Song DNA

Every Breath You Take – The Police – Song Form

2009-12-02T16:36:00.002-06:00

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...

Every Breath You Take – The Police

2009-11-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

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!)

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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...

Thanksgiving Week

2009-11-24T11:44:00.000-06:00

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

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Harmony

2009-11-19T18:14:00.001-06:00

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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Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Melody

2009-11-18T15:55:00.002-06:00

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!)

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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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Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Lyrics and Song Form

2009-11-17T12:08:00.001-06:00

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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Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

2009-11-16T12:35:00.004-06:00

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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Sunshine – Jonathan Edwards

2009-11-14T05:00:00.000-06:00

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!)

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - Harmony

2009-11-12T13:19:00.000-06:00

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!

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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.

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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

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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

(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

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - Melody

2009-11-11T12:48:00.001-06:00

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 7^th 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

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

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

(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

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - Alternative Rhymes

2009-11-10T09:49:00.001-06:00

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder - A Lesson in Alternative Rhymes

Listen to the song HERE.

I saw artist/songwriter Beth Neilson Chapman do this song on guitar a few years ago and she blew me away singing all the horn parts which are just as much part of the personality of this song than the lyrics. After one listen everyone can sing, and WAN’T to sing the opening riff. Every live video I watched of Wonder doing this song had him prompting the audience to sing with him. I hope someday to write something that catchy.

For all intent and purpose, Sir Duke is a straight ahead verse/chorus vehicle. Simple rhyme schemes for the verses (aabb) and a repeated lyrical riff in the chorus (You can feel it all over!).

Alternative Rhymes

I hear a lot of “older/established” songwriters diss alternative rhymes, thinking/saying that perfect rhymes are the only “pure” method of writing. I can’t believe how much I disagree with them. Mind you, I don’t disagree with using perfect rhymes, but I am abhorred by the idea of shoveling off alternative rhymes into some snobby garbage compactor. I tend to think in terms of connection between different types of rhyme, rather “perfect rhymes” being some sort of clique that everyone should aspire to.

Music flies by so fast that we often don’t realize how strong the alternative rhyme connections are. Are alternative rhymes more loosely connected than perfect rhymes...yes! And therein lies their beauty.

I’m going to talk about a couple of things regarding rhyme that I’m sure Wonder wasn’t thinking about when he wrote this song. Still, these ideas impact me when I listen to it. Not in some academic analysis way...but in the way the rhyme represents what’s going on in the song.

First verse vs. Second verse

First verse has extremely strong rhyme connections.

understand/hands – alternative rhyme*, “additive rhyme”, the S sound is added at the end of “hands”

groove/move – perfect rhyme

*(additive and subtractive rhymes, especially adding or subtracting a single letter, make the strongest connection after perfect rhymes)

Second verse has very loose rhyme connections.

quit/forget – alternative rhyme, “consonant rhyme” (notice the vowels aren’t the same. This is the weakest of all rhyme connections).

Duke/loose – alternative rhyme, “assonance rhyme”

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Advanced: Quick alternative rhyme lesson:

Rhyme consonants are divided into three families...Plosive, Nasal, Fricative...which make up these consonant sounds (not the “letters”, the SOUNDS!)...

Plosive family – b, p, d, t, g, k

Nasal family – m, n, ng

Fricative family – v, f, TH (as in “breathe”), th (as in “teeth”), z, s, ch, sh

If you use two different consonants from the same family you’ve created a “family rhyme”. An assonance rhyme is where you use consonants from two different families. (In other words, use a plosive with a plosive to create a “family rhyme”, a fricative with a fricative to create a “family rhyme”, etc. If you use a plosive with something else, it becomes and assonance rhyme).

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Why is all this important to our Stevie Wonder song? Well, look at the content of the verse lyrics. The first verse is about connecting with one another through music. What is more connected than people clapping their hands? Hand clapping is its own language. An English, Hindi, Russian, and Mandarin speaker can all clap together without knowing each other’s language. Same thing with a groove...though styles maybe different, dancing is universal. This section is bound together by very strong rhyme connections, just as we humans are bound together by groove and music!

The content of the second verse is looser...talking about music’s pioneers: Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong (Satchmo), Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. They all have their different styles, but they are connected by A) their greatness, B) the legacy of their amazing music. To me, the “looser” rhymes of this section represent the diversity between these giants of music.

The rhyme scheme teaches us that we all can come together under the umbrella of diverse music.

On a side note, we also learn that as songwriters, we don’t have to limit ourselves to perfect rhymes. That we can use alternative rhymes to not only give us more options, but to add depth and prosody to our lyrics. If it’s good enough for Stevie Wonder, it’s good enough for me.

Now go write something catchy.

~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

(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

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder

2009-11-09T08:45:00.001-06:00

Sir Duke – Stevie Wonder

This is such a joyful , exuberant song. The music is amazing, the melodic horn lines blow me away. Even the chord changes have a couple surprises. We’ll definitely learn some writing tricks to put in our tool kits. For now, listen to the song HERE. Here’s the lyrics...

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

(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

He repeats this same chorus a couple more times, substituting “I can feel it all over” and sometimes asking “Can you feel it all over?”

The answer? Yes, we can Stevie. Yes we can.

This is going to be a fun week.

Enjoy!

~Shane

PS. Sorry about not being able to do Saturday’s song. I was a little overwhelmed with projects. I’ll try and sneak one of the songs in this week.

Reader Submitted Lyric - Chris Sexton - Let's Go Back

2009-11-06T05:00:00.000-06:00

Reader Submitted Lyric - Chris Sexton - Let's Go Back

Hello Songwriter Nation!

Today we're going to try something a little different and go over a reader submitted lyric. Thanks to all who submitted. I ended up choosing this one from our friend Chris Sexton up in PA!

First…here’s the lyrics, then we'll dig into it, see if we can tighten it up!

Let’s Go Back

Chris Sexton

(verse)
The old rhododendron leans toward the window, hiding from the afternoon sun

Offering me protection as I stand in the basement doing all our laundry ‘til it’s done

My hand is reaching for the old wicker basket when something shiny catches my eye

A picture of two lovers on a honeymoon vacation smiling without having to try

Easy, simple, magical, pure

That’s how we looked when love mattered more

(chorus)
Let’s go back, back when we lived in our favorite jeans

Let’s go back, I’ll be your homecoming queen

Let’s go back, back to that first kiss, when we were just strangers

And our hearts were beating like we were in danger

We’ll be who we were, only better, let’s go back

(verse)
I wish I had bottled the smell of that coffee from your kitchen in that old college town

I’d open it up and breathe in completely filling up my lonely ‘til it drowns

Easy, faithful, magical, sure

That’s how it felt when love mattered more

(chorus)
Let’s go back, back when we lived in our favorite jeans

Let’s go back, I’ll be your homecoming queen

Let’s go back, back to that first kiss, when we were just strangers

And our hearts were beating like we were in danger

We’ll be who we were, only better, let’s go back

(bridge)
So put on that coffee, I’ll put down this shirt

Let’s pull back those covers and end all this hurt

(chorus)
Let’s go back, back when we lived in our favorite jeans

Let’s go back, I’ll be your homecoming queen

Let’s go back, back to that first kiss, when we were just strangers

And our hearts were beating like we were in danger

We’ll be who we were, only better, let’s go back

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The first thing I want to look at is the power positions of the verses and bridge. Let’s see how well they tell the story of the song...

The old rhododendron leans toward the window, hiding from the afternoon sun

A picture of two lovers on a honeymoon vacation smiling without having to try

I wish I had bottled the smell of that coffee from your kitchen in that old college town

I’d open it up and breathe in completely filling up my lonely ‘til it drowns

So put on that coffee, I’ll put down this shirt

Let’s pull back those covers and end all this hurt

The first thing I’ll say, is that I really like the idea behind this song. The couple wanting to go back to what was good, but notice that in the opening verse, the old rhododendron gets the most attention, and not the couple. It’s a great line, but I don’t think it should be in the opening position. The characters and their situation should be there...at least the singer. A better opening line would be about standing in the basement doing the laundry. Laundry isn’t as pretty as a rhododendron (and much easier to spell!) but it is real, and again, it introduces a character.

Second verse power positions are fine. I’m kind of iffy with using “that” to describe anything in a lyric, unless it is previously mentioned in the lyric. Describing the old college town as “that college town” doesn’t feel honest to me...you’d never say that in real life to somebody...

Hey honey, remember when we lived in that old college town?

It’s fake sentimental. It’d be much more powerful, real, and honest, if you used the real name of the town.

Hey honey, remember when we lived in Somerville?
Our apartment was so small that our shirts constantly smelled like coffee from our tiny kitchen

Our clothes smell too much like Bounce and Downy now

I should have bottled that smell to put in a batch of our darks every now and then

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Taking Ownership

Here’s another cool little tool to add to your bag of tricks. Turn your “the” of your songs into moments of ownership.

The old rhododendron...becomes “my” old rhododendron

The old wicker basket...becomes “my” old wicker basket

“My” could also be: our, their, your, etc.

Old Habits

Speaking of old rhododendrons and old wicker baskets...songwriters love to use the word “old” when describing objects. The problem is “old” is completely relative and in some ways is description neutral. For “old” to have any real effect it needs some kind of qualifier.

Change “old” into something more specific that the object actually is.

The waxy rhododendron

The thirsty rhododendron

The senile rhododendron (“senile” projects “old” without using old!)

The unraveling whicker basket

The stiff whicker basket

The tan whicker basket

The arthritic whicker basket

...the more specific you are, the more universal the description becomes. It’s sort of counter intuitive, but it works.

Verbinator

Describing objects with specifics is great, but if you REALLY want to inject power into your descriptions, look for your verbs. Great verbs are much cooler than great nouns.

The old rhododendron leans toward the window, hiding from the afternoon sun

My old rhododendron stumbles toward the window, squinting from the afternoon sun

My old rhododendron squints toward the window, cowering from the afternoon sun

...I’m just brainstorming here, you’ll be able to find something much better. Is there a way to connect the plant with the sun? If you were a plant and the sun was shining on you, what would you do?

