What do these two songs have in common? They both shift to a dramatically different key for the chorus, and both require the singer to pick a difficult note out of the air with very little preparation. Let's look at Yellow Brick Road first:
Most of the song is in F Major, but in the chorus it abruptly moves to Ab. Since most people know the song very well, it is no longer a jarring change. But I imagine someone hearing it for the first time would struck by how quickly it moves to a new key and from tenor to soprano range:
Not only is it a note in a completely different key, the leap from "the" to "blues" is an (extremely) unusual minor-9 interval. That's not easy to sing even when it fits in one key. To singers struggling with this leap, I would recommending singing the "blues" note down an octave at first, so it is only a half step, then move it up. The second pass of the chorus only jumps from E to Db, but is still a difficult note to hit with no setup.
The Whitney Houston power ballad Don't Walk Away has an almost identical structure. At the chorus it moves to a key a minor third up, starting on the IV chord, exactly like Yellow Brick Road:
This time there is some preparation, as the Bb in the pickup notes establishes the new key. It is also a comfortable whole step into the new key, and the "landing" pitch is a common note between both keys. It's still a big moment, but perhaps not as jarring and difficult to sing as Elton John's key change:
The big moment in this song comes at the end when the song moves up a half step, in one of the all-time great modulations. She sings the three pickup notes then takes the final pitch up a half step, making for an awkward augmented second leap into the new key (at 3:40 in the video):
Such an epic moment! Trying to land on the Major 7 of the chord while reaching over an augmented step feels like tossing a book onto the top shelf and hoping it lands upright. There were so many different ways they could have made this modulation happen, and I love that they chose one of the most difficult. Try singing it without accompaniment if you doubt me.
For singers struggling with landing the D#, I recommend thinking of it as "Fa" in the old key, rather than "Mi" in the new key. I'd practice without modulating, playing an Eb chord instead of the Emaj9 for a while. If there's one saving grace about the modulation it's that the top note is in both keys.
Both are great songs, and both excellent studies in modulation. I never thought I'd write about Whitney and Elton in the same post. It wasn't easy to find commonality between the two divas, but believe I found it.
If diminished chords are rare in pop music, augmented chords are doubly so. The augmented chord is a triad with the fifth step raised. (hence the name - it becomes visually bigger) It has a very open sound, and has a certain urgency to resolve somewhere, while also feeling very "floaty."
Much more common in jazz, augmented chords typically serve one of two purposes: as a moving line to lead to a 6 chord, demonstrated here in It Never Entered My Mind:
and as an enhanced V7 chord, shown here in Blue Bossa:
I was unable to think of many well-known pop tunes that contain augmented chords, but the first to pop in my head was the second chord of the Stevie Wonder version of For Once in my Life:
This serves the first purpose mentioned above, as a moving 5 part in the harmony. The Ben Folds Five does the exact same thing in their song Underground (starting at :38):
I recently played a full show of Mariah Carey songs, and I really enjoyed some of the augmented chords in Vision of Love. There is an augmented III chord in the verse that inexplicably goes back to the I chord (:32) and then to a borrowed bIII chord (:47), one in the turnaround between verses (:57), and similarly for the ending at 3:08:
If I ever do a blog post on that song, I will probably spend it all talking about how great the bass is.
Last, my favorite augmented chord in a pop song might be the intro to Billy Joel's 1986 ballad Temptation:
It does everything that I love in a chord; that is, nothing it's supposed to do. We go from the I chord to an augmented bVI chord (or whatever the heck you want to call it) then back to I, and later to the IV chord to start the verses. That last move actually makes some sense, as it is basically an inverted V/VI chord. It is the bass movement that makes it somewhat jarring, but also unique.
If I think of other examples I will update this post, but for now I think Billy Joel wins the Augmented Chord Award, if there were such thing. For now, the best I can do is this:
I was listening to one of my favorite lesser-known Ben Folds Five songs, Eddie Walker, and was struck by all the diminished chords in the bridge. There is a particularly epic one at the end of the bridge, in multi-part harmony, leading to the final chorus. The bridge starts around 1:43 (pardon the weird video):
The big moment is at 2:08 and it might be my favorite diminished chord ever, both for the musical power and the unusual way it is used. (diminished iv chord leading to iii)
This got me wondering why diminished chords are so uncommon in pop music, and what well-known songs have them. I racked my brain to think of some that people would know and am highlighting a few of my favorites. But first:
What is a diminished chord?
