Song Analysis 1 - Capsize
Lesson 30 from: Music Theory Essentials: Chords, Scales and ModesTomas George
Song Analysis 1 - Capsize
Lesson 30 from: Music Theory Essentials: Chords, Scales and ModesTomas George
Lesson Info
30. Song Analysis 1 - Capsize
Lessons
Scales Introduction
03:08 2Working out a Major Scale
06:45 3Working out a Major Key from a Melody
05:51 4Major Keys and Scales
01:54 5Major Scale on a Score
02:56 6Triads
03:37 7Inversions
03:21 8Working out the Chords in a Major Scale
09:27Different Ways to Write out Chords
04:11 10Working out Major and Minor Triads
07:01 11Diminished and Augmented Triads
05:22 127th Chords
12:16 13Extended Chords
06:34 14Suspended Chords
06:02 15The Circle of 5ths
12:48 16How to Change Key
14:54 17Natural Minor Scale
11:21 18Chords in the Minor Scale
05:59 19Harmonic Minor Scale
07:15 20Melodic Minor Scale
11:12 21Modes
03:54 22Ionian Mode
00:47 23Dorian Mode
03:14 24Phrygian Mode
03:14 25Lydian Mode
01:21 26Mixolydian Mode
02:11 27Aeolian Mode
01:03 28Locrian Mode
03:56 29Section introduction
00:17 30Song Analysis 1 - Capsize
15:25 31Song Analysis 2 - Floating
18:07Lesson Info
Song Analysis 1 - Capsize
OK. Now, we're going to have a look at a song that I'm currently working on and I'm going to analyze this track and show you how and why it sounds the way it does through music free. So this can be quite a distant song. It does use a lot of suspended chords. And the song is actually called Capsize. I wanted to create quite a dark mysterious song because the word capsize is where a boat goes on its side or upside down. It can be a, I'm sure a very distressful situation. So I wanted to create some distressful and certain music based on this title as well. So I'm going to play part of the song and then we're going to analyze the chords, the melody and also the bass line. OK. So let's just talk about this first section and exactly what's going on. So we start the song with this kind of sound design pad. And what this is actually playing is these two notes here, which is A B and A C#. So I'm introducing this first chord because this first chord is actually a B minor plus two. So it's a B mi...
nor cord instead of playing the third D, we're playing this second instead the third is really where the structure of the cord comes from in a tribe like this. And I'm playing the second instead to make it sound less certain. And we're introducing this at the start of just these two notes with this pad sound. And after this, we're introducing this Arpeggio. So what the Arpeggio does is it plays the notes of the chord separately. In this case, it's starting from the highest note and then going down to the lowest note. So it's starting with the C# and then playing an F sharp and then playing a B. So this is starting off with this C# here and then playing an F sharp and then playing a B. So it's playing the notes of this B minus plus two chord, but with a different inversion. So it's a much larger cord to create a bit more space. So it's playing in the order from the highest to the lowest. And then you'll notice this actually resolves to the D. So instead of playing the C#, it resolves to the D, so it does resolve and then it actually changes to another chord. But let's just hear these first two chords. So we have this first one, which is essentially this B minor SU two playing A C# and DVD and the second one, it resolves to this B minor. So let's just hear this where it starts off attention with this B minus C two and then actually resolves to a B minor. So it has the third and then we have another chord introduced here. So this is a F sharp and C#. So this is actually a, a major cord, but we're playing a six instead of 1/5 because in a major, the triad is a C# and E. But this time we're playing this F sharp instead of E, it could also be seen as a F sharp minor. However, when we do introduce the base note, it is playing an eight. So this is a A six. So we're playing the six instead of the fifth. And then if we go along, we actually see a stranger chord, we drop the C# to a sea. So we're playing G a much more unusual chord. So we change this from an A major six, two and a minus six. So it's quite a dramatic change. We are borrowing notes from another key. I really wanted this semi internal movement to add distress to add tension. So the core progression for the song is A B minus two and then the B minor, then the A six, the A minus six. So let's just write this down. So we have a B minor plus two, then we have a B minor, then we have an A six and then we have a minus six. So that's really the premise of the song. This is really what's built around just these four chords where we're creating tension and the release and then we're creating even more tension from going to the minor. So it's just about creating tension and release. I really wanted something quite distressful. When I wrote these chords, I wanted something that sounded quite uncomfortable and I think I achieved this with these semi to movements from the a to the A minor and also the confusion of not having the third to start with. And then we add the third, then we have this nice major six chord and then we have this kind of distressful movement, the semi turnal movement of the third. So that's really what this song is built around. Let's just have a look at other sections of the song. And then we have the baseline that enters, which is basically just playing the root notes. So we have the B and then we go up to the second. So we have the B and it plays the second