The Bridge

“That” is used again to describe the coffee in the bridge...put on THAT coffee. It just doesn’t sit quite right. Put on the coffee. Put on some coffee. :)

The Chronological Chorus

I love the detail in the chorus, but I’d arrange it to be more chronological, let the objects tell a story within your story, that way they become more like milestones, instead of objects.

Here’s the original...

Let’s go back, back when we lived in our favorite jeans

Let’s go back, I’ll be your homecoming queen

Let’s go back, back to that first kiss, when we were just strangers

And our hearts were beating like we were in danger

We’ll be who we were, only better, let’s go back

I’d start with the kiss, homecoming, favorite jeans...

Let’s go back, back to that first kiss, when we were just strangers

And our hearts were beating like we were in danger

Let’s go back, I’ll be your homecoming queen

Let’s go back, back when we lived in our favorite jeans

We’ll be who we were, only better, let’s go back

The internal story become is how the couple became comfortable. It feels more like a progression.

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

Thanks for your willingness to put yourself out there Chris. Good luck with this. It really is a charming idea.

I hope the rest of you see ideas for you to tune up your own songs.

Now go write something charming.

~Shane

Sly – The Cat Empire - Harmony

2009-11-05T05:00:00.003-06:00

Sly – The Cat Empire - Harmony

View the video HERE. Purchase on iTunes HERE.

Chemistry 101

I body is sort of based on three chords...E...A...B, but really what we’re hearing is a repeated bass pattern doubled by the guitar and electric piano. Here’s the notes, but you really should listen to it to hear what’s going on…

E...G#...A...G#...A

A...B...A...B

...over and over. So the harmony of the verse is created by a melody of the instruments, which is playing under the melody of the singer! You have this lower melody (of the instruments) playing and flirting with the main melody of the singer and lyrics. Hmmm? What’s the song about? Flirting! Isn’t that great prosody? It gets better!

[Side note]

My senior year I worked at Pizza Inn in Las Vegas. It was the best. All my friends worked there. We ran the place. Imagine that, a bunch of 18 year olds. Someday I’ll tell you about how I was the worst delivery driver ever, and how I sucked up the French dressing with the central vacuum system, but today is not that day.

I was driving to work when I pulled up at a light next to a cute girl from my high school...actually, she had graduated a year earlier, an OLDER woman. I was totally looking cool [Hair: feathered? Check!] in my inherited Datsun B210 (that Brian Walker nicknamed “Fluffy”). She, in a yellow Camaro. I yelled out my window* “Hey, wanna trade?” She rolled down her window, “What?” I repeated, “Wanna Trade?” You know what happened? She laughed, not in a blow me off laugh, but in a cute, feathered hair kind of laugh. Game on, I thought.

I continued yelling, “Wanna Pizza?”

“A what?”

“A pizza! You know, crust, cheese, sauce.”

“A pizza?”

“Yeah...Pizza Inn...Boulder Highway...by Payless.”

“Oh...uh...why not?”

Can you believe that? She said “why not”!

We drove side by side. Kind of eye flirting at each other in our cars. Her V6 rumbling. Me being extra careful with the gas so it wouldn’t spew blue smoke. We pulled into the parking lot in front of the Pizza Inn. I couldn’t believe it. She laughed kind of sheepishly, I invited her inside. We found a table.

“Uh...I gotta go clock in. What kind of pizza do you want?”

“Clock in?”

“Yeah, my shift just started”.

“You work here?”

“Yeah...pepperoni? Canadian bacon? Pan?”

“Actually...” [Insert sound of yellow Camaro revving up...backing up cautiously...burning tread out of the lot.]

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

Chemistry – Continued...

Okay, that didn’t work out the way I had hoped. But for fifteen minutes we had something going. Anticipation, the unknown, the mystery of possibility...that is EXACTLY what is going on between the two melodies of this song, except in the song, the guy is actually smooth.

Chemistry 201

The first time we actually hear an honest-to-goodness chord is when (in the lyrics) the guy actually introduces himself to the girl (Aye...it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look like one incredible creature...etc). Think about that for a moment. The entire verse is two melodies flirting together and playing off of each other and then BAM! They actually talk and...HARMONY!

Here’s the chords for those keeping score...

F#m.................................................A...................................B.........

Aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look like one incredible creature

A.......................................Bb...............................B......................................

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

B...................................................................................

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

Here’s a couple of cool things about this section. First, notice how long they stay on the B chord. B, being the V chord, has a tremendous amount of tension. The V chord desperately wants resolution, and what wants resolution more than a guy trying to pick up a girl? Nothing. :)

Secondly, I love the little prosody smack on the Bb chord. Bb is non-diatonic, meaning it normally doesn’t belong in the key that the song’s in (the key of E, in case you’re wondering). Introducing a Bb in this key, at that moment, creates a brilliant little moment of friction...and what’s the lyric about at that exact moment? Dancing and grinding! What causes grinding? Yep...friction! Brilliant, eh?

Whether they did that on purpose or not is not the point. It still happened. That chord still sticks out at that moment. The question is whether YOU will choose to use a non-diatonic chord in a moment of YOUR song when YOUR lyric says something about friction, or tension, or grinding, or you just want to create a momentary speedbump of attention in your song. Yes, I am extremely happy about the two melodies finally coming together and becoming chords in this song (musically representing the two characters...blah, blah, blah). I get MORE excited knowing that we can use that type of technique in OUR songs.

Looking for way to breathe life into your music? There’s a freebie for you. Now, give me a second to send a waitress out. I’ll be in the back rolling pizza dough. By the way, stay far away from the French dressing.

Go write something with a non-diatonic chord.

~Shane

Sly – The Cat Empire - Melody

2009-11-04T05:00:00.001-06:00

Sly – The Cat Empire - Melody

View the video HERE. Purchase on iTunes HERE.

Creating Contrast with Minor AND Major Pentatonic scales

Sly presents an interesting challenge because at least a third of the song is sort of sung/spoke…so the melody pops in and out. Even so, there’s some really interesting melodic contrast used VERY effectively between the verses and chorus.

The verse is primarily an E minor pentatonic scale (over an E major chord). I’m going to call this the rock and roll melody from now on because it happens so frequently. It allows the song to have some edginess credibility without losing the joy of the major chord.

What’s brilliant is they switch to a (partial) E MAJOR pentatonic in the chorus. This allows the verse and chorus to have their own flavor…the chorus feels like it moves somewhere, even though the notes stay primarily in the same range. The chorus sounds fresh because the notes are NEW!

Creating Contrast with Melody Shape

Melodic shape is another area where these guys created contrast. (I should point out here that contrasting the melody in both sections keeps the song interesting…a lot of songwriters unknowingly fall into the trap of making their verse and chorus TOO similar, so that the chorus has no effect. The chorus becomes a rehash of verse ideas, instead of having its own personality). “Sly” allows both sections to have different personalities. The verse is edgier, while the chorus is party all the time. You get to rock and roll all night AND party every day.

The verse melody (when not being spoken) starts high, then falls down the scale and meanders between the root and b3 (which is what gives it the edge…because remember, he’s singing the b3 over a major chord).

The chorus melody moves back up…in fact, it tends to leap upward, which is another nice contrast. Imagine running down a flight of stairs in the verse, and then when you get to the bottom, you go back up, but instead of hitting every stair you leap over two or three pulling yourself up with the handrail. You cover the same distance in less time, which is exactly what happens between the verse and chorus melody. That’s a great trick to steal for your own songs

Melody Craftsman or Lucky?

Though the shapes stay consistent between the sections, the actual notes they sing vary wildly. I don’t think it’s a matter of luck, I think they just have good ears. I think some of the fun wildness of the song would be lost if the melody was “crafted” more than it was. Then again, without knowing how the song actually came about, we are left to guessing and speculation.

What does count is what we hear and how it affects us. Like I revealed yesterday, I love this song. It’s not perfect, but it makes me so very happy when I listen to it.

Now go write something that makes you happy.

~Shane

PS. The poll for the Saturday song is in a 3-way tie. That kind of surprises me. I wonder how it will turn out. Also remember that you can submit your lyrics HERE, for consideration to be analyzed on Friday’s blog.

Sly – The Cat Empire – Song Form

2009-11-03T05:00:00.000-06:00

Sly – The Cat Empire – Song Form

View the video HERE. Purchase on iTunes HERE.

Rhyme Scheme –

Let’s go through the rhyme scheme of each verse since they aren’t consistent…

- Rhyme scheme = aabb, time/shrine/sorts/thoughts

If frizzy hair was a metaphor for festival time

Then this woman is a goddess of that festival shrine

Met her at a jam, in a garden of sorts

I must confess, god bless, some impure thoughts

- Rhyme scheme = aabb, night/pride/know/glowed

“Show us the money” was the call of the night

But no money could have bought even a piece of her pride

There might have been a sea of people, I don’t know

Because all I could see was how this woman glowed…

- Rhyme scheme = aaxa, killa/spill ya(!)/bean/vanilla

She caterpillar so good that all the Greeks go, “killa”

Break and enter, take you like a glass of milk, then spill ya
Saw her coming, what a scene, what I mean is she got the sex coffee bean
But she tastes like vanilla

…I should point out that there is the cool “what a scene/coffee bean” internal rhyme in the 3^rd line :)

- Rhyme scheme = aabb, floor/commodore/worthwhile/style

Well alright, she ignite when we hit the floor

Like the vroom on a V8 super commodore

Well if it makes a good story, well it’s just worthwhile

With her, it’s like dealing stories in a sprinkler style

- Rhyme scheme = xaaa, Jini/alright/stride/sly

Do the Louie, the J-J-J-Jinii

Do the boom-shak, hit the sack, hit the sack, back seat’s feeling alright

Do the Monkey shuffle, Rocket with a funk stride

Do the late checkout with a do not disturb sign outside…now do the Sly

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Chorus – Internal Rhyme-a-rama

This chorus is one of the best examples out there of how internal rhymes that are close together completely make the momentum of a song zip forward without changing the actual tempo of the song. They set the stage with the first line…

So, aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look line one incredible creature

…and then things just go bananas from here on out…

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

You’re so sly

…by they end, things are absolutely cookin’.

