I think this could be a fun and interesting thread : )
I have been focused on my pop songs - and practicing more often, and I do see progress. Thanks to all that have contributed to my posts about hearing changes.
That said - as I analyze tunes, I sometimes run across changes that go outside the key temporarily to add interest, and that don't neatly fit into the 'theory'....granted, you can explain anything away if you are determined to. My guess is that they are often just temporary modulations that fit well with the melody to add interest in our ear by going out of what we typically expect just a little.
Are there any songs (popular that other people have heard would be best, if you can) that stumped you in terms of analysis, until you finally made some sort of reasonable theoretical connection, or that for which you never really found a good explanation ? Perhaps your sharing will lead to others giving some theoretical relationship.
I'll start off with one:
Peter Framptom - Baby I love your way, Verse 1
G... Bm7/F#... Em... Em..(D)..C...C...F9....
Clearly the key of G - but what's the deal with that F9 ???
Just looking at the C to F9 I would surmise it to be 1/2 step changes. The C chord - C_E_G to a F9 - F_A_C_Eb_G have the common notes C and G and the 1/2 step change would be the E to the Eb.
JonD and I do this a lot. We look for chord changes that have common notes with one or more notes changing only a 1/2 step. This is done regardless of the key signature.
I haven't lost all of my marbles but there is a small hole in the bag someplace!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Year of the Cat (Al Stewart) was one of the my early ones that intrigued me. My dad put the album on, the first time I heard it I knew something about the progression seemed weird theory wise.
How can a D-G-D measure be the turnaround to the root Cmaj7 and then be same turnaound to change keys/mode (?)
I had to learn to play it on piano to realize how natural it felt to play, though it's not a common way to resolve back to the root maj7. At least it wasn't to me.
There are plenty of 'different' chords in that song but they worked. The whole song is a great example of this type of thing .. it moves from place to place and the chords are very 'un-theory' when seen. I think I still have the book of the notation for it around here somewhere. I used to buy those books like crazy when I was younger. Having parents that owned a music store had its benefits. <grin>
Sometimes after writing a song I can go back looking for ways to add in unusual chords... I did this recently for a song(Key of C) that had 2 bars of F going back to a C... (F F C) I slipped in an Ab... (F Ab C) I thought it turned out well. Hey I also learned how the File Manager works for adding images...
That's a nice change Jim - I've noticed that many 'out of key' chord substitutions that work well - and I'm sure there's a musical explanation, - are a b3 away from the previous chord - can anyone shed more light on this pattern ?
That's a nice change Jim - I've noticed that many 'out of key' chord substitutions that work well - and I'm sure there's a musical explanation, - are a b3 away from the previous chord - can anyone shed more light on this pattern ?
For me, the choice was simply because they both had the melody's C note to the chord structure... Fm would also work... & perhaps other chord structures...
That's the nice thing about Biab... Once you have the song & melody notated & saved... You can safely take some time to experiment with reharmonization inserting different chords...
That's the nice thing about Biab... Once you have the song & melody notated & saved... You can safely take some time to experiment with reharmonization inserting different chords...
This is one function in BiaB that I use a lot.
I haven't lost all of my marbles but there is a small hole in the bag someplace!
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
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