Wednesday, December 2

Every Breath You Take – The Police – Song Form


Every Breath You Take – The Police – Song Form
Listen to the song HERE. Lyrics are printed below.

Obviously, the key rhyme element to this song is all the internal rhymes...take, make, break, you...etc.

Every breath you take every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take I’ll be watching you
Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay I’ll be watching you

My favorite rhyme element though, is in the bridge...

Since you’ve gone I’ve been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it’s you I can’t replace
I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace
I keep crying, baby, baby please

We have all the “ace” rhymes in a row, but Sting ends up on the word “please”. This word is pretty significant. It is the first time in the song where a line doesn’t end up with a perfect rhyme. What is the song about? The guy being disconnected with the girl he’s watching (stalking! :))...what a great way to show that disconnection. The disconnect is manifest with a word that doesn’t rhyme with anything else in the section (or the song, for that matter!). The line “I keep crying, baby, baby, please” (in my opinion) is the only time the singer shows evidence of not being in control of the situation...all the other lyrics are very domineering, very focused, very controlling.

Notice also the section is unbalanced. It has 5 lines. All the other sections in the song are evenly balanced...either 2 or 4 lines. It’s really deceptive to hear at first, because the line fits so well (part of Sting’s genius), but just like this character is obsessively unbalanced, the section is ALSO unbalanced. Isn’t that cool?

We learn a couple of things from this section. If you want to create a disconnection in your song, pepper your lyrics with tons of perfect rhymes and then hit us suddenly with a line that doesn’t rhyme. Bonus points if that line falls at the end of an unbalanced section.

Verse/refrain
The last thing I want to comment on is the song form is kind of weird. It isn’t the typical, form fitting Sting song we all know and love. He had three different section types...

2-line verse snippets, we’ll call those “A”

2-line prechorus* (the “oh can’t you see, you belong to me...”part). we’ll call that “B”
(I’m using the word “prechorus” here, but it really isn’t functioning as a prechorus)

5-line bridge (“Since you’ve been gone I’ve been lost without a trace...baby, please...”), well call that “C”.


When we put the section letters together we get this...

AABACBA (the last “A” section repeats and repeats for the ending)

I’ve never come across a song with that particular song form. Like I said, it’s a little weird, but it works (It works well enough for Sting to get $2000 a day in royalties from it!).

Thanks for reading. More tomorrow when we tackle the melody.

Now go write something disconnected.

~Shane


PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs this Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)


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Every Breath You Take – The Police

Every breath you take every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take I’ll be watching you
Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay I’ll be watching you

Oh, can’t you see you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take

Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake I’ll be watching you

Since you’ve gone I’ve been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it’s you I can’t replace
I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace
I keep crying, baby, baby please

Oh can’t you see you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take

Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake I’ll be watching you
Every move you make, every step you take I’ll be watching you
I’ll be watching you...


Monday, November 30

Every Breath You Take – The Police


Every Breath You Take – The Police

A bunch of you voted for this song to be analyzed at the end of the week before Thanksgiving. I started, and realized there was too much depth to only give it one day. Get ready to dust off every perfect rhyme for “take”. More importantly, there are some wonderful harmony and melody aspects to dig into and use for your own songwriting.

Listen to the song HERE. I’ll print the lyrics below. Have a great week everyone.


~Shane


PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs this Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)


-          - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Every Breath You Take – The Police

Every breath you take every move you make
Every bond you break, every step you take I’ll be watching you
Every single day, every word you say
Every game you play, every night you stay I’ll be watching you

Oh, can’t you see you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take

Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake I’ll be watching you

Since you’ve gone I’ve been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but it’s you I can’t replace
I feel so cold, and I long for your embrace
I keep crying, baby, baby please

Oh can’t you see you belong to me
How my poor heart aches with every step you take

Every move you make, every vow you break
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake I’ll be watching you
Every move you make, every step you take I’ll be watching you
I’ll be watching you...


Tuesday, November 24

Thanksgiving Week

I wanted to thank everyone for the support of this blog. I am having a blast writing it, I hope you are enjoying it. Hopefully you are picking up some songwriting ideas and tricks along the way.

I bit off a little more than I can chew with the Sting song "Every Breath You Take". It was supposed to be a Saturday quickie, but it has so many cool aspects that I'm going to make it a song of the week. However I had planned on taking this week off for the holiday. So look for Sting next Monday!