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Alternative Rhymes –

If you came to this song for perfect rhymes, you will be hopelessly disappointed. The rhymes in this song completely crack me up with their ingenuity and spunk…my main favorite being killa/spill ya/ tastes like vanilla. I love alternative rhymes. I really do. I believe they are the future of songwriting. There are only two sets* of perfect rhymes in this whole song…

floor/commodore

worthwhile/style

*that isn’t completely true, there’s some perfect internal rhymes (crime/sublime, scene/bean, etc), but no other end of line perfect rhymes. Check out the variety…

***Advanced: I’ll put the rhyme type in italics***

time/shrine – nasal family rhyme (m, n, ng, are formed in the nasal cavity, and are in the same family)

sorts/thoughts – subtractive rhyme (the R sound was subtracted from the second word)

night/pride – plosive family rhyme (t, d…among others…are formed with little bursts of air, get it? “plosive/explosive”!)

know/glowed – additive rhyme (the D sound was added to the long O sound)

killa/spill ya – additive rhyme (the Y sound was added)

spill ya/vanilla – subtractive rhyme (the Y sound was subtracted)

alright/stride – plosive family rhyme

stride/sly – subtractive rhyme (the D sound was subtracted)

This tells you that you aren’t limited to just perfect rhymes all the time. There is an incredible amount of flexibility for both meaning and simply sounding fresh when you use alternative rhymes. There is not one single cliché rhyme in the bunch. If you are a beginning songwriter, a good place to start with alternative rhymes is additive and subtractive, where you take a consonant off the end, or put one on the end.

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Verse/chorus contrast –

The biggest contrasting factor is with rhyme, no doubt. The verse are rhymes are pretty straight forward, mostly aabb. The chorus is jammed crammed with internal rhymes, but the ending words don’t match.

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Content?

Remember a few songs ago, I talked about how much I love lyrics where the character changes somehow. The character arc in this one isn’t huge, he goes from alone to dancing with the girl, but it still is a change. The song didn’t stay one dimensional by having him watch her the entire time. Besides, how bad can a song be where the first line mentions “frizzy hair”!

Alright…go write something irreverent.

~Shane

PS. Send me your original lyric if you would like it to be considered for analysis. Send it HERE.

Sly – The Cat Empire

2009-11-02T05:00:00.002-06:00

Sly – The Cat Empire

View the video HERE. Purchase on iTunes HERE. Lyrics at the bottom of today’s blog.

Disclaimer: Not that anyone cares, but I decided to do a different song than what was originally on deck”. After a week of Pink, I didn’t feel like doing another female pop/rock thing. I guess you could say I exercised my perBLOGative. [Insert: sound of crickets, the tumble of a lone tumbleweed, the dead silence of nobody laughing at my pun...]

I was driving home from work a couple years ago when this brilliant, crazy, energetic, lyric mouthful of song blasted out of my stereo. This song has the unusual distinction of being the ONLY song in the last 20 years (and probably more) that I actually called the radio station to request*. I even emailed the DJ thanking him for playing it, and asked that he keep it on their playlist (because everyone knows that DJ’s and not corporate entities control what is played on radio stations).

*[Side Note]

When I was in 1st grade I inherited a huge white AM radio from one of my sisters. I remember it having gold dials for some reason. I took a black Sharpie and drew a notch and a big “720” where I could find 720 KDWN easily on the dial. I used to call their DJ’s all time, most frequently at 7:19AM or PM to remind them that the time was about to be the same numbers as their AM frequency. There was a thrill of hearing the guy’s voice from the radio speaker in the earpiece of the phone. They were actually very nice considering how annoying I probably was. The last call I made to KDWN was to request Crocodile Rock, by Elton John, but I couldn’t quite remember the name. I wanted the song about the dancing lizard. It took a couple minutes but the voice on the phone figured it out. He even dedicated it to “my little friend in Henderson”. I was a changed man.

I love this band and the way they combine rock, ska, and funk…which is also a good way to describe “Sly”. This song is a lyrical Rubik’s cube whimsical tongue-twister, that took me forever to understand, let alone transcribe. It’s bouncy on the surface but has some very compelling and deep roots. I love the fact that they recorded the album in Havana

Cuba

with smoking hot players…AND it has a piano solo! Ole! “Sly” comes from their album “Two Shoes” which is #10 on my all-time top-10 list…in case you were wondering.

I hope you like this as much as I did. Now go write something that will make someone want to call a DJ.

~Shane

PS. Remember, as always to cast your vote in the current song poll.

PPS. Your voices were heard. Starting this Friday, I will analyze and offer suggestions to YOUR lyrics. Post them in the comments by Wednesday. I’ll announce the “winner” on Thursday, and do the analysis on Friday. Deal?

PPPS. Every other Saturday, I’d like to analyze songs you’ve requested. Post your requests in the comments.

Thanks for your continued support. Here’s the lyrics…

Sly

(verse 1)

If frizzy hair was a metaphor for festival time

Then this woman is a goddess of that festival shrine

Met her at a jam, in a garden of sorts

I must confess, god bless, some impure thoughts

“Show us the money” was the call of the night

But no money could have bought even a piece of her pride

There might have been a sea of people, I don’t know

Because all I could see was how this woman glowed…

(chorus)

So, aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look line one incredible creature

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

It’s so sly

(verse 2)

She caterpillar so good that all the Greeks go, “killa”

Break and enter, take you like a glass of milk, then spill ya
Saw her coming, what a scene, what I mean is she got the sex coffee bean
But she tastes like vanilla

Well alright, she ignite when we hit the floor

Like the vroom on a V8 super commodore

Well if it makes a good story, well it’s just worthwhile

With her, it’s like dealing stories in a sprinkler style

(chorus)

So, aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look line one incredible creature

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

You’re so sly

(verse 3)

Do the Louie, the J-J-J-Jinii

Do the boom-shak, hit the sack, back seat’s feeling alright

Do the Monkey shuffle, Rocket with a funk stride

Do the late checkout with a do not disturb sign outside…now do the Sly

(chorus)

So, aye, it’s a pleasure to meet ya, you look line one incredible creature

Want to treat ya fine, let’s dance and grind, get so funk-inflicted it’s a crime

You’re divine, you’re sublime, and well, ya blow my mind

You’re so sly

What I Like About You – The Romantics

2009-10-31T05:00:00.003-05:00

What I Like About You – The Romantics

(See the video HERE)

Who hasn’t started bouncing around at a party when this song hits the speakers? Let’s see what’s under its hood.

The Riff

The song is based on a single riff, the instantly memorable signature lick which plays throughout the entire song. Sure, there’s a brief little chord detour in the bridge, but the whole song is basically based on that riff, which is this chord progression…

E…A…D…A

I…IV…bVII…IV

Advanced: This is a mixolydian progression! Also the signature charm of the riff is that the E chord is really a quick Esus4 to E major switch. (I’d be happy to hear from any guitar players who know this riff. It can’t really be replicated on the piano. Those ARE the bass notes however).

This riff is considered a "power progression" which means that chord progression, in that order is used all the time. Here's one off the top of my head, if you think of others please post them in the commentary...

The Dark Side - John Cafferty

Verse/Refrain…In a rock song?

Something that I’ve never thought about (which is one of the great things about doing this blog) is that this song is really a verse refrain. The verse STARTS with the refrain line “what I like about you” AND ends with it. This isn’t uncommon, but it is certainly not the norm. Most verse/refrain songs only end with the refrain/hook. After the verse and last verse, they hammer the refrain line over and over and over. Further gouging it into our consciousness.

Rhyme scheme

Technically, the rhyme scheme is aaxx, (tight, tonight, hear, you), but that doesn’t describe the whole story. Everyone can hear the last two lines are really cut in half with internal rhymes. For my own notation, I’ll write this…

aa(bb)(cc) – tight, tonight, (ear/hear), (true/you)

…but that’s my thing, I haven’t seen an internal rhyme analyzed in that way (with the double parenthesis), so take it with a grain of salt.

What I like about you, you hold me tight

Tell me I’m the only one, wanna come over tonight

Keep on whispering in my ear, tell me all the things that I wanna hear

Cause it’s true, that’s what I like about you

…all the verses follow that same form. Here’s the lyric with out the rhymes highlighted…

What I like about you, you really know how to dance

When you go up down, jump around, think about true romance

Keep on whispering in my ear, tell me all the things that I wanna hear

Cause it’s true, that’s what I like about you

That’s what I like about you

That’s what I like about you…(repeated)

What I like about you, you keep me warm at night

Never wanna let you go, know you make me feel alright

Keep on whispering in my ear, tell me all the things that I wanna hear

Cause it’s true, that’s what I like about you

That’s what I like about you

That’s what I like about you…(repeated)

Notice how the internal rhymes of the last lines energize the momentum of the song. They create these two line bursts of speed. The same thing happens in the “up, down, turn around” line. Play it back and feel the momentum surge forward in the spots with internal rhymes.

Melody

This is one of the simplest melodies you’ll ever see. He sings 3 notes…D, E, G. That’s it. It’s basically based on the minor pentatonic scale, but he’s only using three of the five available notes. Even though it is a simple melody to the extreme, the G not really sticks out because that note is a minor 3^rd played over a major 3^rd in the harmony…so you get a wonderful rub. You hear that all the time in rock and roll. It adds an edge to the melody.

There’s your quickie for the day. Try writing something simple today.

~Shane

Buy “What I Like About You” on iTunes…HERE.

So What – Pink – Other Cool Elements

2009-10-30T05:00:00.000-05:00

So What – Pink – Other Cool Elements

Power positions are the opening and closing lines of a section. The verse power positions should tell the main story of your song. When they are good, they work together…one compliments the other. The ending line finishes up the opening power position. So how does this song do?

