The document discusses various aspects of pop song writing such as rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, text setting, and vocal harmonies. It provides examples of progressive rock songs like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" which had an extended intro, changing verses and lyrics, and a guitar solo. Additionally, it analyzes songs like Stevie Wright's "Evie" which had a blues-inspired chorus and middle section with choir and strings, and Peter Gabriel's "Signal to Noise" with influences from world music and classical music.
The document discusses various aspects of pop song writing such as rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, text setting, and vocal harmonies. It provides examples of progressive rock songs like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" which had an extended intro, changing verses and lyrics, and a guitar solo. Additionally, it analyzes songs like Stevie Wright's "Evie" which had a blues-inspired chorus and middle section with choir and strings, and Peter Gabriel's "Signal to Noise" with influences from world music and classical music.
The document discusses various aspects of pop song writing such as rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, text setting, and vocal harmonies. It provides examples of progressive rock songs like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" which had an extended intro, changing verses and lyrics, and a guitar solo. Additionally, it analyzes songs like Stevie Wright's "Evie" which had a blues-inspired chorus and middle section with choir and strings, and Peter Gabriel's "Signal to Noise" with influences from world music and classical music.
The document discusses various aspects of pop song writing such as rhythm, melody, harmony, structure, text setting, and vocal harmonies. It provides examples of progressive rock songs like Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" which had an extended intro, changing verses and lyrics, and a guitar solo. Additionally, it analyzes songs like Stevie Wright's "Evie" which had a blues-inspired chorus and middle section with choir and strings, and Peter Gabriel's "Signal to Noise" with influences from world music and classical music.
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# 23 Pop Song Writing 3
My problem with the idea of systemic oppressions and violence
* how to quantify it?
* from some of the stuff I've read, it seems you can accuse anybody of having internalised systemic violence (e.g. internalised misogyny, patriarchal tendencies, white people benefit from racism by existing within the trappings of western society). White is not skin colour it is an identity, an asian person can be 'white', in the same way that a black person can be (though that is debatable) . * In this way we realise that identity is arbitrary - that exactly is the conclusion that most people don't come to * they think it as encroachment, or believe that such arbitrary qualities are so ingrained that they define people no matter what the accused says, or how they exist. * in the face of the relativistic arbitrariness of identity * it means that one's identity is thus moot. * can be it overcome? * and how?
### Rhythm
* Comping Patterns * no need to comp/strum throughout whole structure * change it based on feel (or sounds tacky) * comping and strumming provides energy and groove * is assumed (no need to write on lead-sheet); or you can change it for a remix * Back-beats * in drums, embedded melody * jazz: on 2 and 4 * backbeat: not just on 2 and 4, can also be on 3, can be on 1 every second bar (very slow) * don't always stick to 4/4 * offbeat quavers in melody * half-time/double-time feels * shifting up and down through the backbeat grid * can use hemiolas lol * harmonies * use pedal point (i.e. one bass note for 3 chords)
**Melody, harmony, structure**
### Text Setting
* lyrics * analyse the text * rhyming, non-rhyming - does it matter? * counting the syllables and identifying accents * text repetition: when is this useful? what elements are worth repeating? * verse tends to be constantly different * chorus same (roughly) - or sometime just one line * use alliteration * assonance * syncopation * many offbeat quavers and with on-beat quavers as springboard into bar * Melody * pitch: * intervallic color - * sequences, gradually going up/down; very deliberate * melisma, cadence * syncopation * on beats as springboards to chains of off-beats
### Vocal Harmonies
* often in chorus (not the only place)
* harmonisation in 3rds and 4th most often * unisons - in octaves * oblique motion
## Progressive Rock
* Beatles (and Beach Boys)
* pioneers of progressive rock --> triggered the genesis of Progressive rock * esp at end of 60s and early 70s * 70s * long form: break out of 2-4minute songs * ELP, Yes, Genesis * odd time signatures, changing * parallel with jazz: moving away from dixieland, into prog-jazz (asian, non- western)
### Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven (1971)
* Intro (extended) * solo acoustic steelstring fingerstyle guitar * recorders (John Paul Jones) - only 3 voice lines??? * Verse 1 * is not the chorus * story narrative * Interlude * intro variation * bass joins * Verse 2 * as with before, plus electric guitar * few substituted chords * Interlude 2 * Verse 3 * LOTR-style lyrics * no drums yet * Interlude * drum pick up * Verse 4 * different melody * drum basic rock steady beat * Interlude * change to ride --> advances musical interest * Verse 5 * as with verse 4 * Middle 8 * large change --> D11 and C * tutti rhythm * Guitar Solo * Jimmy Page solo - but solo quite far back in the mix * more than 8 bars * Metal/verse section * new lyrics, higher register * totally new progression * heavy drums (compensate for earlier absence) * rit * Outro: tag/title acapella
### Stevie Wright (Vanda and Young); Evie (1974)
* from Australia * INtro: heavy rock feel, call and answer verse * Chorus: AAAB * Repeats: blues-inspired chorus * Verse 2 * Bridge 2 * middle section is choir + strings * is a trilogic song (as if extended version of Beach Boys form) * ending: piano smear
### Peter Gabriel: Signal to Noise (2002)
* less prog rock/ more post-modern: extreme hybridisation
* just under 8 minutes long * string section and big bass drum as intro * snare brushes like Mama by Genesis; it's a ripoff lol fuckin Peter Gabriel * big world music influence * classical influence: Mozart (when strings move forward into melodic territory)
