The song is rather short, as my goal was to make something that I thought sounded good and end it there since we were only given 10 days to do the assignment. I came up with my logline after writing my lyrics, and it’s “A person falls back down into a depression, but decides not to question why, and accepts it”
Questions
The questions I have for the listeners are as follows:
What about it sounded pleasant, if it was all bad, why?
What about it sounded unpleasant or unrefined?
What would you change about the song given the chance
Any harsh or blunt criticisms are welcome! Tear me apart!
Feedback
The class responded well to the song and thought it sounded good, the majority of them, however, had mixed feelings about the auto-tune I added to the song. One individual stated that they really liked the autotune and another thought the ending of the song was particularly pleasant.
I chose I want you (She’s so heavy) because of how often I find myself humming or singing the song. Ironically it’s not my favorite song on Abbey road, but it is the catchiest to me.
Song Analysis
TOPIC
MY RESPONSES
SONG TITLE
I want you (She’s so heavy)
COMPOSER(S)
John Lennon, Paul McCartney
YEAR
1969
COUNTRY
UK
If you could work on this song (change it), what would you change and why?
The whole song is amazing. The Beatles made incredible song after incredible song. However, if I had to change something about this song in particular I would’ve added lyrics to the 3 minute instrumental at the end of the song.
The arrangement of the song is very interesting to see layed out, as it is largely comprised of notes jumping up and down. It also contains many notes that are out of the key, yet fit right into the song.
In many Beatles songs, the main instruments and the singer have a strong connection and subtle interplay, this song is no exception.
What do you like about the TIMBRE of some or all of the instruments?
The guitar that play’s in the last two minutes of the song sounds amazing. It’s such a heavy aura that really gives the song an evil feel.
What do you like about the PITCH of some or all of the instruments or vocals?
Like in most songs, the bass and guitar in the song are very separated in pitch. However, in this song, at least with headphones, the bass is very accentuated so they difference between them sounds very satisfying to listen to.
The bass on this song, any for that matter every song on this album, is incredible. Paul McCartney is a beast at creating incredible baselines and knowing when to show off in a song and when to stay in the background.
Finally, what do you like about the overall COMPOSITION?
While this song is definitely in the rock genre, the inspiration it takes and uses from blues really sells the song.
“A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition and variation of sections.” wikipedia.org/wiki/Song
I chose to summarize Bruno Mars’s song Grenade because it was on the latest album that I downloaded to my phone.
Song Analysis
TOPIC
MY RESPONSES
SONG TITLE
Grenade
COMPOSER(S)
Andrew Wyatt, Ari Levine, Brody Brown, Bruno Mars, Claude Kelly, Philip Lawrence
YEAR
2010
COUNTRY
United States
If you could work on this song (change it), what would you change and why?
I think the entire arrangement and singing of the song sounds amazing and catchy as heck. Though the lyrics are a bit cringy, that’s how a lot of love songs are though.
Both the chorus and verse are built on excellent sounding patterns that change slightly. The song really shines when special patterns or one-shot notes appear, as the song’s base is already great.
I absolutely love the choir in the background, they sound great when paired with Bruno’s lovely singing voice.
Finally, what do you like about the overall COMPOSITION?
Grenade is absolutely a standard pop song but it really shines when Bruno takes the handle and shows off what the song can really do if given the opportunity to raise it’s pitch
“A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition and variation of sections.” wikipedia.org/wiki/Song
If you could work on this song (change it), what would you change and why?
Both the beginning and end of the song are very similar, albeit with some minor differences since it’s the conclusion of the song. I believe that the ending could’ve been improved if it ended more climatically and in a grand manner. I really enjoy songs that finish with a bang and Scenes from an Italian Restaurant certainly had the theme and potential to do so. However, the ending that was included was by no means disappointing.
The first transition from the slow jazzy beginning to “Brenda and Eddie” has a slow build-up to a complete mute to all other instruments. The only instrument is the piano playing chords in a simple repeating pattern, then another piano part plays over with a funky melody. It’s a great transition into the other part of the song.
Finally, what do you like about the overall COMPOSITION?
This song gives me similar vibes to Bohemian Rhapsody, while it might not be the 5 part epic of Queen, Billy Joel’s Scenes from an Italian Restaurant moves seamlessly and beautifully from its different sections that really mixes many different moods into the piece.
“A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition and variation of sections.” wikipedia.org/wiki/Song
“Theory is a six-letter dirty word to most musicians, but hey, musicians love dirty words, right? And just like all the other dirty words, theory is easy to learn and fun to use!” ― Ray Harmony, Hack Music Theory, Part 1: Learn Scales & Chords in 30 minutes
SUMMARY
I read an article about keeping my brain healthy and going during the pandemic as well as listened to a song and analyzed it.
OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY, PRODUCTIVITY & THE BRAIN)
Image from bananatreelog.com
It was interesting to read this guide 8 months into quarantine because a large portion of the information I had already taken from other sources and my own discoveries. I by no means have my stuff together, but I have enough of a base to continue in the right direction. Though, one particular sentence did strike a chord with me, “challenge negative thoughts.” The concept is by no means new to me, but I just really like the sound of that sentence.
WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED
I learned that there are still plenty of things to learn about staying well during covid. A “problem” I solved was improving my ability to listen to all parts of a song
I explored hookpad and played around with it to create some cool progressions usuing uncoventional means. I plan to continue on and do more of the activities avaliable in this post.