Let’s take a look at the two verses…

I guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went

’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

The waiter just took my table and gave it to Jessica Simps

I’m gonna get in trouble, my ex will start a fight

In fact, let’s just look at the first verse. What can we learn?

Here’s the whole section…

I guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went

So I’m gonna drink my money, I’m not gonna pay his rent

I got a brand new attitude and I’m gonna wear it tonight

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

At first glance, any of those lines would make okay power positions. Let’s say you want to keep the “fight line” last, so here’s the three options for the opening line. How well are the combinations working together?

I guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

So I’m gonna drink my money, I’m not gonna pay his rent

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

I got a brand new attitude and I’m gonna wear it tonight

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

In my opinion, any of those would work. All three combinations show attitude and guts. So why is the first choice so effective? Ahhhh…now THERE’S a great question.

These two…

So I’m gonna drink my money, I’m not gonna pay his rent

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

I got a brand new attitude and I’m gonna wear it tonight

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

…are all about attitude. Both are strong contenders. However, they are missing an important aspect that the original power positions provide…

I guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

Do you see it? This combination gives us a REASON behind her wanting to start a fight. She lost her husband! This combination isn’t just about her. It is about her EMOTIONAL reaction. By putting that line as the opening line, she’s made the emotional reaction the most important aspect of that section. All her drinking, all of her brand new attitude, is based on what happens in the opening line. Because SHE has placed a priority on her emotional response, WE also have an emotional response to her and her situation. We have sympathy and empathy for her. We cut her some slack, and in the process sing along with her.

Think about it. Let’s take two scenarios. Two people raising cain. Cain raiser #1 is a boorish drunk jerk causing trouble at a club. Cain raiser #2 is also a boorish drunk jerk causing trouble at a club, however we know that she was just completely dumped by her ex after giving it her all. We don’t have to agree with their actions, but who do we have more sympathy for? We have empathy for the dumpee for the simple fact that we know “why” she’s doing what she’s doing.

When she says “I wanna start a fight”…you think to yourself, “Self, she probably needs to let off some steam” and you cut her some slack.

Deeper meaning in a pop song? Go on…

That empathy is a perfect set up for the chorus. In the prechorus, when she says “I wanna start a fight” we’re right there with her. We’ve all been dumped on, and it’s fun to pretend that if “I” was a rock star that’s EXACTLY how I’d behave. I’d throw my star power around and get into some trouble!

[Side note]

The last time I fought anyone was Andy Riddell in the 5^th grade. We were friends but also both wondered what it would be like to fight. I had three things going for me in my first and last brouhaha: 1) My size (I was always bigger than everyone at CT Sewell Elementary). 2) Andy took tap dancing from his mom. 3) AND he was a redhead. How could I lose?

We met at Mr. Anderson’s yard after school and started a punch out. Have you ever heard the phrase “quickness over size”? Probably not, because that phrase was invented the moment Andy buzzed all over my sorry excuse for a sensitive piano playing prize fighter. Let’s try another phrase…Don’t fight a redhead with a Neapolean complex and chip on his shoulder from having to take dance classes, whose dancing skills incidentally made him agile as a freaking red fox. I remember trying to wrestle him to the ground, but he was all about the punching…and punching…and punching.

Back to the song…

We learn that a great choice for an opening line is one that that gives the emotional motivation for everything afterwards. Make an emotional connection with your character and your listeners will also make an emotional connection.

Two emotions

This next detail is VERY important, but unfortunately I don’t have a lot of time right now to explain it. My lyric students will recognize it, but for the rest of the Songwriter Nation, you’ll have to take my word that I’ll go into detail behind the concept at a later date.

The concept is “two emotions”. In other words, songs where characters go through more than one emotion are more compelling to listeners. You are creating an “arc of character”. I find this to be THE key element between songs that I really like, versus songs that I really love. (This isn’t always true, of course, but it is mostly true).

Pink basically goes through two emotions in this song…the hurt of being let down, and the rejuvenation of self inflicted strength. A “flat” character doesn’t change, he/she stays the same the entire lyric. Going “through” two emotions (at least…not matter what two) gives the character substance, depth, and most importantly, OUR interest!

Go write something!

~Shane

PS. Starting today, you guys can start posting your lyrics in the comment sections. Feel free to comment on each others work. I’ll pick one of your lyrics to do a makeover at the end of week, probably Friday. When you post your lyric, please use the format I’ve been using for this blog. Look at the Pink lyric HERE as an example. Special thanks to everyone who sent in their suggestions. Extra special thanks to Terry Vital and the rest of my now legendary 07 Berkleemusic melody class.

PPS. Several of you have asked privately if I’ll every discuss things I find “wrong” in these hit songs? You know, things I’d change given the chance.

Hmmm? Your songs? Yes.

A song making a bazillion bucks. No.

Maybe one day if I’m feeling very disgruntled, and need to vent. I will tell you that one of my biggest pet peeves is a lack of point of view consistency.

So What – Pink – Harmony

2009-10-29T05:00:00.002-05:00

So What – Pink – Harmony

Verse Harmony

To start this machine today, I want to post a message from Pink’s drummer, the AMAZING Mark Shulman (His website is HERE). They are currently rocking out on tour in the

Mark writes:

Incidentally...Tell dear Shane that I believe that his whole assessment of the verse does not apply because the verse is in the relative minor of the chorus which means that his declaration of instability through starting on the 6th is invalid. Alecia is actually starting and ending on the root from high to low octave. I think she is emphatically pissed off, rather than unstable and this melody implies that anger blatantly. I love the debate! Forward this to him and his students so they can get my refutation!

xoxo

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Mark brings up a fantastic point! Is the melody major or minor? That’s the slippery thing about pentatonic. It requires context and it depends on the listener. Given a pentatonic scale by itself, most will hear it as major, since major is more common. Remember that Pink (I love that he calls her Alecia! How cool is that?) is only singing the melody in the first verse. There’s no chord or bass line directing us in either direction. I hear it as major, Mark as minor.

Who’s right? The answer: it doesn’t matter. What matters is the question. I like melody even more knowing it is ambiguous and interchangeable. This fits in with the instability scenario. (I should also say I don’t want to imply “instability” as a weakness. I’m talking in terms of tension…instability/tension…not distraught/tension).

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Okay, I lied. I think Mark’s right. :)

I’ve been listening to this song a bazillion times and tried it with his ears. Hmmm? So what do I go with, first impression, or the evolution of that impression? The more I listen, the more minor-y it sounds.

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One thing worth noting is that the entire verse is in that color. It’s a single chord groove for 12 bars (8 bars verse, 4 bars “na na” prechorus).

Most of us do not have the confidence to write an entire section using only one chord. Alecia [I had to say it] did it in two section of this song, as we’ll find out.

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Chorus Chords

Here’s the chorus chord progression…

A…C#m…F#m…D, E…rinse and repeat

Here’s the Roman numeral…

I…IIm…VIm…IV, V…

(I don’t want any grief from anyone using lower case letters for minor chords, as in: ii, vi)

The harmonic rhythm is one chord per measure (except for the D and E chord which are 2 beats apiece).

This harmonic rhythm is pretty standard in most songs, but remember, we just heard an ENTIRE verse where there was NO chord progression. This creates a tremendous amount of tension, which explodes into a momentum of harmony in the chorus. Think of it track runner poised in the starting blocks before the pistol goes off. The muscles tense and BAM(!) they’re off. The same thing happens here.

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Bridge Chord

The entire bridge is centered around an A chord, the “I” chord. The ENTIRE bridge. Isn’t that fantastic? The gorgeous melody is allowed to shine, unconstrained by any harmonic motion for 8 bars. This single chord harmony allows the chorus to rocket forward again.

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The structure is really terrific. Tension/release, tension/release, tension/release. This is a perfect foundation for a song about liberation and blowing off steam.

Now go ~~get in a fight~~ write something cool!

~Shane

So What – Pink – Melody

2009-10-28T16:32:00.003-05:00

So What – Pink – Melody

Well…the melody can be summed up in one word…Pentatonic. “A” Pentatonic to be exact.

The guitar riff at the beginning…the “na, na” part…is exactly the same as the verse melody. No variation. No wonder the verse hits so hard. This song has only three melody shapes. One for the verse, one for the chorus, and one for the bridge. That’s it!

Verse melody - That catchy riff!

For you theory geeks, she starts on the 6^thdegree of the scale. Why is that important? Because she’s not starting from a position of stability. In fact, the phrase ENDS on the 6^th degree. So the entire melodic phrase starts and ends on instability.

Here’s the steps of the pentatonic scale…1 2 3 5 6

The stable notes of the scale are 1, 3 & 5

The unstable notes are 2 and 6.

With me so far?

So think about the lyrics for a moment. What’s going on? Things are falling apart for our dear Pink. “Guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went…”. Does that sound like a stable environment? :) No, it’s not. How cool then to begin and end your melodic phrase on instability. The instability of the melody emphasizes the instability of her situation.

Chorus Melody – Bipolor Looking Upwards for Stability

Remember those stable and unstable notes of pentatonic scale. The MOST stable note is the 1. The chorus melody fights back and forth between 6 and 1. What word is she singing on the 1? Why, “Rock Star”…of course. Her melody is basically telling us that she is the most stable element of the entire mess. More prosody!

Another vital comparison to make between verse melody and chorus melody is the overall shape. The verse melody moves up and back down, up and back down. It’s relentless. (Again, think in terms of the lyrics…she’s talking about the chaos of her life…what better way to show chaos than constantly moving up and down. It’s bipolar. :)

On the other hand, the chorus melody continues to focus upward. She moves from the unstable 6 to the stable 1, and then finishes the phrase further up the scale (on the also-stable 3^rd). What words are on the highest notes? Tonight, and alright. So what do those elements say about our dear little Pink. She’s telling us that she’s stable in the chaos…tonight!

Bridge Melody – Reflective and Looking Down

I really LOVE the bridge melody. It’s still pentatonic, but it is really lovely. It’s constantly falling downward. The lyrics are about how much her ex let her down. See the connection? Downward melody…ex letting her DOWN. Brilliant!