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Cheers,

~Shane

Thursday, November 19

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Harmony


Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Harmony
Listen to the song HERE.


Harmony?
Hmmm? Harmony? I’m not quite sure how to talk about harmony with this song. It doesn’t use chord changes in the traditional sense. All the  harmony is implied by the lead guitar and bass melodic lines. As stated  yesterday, they pretty much playing A blues scales, which pretty alternates between A and E chords. In the final guitar solo, the guitar finally kicks in actual chord changes and plays these power chords...

A5...G5...C5...A5
D5...C5...A5

...sort of, that is.

Counterpoint!
The power of the song’s harmony lies within the counterpoint and mirrored lines of the bass and guitar. The lack of an actual rhythm guitar track adds to its rawness. The song, distortion and all, is really rather bare. It would be an interesting exercise to map out what they are playing with no distortion, but then again, that would defeat the whole purpose of this song. :)

Go write something with counterpoint.

~Shane


PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs this Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)

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Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

(verse)
Hey, hey, mama said the way you move, gon’ make you sweat, gon’ make you groove
A-ha child, way you shake that thing, gon’ make you burn, gon’ make you sting
Hey, hey, baby when you walk that way, watch your heartache drip, can’t keep away

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

I gotta roll, can’t stand still, got a flaming heart, can’t get my fill
Eyes that shine, burning red, dreams of you all through my head

Ah, ah...

(bridge)
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Darling give it to me now
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Move the way you’re doing now

(verse)
Didn’t take too long ‘fore I found out what people mean by down and out
Spent my money, took my car, started telling her friends she gon’ be a star
I don’t know, but I’ve been told a big-legged woman ain’t go no soul

Oh yeah, ah, ah...

All I ask for, all I pray, steady rolling woman gonna come my way
Need a woman gonna hold my hand, won’t tell me no lies, make me a happy man

Ah, ah...

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Wednesday, November 18

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Melody


Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Melody
Listen to the song HERE.


Minor Blues Melody
This is the perfect example of a rock song using the minor blues melody, which is a minor pentatonic melody with a sharp 4 added, as in:

Minor pentatonic: 1 b3 4 5 b7
Minor blues: 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7

In the key of A...
A minor pentatonic: A C D E G
A minor blues: A C D D# E G


It’s worth noting that the highest note of the melody (which he sings frequently) is the “blues note”...the #4...the D#. This is one of the reasons the melody has so much bite.

I hate to do such a short blog post today, but that kind of sums up the melody. :) Rock on big-legged, soul stealing women!

Go write something with bite.

~Shane


PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs this Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)

- - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - -

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

(verse)
Hey, hey, mama said the way you move, gon’ make you sweat, gon’ make you groove
A-ha child, way you shake that thing, gon’ make you burn, gon’ make you sting
Hey, hey, baby when you walk that way, watch your heartache drip, can’t keep away

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

I gotta roll, can’t stand still, got a flaming heart, can’t get my fill
Eyes that shine, burning red, dreams of you all through my head

Ah, ah...

(bridge)
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Darling give it to me now
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Move the way you’re doing now

(verse)
Didn’t take too long ‘fore I found out what people mean by down and out
Spent my money, took my car, started telling her friends she gon’ be a star
I don’t know, but I’ve been told a big-legged woman ain’t go no soul

Oh yeah, ah, ah...

All I ask for, all I pray, steady rolling woman gonna come my way
Need a woman gonna hold my hand, won’t tell me no lies, make me a happy man

Ah, ah...

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Tuesday, November 17

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Lyrics and Song Form


Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Lyrics and Song Form
Listen to the song HERE.


Yes, But Can I Dance to It?
Okay, okay, I realize this isn’t a staple of amazing lyric writing, but it is still worth going over. For those wondering, the “Black Dog” of the title is basically a black Labrador that was wandering around the studio when they recorded the song.  I want to point out that John Paul Jones, who wrote the main riff was not just a “rock bass player”, he was an accomplished studio musician and arranger before he joined Led Zeppelin. He played on hundreds of sessions and arranged hundreds more. The idea of this song was to create a groove that would be difficult to groove to...with crazy time signature changes and winding riffs. Which, arguably, they accomplished!


Call and Response
With that in mind, look at the lyrics again. You’ve got this woman playing havoc with they guy...driving him crazy. The lyrics are basically call and response with the band. The singer calls out acapella, and the band replies. The man’s intentions are pretty clear, but does he get a straightforward answer from the woman? No, he gets a complex, non-grooveable, windy riff that folds back in on itself. So musically, the woman is giving him mixed messages. :) (...to say the least.)