PRACTICE ROOM (GUITAR LESSONS)
Set a timer
Spend up to 30 minutes in the ‘room’
Write a reflection of the key topics that got your attention.
Write how far did you got in lessons this week
DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE
Mr. Le Duc considers him the best beginning guitar teacher online. He’s not the only one that thinks this. Check out some of the celebrity endorsements at justinguitar.com.
How interested in learning more about playing the guitar?
Write a reflection of the key topics that got your attention.
DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE
Holistic Songwriting by Friedemann Findeisen
Screenshot from Holistic Songwriting’s Channel at YouTube
An Example: The Swift Formula – One Note Melodies
From Holistic Songwriting’s How Taylor Swift Writes Melodies at YouTubeFrom Holistic Songwriting’s How Taylor Swift Writes Melodies at YouTubeFrom Holistic Songwriting’s How Taylor Swift Writes Melodies at YouTube
How interested in learning more about music theory and song analysis?
1 (YUCK!)
2 (not really)
3 (sorta interested)
4 (interested)
5 (YES!)
Your score: ?
LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)
I liked what he was trying to do but the versions are different and I can’t find the places to do the things he wants me to do. Still interesting though.
Screenshot of Lyrics Melody and Chord Progressions from HookTab at YouTube
Teens are overwhelmed, partly because they don’t yet have the skills to manage the unprecedented amount of stuff that enters their brains each day. – from LifeHacker.com
“Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
All of the resources gave some very interesting ideas about GTD and the whole process. I personally have been feeling like my GTD process had been lacking a lot in some major aspects, and these videos have given me some helpful concepts to consider and apply to myself.
I was stricken with a lot of ideas and applications when he mentioned “Mind like water” and “Appropriate Attention”
I’d like to be more reactive to my surroundings by completely adapting to them much like water.
When he talked about “Appropriate Attention” I was confused at first about what exactly it meant, but I soon came to figure out it was about where your attention was during a critical or important moment.
Get yourself a MAP OF ALL THAT so you can step back and take a look at it.
And then, basically, you USE THE MAP TO DECIDE, “OK, here’s the course that we’re going to go on.”
You then LAUNCH the ‘ship’ on a trusted course in the short term, as well as on the long horizon that you’re moving on.
And then, on a regular basis, you need to REASSESS, “OK, we need to take in NEW DATA, CLEANUP, RECALIBRATE, and REFOCUS for the next leg of the journey.”
It’s that simple…”
‘Capture’ all the ACTION ITEMS you can in your GTD Trusted System
WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED
I learned some pretty cool and new ways to focus and stay efficient in today’s environment. I’m excited to try to implement these new ideas and concepts.
This blogpost came at a great time since I was feeling like I had very little attention and my assignments have been piling up as of late. With these new concepts of complete focused attention and paying even more attention to organizing my materials and tasks, it’s sure to improve my GTD by at least a good bit.
Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back to loneliness. – Maya Angelou
SUMMARY
It took me a while, but this week has blessed me with some important musical knowledge and tools for the future.
CLASSROOM (THEORY & ANALYSIS)
Notes are like rungs on a ladder
False relations were once very popular
The blues notes didn’t fall on the typical western ladder
Classical composers began to incorporate folk music into their work
Slave trade and migration caused new expanses in music
Jewish melody became the bedrock of the American musical
LAB (THEORY PRACTICED)
Hookpad is an excellent tool for music experiments and creations
I learned how to place chords, single notes, and the basics of navigating the UI and tools
OUTSIDE (CREATIVITY & THE BRAIN)
It was interesting to hear about how others judge the present work of an artist as compared to their previous work. I oviously new this was a thing but never took the time to think about it and how it affects the individual
The different ways different artists talk about there creative process was very facinating to me, especially the poet who lived in rural virginia
I learned how to use some important tools as well as solved my problem of not knowing the structure of how to write a melody. After watching the video on the topic I feel a lot more prepared and motivated to do so.
Your toughest work is defining what your work is! – Peter Drucker
SUMMARY
I set a timer, a single goal, and completed that goal after 1-2 timers had finished. I then repeated that process for a few other assignments. I took breaks too, even if they lasted a little longer than they should’ve.
PRACTICE ROOM (TUTORIALS)
Screenshot from David Allen TED Talk
In this ‘room’ you are going to try Getting Things Done(GTD).
Reflect on GTD and getting to the top of the colorful list above for a minute
How can the GTD process help you tame the crazy-busy dragon of modern life?
Then, go for a 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so
Write a few sentence reflection
DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE
OPTIONAL EXERCISE – Literally, read the article and go for another walk 🙂
Katia Verresen, kvaleadership.com
“I coach C-suite executives and rising stars from the earliest startups to Fortune 100 companies. My passion is to help ambitious leaders achieve their full human potential.” – Read more about Katia…
Then, go for another 15-minute walk, if it is safe to do so
DELETE ALL OF MR. LE DUC’s INSTRUCTIONS, AFTER YOU ARE DONE
WHAT I LEARNED and PROBLEMS I SOLVED
I learned that setting a single goal and eliminating all distractions greatly increased my productivity.
A problem I solved was that I can decrease the amount of time I spend lounging around If I set a break timer, so I know how much time has passed as well as when I need to get back to work.