The diminished chord is one of the four major types of triads that make up most of Western music. Here they are in C:
Major and minor chords, in one shape or another, constitute most western pop music. Diminished and augmented chords are much much less common. They are the libertarian and green parties of the music world.
The diminished chord has the 3rd and 5th steps flatted, and has a "tense" sound when taken out of context:
The chord is seen prominently in classical music and in Jazz and show tunes (particularly older ones). It is hard to imagine Bach or Joplin without it. In Baroque and Classical music, as well as in old standards it is typically used as a substitute for the V chord, often as a passing chord between two adjacent chords. See, for example, the first few measures of the Rodgers/Hart classic Bewitched:
The diminished 7th chord has an extra note, the double-flatted 7 (or six), but for aural purposes is almost always interchangeable with a regular diminished chord, so for this article I'm focusing on either one. I am not including its distant cousin, the half-diminished chord, which serves a different purpose and is a topic for another day.
Example 1 - Garth Brooks, Friends in Low Places
I choose Friends in Low Places because Garth Brooks spells it out so unambiguously on the guitar, only seconds into the song. It works just like the diminished chord in the first couple measures of Bewitched above, as a bridge between the I and ii chords. I like thinking that this song probably single-handedly made thousands of amateur guitarists everywhere have to learn a new, completely different chord from the open G, C, and D they were used to.
Example 2 - Michael Jackson, Thriller
The chord is at :33, right before the whole band kicks in. I love the way it adds to the tension and gives the song a gothic feel. It is also unusual in that it is not used as a leading tone chord. The diminished chord is based on the tonic, yet somehow feels like it's leading to the tonic at the same time.
Example 3 - Plush, Stone Temple Pilots
Every kid who owned a guitar in 1992 knew how to play this song. The second chord of the intro riff is diminished. This is another unusual use of the chord, as a diminished i6, leading up to a kind of ii65 chord. With out the distorted guitars this could sound very barber shop, and might work well in a mash-up with Moonglow.
Example 4 - We Are The Champions, Queen
It's not so difficult to find diminished chords in Queen songs. Bohemian Rhapsody has many, particularly in the neo-opratic parts of the songs. Champions has some great ones in the chorus, after "til the end" and the second "we are the champions!" after that. It's easy to imagine how the song could have been written without those chords, and it wouldn't sound nearly as triumphant.
I thought of many other songs while writing this post. Here is a short list; I'm sure many more will come to me in the future, now that I am listening for them.
Benny and the Jets, Elton John - there is a diminished chord in the verse, again bridging the I and ii chords.
God Only Knows, The Beach Boys - this is one of my favorites, because of the unusual way it is approached and the melody over it.
Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel - the chorus contains a couple diminished chords, which help give it a gospel feel.
Michelle, The Beatles - with the lyric "go together" in the verse, there is an ingenious diminished chord, outlined in the melody and supported by the backup vocals.
This Love, Maroon 5 - I love this one. The fourth chord in the verse sounds very Bach-esque and does not lead you directly back to i, as you would suspect, but to a V6 chord.
If I Ain't Got You, Alicia Keys - in the second stanza of the verse, she uses a diminished chord between I and ii instead of the vi that she plays in the first stanza.
Shed a Little Light, James Taylor - the opening chord and a couple during the moving part are diminished.
She's Out of my Life, Michael Jackson - this song has a very prominent and unusual diminished I (or inverted I) chord early in each verse.
Please let me know if you think of any other good ones!
Marc Cohn came and went in the early 90s, a classic one-hit wonder. Winning the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1991, he's done very little since, other than releasing another album, a spattering of collections and live recordings, and getting shot in the head.
I have to give Cohn credit; in that narrow crevasse between the mohawks and acid-washed jeans of the 80s and the hammer pants and breakdancing ninja turtles of the early 90s he made some really nice folk rock music. His album Marc Cohn has the feel of really competent musicians who aren't trying too hard. For that, I feel like it's worth a revisit. The album credits include Don Alias, Steve Gadd, James Taylor and a host of other studio musicians who are probably amazing though not recognizable by name.
