I mentioned in a previous post how most music tends towards phrase structures in groupings of two, four, eight, etc. Verses and choruses that are built on some sort of pattern in groups of three, on the other hand, are fairly rare. That is, unless you are listening to music by the Pixies.

The Pixies have a neat little trick that they used throughout their career on a number of albums. The trick is that they build chord progressions in groupings of three instead of the standard two, four, etc. The triple groupings help give the Pixies a very unique and fresh musical signature.

(more…)

Have you ever tried tapping your foot along with “Stairway to Heaven” and gotten confused somewhere near the end of the bridge? If you don’t know what I’m talking about or just haven’t tried it in awhile, give it a shot. At some point right before the solo, do you get a little off as to where the beat is? Here’s a snippet of that section:

Well, maybe you don’t get confused. I think a lot of people, including myself, initially hear those big kick drum hits in the bridge as where the beat falls, though. I overdubbed a click track to coincide with where most folks hear the beat in the bridge:

You can tell that at some point, however, there is what seems like a bar of 9/8 or something, because by the time the solo comes in, the click switches from being on the beat to being off the beat.
(more…)

My first post to the blogosphere! Since this blog was inspired by my good friend Christian Patterson, who runs his own fancy blog about photography, I thought it would be appropriate to discuss a special song called “The Christian Life.”

“The Christian Life” was writted by Ira and Charlie Louvin and first appeared on their album Satan is Real in 1959. The song is a fairly traditional tune about one’s love for Jesus and staying on the righteous path. A few years later, the Byrds did a version of the song on their 1968 album “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”

(more…)