analyse music you like

As some people here know many details about how music by Aphex, BoC etc. was arranged and produced I wanted to start this topic for quite a while. I really would like to know what you like in certain songs from a production perspective like mastering, harmonics and arrangement. For example did you try to play your favorite songs on other instruments? Do you have a scale preference or are there certain chords you like in songs used? Do you use a certain synth because you like the way it sounds in a song?

I'm taking a class where we do this with Classical music. Once I learn a thing or two there I'll come back here.

it goes "beep boop beep beep bee-be-bbb-b-b-b-b-bbooooooooooooooooooooooooP! tsktskstktskstkbeeeeee_btslstkskts"

  On 1/26/2011 at 1:56 PM, o00o said:

I really would like to know what you like in certain songs from a production perspective like mastering, harmonics and arrangement.

Sorry, have to pick up on this as I keep seeing the same mistake everywhere. I suspect you mean harmony not harmonics. While harmonics have an important role to play in determining timbre, any discussion about them is going to be pretty dry and rather short. Whereas discussing harmony is dry and endless.

In fact this whole topic is about as open ended as you can get, but I'll give it a go by talking about something reasonably specific.

There was a post millennial trend in electronic music for essentially taking the tone, timbre, cliches of 90's dub techno (basic channel, Maurizio) deconstructing it and passing it through their own particular artistic filter that went beyond mere influence or working with generic constraints. The most obvious example would be Amo Bishop Roden, but other examples would include this by Signer, which is essentially Berlin techno played by a NZer on what sounds like a bowed guitar.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQmd-33fRjk&feature=player_embedded

More abstractly Arovane, in particular the Cycliph EP. I even hear it in Autechre on LP5, but that might just be me. Lots of other examples, whether by osmosis or artistic intention.

Compare this idea to the pastiche practised by certain artists. So yeah, it's that distinction between inspiration, reference, influence and just plain, stupid pastiche.

  On 1/26/2011 at 1:56 PM, o00o said:

did you try to play your favorite songs on other instruments? Do you have a scale preference or are there certain chords you like in songs used? Do you use a certain synth because you like the way it sounds in a song?

yes.

I | V --> I | V --> I etc.

  On 1/26/2011 at 10:48 PM, Braintree said:

I | V --> I | V --> I etc.

can someone please explain 'roman numeral' chord progressions to me? my girlfriend tried to explain it but i didn't quite understand..

there are several different styles of approaching roman numeral notation; classical music has it's approach, and jazz has its own as well, for example. But they do share many of the same ideas... so:

the numbers are given to the steps of each chord in a key, ascending.

so in the key of C major:

C Major= I

d minor = ii

e minor = iii

F Major= IV

G Major = V

a minor = vii

b diminished = vi(dim) (the 'dim' is usually written superscript, or as a small circle, also superscript. If you add a minor seven to the diminished triad, you get a half-diminished chord(put a dash through the little circle to show half-diminished status) . If the seventh is lowered a step, it is a diminished seventh , and you get a fully diminished 7 chord.)

Notice how the major triads are uppercase, and the minor triads are lowercase. Also notice that I mirrored that logic in the writing out of the triads. You convey the same description of the chord's property when writing out chords with letters.

So, use letters to write out chords for players to follow, and use roman numeral either for compositional, functional purposes. Of course, a good player will also be able to play the same song in any key, by following the roman numeral notation.

An additional symbol you can add, is a dash, to show minor status. so:

C Major= I

d minor = ii-

e minor = iii-

F Major= IV

G Major = V

a minor = vi-

b diminished = vii(dim)

Now, for seventh chords, you would write:

C Major= I(maj)7 (again, maj is superscript)

d minor = ii-7

e minor = iii-7

F Major= IV(maj)7

G Major = V7

a minor = vi-7

b minor seven flat 5 = vii-7(b5) (now, the context and properties of the chord change. It is now considered a minor seven flat 5. You alternatively could use that little superscript circle with a dash through it, instead of the (dim))

If you flat the 7, then it will be a fully diminished chord, and you can either write vii(dim)7, or substitute (dim) with that little superscript circle.

Finally, each step of the scale has a functional role in traditional harmony, and that's where theory comes in... you use them to show relational values, which you hear, and feel. A "V" chord is the dominant chord in the scale, and has a strong urge to resolve to "I". All chords have relationships to each other that push or pull, and sequences of chords also affect the function of other chords. But I'm not going to go into theory...

  On 1/27/2011 at 12:54 AM, Kcinsu said:

C Major= I(maj)7 (again, maj is superscript)

d minor = ii-7

e minor = iii-7

F Major= IV(maj)7

G Major = V7

a minor = vi-7

b minor seven flat 5 = vii-7(b5) (now, the context and properties of the chord change. It is now considered a minor seven flat 5. You alternatively could use that little superscript circle with a dash through it, instead of the (dim))

 

If you flat the 7, then it will be a fully diminished chord, and you can either write vii(dim)7, or substitute (dim) with that little superscript circle.

Interesting. I hadn't seen this before.

  On 1/26/2011 at 1:56 PM, o00o said:

For example did you try to play your favorite songs on other instruments?

But of course.

  On 1/26/2011 at 1:56 PM, o00o said:

Do you have a scale preference or are there certain chords you like in songs used?

Everything has its place. I do rather enjoy the Mixolydian mode, though. (Mixolydian in C: C D E F G A Bb, aka major scale with a lowered 7th) Throw in a minor third and change it to Dorian from time to time to mix it up.

Parallelism is also really fun to use for making catchy riffs. I like to take a simple melody (usually pentatonic) and then play a full chord instead of a single note for each note in the melody, retaining the same chord shape. Sometimes reminds of 8-bit stuff, as they did that a lot by using samples of chords as the waveforms for melody instruments.

  On 1/26/2011 at 1:56 PM, o00o said:

Do you use a certain synth because you like the way it sounds in a song?

Probably just x0x VSTs.

I was just making a joke that a lot of chord progressions in IDM really just play the tonic of a scale and then the fifth degree, then rinse and repeat. It's kind of foolish to analyze modern electronic music in the same way that other works are analyzed. I generally think of it as counterpoint instead of chords.

Also, I have no idea if it's intentional or not, but users here started to abbreviate "jazzband" with "b7"...or 'flat seven' [as I read it], which is in a ton of jazz chords. Har har funnee.