Unbalanced Sections
I will use the term loosely here. Depending on what we count as a verse...the ah’s? the oh yeah’s?, or just the actual lyrics...the “actual” verse lyrics are are divided like this: 3 lines + 2 lines. A 3 line, unbalanced section, an interlude, then a balanced 2 line section.


Rhyme Scheme
The overall rhyme scheme of the verses are xxx xx, but the lines are driven by internal rhymes, not ending rhymes. All the rhymes are perfect rhymes except for the two subtractive rhymes in the second verse...

told/soul – subtractive rhyme, the D consonant is subtracted from the second word
hand/man – subtractive rhyme, same thing,  the D consonant is subtracted from the second word


Song Form?
On a primal level it is ABA. Verse, Bridge, Verse, with guitar soloing. :)


Prosody?
I love the prosody of the call and response, stereotypical battle of the sexes. The man (the singer) wants one thing, and the girl (the band) is the embodiments of complexity and complication.  :)  Mostly, it just rocks.

Now go and write something that rocks.


~Shane


PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs this Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)

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Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

(verse)
Hey, hey, mama said the way you move, gon’ make you sweat, gon’ make you groove
A-ha child, way you shake that thing, gon’ make you burn, gon’ make you sting
Hey, hey, baby when you walk that way, watch your heartache drip, can’t keep away

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

I gotta roll, can’t stand still, got a flaming heart, can’t get my fill
Eyes that shine, burning red, dreams of you all through my head

Ah, ah...

(bridge)
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Darling give it to me now
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Move the way you’re doing now

(verse)
Didn’t take too long ‘fore I found out what people mean by down and out
Spent my money, took my car, started telling her friends she gon’ be a star
I don’t know, but I’ve been told a big-legged woman ain’t go no soul

Oh yeah, ah, ah...

All I ask for, all I pray, steady rolling woman gonna come my way
Need a woman gonna hold my hand, won’t tell me no lies, make me a happy man

Ah, ah...

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Monday, November 16

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin


Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

I am so excited to do this song for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a great hard rock song, second my story behind it is really great. I’ll start with the story.

Juke Box
My story about Pizza Inn last week reminded me of this song, and the following tidbit. Pizza Inn had two music sources, by super hi-fi Denon boom box above  the pizza making station (endless hours of Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits, and an assortment of mix tapes – TDK chrome tape anyone? One time the whole staff recreated the Doobie Brother “By the hand, pretty mama” refrain at the end of Blackwater...customer’s loved us) and the dining room juke box that we cranked when we cleaned the store after hours. The juke box company gave us a stack of pink fingernail polish covered quarters that we could use as song freebies. During a lull in the night we could drop some pink quarters to liven up the joint. Eric Price and I (he, the assistant manager and the district manager’s son, me, the wily and mostly incompetent night manager) both 19 years old mind you (side note: I should point that Eric was an awesome assistant manager...he was really doing the manager’s job...when we HAD a manager...we went through an odd assortment until uber-manager Duane Lefler was hired. The rest of the staff were all Juniors and Seniors from my high school. In hindsight, we were pretty responsible kids. More stories in future blogs...)…anyway, Eric and I figured out how to break into the juke box and replace the 45’s with our own stash. There were some great replacements. The best was putting Led Zepplin’s Black Dog in the Barry Manilow “Mandy” slot. Every time one of our middle-aged customers would punch D-6 mid pizza buffet, instead of getting the expected lulling piano intro of Mandy, the restaurant would be blasted with “Hey, hey, mama, said the way you move, gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove!”. The whole pizza line would burst into laughing applause much to the wonder of the thick crust stuffing patrons (Pizza Inn really does have the best pizza, by the way!). Ms. Blueberry, the only adult waitress, would just roll her eyes. So here’s to you Eric, Danny, Tony, Ronnboy, Sluggo & Nick (RIP), Johnny, Kathy,and all the rest ..., stand up and take your bow! Click HERE.
   
Go write a song that a pizza crew would stand up and applaud to.

[Last minute insert: I found a picture of me in my Pizza Inn uniform! Click HERE! Also here’s a pic of Fluffy, my car, mentioned in the last Pizza Inn post. Click HERE.]

