The more I study music (on my own, self taught, mind you...) the more it strikes me what doing and learning classical stuff really applies to simple everyday stuff...
cadence...
I first read about cadence, perhaps "day one" I became serious about studying music on my own on the internet, and dismissed it out of hand, as classical "musical calculus" that had no bearing on making a "regular" power chord song.
I was wrong, lol.
Later on, it was "something I was lacking" and looking for. I accidentally used it to "some" effect periodically, and some of those early songs were "better", but I didnt know "why". The "why" as I now look back, was that I had purely accidentally used a portion of cadence in the proper place.
Cadence looks complex, but like anything, a few pointers or rules of thumb borrowed from classical theory can take years out of the "by ear" learning curve. Now a couple/several years into this, my ears are "beginning" to hear I,IV, and V chords somewhat... I cannot tell you by ear what is the "root" by name, but I can detect sometimes the "lift" of the IV and V.
This all came home listening to "cat scratch fever" for the umpteenth time in my life. I noticed Mr. Whackmaster's powerchord classic, anthemic even, song... had subtle changes to its basic melody.
if he was going to do it again, it sounded like it had a "4...5" for the final 2 chords... and when he was done repeating it for the verse, it had somethign that sounded like a partial cadence or maybe an authentic cadence, with the root chord drawn out.
Counterpoint...
when I hear "really neat" iconic piano lines, I am becoming convinced I am hearing counterpoint being used. I am also hearing it in guitar lines, and between "accompaniment" lines that give and take and give and go between instruments. I am also convinced that in Pink floyd and other "obviously classically inspired" authors, I am hearing the overmelody and the undermelody (what I call them... they are really cantus firmus, and whatever, LMAO) used out of time, lead/lag... lag/lead... and together.
what one guy accomplishes by ear and playing constantly, and another learns/reads/studies and applies... is the same thing!!
there is no argument, both sides are right.
a number of "rules of thumb" applied from some mentor at the appropriate moments in a person's self-study approach can take much time off the learning curve.
one thing is for sure though, the "ear" seems to come along at a gradual pace, all of its own accord, I think.
I learn by doing, hands on, making classical trax for myself... and I augment it with reading/studying on the internet (there's a shitload out there, its not secrets locked away in some vault, LMAO)
I'm just saying, as I learn stuff from the classical point of view, it really strikes me that I am seeing it applied in different ways, in high end progressive stuff, sure... but in power chord anthems too.
Its universal. Mathematical rules govern this stuff, whether we learn it from the theory end, or by doing and people making suggestions.
there's no argument, both sides are right, continue making tracks!
cadence...
I first read about cadence, perhaps "day one" I became serious about studying music on my own on the internet, and dismissed it out of hand, as classical "musical calculus" that had no bearing on making a "regular" power chord song.
I was wrong, lol.
Later on, it was "something I was lacking" and looking for. I accidentally used it to "some" effect periodically, and some of those early songs were "better", but I didnt know "why". The "why" as I now look back, was that I had purely accidentally used a portion of cadence in the proper place.
Cadence looks complex, but like anything, a few pointers or rules of thumb borrowed from classical theory can take years out of the "by ear" learning curve. Now a couple/several years into this, my ears are "beginning" to hear I,IV, and V chords somewhat... I cannot tell you by ear what is the "root" by name, but I can detect sometimes the "lift" of the IV and V.
This all came home listening to "cat scratch fever" for the umpteenth time in my life. I noticed Mr. Whackmaster's powerchord classic, anthemic even, song... had subtle changes to its basic melody.
if he was going to do it again, it sounded like it had a "4...5" for the final 2 chords... and when he was done repeating it for the verse, it had somethign that sounded like a partial cadence or maybe an authentic cadence, with the root chord drawn out.
Counterpoint...
when I hear "really neat" iconic piano lines, I am becoming convinced I am hearing counterpoint being used. I am also hearing it in guitar lines, and between "accompaniment" lines that give and take and give and go between instruments. I am also convinced that in Pink floyd and other "obviously classically inspired" authors, I am hearing the overmelody and the undermelody (what I call them... they are really cantus firmus, and whatever, LMAO) used out of time, lead/lag... lag/lead... and together.
what one guy accomplishes by ear and playing constantly, and another learns/reads/studies and applies... is the same thing!!
there is no argument, both sides are right.
a number of "rules of thumb" applied from some mentor at the appropriate moments in a person's self-study approach can take much time off the learning curve.
one thing is for sure though, the "ear" seems to come along at a gradual pace, all of its own accord, I think.
I learn by doing, hands on, making classical trax for myself... and I augment it with reading/studying on the internet (there's a shitload out there, its not secrets locked away in some vault, LMAO)
I'm just saying, as I learn stuff from the classical point of view, it really strikes me that I am seeing it applied in different ways, in high end progressive stuff, sure... but in power chord anthems too.
Its universal. Mathematical rules govern this stuff, whether we learn it from the theory end, or by doing and people making suggestions.
there's no argument, both sides are right, continue making tracks!