It is difficult to find Prince songs online, as he seems to be quite aggressive and litigious about copyrights and online distribution of his material. Nevertheless, I have found a video for reference below. Enjoy it while it lasts!
I wouldn't say I'm a huge Prince fan, but I have to give credit where it is due. He is pretty talented and "Kiss" is one of the more interesting treatments of the I-IV-V chords. There are a couple things I particularly like about this song:
1. The Bass
I know I always turn to the bass, but in this case it is the lack thereof that interests me. I can't think of many other (any?) pop/rock songs that have drums, but no bass. As always I am a fan of "Less is More" production, and I give extra points for subtractive decisions that are particularly counterintuitive. Somehow this one works. There is a very heavy synth bass drum and some lowish synth parts, but other than that there is very little low end in this song.
2. The Chord...
...the opening chord, that is. There are a lot of notes in that chord, so I couldn't resist figuring it out. As it turns out it is more or less impossible on the guitar. This is what I hear:
There may be some very creative ways to achieve this chord on the guitar for those with especially dexterous hands, but I doubt they would sound right and would be difficult to land in the middle of the a performance. On a second pass it is obvious that there are (at least) two guitars here. This is how I would break them down:
The first guitar is a lot cleaner, almost a completely dry sound. There are some major wah/phase effects on the second part. I did a quick and dirty recording of both parts:
Guitar 1:
Guitar 2:
Both Parts:
If you don't have a couple guitarists in your band, I would just go with the voicing that seems to be most popular on the internet:
You're only missing the C#, which is barely audible to begin with. That's good enough for live shows, but it is fun to go back and dig into the original recording to see what makes it so unique. Hats off to you Prince, you ridiculous, talented weirdo.
The collaboration of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman might easily make my top 10 jazz albums. If I need to relax, this is the one to put on.
What makes it so mellow? The rich baritone and calm sax are a big part, but I believe the answer is in the rhythm section. For jazz musicians, My One And Only Love is standard repertoire and, while I might be a little tired of playing it, I never tire of the Coltrane/Hartman recording. So I put on my headphones to try to see what made that version So Great.
The answer is in the bass, as it often is. Most musicians learn this song from The Real Book, which looks like this:
Note the crowded walk-down in the first measure. It's a nice contrast to the ascending melody, but also maybe a little busy; it seems to distract from the melody a bit. There's also a series of inverted chords in the following measures. There's nothing wrong with them, but I feel that maybe it sounds a bit too clever for the subject matter.
The Coltrane/Hartman version uses far fewer chords, with a more straightforward I-vi-ii-V in the first two measures. As I listened I realized that not only were the chords simpler, but the bassist never plays an inversion. This is unusual for jazz bassists. Every chord is in root position, except for the short pedal in between the sax and the vocal sections. I don't think I've ever heard another bassist give the song that treatment. It was clearly something Jimmy Garrison was doing deliberately.
I also enjoy that they use the raising 5th progression in the bridge, versus the descending 7th that always seems to clash with the melody. It is refreshing to find new ways to play old songs, so for those interested, below are the Coltrane chords to My One And Only Love. I tried to use simple chords rather than McCoy's thicker voicings and alterations, so look to the recording if you want to build on it*.
* A few hints on McCoy's voicings: he plays an A13 on the second chord, plays a 13(#11) on the D7 chords (upper structure, think guide tones in the left hand, E triad in the right) and usually alters the B7 in the bridge. (again, upper structure - try guide tones in the left hand, F or G triads in the right)
First, a quick intro on the piece that most people know as "Ode to Joy": The familiar melody is actually the prevailing theme in the fourth (final) movement of Beethoven's 9th (final) symphony. Its lyrics come from a poem by Friedrich Schiller. The theme occurs throughout the movement in a variety of ways, but is most commonly known for the triumphant moment that occurs at 12:55 in the video above. It is interesting to note that the theme does not occur until late in the piece, and that it neither opens nor closes the movement.
Because of its wide popularity, it is common for beginning students to learn the "Ode to Joy" melody on the piano. I understand that these beginner arrangements are often simplified for easy consumption, but it is striking how much of the impact is stripped out. Here is one example of a basic arrangement:
and another in C:
I will explain why these reductions fail, but first, what is it about this music that gives us goosebumps? There are many obvious reasons: the melody is simple but stately and revolves over the tried-and-true I, IV and V chords; the combination of a chorus and an orchestra is hard to beat; it is familiar, having been shared from generation to generation, featured in commercials and movies and holiday concerts.