~Shane


PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs this Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)

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Black Dog – Led Zeppelin


(verse)
Hey, hey, mama said the way you move, gon’ make you sweat, gon’ make you groove
A-ha child, way you shake that thing, gon’ make you burn, gon’ make you sting
Hey, hey, baby when you walk that way, watch your heartache drip, can’t keep away

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

I gotta roll, can’t stand still, got a flaming heart, can’t get my fill
Eyes that shine, burning red, dreams of you all through my head

Ah, ah...

(bridge)
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Darling give it to me now
Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby
Move the way you’re doing now

(verse)
Didn’t take too long ‘fore I found out what people mean by down and out
Spent my money, took my car, started telling her friends she gon’ be a star
I don’t know, but I’ve been told a big-legged woman ain’t go no soul

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

All I ask for, all I pray, steady rolling woman gonna come my way
Need a woman gonna hold my hand, won’t tell me no lies, make me a happy man

Ah, ah...


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Saturday, November 14

Sunshine – Jonathan Edwards


Sunshine – Jonathan Edwards
Listen to the song HERE.

This song starts off grumpy, but ends with hope. Every protest song should follow that same formula.

Harmony – Three Chords and the Truth...(Well, Almost!)
I’m going to start with harmony today because he uses so little of it. I don’t mean that in a bad way. Edwards’ chord changes are sparse, but he uses them so well. For the verses, instead of plowing through chord after chord he sits on the I chord for three measures and then does a quick turnaround in the fourth. Let me back up and describe the set up, so you can better appreciate what he does.

In most songs, a “line of a song” is usually 2 measures, or 4 measures long. Four measures per line is the foundation of this song. But Edwards plays around with that number to great effect.

Line 1 – He plays the I chord for 3 measures, and then hits the V chord in the fourth measure.
Line 2 – He plays the I chord for 3 measures. In measure 4, he hits the bVII for 2 beats, then the IV chord for 2 beats, and then adds ANOTHER measure of the IV chord. Why is that significant? Well, for seven whole measure we are solidly within the key (Advanced: “within a key” is called “Diatonic”), and then suddenly he takes us OUT of the key (which is called non-diatonic) with the bVII chord, but he only does it for a tiny moment. Remember, he’s been playing the same groove on the same chord for almost 7 measures (except for the one chord switch in measure 4). Suddenly he punches us in the gut with TWO chords in a single measure! And then he lets the impact sink in for an extra measure. It’s the musical equivalent of suddenly being shaken out of trance...which is sort of what protest songs are all about.

My recording is played in Bb...which is kind of a weird key for a guitar song. My guess is that the recording was mastered a little sharp which pushed it up a half step. In all the live videos he plays it in the key of A, so I’ll notate it in that.

(verse)
| A | A | A | E |
| A | A | A | G, D | D |

For the chorus, he uses a much speedier harmonic rhythm (Harmonic rhythm is how many chords per measure. The more chords per measure the “speedier” the harmonic rhythm, the less chords per measure, the slower the harmonic rhythm). The harmonic rhythm of the verse is pretty slow, mostly that A chord, with those jabs of the others. In the chorus he switches gears and gives us one chord per measure...

(chorus)
| D | A | D | A |
| D | A | G | E | E |

.,..notice he adds an additional measure to the end of the chorus, just like he did in the verse. So you get an increase of momentum, but the section is thrown a hair off balance because of the extra measure.

The reason I bring up the harmonic rhythm is that the verse feels more contemplative, while the speedier chords of the chorus have a sense of urgency. Yin and Yang. The verse questions, and the chorus acts. The harmonic rhythm completely supports those lyrical ideas. Listen for yourself.

Melody – The Sun Rises
I’ve been on a real roll with pentatonic melodies these last few weeks. I’m not doing it on purpose, but here again, the entire verse is based on the all-powerful major pentatonic scale. When does he break the pentatonic scale and use a non-pentatonic note? The FIRST note of the chorus...which is also the highest note Edwards has sung so far. It’s the word “how” in the chorus. It’s like putting the word in all caps with an exclamation point at the end...

HOW much does it cost? I’ll buy it!

As wonderful as that is, the truly transcendent moment comes at the end of the chorus when he sings the word “sun” of “sunshine”. The word “sun” uses the highest note of the song. Thing about it. What’s the highest thing in our sky? That’s right, the sun! How appropriate then to put that word melodically above EVERYTHING else in the song. It’s really quite brilliant melodic prosody! (Prosody is where you use a constructional element of the song...the melody, harmony, or rhythm... to mimic and/or reinforce what you are saying in your lyrics).