and then we'll have the beer again. And when it swaps this B minor, we do introduce this D note. So the base note is basically going to start with. So we're playing the B and then the second and then the B and then the minor third here. OK. And then we go down to this a and play the third again. So we have the A going to the major third and then we have the a going to the minor third. So the base note is really just solidifying these chords by playing the base note and then adding the third. But actually the first chord it plays the second because there isn't a third. So the base is playing these Gods. Let's see what else is going on. And then we actually have a riff that enters. So this actually plays a couple of notes. I do make this cause a little bit more interesting. This riff adds a little bit more color. So that's first of all, it starts with, so it starts with A B and then plays the second, the C# but it's this, now that adds a bit of this G. So we're adding a semitone onto this first chord to add an even more suspense by adding this G cos this does kind of clash with the F sharp. I quite like the sound and then going along the ref we don't actually play the G the second time we're only playing the G on this first kind of unusual chord that doesn't have the third, adding even more tension. And then when we play the B minor, the riff is just playing the fifth at the end, not that sixth, that adds tension. OK. And then when it goes over to this A six, the R goes, plays the root the third, the sixth and then the seventh as well to add semi to and movement So it had even more tension. We thought we kind of had a nice, pretty major six. We're actually having it with a minor seventh, adding this note as well, which creates a kind of a seven. So we're creating a dominant seventh here with the six as well. So you could call it a, a seven slash 13. So let's actually change his call now because we've actually adapted them. So this is actually a seven slash 13. So we're making these calls a bit more complex. OK. So the first one's kind of a B minus plus two, add 66 now, so we're kind of making this a little bit more complex. So when this riff enters, it adds a bit more color and actually tension to the song by adding these semi to movements. Let's have a look at the fourth chord where the rift plays. It has AAA C and then a, a sharp. So this is still playing an A minus six. So we've added some more tension and more color and extended these chords with this riff. So sometimes when you're playing the chord progression, you can adapt and change the chord progression when you play a riff or a melody line on top of it. So let's just have a listen to that again and have a listen to the movement where we're adding the third and then we're going down from major to minor four chords, three and four. Also when the riff enters, just listen and hear if you can hear any differences in the cause if it changes or adapts the sound, OK. And then we have a few other things as well. We actually have a harmony for this riff here with this part. And then we have a few other sections here. This rhythmical pluck sound enters. So let's, first of all, have a look at the harmony. So we actually have a harmony for this block sand which is playing notes in the chord as well. So if you look at the first chord, we have this B minor sus A six. So it's a, so it has the notes of A B A C# A F sharp and a G. So you'll notice here it's playing notes that fit in the chords. So we have a F sharp, then we have a ab and then on the second chord where it resolves to this B minor, the riff is also playing notes that fit a F sharp and A B and then when we go to this next chord, the A 713, it's also playing notes that fit. So we have a F shot and then we have the C# which is the third. So we have the sixth and the third and then going along to the last cord, the A minus six. So it has an F sharp, which is the six and it has the C which is the third. So I did this by having a look at the notes in the chord and creating a harmony from that. OK. And then in this track, we have this block sound and this is actually just playing notes in the chord as well. So it has this rhythmical sound to it, which is actually created in the synthesizer. But the notes of the chord are just a F sharp and a C#. So it's just playing A C# which is the second, the A T for the first good and the shop which is the fifth. Then going along, it changes to this d so for the B minor, it has the third and the fifth. OK. Going along to the A 7, 13 chord, I'm playing the C# which is the third and then the mesh up again, which is the sixth or the 13th of the squad. And then for the B minor, it's playing the C which is the third and then the six again. So this rhythmical part, this rhythmical synthesize this pl sound is just playing notes of the chord as well. This is really what it's built around this chord progression and then creating some melodies and rhythmical ideas all based around this chord progression. And then the song continues, but it's really built around these four chords. Obviously, there's a lot more arrangement and there's more parts in the song. However, the song is really just built around these four chords and I do believe it adds a bit of tension and suspense when listening to this track. So, thank you for watching this lecture all about analyzing this track that I'm currently working on. I hope you found it useful and I'll see you in the next lecture.
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