Interesting Song Structures

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foal30
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Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

Thread here for tunes with unorthodox or odd parts to them

I've been charting stuff as I can't work presently and it's remarkable how many tunes I know but when I go to write them out...hang on...what's this here

Could be non diatonic horde
Change of time signature
Odd number bars

Whatever👍🏿
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by jeremyb »

Have you listened to Polyphia at all Reuben? theres some nice bass parts and they're far from conventional :mental:

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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by RobRoyMcCoy »

I like both Everlong and In a Big Country which are in 4/4 but based on 7 bar length phrases.
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

I will have a listen. 👍
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

"Deacon Blue" - Steely Dan intro

4/4
Cmaj G / Bmaj F / Dmaj A / Cmaj G /
Bass plays the maj 3rd of each bars second chord

Then 1 bar of 3/4 Ebmaj
Then 1 bar of 6/4 E7

Smooth moves
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

Polyphia. Um not for me😂😂😂

Everlong FF. Yeah 7 bar format. Well spotted

Pixies "Gouge Away" is a 5 bar phrase

Not sure on "In A Big Country " Will have to have a proper listen tomorrow
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

The Church
"Almost With You"

14 bar intro
14 bar chorus

There's a funny sounding 6 bar prechorus as well.
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

David Bowie "Blue Jean"

1 bar pick up

Verse is
Dmaj x5/ Gmaj x6 / Dmaj x2 / C / D/ C G/

So 16 bars but funny changss IMO
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

Heard a live version of Pearl Jam “Sirens”

Quite a nice song. Charting it now , 15 bar first chorus 14 bar second chorus.
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by foal30 »

Blonde “Heart of Glass”

Tom Read popped up a transcription and there’s bars of
4/4 to 3/4 which I don’t think I ever picked up on…despite hearing this tune thousands of times
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by Delayman »

Not sure I'd use the word interesting, but I've just realised some Bob Marley songs have structures that feel unnatural to me. Been a long time since I played songs that catch me out regularly with an unexpected change. I feel like I have a mental block for 'Could you be loved"
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by Delayman »

I just learned Vultures by John Mayer and played bass on it for two gigs on the weekend.

I find the song really challenging to my ear. The bass line is doing F#(m) A B , and the guitar riff is E major based. It does work, but when you start it sounds like you're playing in different keys (to me). But audience liked it, and it's definitely how it's written.

The second part (chorus?) is all A and B.

So to me it feels like the song is in E major but never resolves as it never has an Emajor chord. But you could also hear it as in A (F#m) with an interesting guitar 7th riff/solos.

One guitarist had the same (wtf) reaction when we started it, but the singer/guitarist had no problem starting vocals on right pitch and couldn't hear the weirdness. Really interesting.
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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by olegmcnoleg »

This is one I admire, that I was just listening to. It has it all, interesting chord changes, interesting time, very different sections: November--Dominic Miller.

]https://youtu.be/OWB2rOIzoSw

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Re: Interesting Song Structures

Post by Jay »

olegmcnoleg wrote: Mon Aug 14, 2023 3:40 pm This is one I admire, that I was just listening to. It has it all, interesting chord changes, interesting time, very different sections: November--Dominic Miller.

]https://youtu.be/OWB2rOIzoSw
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