 I tell you what, I love it when songs do that. I really do. THAT kind of writing pushes a song into a higher category.


Rhyme Scheme and Chorus Form
Nothing fancy here. He sticks with an aabb rhyme scheme in both his verses and choruses. It is interesting to note that the fourth line of his choruses are a single word, his hook/title “sunshine” (which he also reinforces by starting every verse with it).

The chorus form is called a - - - T. (Meaning: the first three lines are “swing lines”...indicated by the “dash”...and the title/hook finally occurs in the very last line). See for yourself...

This song definitely passes my Tower Record’s Title Test!

(verse - aabb)
Sunshine go away today, I don’t feel much like dancing
Some man’s gone, he’s tried to run my life, don’t know what he’s asking
He tells me I’d better get in line, can’t hear what he’s saying
When I grow up I’m gonna make it mine, but these aren’t dues I been paying

(chorus, - - - T)
How much does it cost, I’ll buy it
The time is all we’ve lost, I’ll try it
Be he can’t even run his own life, I’ll be damned if he’ll run mine
Sunshine

(verse - aabb)
Sunshine go away today, I don’t feel much like dancing
Some man’s gone, he’s tried to run my life, don’t know what he’s asking
Working starts to make me wonder where the fruits of what I do are going
He says in love and war all is fair, but he’s got cards he ain’t showing

(chorus, - - - T)
How much does it cost, I’ll buy it
The time is all we’ve lost, I’ll try it
Be he can’t even run his own life, I’ll be damned if he’ll run mine
Sunshine

(verse - aa)
Sunshine, come on back another day, I promise you I’ll be singing
This old world, she’s gonna turn around, brand new bells’ll be ringing

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I hope you enjoyed the song as much as I do. For so little chords it really packs a punch.

Go write a song that protests something.

~Shane

PS. Remember, I could evaluate one of your songs next Friday if you submit it HERE.

PPS. Also, please vote in the new poll. (Email me if there is a song you want me to include in the poll!)

Thursday, November 12

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - Harmony


Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - Harmony
Listen to the song HERE.

I have to tell you that found two chord progression jewels in this song. I’m already scheming on how to use them in my own music and I am honestly hesitating to share them with you in fear that one of you will beat me to the punch. Unfortunately they are far too cool to keep to myself. So here you go world. Feast on this.


Heart and Soul - Verse Variation
Remember a few weeks ago when I talked about the “Heart and Soul” pattern in the Death Cab for Cutie Song? (You can read it HERE.) That “Heart and Soul” pattern shows up again in this song, except Wonder put his own special spin on it.

The “Heart and Soul” power progression (it’s called a “power progression” because it is a very common progression, used in all styles and genres) is this...

I...VIm...IV...V

...or its sister variation...

I...VIm...IIm...V


Stevie takes this progression and substitutes a bVI major chord in place of the IV chord (or IIm chord, depending on which variation you are most familiar with). So you get this progression...

I...VIm...bVI...V

The actual chords are this...

B...G#m...G...F#

Compare that with the “normal” progression...

B…G#m...E...F#


Heart and Soul - Chorus Variation
I have to admit that I sort of knew of the verse substitution previously, but this next one took me by complete surprise. I didn’t realize that his chorus ALSO is a variation of the Heart and Soul progression.

Here’s the regular Heart and Soul progression again...

B...G#m...E...F#

Wonder’s chorus is based on this variation...

B...G#...E...F#

Did you catch that? He changes the G# minor chord to G MAJOR!


Advanced: I should point out here, that the band is actually playing the following chords (which are based on B...G#...E...F#)...

B...G#7...EMaj9...(C#m7, E/F#)


Changing the VIm to VI is something so simple and brilliant that I wonder why everyone isn’t doing it. I can’t believe I missed that for so many years. That, my friends, is why Stevie Wonder is uber-famous and I’m writing a blog about how famous he is!

-        - - - - - - - - - -- -

Chromatic Dominant Chords
Yesterday I pointed out the cool chromatic melody in the second half of the verses. I thought I’d show you the chords he used to play underneath the melody...

E7...Eb7...D7...Db7
D7...Eb7...E7...E7

E7...Eb7...D7...Db7
D7...Eb7...E7...F#7

I don’t have much commentary here, other than the dominant chords keep the tension relatively high. In the recording, the whole band plays the chords, it’s a great effect.