Powerful Simplicity

This song is a great example of how powerful simplicity should be. All the fat has been trimmed. The shapes are simple and unencumbered. More importantly, each note COUNTS. The melody she’s singing is directly related to what she’s saying in the lyrics. If that’s not a definition of prosody, then I don’t know what is.

Now it’s your turn to go write something cool.

I’m serious. Shut of your computer and go write. :)

~Shane

So What – Pink – Song Form/Rhyme Scheme

2009-10-27T06:53:00.005-05:00

So What – Pink – Song Form/Rhyme Scheme

Most of the songs we’ve looked over have all had odd song forms and/or strange rhyme schemes. Pink's "So What" is a line drive of everything that is normal in a hit song.

Song form = ABABCB

A = verse

B = chorus

C = bridge

This is one of the two most common song forms (as I’ve stated in the PAST). The form flows extremely well. You fuss rock for two punky verses and then bust into their anthem choruses. After a quick detour of diva self-reflecting bridge, we stage dive back into the loving fist raised arms of the familiar chorus.

All the sections are strongly balanced. They all have an even amount of lines. Nothing off-kilter to throw off the forward momentum of the song. (Even the quick prechoruses are doubled up.)

Speaking of prechoruses...notice the prechorus are half as long as the other sections. They feel like an extension of the verse without becoming self indulgent and drawing too much attention to themselves. They ramp up the momentum and let go.

Verse rhyme scheme = aabb – went/rent/tonight/fight

I guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went

So I’m gonna drink my money, I’m not gonna pay his rent

I got a brand new attitude and I’m gonna wear it tonight

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

In my opinion, aabb is the most common of all verse rhyme schemes, the king of the rhyme trinity…

aabb, abab, xaxa

(and to a lesser extent “aaaa”)

Chorus Form = T--T

T = Hook/Title

“-“ = Swing line (a line that isn’t the title!)

So, so what, I’m still a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t need you

And guess what, I’m having more fun, and now that we’re done, I’m gonna show you…

Tonight I’m alright, I’m just fine and you’re a tool

So, so what, I am a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t want you tonight

Detour 1 of 2 – Tower Records Title Test

I want to jump in and say I wonder why the song isn’t called Rock Star. Rock Star makes more sense from a “what is memorable” stand point. I call it the Tower Records Test (Tower Records was where I bought most of my CD’s before the company folded). If I didn’t know the artist or the actual name of the song, I would sing the line that I remembered from the radio (which SHOULD be the hook) to one of the clerks. If what I sang WAS the title, then we'd find the album and I’d buy it. Cha-ching! Artist makes money.

It was always disappointing when I couldn't find the song because the "hook" of the song wasn't the actual name of the song.

“So What” makes a statement, but I’m of the school that you should name your song after the line that people will sing to a clerk in a record store. (Bohemian Rhapsody, and Scenes From an Italian Restaurant excluded).

Detour 2 of 2

I can’t resist. Remember me talking about Kurt yesterday? Kurt and I threw a 70’s party and dressed up like the disco you always wanted to be. Splashy Rayon shirts (open to navel?...check!), Bell bottom slacks (sans-a-belt?...check!). Afro/disco wigs (brunette/Kurt, blonde/Shane…check, check!). Disco ball (motorized?...check!). Platform shoes, Elvis shades? (oh yeah…check please!).

The day after the party, we realized we had our costumes for the entire weekend so we decided we’d have a night on the Nashville, Starsky and Hutch style. First stop? Station Inn…bluegrass night! I remember I could see the shadow of my fro bouncing in the reflection of the stage lights as the dumbfounded bartender took our cover charge. A quick thinking banjo player threw out the riff from Superfly (no small feat on banjo) as we sauntered to our seats, high fiving everyone in overalls and flannel shirts. Everyone was giving us the peace sign (which made no sense…peace sign = 60’s?).

After our bluegrass debut, we hit Tower Records thinking it’d be funny to buy the Saturday Night Fever sound track dressed like Bee Gee rejects.

The following is the actual conversation with the goth dressed, faced-pierced, black lipstick, vamp-girl behind the counter…oh yeah, her nametag? Wait for it…wait for it…”Death”!

Shane: Far out groovy chick! Which aisle do we boogie down to find Saturday Night Fever? (Striking THIS pose)

Death (slightly annoyed): Excuse me?

Kurt: Take a chill pill. Dig it. Where’s Saturday Night Fever. That vinyl is Dy-no-mite!

Death (eyes rolling): Seriously?

Shane: It’s a gas. Outta sight.

Kurt: Yeah, real boss. Slip me some skin (extending upturned hand to Death).

Death (recoiling): Soundtracks (pointing with black eyeshadowed eyelids)

Shane: Far out!

Kurt: Keep on Truckin’

Death (under breath): Freaks

…walking back to our car, CD in our little yellow bag…

Kurt: You do realize we just had a brush with Death?

…and close scene [Insert: sound of movie clapper].

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T--T is a very strong chorus form. The opening and closing line of the chorus (or any section for that matter) are the most memorable positions. If you want your title to be noticed, put it in the opening and closing lines. Which Pink did.

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That’s it for today. Go write something groovy.

~Shane

PS. Make sure you voice your opinion in the two polls. Thanks

So What - Pink - Monday Musings

2009-10-26T05:00:00.002-05:00

So What – Pink - Monday Musings

For the last decade or so, I’ve kept a list I call Uncle Shane’s Perpetual Top-5 List. This running list has 5 songs that I really like and want to analyze. I start with the top song, figure it out, take it off the list, add a new song to the bottom, and start over. Over the years I’ve looked at hundreds and hundreds of songs. That list eventually became this blog.

This list sort of started when I was a songwriting student at Berklee College of Music. My roommate Kurt (the funniest guy on the planet) and I used to grab a CD off the shelf, pick a song, and try to write the chords down as the track played by. It was difficult and fun. The first song we did was by Des’ree called You Gotta Be. We did countless songs after that. Luckily Kurt had better taste in music than me. (All of my roommates have had better taste in music than me!)

So what does that have to do with Pink? Well…I was just thinking about how this whole process started. Follow the string…

Kurt moved away from Nashville several years ago and is now a successful lawyer in North Carolina. While still in Nashville, he married an amazing woman who has a name cooler than all y’alls…Xane. Xane has sewn three baby blankets for my three girls. The yellow ducky blanket, the pink leopard print, and the fuzzy pink Pepto Bismol colored creation that my youngest (Sadie, a one-year-old) can’t sleep without. When I put Sadie in her crib she wraps herself up like a pink burrito and conks out. It’s really charming. Because of the pink blanket, when I listen to Pink, in a round about way I think of Kurt and Xane. I said it was a string…not science. :)

I’ve liked this song from the first listen. It’s sort of a modern “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”. I have a couple of friends in Pink’s band. Apparently she’s a hard working road warrior. Early on in her career I dismissed her as another pop diva and didn’t give her enough notice. I was wrong. She’s a solid writer who always includes little surprise bombs in her songs.

This song isn’t even my favorite song by her, but it seemed like a cool contrast from Death Cab for Cutie. :)

Check out the song on YouTube HERE. I’ll leave you with the lyrics*.

*[In case you’re wondering…I don’t use lyric sites to copy and past these lyrics (same thing with the chord changes). I kick it old school Kurt and Shane style…I type them out while listening to the song. If there are lyrical mistakes they are mine.]

Go to iTunes to purchase the songs mentioned in this article:
So What - Pink
You Gotta Be - Des'ree
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting - Elton John

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So What – Pink

Na, na, na…etc (forgive me for not wanting to write out all the na na’s)

(verse)

I guess I just lost my husband, I don’t know where he went

So I’m gonna drink my money, I’m not gonna pay his rent

I got a brand new attitude and I’m gonna wear it tonight

I’m gonna get in trouble, I’m gonna start a fight

Na, na, na…I wanna start a fight

(chorus)

So, so what, I’m still a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t need you

And guess what, I’m having more fun, and now that we’re done, I’m gonna show you…

Tonight I’m alright, I’m just fine and you’re a tool

So, so what, I am a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t want you tonight

(verse)

The waiter just took my table and gave it to Jessica Simps

I guess I’ll go sit with drum boy at least he’ll knows how to hit

What if this song’s on the radio, somebody’s gonna die

I’m gonna get in trouble, my ex will start a fight

Na, na, na…he’s gonna start a fight

Na, na, na…we’re all gonna get in a fight

(chorus)

So, so what, I’m still a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t need you

And guess what, I’m having more fun, and now that we’re done, I’m gonna show you…

Tonight I’m alright, I’m just fine and you’re a tool

So, so what, I am a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t want you tonight

(bridge)

You weren’t there, you never were, you want it all but that’s not fair

I gave you life, I gave my all, you weren’t there, you let me fall

(chorus)

So, so what, I’m still a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t need you

Guess what, I’m having more fun, and now that we’re done, I’m gonna show you…

Tonight I’m alright, I’m just fine and you’re a tool

So, so what, I am a rock star, I’ve got my rock moves and I don’t want you tonight

Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

2009-10-24T05:00:00.007-05:00

Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol

I’ve been wanting to dive into this song for some time now. (Yes, I know, I say that about all these songs! Cut me some slack or go write your own song analysis blog. :))

For whatever reason, the first thing I tackled was the chord changes and I have to tell you I am completely shocked. This is a one progression song. Every verse, every chorus, uses the same exact progression…

A…E/G#…Dsus2…A

…that’s it. That’s the whole song.

This tell me several things. First, that you don’t need tons of fancy schmancy chords to create a likeable hit like this one. I genuinely like this song. Usually a “three chord” song is attributed to country music and simple rock songs. Not ambient pop, but there it is.

Finding out stuff like this makes me re-evaluate myself as a writer. As a keyboard player, I love lush progressions. As an arranger I love tangling up and untying chord progressions. But this teaches me, at a root and basic level, I can create a great song using just three chords.

Melody – Where the phrases start

I need to point out the reason this three chord song works so well is there are other elements at play that are creating contrast. Namely, the melody.