Walking in Memphis is beautifully recorded, as I listen to it for the first time in a while on good headphones. (incidentally, it was mastered by present Mainer Bob Ludwig, a couple years before he started his business in Portland) The rhythm instruments are layered beautifully, with piano, synth sounds, guitars, organs never really getting in the way of each other. There are many tasteful, nuanced choices like the way the bass lays out until halfway through the second verse, the piano part changing in the second verse, all sorts of colorful synth notes in the bridge and very careful dynamics throughout. Really, with good headphones it is striking how well-mixed this song is.
What gets me is the rhythm, because I am sure as a kid I heard it wrong. I'm a sucker for music that I realize I have been hearing incorrectly. There are many ways to botch the piano part; one is to add thirds to the chords. It is a IV, V, I, vi in C Major, but none of the chords have thirds in the piano part, just open fifths.
More likely, people tend to square up the rhythm. Especially since the time is nebulous when he plays the main piano part, it is easy to square it up in your head but the strongly accented root notes should actually all be anticipations. Here is exactly how it shouldn't be played:
People often square it up like this because it is easier to play and sing at the same time. Here it is done correctly:
(for those trying to play it on the piano, I recommend playing the first two notes of each chord in the left hand, the second two in the right hand)
Note that the first chord starts on the down beat, so there are only three notes (the high C is omitted). Besides being a pretty hip syncopation, the pattern played with the sustain pedal creates lingering color tones for each chord. The high D on the G chord carries into the C, and so forth. This makes the chords sound like this: FM7, Gsus, C2, Am7. It manages to be simple (easy pattern, no thirds) and elaborate (syncopated, color notes and suspensions implied) at the same time.
So "hats off" to Marc Cohn. You could probably make a strong case that Boyz II Men should have won the Best New Artist Grammy that year, but I really appreciate his musical competence and unpretentious roots-style songwriting. For those who enjoy Cohn, I recommend checking out his Silver Thunderbird, which was one of my favorite songs as a kid. One hit is more than I've ever had, and I think his praise was well-deserved. Here's hoping Marc Cohn has a long happy life and never gets shot in the head again.
Boyz II Men have several hit songs that I could dig into but, since this blog is about greatness, I want to settle once and for all what the greatest Boyz II Men song is. I'm going to look at the two classic ballads, On Bended Knee and I'll Make Love to You. Both are from the 1994 album "II," and both topped the Billboard charts. Bended Knee is the underdog, having spent a mere 6 weeks at #1, although it ended I'll Make Love's 14-week reign, making Boyz II Men the third group after Elvis and The Beatles to usurp their own song from the top spot.
Now I know what you're thinking: what about End of the Road? I know, I considered it. For some reason, despite it spending more time at #1 than Bended Knee (13 weeks!), it just doesn't do as much for me. It has a couple things going for it: a nice minor-11 voicing on the vi chord, the extra long talking section by the bass in the middle, and the a cappella ending. But this is the heavyweight championships; there can be only one winner, and I'm afraid End of the Road didn't make the cut.
With that out of the way, let's fight!
ROUND ONE
On Bended Knee comes out swinging hard with a top-to-bottom glissando in the synth bass at :07. I could listen to that all day. It's interesting that the intro and interludes are in Ab, then the verse moves to Eb - it's a nice compositional touch. Another, deeper synth gliss brings into the chorus at :52. Great chords in the chorus, especially the Db9 with the low bass note. Nice harmonies and unisons, and I appreciate the patient tempo...a solid beginning for the contender.
The first thing I notice is that I'll Make Love to You doesn't sound quite as good; that is, it's a little more reliant on synthesizers. Bended Knee has a nice acoustic piano and some nylon string guitar. Even if they're fake, they sound real enough and I think they warm up the sound a lot.
That aside, there's a lot to like. What at first sounds like a very uninspired I-vi-ii-V song keeps surprising me, with the bVII chord in the intro, the A/G (third chord of the verse) and the chromatic approach to the ii chord at :40.