Often goosebumps can't be explained through music theory. This is probably one of those times. But there is one note that really makes the piece work for me, that is often neglected in simplified versions of the piece. The harmony uses the flat seven, shown here in the orchestral score:
I have no idea why that note is so powerful, but I have a couple soft theories. For one, it is a bit unusual. We often gravitate to diatonic harmonies, like the parallel thirds in the first example above. There is a novelty to the dominant I chord. It also leads to an excellent double suspension in the soprano and alto parts. Listen to the difference:
First the piece with regular parallel thirds (this does create a double suspension over the IV chord that is quite pretty):
Now with the flatted seven:
My other theory about why this note is so powerful is that it leads to the IV chord. There's just something about the IV chord. The I chord is home, and the V chord leads you home, but IV is neither of those; IV is the meat. It is where the drama happens. That's my best guess as to why it gives so many people goosebumps. I and V establish the key, but IV is the action. All I know is that I love that "C" in the altos.
There are a handful of other important/interesting details that are missed in the arrangements above, all things I think one should look for when playing an arrangement:
It should be in D Major. Not G, not C
It should go to the IV chord in the 5th measure, not V
The bridge (not shown above) should have two secondary dominant chords, V/ii and V/V
Despite the straight rhythm of the melody, it is actually in 6/8
Of course there is nothing wrong with simplifying a piece for beginners, but I think at some point in one's career they need to start getting it right, and this is a piece that deserves to be done right.
Any working musician who has been at it for more than a few years has probably gotten their fill of Sweet Home Alabama. After playing it a couple hundred times it loses its luster. I myself could probably go the rest of my life without playing or hearing it again. But when I go back and listen to the original, it is striking how many tiny details there are, and how few cover bands seem to play them. This is 3-chord rock done right, and I have a special appreciation for the little nuances that make this song a classic.
A quick note from my soapbox: so many musicians today grew up playing in jam sessions, winging it, and have a background in jazz. (like myself) It is easy for us to treat a rock song like a set of chords to make things up over, like a typical lead sheet. But rock music is often much more carefully composed than that, and the details can be what sell it to the listener, whether they realize it or not. If a specific bass part is repeated throughout the tune, that is part of the song. If the drummer plays a very specific groove, that is part of the song. If the rhythm guitar plays a very consistent strumming pattern, that is part of the song.
It's one thing if you're just learning the song well enough to get by, or just taking a quick request. You can play D, C and G chords, nail the chorus and 99% of your drunken audience will be thrilled. But if you're going to be playing Sweet Home Alabama more than occasionally, and you really want your band to stand out, it's worth digging a little deeper.
To that end, I have created a checklist with points (0-100) for all of the cover bands out there. This list assumes you're getting the basics already - groove, tempo, form, lyrics, etc. High points are given to the details that are a) obvious and b) integral to the song. See how you do!
20 points - The Chorus Groove
This is the first part that every band should make sure they get. The verses have a simple eight note + dotted quarter rhythm in the bass, but there are offbeats in the chorus that almost everyone in the band should be hitting:
20 points - The F Chord
If you're playing a 3-chord song and there is a fourth chord that shows up only a few times, you sure as heck better play it! Don't make muffins and forget the blueberries. The F chord occurs at the end of the first chorus, going into the (first) guitar solo - another crucial part. The second time it occurs is very similar, with the "ooh, ooh, ooh" after "love the governor." People will sing that part, so you should be playing it. Don't be lazy! The third time it occurs is just like the first time, but near the end as they go into a second chorus.
15 points - The Pre-Chorus Lick
A lot of bands miss this because it is a little tricky and less overt than the main guitar riff, but the whole band plays it, which is a good sign that you should too:
15 points - The Guitar Interlude
This interlude occurs between the first and second verse, before you've reached the chorus at all, and after the guitar solo. It is mostly guitar-driven (make sure to get the harmonics!) but the best bands will include the piano support during this section. The bass doubles part of the riff on the second pass. The drummer starts hitting the snare in this part, then goes back to the cross-stick during the verse.
10 points - The Piano
Speaking of the pianist, not every band has one, but for those who do it plays an important part in this song. They may sound capricious, but the following riffs occur the same way during every verse. Riff One comes after the first and third stanzas, Riff Two after the second.
Piano Riff 1
Piano Riff 2
10 points - The Bass under the Solo
The bass part gets a lot busier under the guitar solo, and because it is the same every time, I know that he is not just making things up. It is part of the song. Here it is:
10 points - Other Guitar Parts
I'm not going to transcribe every guitar part in this song, but the rhythm guitar part during the verses is really interesting. (with good headphones you can hear it very clearly on the right side) It is quite syncopated and provides an interesting rhythmic counterpoint to the very straight lead part. The guitar part during the chorus is also very specific and nearly as important as the opening riff.
Extra Credit 1 - The Backup Vocals
It is beyond the scope of most bands to have the time and personnel to cover all of the backups throughout this song, but there are a lot there for the ambitious cover band. There are responses to the lyrics, thick harmonies and backups during the solo. At the very least, bands should harmonize the chorus.