Let’s examine WHERE the melody comes in:

In the verses, the melody starts right on beat one, the downbeat (or on the pickup note to beat 1, which is basically the same thing).

We’ll do it all, everything, on our own

We don’t need anything or anyone

..that’s the first verse. Each of those phrases is divided up into three parts, which all utilize the same melodic motive, and each melodic phrase, as I said starts on beat 1.

The chorus is different. It’s phrases all start on beat three. Here’s the chorus. I will highlight beat 1 again. Notice how far into the phrase it is.

If I lay here, if I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world

The IF I’s both start on beat 3, well before the downbeat. They are starting early.

Melody – melody shapes

Another thing I noticed about the melody, is the verse melody jumps around much more. It is in constant movement. The chorus melody is more static. Look how long it takes to sing a new note. Here’s the first phrase again…

If I lay here, if I just lay………………HERE

“Here” is the first new note of the melody. That is another great contrasting technique this song uses. Jump around with the melody using chord tones in the verse…become stable using a scale in the chorus. Pretty cool, eh?

Lyrics – Song Form – Super-size your chorus as you go

The song form is kind of all over the place, which is charming (in my opinion) instead of bad. My arrangements tend to be more traditional, but you can’t argue with a hit song.

The song form only uses verses (A) and choruses (B). The song form is ABABAB, but here’s the kicker. Each time you hear the chorus, it gets longer. The first time it’s only two lines. Next time four. The next time it’s ten(!) lines. Holy moly. Didn’t see that coming. (How do we not notice these things when they are playing on the radio. I NEVER picked up that the whole last section is all chorus). If you notice below, I underlined part of the last super-sized chorus. One of the reasons I think their super-sized chorus works, is that the underlined section comes where a bridge would normally go, but instead of a bridge, they blew through another chorus with alternate chorus lyrics.

(verse)

We’ll do it all, everything, on our own

We don’t need anything or anyone

(half a chorus)

If I lay here, if I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world

(verse)

I don’t quite know hot to say how I feel

Those three words are said too much, they’re not enough

(normal chorus)

If I lay here, if I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world

Forget what we’re told before we get too old

Show me a garden that’s bursting into life

(verse)

Let’s waste time chasing cars around our heads

I need your grace to remind me to find my own

(super-sized chorus, everything is chorus from here on out!)

If I lay here, if I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world

Forget what we’re told before we get too old

Show me a garden that’s bursting into life

All that I am, all that I ever was

Is here I your perfect eyes, they’re all I can see

I don’t know where, confused about how, as well

Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here, if I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world

Rhymes – Who Needs Stinkin’ Rhymes?

Last thing I’ll look at is the rhyme scheme…I kind of laughed to myself when I wrote that, because there IS NO rhyme scheme. That’s right. Look for yourself. Look for one line that rhymes with another line. The closest thing to a rhyme we get is own/anyone, which is a consonant rhyme…meaning both words end with “N”. It is the loosest of all connections. My guess is that they got lucky with that connection and if it had been pointed out, they would have removed it. :)

I really don’t mind there not being any rhymes. I really don’t. I still like the song. Notice however how difficult it is to remember a single section from memory (at least for me). I’ve heard this song a ton of times and I still can’t really sing along with it. I’ll remember a line only after he’s halfway through it. Is this a flaw? Maybe. (Maybe I’m the one flawed!) It doesn’t make it a bad lyric…it just “is”.

I should point out here, that I never let these song observations change the way I feel about a song. That would be musically elitist of me. I think of these songs as people with personality traits. If I met someone new and like them, but found out later they were divorced, or from North Dakota, or drive a hybrid, it would be shallow of me to like them less for those reasons. It is those unique traits that make them more interesting to me. I am happy to find out I’ve been friends with a song that doesn't totally agree with the way I think.

Thanks for hanging with me. We’re two weeks old today! Hoo Ha!

Please go write something special today. I would really appreciate that.

Cheers,

~Shane

PS. I have two polls running this week. Make your voice heard and vote. Thanks!

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If you'd like to purchase this song on iTunes, go HERE: Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol.

I’ll Follow You into the Dark – Other Cool Elements – Power Positions

2009-10-23T05:00:00.001-05:00

I’ll Follow You into the Dark – Other Cool Elements – Power Positions

The most important lines of any verse are the opening and closing lines. These are called the power positions. (At some point I’ll explain the scientific reasons why, but for now, trust me…)

Great songs have great power positions. The most important ideas of your verses should be in the power positions. They should compliment each other. If the power positions are mismatched, the verse feels awkward.

I’ll Follow does a great job with its power positions. Especially the first two verses…

Love of mine, someday you will die

But I'll be close behind, I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white

Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule…

I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me, son, fear is the heart of love

So I never went back

You and me have seen everything to see, from Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now, it's nothing to cry about
Cause we'll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms

…here’s just the power positions…

Love of mine, someday you will die

Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark

In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule

So I never went back

*You and me have seen everything to see, from Bangkok to Calgary
Cause we'll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms

*(In my opinion, verse three power positions have merit, but they aren’t as clear or cohesive as the first two verses)

Notice that you get a pretty good idea of what the verses are about by only reading the power positions. This is a great test to perform on your own lyric. If you strip all the middle lines of your verses away, do the remaining lines make sense? Do they tell your story? If your power positions are cohesive and the answer is yes, then your lyric is probably fine. If your power positions don’t make sense, you are probably in trouble.

Song Power Positions

I wouldn’t really call this next thing a technique or tool. I’m sure it only has a minor bearing on understanding the song as a whole…still, I think it’s cool the way it works in this song. The first and last line of the ENTIRE SONG brilliantly summarize the entire song….

Love of mine, someday you will die

Then I’ll follow you into the dark

BAM!

How cool is that? I don’t think a song needs to do that to be “great”. In fact, I personally prefer putting the hook/title of the chorus in the OPENING line, which is a stronger position for it. Still, I love the way that concept works in this song.

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Unbalanced Last Chorus – Saving the Best for Last!

Alright, I have one last thing to say about this lyric…appropriate because this is the last blog on this lyric, and it has to do with the last chorus. All the verses and the choruses of this song have an even amount of lines – 4 lines apiece. These are considered “balanced” sections. They are extremely stable. Most sections, in most songs we hear are balanced like that. There is nothing out of the ordinary. This is not a bad or good thing…4 lines “feel” right, when we write them.

Aha! The LAST chorus of this song has 5 lines, Gibbard adds an extra line, throwing the section out of balance. Here it is again…

If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NO’s on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark

This is incredibly significant. Think about the subject of the song…following someone beyond this life…following someone into the unknown. What is more unstable and unbalanced than going somewhere unknown and unfamiliar? Repeating the line at the end gives the statement extra resolve even in the face of uncertainty…it’s like a musical exclamation point…an exclamation point that happens just prior to stepping into the imbalance and chaos of the ultimate abyss. My guess is he didn’t intend it to be that way. He was just repeating the hook for emphasis. Still, you can’t argue with the power of that metaphoric closure, whether intended or not.

Good luck in your writing this week. Go write something cool and inspiring. Deal?

Cheers,

~Shane

PS. Okay my Songwriting Nation, I have a couple of ideas for expanding this blog and I request your input.

Idea #1: What if we did a request Friday (or an entire week?) every now and then, where I analyze your requests?

Idea #2: What if we did one of YOUR songs every couple of weeks? You submit your lyric/songs, I pick one and I’d do a quickie analysis, like the Saturday blog…(or would you rather me stick to analyzing popular songs?)

Let me know your feedback. What are your other ideas? I want you (and me) to be amazing songwriters. We can achieve this by working together. Post your suggestions and votes in the comment area.

I’ll Follow You into the Dark – Harmony

2009-10-22T05:00:00.010-05:00

I’ll Follow You into the Dark – Harmony

This song smartly uses a small palette of chords in interesting ways to keep our interest up and a momentum moving forward.

All of my students know I am big on creating contrast between verses and choruses. Gibbard uses harmonic rhythm to create excellent contrast.

Harmonic rhythm is how often the chords change during a progression. For example: A different/new chord every beat; a different/new chord every 2 beats (twice a measure, in 4/4 time); a new chord every 4 beats (every measure), etc.

I’ll Follow You uses two different harmonic rhythms, one for the verse, another for the chorus.

The Verse

The verse harmonic rhythm is one chord per measure …

|F…|Dm…|Bb…|F/C, C|*

*(Yes, I realize there are two chords in measure 4, but they both use C as a root…get over it HERE)

This particular chord progression is very common.

I, VIm, IV, V

…recognize it? That’s right…it’s the progression most people use to play the Heart and Soul* duet on the piano (although the proper progression is actually I, VIm, IIm, V :))

The Chorus

The chorus speeds up the harmonic rhythm, 2 chords per measure. Here’s the whole progression…

|Dm, F|Bb, F|Dm, F|C, C|

|Dm, F|A7, Dm|Bb, Bm| F, F|

Speeding up the harmonic rhythm speeds up the momentum of the song without altering the tempo. It’s a great groove tool whether you are writing a ballad like this, or a Heavy Metal tune. My ears love when the songwriter alters this element. So many songs do the SAME EXACT THING throughout the entire song. This song does not disappoint.

Verse 3

The only alteration of chords happens in the 3^rd verse. We’ve talked about this last line previously, how many tiny changes in this moment combine to create amazing prosody between lyric and music. The change happens when he sings “darkest of rooms”. If you remember from the last couple of posts, that line is an addition to what is normally played in the other verses.

Here’s the normal verse progression…

|F…|Dm…|Bb…|F/C, C|

Here’s the third verse… He throws in a Dm chord for a measure of 2/4, instead of the normal 4/4 measure.

|F…|Dm…|Bb…|F/C, C|

|F…|Dm…|Bb…|F/C, C| Dm |Bb…|Bb…|

In other words, he creates a passageway through Dm! Lyrically he’s talking about passing through death to life after death.

There is a lyric passageway AND a harmonic passageway (and as we learned yesterday, a MELODIC passageway).