The chorus is nice - harmonies are a little obvious but it's definitely catchy. I'm just starting to lean toward Bended Knee when WHAT? The singer brings us into the second verse at 1:29 with a high "girl, relax" over the break as the bassist plays a sweet descending lick way up the neck. That's a real bass, not a synth. I am reminded why I'll Make Love is the reigning champ. This is going to be good fight, folks.
ROUND TWO
Bended Knee's second verse and chorusoffer few surprises, but there is plenty to enjoy: variations on the melody, falsetto, great synth bass parts and lots of vocal riffing over the chorus. It's a solid second act that ensures that you don't get bored.
Next comes the bridge...or does it? The bridge can be the best part of the song - a chance for variety, sometimes a very catchy different idea to give your ears a rest, offer a new lyrical perspective and send you off to the end of the song with new excitement.
But Bended Knee doesn't really have a bridge. At least, not at first. Instead, they start with bass Michael McCary talking over the verse chords. "Baby." It's a move borrowed from End of the Road and, while I don't dislike it, I worry that it is a lost opportunity for a great bridge.
Shortly there after they move to Cm, in what could be considered the bridge, although it feels like more of a pre-chorus section. There's nothing special in the chords, but the backup harmonies and synth bass continue to be excellent. The round ends with an outstanding, if predictable, modulation to the final chorus. If you're going to move the song up a half step, that's how it's done.
I'll Make Love gets increasingly kinkier, as any of us who has ever listened to the song in an uncomfortable car ride with their mom can attest. The second verse and chorus are serviceable, again keeping it interesting with some vocal riffing. Nothing too exciting happens, and I would argue that Bended Knee does a bit more with this part of the song.
But the bridge is where the champ really flexes its muscles. The singer is up in his head voice and he's not leaving. The bassist is killing it, playing a nice arpeggio at 2:44 followed by - OH SNAP - are those power chords? In the bass? Yep. Listen carefully, it's E5, D5, C5, in the bass. You don't hear that every day. Then we build the V chord, the singer is way up high, the bass slides down and we're in the final chorus. It's going to be close one.
ROUND THREE
Bended Knee is just coming off a big modulation, and I find myself wondering whether it helped itself. While it was done well, it's also such a cliche writing device that I'm left feeling more impressed that I'll Make Love didn't modulate.
The final chorus sounds a lot like the second one, and there's nothing wrong with that. Things appear to be winding down around 4:25, and just as it seems Bended Knee has played all of its cards - ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It's a second modulation. I did not see that coming. With the singer up on some high Cs, this is fantastic. It's like he had finally given up on the girl, walking away, then decided no, I CAN'T GIVE UP. I'm going for it. Bravo.
There is a melisma at 5:54 that doesn't really fit the chord (Eb9), but it happens so quickly that I won't deduct much for that. I like that they play the intro to finish and end up closing the song in Bb, despite the fact that no other part of the song was in Bb. Somehow it works. It's a solid finish. Now let's see what I'll Make Love has left.
We just coming off the huge build from the bridge, and the first thing I love is that the singer carries his note over from the bridge into the chorus. This also happens in Bended Knee, but what really makes it special is it turns into a kind of descant over the chorus. It's a nice touch, and all of the ensuing vocal riffs are excellent. There's not much to dislike in the final chorus, but also no big surprises. It kind of wraps up after a couple quick iterations, then fades out instrumentally, as though the song feels it has nothing more to prove.
DECISION
This is a really tough call. Both songs have some really strong points and both deserve a prominent place in your "Lotion Music" mix tape. By a hair, I think I have to give it to the underdog, On Bended Knee. Compositionally it just feels like a better song. While I'll Make Love is harmonically a bit generic, Bended Knee has a clever intro and nice chords throughout. While I appreciate the real bass in I'll Make Love, the synth bass is just so well done in Bended Knee that it comes out ahead. Add to that the epic second modulation, contrasted by the phoned-in ending of I'll Make Love and I think it's clear who the winner should be.
Ultimately, I think my first impression was the right one. To me, Bended Knee just sounds better. The arranging, mixing and mastering seem to have been given more attention, and that can make all the difference. Still, both are solid songs and a strong case can be made for either. Just know that, if you are deciding which to listen to in the car with your mom, On Bended Knee is always the better choice.