-        - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I think I learned from this song that I need to be willing to stretch myself even further. I tend to lean towards the complex, when really a simple adjustment here and there makes an amazing difference. How enlightening!


Now go out there and write something inspiring. Have a great week.


~Shane



- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder

(verse)
Music is a world within itself with a language we all understand
With an equal opportunity for all to sing and dance and clap their hands
But just because a record has a groove don’t make it in the groove
But you can tell right away, at letter A, when the people start to move

(chorus)
They can feel it all over, they can feel it all over people
They can feel it all over, they can feel it all over people

(verse)
Music knows it is and always will be one of the things that life just won’t quit
But here is some of music’s pioneers that time will not allow us to forget
For there’s Basie, Miller, Satchimo, and the king of all Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out there’s no way the band can loose

(chorus)
You can feel it all over, you can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over, you can feel it all over people

Wednesday, November 11

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - Melody


Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - Melody
Listen to the song HERE.

Major Blues Scale-a-rama
Wonder uses the major blues scale to great effect here, with some great surprises thrown in. The major blues scale is built on the major pentatonic, with the addition of the b3.

A “normal” major scale is this...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7...(it then starts over at “1” again)

...a major pentatonic scale uses these notes of that scale...

1 2 3 5 6...(it then starts over at “1” again)

...the major blues adds a single note...

1 2 b3 3 5 6

For those “Wonder-ing” [okay, that was a bad pun, even by MY low standards] Stevie is playing in the key of B major, so the notes of the major blues scale are these...

B C# D D# F# G#

The major blues scale takes up the first two lines of the verses. Things get REALLY interesting in the second two lines.


Chromatic Melody
When he starts singing “just because a record has a groove don’t make it in the groove” he switches from the pentatonic scale to a chromatic scale. A chromatic scale is very unique in pop music because it isn’t used that much. Hmmm? How do I explain chromatic?

Okay, imagine this...you know how I mentioned the major scale uses 7 notes...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Remember how I said that the scale starts over after the 7th note? For example, a C major scale would be this...

C D E F G A B...C D E F G A B...C D E F G A B C...all the way up the piano

...but those notes are only the white keys (I’m sorry if I’m confusing you about keys. Sir Duke is in the key of B major, but C major is easier to explain. There are actually 12(!) notes between the two C’s.

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B...

...these notes...

C# D# F# G# A#


...are the black keys on the piano, and you don’t normally play them when playing a C major scale (Well, you CAN play them, but they don’t feel like they fit. We’re so used to hearing major scales that anything out of the ordinary draws attention to itself). You could say that these notes are “in between” the notes of the major scale. When you play the “in between” notes, you are playing a chromatic scale. A chromatic scale means that you aren’t sticking to any key, you aren’t skipping over any notes. Like I said, a chromatic scale is pretty unusual in pop music, which is why it is brilliant that Wonder uses it here. It DOES create attention!

Also, think about what the lyrics are saying about the record “grooves”...record grooves are lined up extremely close together, just like these notes of the melody. Same idea happens in the second verse where Wonder lists the musical pioneers. I think it’s cool that he places them so close together using chromatic notes. It’s like he’s saying that Ella, Basie, etc, are all “close together”...if that makes sense. It’s really a brilliant use of chromatics.


One Note Higher
Wonder starts the melody of the chorus on the major pentatonic scale again, but as the section progresses he adds two new notes on top. So overall, the chorus melody is higher than the rest of the song. This is a pretty standard (brilliant) technique that you should all consider in your own songs. In other words, use new notes in the chorus, and use higher notes to make the chorus stand out!

There you have it. Go write something using chromatics!

~Shane

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Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder

(verse)
Music is a world within itself with a language we all understand
With an equal opportunity for all to sing and dance and clap their hands
But just because a record has a groove don’t make it in the groove
But you can tell right away, at letter A, when the people start to move

(chorus)
They can feel it all over, they can feel it all over people
They can feel it all over, they can feel it all over people

(verse)
Music knows it is and always will be one of the things that life just won’t quit
But here is some of music’s pioneers that time will not allow us to forget
For there’s Basie, Miller, Satchimo, and the king of all Sir Duke
And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out there’s no way the band can loose

(chorus)
You can feel it all over, you can feel it all over people
You can feel it all over, you can feel it all over people