No wonder that phrase is so amazing. It’s perfect prosody. The constructional elements, the harmony and melody, are reflecting exactly what’s happening in the lyric...beautiful!

Okay…stop reading and go write something amazing.

Cheers,

~Shane

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Advanced concepts for my students:

I feel strongly compelled to remind my songwriter nation that the reason this last line works so well, is that he established a pattern in the other verses. This line isn’t special all on its own. The other verses did their job of setting us up to think he was going to do something else…and then he ADDS something. In other words, if Gibbard had done the same progression each verse, it wouldn’t have been anything special. Us listeners would have heard it as normal. Don’t get me wrong. It’s a beautiful progression…but saving it made it even more special. A great lesson learned.

I’ll Follow You Into the Dark – Melody

2009-10-21T05:00:00.003-05:00

I’ll Follow You Into the Dark – Melody

This melody is 99.999% pentatonic…to be honest, this completely surprised me. This is ANOTHER example of a simple, powerful melody, that I love, that also turned out to be pentatonic.

What’s the big deal about that, you ask? You see, pentatonic really bugs me. I tend to avoid pentatonic writing in my own compositions…I always kind of feel that pentatonic melodies are “too simple” or there aren’t enough notes to say what I need to say. Boy, do I keep finding out how wrong I am. [Side note: This reminds me how I used to feel about TTTT chorus forms. They used to drive me crazy too. However, the sheer number of great songs, that I love, that use a TTTT chorus form convinced me I was wrong.]

This melody is absolutely charming in its singable melancholy. That’s just not fair. Don’t they know that you need more notes to be a great melody? Man, I hate being wrong, but it is a powerful lesson learned. It is hard to argue against what appeals to you…and this melody appeals to me.

Melodic Contrast – Beginning Note Choice

Each verse’s starting note begins on a non-chord tone that immediately jumps to a chord tone. You get this little burst of instability looking for stability. This is one of the reasons the melody lends itself to the melancholy earnestness of the singer…he never starts on a stable note.

The chorus, on the other hand, ALWAYS starts on a stable note. What word is on that stable note? Heaven. What’s more stable than heaven? So the verse is based on melodic instability, while the chorus is based on stability. Excellent.

Melodic Contrast - High vs. Low

One thing Gibbard does amazingly well is utilize the lows and highs of his melody to create contrast between his sections (which has been proven over and over to work in ALL genres). The concept is simple….start your chorus melody one note higher than what you sang in the verse. That’s it. That’s all. That’s what happens here. When you hear “heaven and earth” in the chorus, those notes are only one note higher than any previous melody note. The effect is astounding.

Look at the prosody here…what word is on the highest note in the chorus? Heaven! Isn’t that brilliant? What’s higher than heaven? Nothing is. Period.

There is another shining melodic moment. Remember our spot in the third verse? You know, I talked about it yesterday in the songform blog on this song (What? You didn’t read it yet…go HERE…we’ll wait…)

[Humming Jeopardy theme song]

The melodic highlight (literal and figuratively) is in the moment he sings “blackest of rooms”. For the word “rooms” he leaps over all previous high notes and let’s the highest note of the entire song fall on “rooms”. What is that saying? [Caution: Shane opinion forthcoming…] The highest place this character could be, is not in heaven, but in the after life in darkest of rooms with the one he loves! (Ahhh…emo love!) Seriously though…that’s brilliant writing.

Now go out and write something.

Cheers,

~Shane

I’ll Follow You into the Dark – Song Form - Rhyme Scheme

2009-10-20T05:00:00.005-05:00

I’ll Follow You into the Dark – Song Form - Rhyme Scheme

Song Form

This is easy. A standard ABABAB song.

A = Verse

B = Chorus

Rhymes and Rhyme Scheme

This song is deliciously full of internal rhymes. They create what I call a 3+1 pattern...three internal rhymes, followed by the main sectional rhyme. Verse 3 is a little different, so I’ll cover that in a second, but here’s the first two verses…

Verse 1

Mine, die, behind…dark

Light, white, tight…spark

Verse 2

School, rule, bruised(!)…black

Tongue, son, love…back

Technically, verse 1 is an abab rhyme scheme, and verse 2 is xaxa.

Love of mine, someday you will die

But I'll be close behind, I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white

Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark

xaxa – rule/black/love/back*
In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule…

I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me, son, fear is the heart of love

So I never went back

*(or… rule/black/son/back, if you line up the phrases exactly like verse 1)

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The chorus creates a nice aabb rhyme scheme (to contrast the alternating abab, xaxa verses)…

If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NO’s on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

The first two lines have some great internal rhymes…

Decide, satisfied, signs

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Chorus Form

Remember us talking about chorus forms?

T = This chorus line includes the hook/title

- = A swing line, a chorus line that doesn’t include the hook/title

The hook title only happens in the last line of the chorus, so the chorus form is…

---T

If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NO’s on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

[Side note: He sneaks the title into the second line of the verse too! Did you catch that?]

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FINALLY, the REALLY cool stuff!

Up to this point I’m being Captain Obvious…(there’s actually a bunch more internal rhymes, but I’ll leave it up to you to find them)…so I want to break out and go over the amazing verse 3.

The simple way to say it, is that Ben Gibbard tricks us in the last line. Up to this point all the verses have used that 3+1 pattern. Gibbard actually does a 2+1 pattern in the first part of verse 3…but we’re so used to hearing the 3+1 that we don’t really catch it.

To see, Calgaray…down (there’s no other “E” rhyme after Calgary)

The next lines do the same thing…the 2+1 pattern…

Now, about, soon

At this point, the song would have normally gone into the chorus, finishing up another xaxa verse. “Soon” is a great alternative rhyme for “down”. Notice their vowels aren’t the same. It’s the “n” on the end of each that makes a connection. The connection is slight, but it’s there. [For those keeping score, it’s called a consonant rhyme…a very weak connection, but a connection it is.]

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Let’s get esoteric for a moment. He’s talking about death, right? Death is about losing connection with life, right? Well, all the ending rhymes, in all the sections, have been perfect rhymes up to this point…

Dark/spark

Embarks/spark

Black/back

…also look at all those hard consonants…all “K” sounds.

Now, I don’t think Gibbard meant this next idea, but think of the harshness of death, and how those consonants get cut off. You can’t hold out a “K” sound. It ends as soon as the breath stops…just like life.

So here’s the brilliance of the last verse, Gibbard changes from the harsh “K” sounds to the “N” ending. You can hold out an “N” sound for a long time. Try it, I’ll wait. [Whistling…]

See.

But that’s not the brilliant part, the brilliance is that he EXTENDS the line…

We’ll hold each other soon… [it should end there] …in the darkest of rooms

AND, he actually holds out the note, on “rooms”.

Do you see what he’s doing? He’s extending their time together…past the harshness of death…to the other side…together. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. The last line doesn’t end where it “should” end, the section continues. Life after death.

My guess is that he got lucky with the “K” sounds, that he wasn’t thinking in terms of consonant closure…but extending the last line? He nailed that meaning.

Whether Gibbard meant those things or not, they are still there, they still happen, and they still affect how we hear the song.

Those same tools are available to you. Now go write something.

Cheers,

~Shane

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Advanced concepts for my students: There are some great alternative rhymes in this song, my favorite being…

School/rule/bruised

…the “D” sound against the “L” sound is called an assonance rhyme, because “D” and “L” are in different pronunciation families.

Soon/room, in the last line of verse 3, is a great family rhyme using “N” and “M” from the nasal pronunciation family.

Honorable mentions:

mine/die…subtractive rhyme

die/behind…additive rhyme

hands/clasped…assonance rhyme

Quickie: Notice how he uses the word “no” differently, in the chorus

Isn’t “illuminate the NO’s on their vacancy signs” one of the most brilliant and original lines of the decade? I think so.

I'll Follow You into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie – Monday Musings

2009-10-19T05:00:00.003-05:00

I'll Follow You into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie – Monday Musings

I’m a mooch. There, I said it! Happy now? To be honest, it feels great to get that off my chest. You see, although I pretend to be [Keyword: “pretend”], I’m not really on top of the latest/greatest music out there. For that I depend on my friends. I’ll introduce you to many of those friends over the course of this blog, but here’s my current go-to guy…Josh Preston.

Josh is the guy you wish could be when you grow up. He’s a phenomenal music business man (I won’t go into who he’s worked for, trust me though, he’s the man!), he’s an incredible guitar player, producer, songwriter, performer, etc, etc, etc, etc, etc. (Check him out HERE).

Those are great qualities mind you (he showed up, out of the blue, uncoerced, to help me unload our moving truck…how great is that) , but he has an additional trait that puts him beyond us mere mortals. Josh, at anytime of the day, is listening to cooler music than the rest of us. How does he do it? It’s best not to ask.

I worked for Josh a few years ago, and no matter when I walked by his office, he always had something on that was the bomb. Something that would always eventually become huge. ALWAYS. He’d call me in….check this out…and BAM, there I was, floored again.

Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap

Valerie - Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse’s producer)

Lay It Down - Al Green

I eventually left the company, but Josh and I frequently have “lunch” [Translation: a secret plot on my part to commandeer a mix CD of whatever he’s listening to…which he always graciously provides. I think he’s on to me.]

One of those “aha” moments was when he introduced me to Death Cab for Cutie. I was complaining about the lack of cool lyrics in current music when he smiled, patted my head [okay, he didn’t pat my head, but he should have…]and put this number on…

I'll Follow You into the Dark

(verse)

Love of mine, someday you will die

But I'll be close behind, I'll follow you into the dark
No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white,

Just our hands clasped so tight, waiting for the hint of a spark

(chorus)

If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NO’s on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

(verse)
In Catholic school as vicious as Roman rule…

I got my knuckles bruised by a lady in black
And I held my tongue as she told me, son, fear is the heart of love

So I never went back

(chorus)
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NO’s on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

(verse)
You and me have seen everything to see, from Bangkok to Calgary
And the soles of your shoes are all worn down
The time for sleep is now, it's nothing to cry about
Cause we'll hold each other soon in the blackest of rooms

(chorus)
If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied
Illuminate the NO’s on their vacancy signs
If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark
Then I'll follow you into the dark

I’ve been wanting to tackle the song since then, but never got around to it. It was nominated for Grammy, but lost to Black Eyed Peas “My Hump” (which I actually like…but c’mon, did the emo’s really need to lose out to Fergie’s lovely lady lump?)

