Musical Theory.

[Abdulmajid]

I can not read nor play music but know a good song when I hear one.

I was just wondering if somebody can tell me what is wrong with this song. It is quoted as "having the weirdest chord structure ever for a commercial release" and "too many chords, with no chord theory makes this a clear miss"

All I can hear is a nice tune. The chords and melody seem to fit in my opinion, so what is wrong with it??

It lasts under two minutes, and yes it is The Beach Boys,

Thank you for your musical theory opinion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQMki6AYXUA&fea ture=related

[tiggerblue10]

Doesn't seem to be anything wrong with it to me.

[Abdulmajid]

I think it may just be musical journalists trying to sound clever.

And what the hell is chord theory anyway?? Do you think the monkey faced Leona Lewis reads about such crap when she is being paid millions to sing utter pap?

[tiggerblue10]

I quite like Leona but then again I do have a varied taste in music.

I worry more about this kind of poop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vghj4bqDQIw

Too many twiddly bits!

[Abdulmajid]

I am sorry but I can not watch nor listen to Celine Dion. She looks like a boiled horse and sings like a spastic cat with a hot poker up its booty.

Please NEVER post a link to such filth again!!!

[tiggerblue10]

Thats an insult to cats. And horses for that matter.

[vehelpfulguy]

I found this on the web. Lke you I dont read music, but it may "help".

Not the second line of the song, 6 "chords" in one line


This Whole World (Brian Wilson)


C
I'm thinkin' 'bout this whole world.

C............F....................Em7.......G....... Am...............F
Late at night I think about the love of this whole world.
A............F#m7......Bm7....E7.....C#m
Lots of diff'rent people ev'rywhere.
Db....Db/C.......Gb/Bb....Ab7....Bbm..........Bbm/Ab....Gbmaj7
And when I go anywhere I see love, I see love, I see love.

Bb.......................................................Ebmaj7
When girls get mad at boys and go, many times they're just putting on a show
Bb................................................F.....G
but when they leave you wait alone.

C...............F......................Em7.........G.....Am..........F
You are there like ev'rywhere like everyone you see.
A..........F#m7............Bm7..E7...........C#m
Happy 'cause you're livin' and you're free.
Db.....Db/C............Gb/Bb.. Ab7..............Bbm...Bbm/Ab...Gbmaj7
Now, here comes another day for your love

(No Chord)
Late at night I think about the love of this whole world
Aum bop dit dit......

[Abdulmajid]

Cheers for that VHG. But it really means nothing to an ignorant old fart like me. Bbm/Ab indeed!!!!

Christ, music is a tough old nut to crack!!!

[vehelpfulguy]

Abdulmajid, you are obviously a fan of the Beach Boys as I have seen a few appends here where you mention them.

One book you may find useful if you have not read it is "I just was not made for these times" by Charles L Granata.

It is about the making of Pet Sounds, although it does cover Brian's life both before and after that album.

It does try to explain how the songs were constructed, although because, like you, I dont read music I dont follow it all.

There is always a lot going on in Brians songs, for example the book says about "Wouldn't it be nice"

"The intro of the song is in A, but the song itself turns out to be in the key of F - down a major third. Then the bridge is in D. There are a lot of thirds in that harmonic motion and Brian liked to move away a third, then work his way back to the original key".

Sometimes it is better not to worry about all that is going on and just enjoy the song !!.

[Abdulmajid]

And what with Brian Wilson being deaf in one ear, his genius is even more outstanding!!!

[vehelpfulguy]

Here is one of my Beach Boys favs, Please Let Me Wonder

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=GLFb-sP_cwY&feat ure=related

Also warmth of the sun

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=L_TcWUslfvE

And Surfer Girl

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex-cs0SppNM

Oh there are so many...........

[littleoldme]

The fact that these critics are slamming it for being too complicated shows how little they truly understand. It is a rare talent indeed who can write something that, on the face of it, seems very simple but is actually very complex. Goodness knows what these critics would have made of Handel or Bach.

Oh and thanks for warning me that tiggerblue's link is to Sealion Dion. That's saved me from waking up screaming tonight.

[vehelpfulguy]

>It is a rare talent indeed who can write something
>that, on the face of it, seems very simple but is
>actually very complex.

The point is, it should not matter how complex a piece of music is or not, it is how good it sounds.

I am a great Beach Boys fan, but to me the Brian Wilson song mentioned in the original append is just not pleasing to my ears.

It seems to modulate TOO much to be pleasant, the second line for example.

Other Brian Wilson songs are just as complex but much more pleasing to listen to.

Bach's Brandenburg Concerto's modulate, and there is a lot of amazing interplay between instruments (polyphonic) but it also sounds pleasant to the ears as well.

Listen to the interplay here from Concerto number 3. The genius of Bach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9qWpa2rIg

[littleoldme]

The point is, it should not matter how complex a piece of music is or not, it is how good it sounds.

Oh, I absolutely agree, but you know how precious critics can be. It's like when they insist on putting music into ever more precise pigeonholes. Rock music isn't just rock music - it's rock 'n' roll, hard rock, indie rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, math rock etc. To take just one of these - heavy metal can be split into black metal, thrash metal, speed metal, death metal and so on. Then death metal could be melodic death metal (an oxymoron if ever there was one), extreme death metal blah blah blah. It's ridiculous.

To me there are only two types of music. The stuff I like and the stuff I don't.