Extra Credit 2 - "Alabama"
It's very subtle, but at the end of the second chorus, before the guitar solo, the singer says "here I come, Alabama" and the band hits the syllables in "Alabama" with him. It's the tiniest of details, but it would blow my mind if I saw a cover band actually do that part.
That's my checklist. To be fair to musicians everywhere, getting all of these things right would require a lot of time spent on a song on which many of us are, as I mentioned, more than a little burned out. I listened to an old recording of my band playing this song and I doubt we'd have scored much over 50. But for people who really love Skynyrd, or who just love the thrill of getting things right, there is a lot to sink your teeth into.
I was 5 years old when my dad took me to The Magic Lantern to see Return of the Jedi. Probably a bit too young for the movie, I recall being quite terrified. (they had a plastic breathing Vader head in the ticket window) While I am proud to be able to say that I saw part of the original trilogy in theaters, in truth I remember very little other than the haunting menace of Darth Vader.
John Williams' score is, of course, one of the great works of the 20th century. I don't think it is hyperbolic to say that without it the film might easily have been a campy cult classic, known but not legendary. Each theme is perfectly evocative, and perhaps none so much as The Imperial March. The piece just feels dark, haunting and mysterious.
What makes it sound that way? I believe that the difference between good and great in this piece was one note choice. On the first pass it might sound as though the harmony goes between the i and the VI chord. If you asked a musician to play it from memory, they might do something like this:
These aren't the chords you're looking for.
Not quite right...what makes The Imperial March distinct is that the VI chord (the Eb) is actually minor. This becomes more obvious a couple measures later when the flatted third is in the melody. The minor chord sounds like it is from a different key, only for a moment. Meandering from minor chords to other minor chords in unrelated keys is not rare in film scores; there is no easier way to make the music mysterious and dramatic. Williams uses this technique exhaustively in the Harry Potter movies, for example.
It is interesting to note that it is possible the minor VI chord may not be a real departure from the key. The minor third of the VI chord exists in the harmonic minor scale (kind of), so the music may actually have been written from more of a melodic, rather than a chordal perspective. (I'd expect the prior from Stephen Sondheim, the latter from, say, Randy Newman) If Williams wrote an F#, it would suggest that he was thinking of the melody and harmony as based in G harmonic minor. Gb would suggest that he thought of the song temporarily going to an Eb minor chord. For answers, we turn to the original score. "my only hope!"
Aha! Note the F# in the violas. It would seem that the piece is based in the harmonic minor scale. There is, of course, no such thing as a harmonic minor key that I know of. That is, I've never seen a key signature with both flats and sharps. In World Music there are many scales and modes that contain both, but it gets hairy fast. Most (Western) music is written in diatonic keys, including many that sound atonal or deviate heavily from the key. Harmonic theory is taught to beginning students like so:
The same method can be applied to a harmonic minor scale:
It is relevant to The Imperial March to point out that the VI chord is still major. A minor VI chord in the key of G "harmonic" minor would be spelled Eb, F#, Bb. Because the Eb and F# are a second apart (albeit an augmented second) I would technically call this an Eb2 chord, even though it sounds like Eb minor. And that, kids, is why we avoid mixing sharps and flats.
Williams throws a curveball only a few measures later, however:
The brass, playing the melody, have a Gb. What? It gets worse. In that one measure, the strings no longer play F#, but switch to Gb. "It's a trap!"
This kind of thing makes violinists go crazy.
I believe the most likely reason for this change is that John Williams, like all good composers and conductors, wants his music to be read and performed as easily as possible. There is no theoretically correct way to write this, so he chose the way that made it easiest to read. In the first example, he used F# because it was easier than making the Violas jump back and forth between G and Gb. They would be used to seeing F# in G minor. When the trombones have a Gb, it is because an F# would make it look like they are using the fourth (Bb to F#) but it sounds like a third. "Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them." It is a bit confusing and jarring to play, and no one wants that. A happy orchestra is a good orchestra.
The last example, where it changes from F# to Gb over the bar line happens for two reasons. 1) He wanted the chord to be consistent across parts in that measure so the conductor could look at the page and not see an enharmonic mess, and 2) who cares what the violins think? This is a case where pragmatism trumps theoretical purity.
Delving into the theory behind this piece my vain attempt to explain why it is so deeply and indelibly impactful for so many people. Undoubtedly the music is enhanced by the visuals on screen, but the reverse is also true. The music paints the character, masterfully in this case. Musicians make tiny compositional decisions all the time, and often a little choice can completely alter the tone. Williams' choice of Gb (or F#) makes all the difference in this one.