So check out Josh’s Website, and check out the blog tomorrow as I get down and dirty with Then I’ll Follow You into the Dark.

Cheers,

~Shane

PS. I was originally going to do my favorite Shawn Colvin cover tune "Someday", but couldn't find it on YouTube. I'll get to it later on down the road.

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iTune links to songs mentioned in this article:

I Will Follow You into the Dark

This Love – Maroon 5 – Saturday Quickie

2009-10-17T06:00:00.004-05:00

This Love* – Maroon 5 – Saturday Quickie

*Be careful, this video unfortunately has some suggestive content.

Since Maroon 5’s “This Love” won out over Sting’s “Shape of My Heart” I think I’ll focus on what I’ve always wanted to know about this song…that groovy piano chord progression.

Here’s what I figured out…

(Due to space, I’m only showing the main chords patterns. Transitioning between sections they usually play some variation of G7b9):

Each chord represents two beats, so two chords equal one measure

Verse:

G/B…G/B…

Cm… Cm…

Fm…Fm…

Dm7b5…Dm7b5…

Chorus:

Cm…Fm…

Bb7…Eb…

Bridge:

Fm7…Fm7…

Eb…Eb…

Cm…G7…

In yesterday’s blog, I talked about harmonic rhythm, and what a great tool it is to create contrast between your main sections (the verses against the choruses). This Love is another great example of using harmonic rhythm to do just that. Here’s a reminder: Harmonic rhythm is how many beats you play a chord until it changes. The most common harmonic rhythms are…

Two different chords in every measure (every two beats there is a new chord)

A different chord EVERY measure (every four beats there is a new chord)

A different chord every TWO measures (every eight beats…)

A different chord every FOUR measures (every 16 beats…)

There are, of course, many, many variations and combination beyond those four, but they are a good starting point.

After the first listen I realized that the verse use a different chord every four beats, while the chorus uses a new chord every two beats.

This is great contrast…that is why the chorus feels like it kicks into gear and blows forward with momentum. When the chorus is over, the song settles back into the original groove…which feels laid back. This altering of harmonic rhythm keeps both sections fresh. The bridge uses the same harmonic rhythm as the verses, so you get this see-saw effect throughout the entire song…

Laid back…jump forward…laid back…jump forward…laid back…jump forward

…it’s a great way to keep interest up during the entire song.

I also thought it was cool that the verse not only starts on the V of the song (the G chord), but it starts on an inversion of the G chord…the bass is playing a B (which is the 3^rd of a G chord) instead of playing a G root. This creates tension immediately in the song. The song STARTS tense. The Im chord (the Cm chord) is put in a weak position, which feels unresolved until we finally get the Im chord on beat 1 of the chorus. This is a HUGE lesson…are you paying attention? Putting the I chord (whether minor or major) on a weak position creates a little unresolved harmonic chaos.

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Another strong point about this song is its rhyme scheme. First, each of the verses have the same rhyme scheme (which is really good!), secondly, the major sections all have DIFFERENT rhyme schemes [translation: Verse = aaxx, Chorus = abab; Bridge: xaxa). This keeps the sections from being boring. Here’s the break down. Since both verses do the same thing I’ll just show you one verse…

Verse Rhyme Scheme: aaxx – (the “x” indicates a line that doesn’t rhyme

I was so high I did not recognize the fire burning in her eyes
The chaos that controlled my mind
Whispered goodbye, and she got on a plane, never to return again
But always in my heart

…this section is all about the internal rhyme. Notice the first two lines have three internal rhymes…recognize/eyes/mind. The last two lines have two internal rhymes…plane/again. (Line 3 also connects back to the previous lines with “goodbye”).

I find it interesting that they did not rhyme lines 3 and 4. [Then again, this song made a bazillion dollars. What do I know?]

The chorus rhyme scheme is pretty standard….

Chorus Rhyme Scheme: abab

This love has taken its toll on me
She said goodbye too many times before
And her heart is breaking in front of me
I have no choice cause I won’t say goodbye anymore

Notice the hook/title only happens in the opening line. This would be considered a T--- chorus form.

T = Title

- = Swing line (a line that doesn’t have the title)

Bridge Rhyme Scheme: xxaa

I’ll fix these broken things, repair your broken wings

And make sure everything’s alright
My pressure on her hips, sinking my fingertips into every inch of you

‘Cause I know that’s what you want me to do

…notice the internal rhymes…things/wings, hips/fingertips/inch. Very cool.

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Melody

The melody of the verse and chorus stay out of each other’s hair. Verse melody is lower, chorus melody is higher. The verse is more linear, meaning the notes tend to stay the same for longer periods, staying on chord tones being played by the band. The chorus melody is more chordal, mostly built around the notes of a Cm chord. This is another area where the verse and chorus contrast each other!

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What can we learn from this song?

Musically, the main sections contrast each other very well…in rhyme scheme, harmonic rhythm, and melody. This gives each section its own personality.

Whew…that was supposed to be short. What was I thinking?

Okay…stop reading and go write something awesome. Remember, these things aren’t rules, they are tools you can try if you write yourself into a similar situation!

Cheers,

~Shane

Advanced concepts for my students: Do you guys see the prosody in the verses. The singer, in the lyrics, talks about the chaos he feels. Musically he creates chaos, by not having the verses rhyme, by putting the Im chord in a very weak position, by starting on an inversion of the V chord, using a minor 7 flat 5 chord, etc…all those elements mess with the balance of the section. We don’t get any sense of resolution until when? When he sings the hook…”this love”! BAM! This Love is sung on what? The Im chord…the most stable chord of the entire song. The tonic! Pretty brilliant eh?! However, the chorus, in the last line, descends back to the chaos of the signature harmonic hook piano progression! This singer gets no relief!

Don't Stop Believin' - Harmony

2009-10-16T06:41:00.003-05:00

Harmony

The Don't Stop Believin' chord progression is one of the most famous piano progressions in rock and roll. (I completely LOVE the tone of the bass guitar! I hear that Ross Valory, the bass player, used (uses?) the lower four strings off a 5-string bass on his 4-string bass to get that bottom end growl. I haven't verified that...but it still sounds cool).

Anywho...the progression (with only a tiny variation during the “on, and on, and on, and on” part) is played during the verses, the guitar solo, and the chorus.

There is an interesting harmonic contrast that happens between the signature progression and what is played in the pre-chorus. Let me introduce a concept called harmonic rhythm, which is how often the chords change during a progression. For example, the signature chord progression gives us a new chord every measure, as in…

E…2…3…4

B…2…3…4

C#m…2…3…4

A…2…3…4

…this creates an extremely steady and stable pulse (a perfect foundation for the melody and guitar solos!).

The pre-chorus has a different harmonic rhythm. The basic harmony stays centered on an A chord for 8 beats, and then an E chord for 8 beats*….

A…2…3…4…5…6…7…8

E…2…3…4…5…6…7…8

…okay, I KNOW the band isn’t playing A and then E exclusively, but the harmony is centered around those two chords instead of steadily changing every four beats. The band is actually playing B/A* to A in the first line, and then B/E to E in the second line.

*A slash / means the bass note is different than the root of the chord you are playing. So B/A mean you are playing a B major chord over an A bass note.

…what I’m trying to say [c’mon Shane…what are you trying to say?] is the pre-chorus has a SLOWER harmonic rhythm compared to the rest of the song. This creates a nice harmonic contrast between the verses and prechoruses. The verses steadily pulse forward with their one-chord-per-measure march, while the pre-choruses lay back more with a new chord every TWO measures. You wouldn’t think a single measure wouldn’t make that much a difference, but it does. Listen how the verse really kicks back in when Neil Schon starts his guitar solo. The momentum of the song terrifically lurches back forward when the pre-chorus ends and the verse starts again.

The pre-chorus feels more contemplative, more reflective, while the verse is more driven.

Harmonic rhythm is a great way to mess with the momentum of a song without altering the actual tempo. It’s really quite cool.

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One of my readers (that really thrills me to write that!...just so you know J) asked me a question yesterday that I thought I would share, along with my answer. Even though I was being asked about melody, the question really applies to all the characteristics I’ve been writing about this week.

Doug writes:

As a songwriter, how do you balance finding a natural melody that just feels right (with) trying to create something using theories and rules, such as those revealed in this post?

Shane replies:

Instead of thinking of these techniques as “rules to follow”, think of them as things to try when you find yourself in a similar situation. That’s more of the purpose of this blog. For example*…try a pentatonic melody, and if you do, use a note that isn’t pentatonic to start your chorus.

*(The example is based on yesterday’s blog about a song whose melody is primarily pentatonic. Read the article HERE.)

These guys (and girls) aren’t writing these songs based on rules. They aren’t thinking “I need to slow down the harmonic rhythm for my pre-chorus”. Their gut is telling them that something different needs to happen at certain points of the song, and then they brilliantly futz around until something sounds great. Sometimes the futzing comes out amazing, sometimes it doesn’t. I’m just trying to point out areas that are working, and showing you why they are working. Rules and regulations are no substitute for good old gut feeling and inspiration. Hopefully, we can use these tricks to augment our gut feelings or to work through sections when the inspiration has run out and we’re not sure what to do next. We can say, “Well, Journey did THIS and IT worked, so maybe I can too.”

Good luck. Now, go write a song. :)

Cheers,

~Shane

PS. By the way, there was a tie in the poll for the Saturday song. Hmmmm…most unexpected. Most un-precedented. I will solve this the old fashioned way by assigning Sting to one of my daughters and Maroon 5 to the other daughter and have them rock, scissor, paper it out. J See the results in tomorrow’s blog.