Before I dig into the Clapton, I want to look at a couple other songs. I've had this Mindy Gledhill song stuck in my head for a while now. (I'm not ashamed to admit I heard it a few years back in an underwear commercial - don't judge)
What really gets me, beyond the pretty singing and delicate arrangement, is the third chord. Of course, it is the IV chord. I've gone on at length on why the IV chord is often the most impactful, my theory being that it is between the I and V, where all the drama happens. What really makes it special in this song is how unexpected it is, due to the movement of the bass. The line starts on "do," then "ti", and when you'd expect it to keep moving stepwise to "la" it instead jumps right to "fa."
The root-position IV chord sounds so bold and warm and comes out of nowhere.
The jump from "ti" to "fa" is a tritone interval. This is the interval that most music students are taught to avoid when writing parts in theory and counterpoint classes. These classes typically focus on the choral writing of Bach, and the principles are consistent today. It may no longer be consider the Devil's Tone, but it is still a rare melodic interval. Despite several centuries of composers finding ways to break the "rules," the fact is that they still apply. Tritones don't move as smoothly as seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths. As a practical matter, there just aren't a lot of tritones available to the bassist in diatonic music. "ti" and "fa" are the only tones a tritone apart, so unless IV is going to vii, you won't hear it very often in Western pop music.
Another perfect example is "Take My Breath Away," the 80s ballad from Top Gun:
This song is great because it has both possibilities for contrast. In the verses the synth bass goes to the expected "la," then when they get to the chorus and the lyrics to land harder, it goes to the root position IV chord. (except the middle chorus, for some reason - maybe to build some anticipation for the final chorus) This makes the chorus dramatically prettier and creates contrast with the verse. It's brilliant writing - I could almost do a post on this song by itself.
Wonderful Tonight
That brings me to Eric Clapton's classic Wonderful Tonight. Most young guitar players learn this ballad pretty early on; it has an easy lead riff and the chords are simple enough for most beginners to play. Gigging musicians like myself have probably long since burned out on it, but it is always a reliable way to get people slow dancing.
Its simplicity belies some of the more nuanced brilliance of the song. For example:
Beginning drummers will often play eighth notes on the hi-hat, but the groove is much busier than that. My friend and drummer Andy Robbins pointed out that, with the ghost notes, almost every 16th note is played in the groove.
The organ, Rhodes, and rhythm guitar all play busy parts that fill out the song without sounding like they're stepping on each other. That's not easy!
I love the slight hesitation before the band comes back in at the end of the bridge, as he says "...how much I love you." That kind of thing is less common in the age of computerized click tracks.
And, of course, the chord progression has the wonderful "ti" to "fa" tritone. Although the bassist softens it with an approach note, the chords and effect are almost the same (and in the same key) as the Mindy Gledhill song above.
All theory aside - while I admit that I have burned out on Wonderful Tonight - I appreciate the nuances and, most of all, its simplicity. There are no vocal acrobatics or guitar wizardry. Anyone can sing it. Not lofty metaphors; it reads like a poem some guy wrote on a napkin for his wife one night. Sometimes little things make you happy. In my case, it's an unexpected root-position IV chord.
As I mentioned, the holidays are a busy time for us musicians, and so I never did write a followup to my O Holy Night post. I'm sorry kids, Santa didn't come this year...but he's here now!
What makes a performance of O Holy Night good? There are a handful of bullet points that I look for:
Faithfulness to the song. This is a classic carol, evocative of Christmas nostalgia for many - not a showpiece for egotistical divas.
Chords. I'm not opposed to reharmonization, but it should be thematically consistent. Don't use all of the original chords and then beef a couple just to be clever.
Dynamics. The song is placid to begin, and should build to the climax. You have to work hard to mess up the dynamics of this song.
The climax. This song more or less builds to the high note; it is the summit, so singers should pick a key in which they can nail it. Don't force it, don't milk it, just nail it.
