatonic and borrowed chords from the parallel minor key. The key of the song is F major, and the progression combines elements of pop, R&B, and jazz, creating a distinctive harmonic sound.

Perfect

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All Analyses by Song

“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.