With this in mind, here are my reviews of some well-known and less-well-known versions of O Holy Night:
1. Josh Groban
I hate to give Josh Groban credit, but this is pretty solid. My biggest gripe is that some of the orchestral swells outpace the song a little bit. The tympani, especially, seems to push the dynamics a bit much. A little minimalism in the arrangement would have been refreshing. A couple points lost for squaring up the form, but I guess that's pop music for you. He milks it a bit by tagging the chorus and holding the high note a little long but, eh, it works.
Grade: A-
2. Luciano Pavarotti
Expectedly, Pavarotti is true to the form. Taking the song in Eb, he sets himself up for a true tenor's climax. There isn't much to complain about in terms of form and arranging.
That said, I feel like the heavy vibrato and constant forcing detracts from the gentleness of the song. On top of that, it seems like he's always pushing the tempo. The high note is very forced. It's not bad - I'd definitely play it in the background while decorating the tree - it just doesn't quite give me that warm Christmas feeling.
Grade: B+
3. Celine Dion
Did Celine Dion sing this? O holy crap. I would never buy a Celine Dion album, but she is good at what she does and I believe she has some of the best producers in the business. Her songs are always perfectly crafted, and they do climaxes right - I might even write about one of them someday.
On this one, however, I think they blew it. The whole first half is quite nice. I appreciate the simplicity and reserve. The choral interlude is a little corny, but I'll let it slide. I see no reason for a synth bass when they have a string orchestra handy, but that's barely audible. Then as it builds toward the climax, you start to hear the Celinisms come out in her voice. You know what I'm talking about.
Like Groban, she tags the climax - and man, does she milk it. It's not the worst thing in the world, but think it seals my opinion. Her recording starts out like a nice Christmas Carol and ends up like a Celine Dion song.
Grade: C
4. Celtic Woman/ Chloe Agnew
I really didn't want to do this one, but it's the top hit on YouTube and has over 11 Million views. I don't know why these corny, overproduced PBS specials bug me so much. They're just so...sanitary. There's nothing wrong with the arrangement, it's just really, really artificial. They make it look like some magical medieval congress in - is that a freaking castle? - while these photogenic wood nymphs sing perfect angelic tones. If anyone was actually at one of these "performances" I guarantee it sounded nothing like what you hear. They go back, correct pitches, rerecord parts, etc...basically airbrush every hint of impurity out of it until it is a perfectly digestible flavorless syrup for public consumption.
I mean, I guess that's what the Groban and Dion versions are, but there's something about the visual presentation that really rubs me the wrong way. The real sin is that it completely abandons the tone of the carol. Jesus was born in manger, not in a castle in front of privileged, white bread ticket holders.
Grade: C-
5. Kings College
I need a little detox after that last one, so we're going to church. John Rutter arrangements occasionally rub me the wrong way, but this one is solid. I love the organ; it's warm, supportive and never gets in the way. Best of all, there is no studio magic here, just beautiful cathedral acoustics.
Grade: A
6. *NSYNC
You might think that I would hate this one - especially since I had to do a full transcription of it years ago - but I don't. It's poppy, studio perfect, deviates far from the original, and doesn't really build to the climax very much.
However, I still think it's a really good arrangement. It appears to have been arranged by producer Robin Wiley, who has some major vocal writing skills. The reharmonizations are really nice and it has some great moments, including a smooth modulation. Also, they do a pretty decent job of it live, without any pitch correction. I don't think I'd put it on as we open presents on Christmas morning, but as a standalone it's not half bad.
Grade: B
8. Mariah Carey
Ok...they're going for a gospel thing here...nothing wrong with that. The melismas are a bit much, but actually pretty reserved for Mariah. The gospel choir works. Organ solo in the middle? Thats...weird. It sounds like she's going for it too early in the second chorus, but as we all know Mariah has an extra whistle octave to work with. Sure enough, right at the climax, there it is: the Double B. For those looking on a piano, here it is:
What can I say? It's a good arrangement, all the pieces fit, the climax is great. It also has nothing to do with Christmas or the original tone of the song. As a novelty, I'll give it the same treatment as *NSYNC.
Grade: B
That's about all I can handle. I hope the holidays were great for everyone, here's to a whole new year of picking apart the best (and worst) songs!
