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Author Topic: Brians most interesting chord changes.  (Read 15257 times)
Jeff Mason
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« Reply #25 on: February 17, 2006, 09:28:18 PM »

Not to derail this thread, but it just doesn't seem like Compost without the frightening images in the avatar and sig....
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b.dfzo
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« Reply #26 on: February 17, 2006, 09:32:08 PM »

Yeah, Compost, didn't recognize you at first... Smiley

Now, to get back on track for a sec...yes, I didn't have anything concrete to back up what I thought.  That is why I asked for others to chime in, meaning other than you, Jeff.  No offense intended by that italicization - I do do believe you!
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Jeff Mason
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« Reply #27 on: February 17, 2006, 09:35:54 PM »

No no prob I Dig Dig Worms...
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guitarfool2002
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« Reply #28 on: February 17, 2006, 09:38:43 PM »

Surfer Girl is Brian at younger best, combining the innocence of the song and subject matter with a sophisticated chord change. The verse starts off as a standard I-vi-IV-V progression, D-Bminor-G-A. Then he takes it into Brian Wilson land, going to Dmajor7 rather than the standard D major, then dropping one note to form D7, then resolving that to G major and dropping again to G minor before starting the cycle again with D.

The brilliant part of that progression is the inner chromatic voice leading heard in one line, which would be a descending line starting on the note C# (the major 7th of D), dropping to C (the flat 7th of D), then to B (the major 3rd on G), to Bb (the minor 3rd on G), finally resolving to the note A (the 5th of D). It's the stuff that all the best close jazz voicings and harmonizations are built around, and of course I'm not crediting Brian Wilson with inventing that progression, but he deserves credit for using it as a 19 or 20 year old guy writing about a surfer girl.

The younger Brian's reharmonization of the vocal break in "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" nearly brings a tear to my eye. Exhilarating three bars or so of music, that transforms an already classic tune which Frankie Lymon owned into something only Brian might think of doing.

Time for one more:
Brian was a somewhat of a genius in writing non-standard chord progressions for the choruses and main hooks of his tunes. Check out the choruses to both "California Girls" and "Good Vibrations":

The chorus chords of California Girls and Good Vibrations both move in whole steps, essentially changing keys, or creating "keys of the moment" with every change. California Girls moves down in whole steps, starting with a C to Dmin7 progression (I-ii in C major), then dropping to Bb to Cmin7 (I to ii in Bb major), then going to Ab major to Bb minor (I to ii yet again), finally resolving up a whole step to the original key of C. So that is Brian's borrowing some techniques and progressions from modal harmony and making it his own in a brilliant pop song.

Good Vibrations does the same thing, but with a twist. After the initial, and somewhat standard progression in the verse, he starts the heavier chorus section on Gb, then he moves up a whole step to Ab for the next phrases, then ends the chorus up yet another whole step to Bb, which coincidentally is the V chord which resolves perfectly to the first chord of the verse: Ebminor.   

Brian was great at creating harmonic cycles,  or forming progressions with groups of chords that relate more to an interval-based cycle than a central chord or key. It's again a bit of an old jazz composition trademark that Brian can't claim as his own, but the way he shaped and used those ideas in his music was brilliant and original. "The Little Girl I Once Knew" has a similar cycle in its chorus, as does "Cool Cool Water/Love To Say DaDa/In Blue Hawaii", as do several other BW classics.

Honorable mentions to discuss later: the opening chords of Catch A Wave; the opening chords of When I Grow Up; the chorus chords of I Get Around; the entire song Let Him Run Wild; the brilliant chorus of Time To Get Alone; the strumming/wordless vocal section of Little Pad; etc, etc, etc.
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"All of us have the privilege of making music that helps and heals - to make music that makes people happier, stronger, and kinder. Don't forget: Music is God's voice." - Brian Wilson
Surfer Joe
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« Reply #29 on: February 17, 2006, 09:44:40 PM »

"Breakaway".

Love all the other choices here as well; glad "Girls On The Beach" is getting mentioned.
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Dr. Tim
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« Reply #30 on: February 17, 2006, 09:45:14 PM »

Here's a slightly later one but a worthy candidate:  Good Timin'.

Somewhat on topic: it's noteworthy how much counterpoint (contrary melodic motion in the melody vs. bass lines, or between inner harmonic lines) there is in a lot of Brian's music, but especially SMiLE.  Most obvious examples: Our Prayer, Wonderful, Cabinessence (harmonica vs. melodica), and parts of Surf's Up.  Especially noteworthy since Brian intuited all of this without any formal music theory training.  Having said that one of the regulars will no doubt recall that lots of folks did notice that quality before but I just didn't bother to read it... apologies in advance,,,
« Last Edit: February 17, 2006, 09:49:31 PM by Dr. Tim » Logged

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Mitchell
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« Reply #31 on: February 17, 2006, 10:50:28 PM »

Of the ones not mentioned, these spring to mind: When I Grow Up (To Be a Man) and Dance, Dance, Dance.
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« Reply #32 on: February 17, 2006, 11:13:29 PM »

The coolest thing about Dance Dance Dance is the sudden key change in the middle of the last verse...such a non-standard place to change keys but Brian makes it work seamlessly. 
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Reverend Joshua Sloane
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« Reply #33 on: February 18, 2006, 08:24:56 AM »

Time To Get Alone.

Girls On The Beach

Caroline No

That's Not Me

Wake The World

...................plus about 500 others.

Does anybody know of a really informative website for which I can study theory a bit more in depth? Learning Brian's songs has taught me more in a few months than i've learnt in a good five years. I'm now interested to move a bit deeper into something.
« Last Edit: February 18, 2006, 08:33:47 AM by HeroesandVillains » Logged

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« Reply #34 on: February 18, 2006, 08:56:42 AM »

I'd prefer if you went with a book.  I have yet to find a really good website.
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Reverend Joshua Sloane
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« Reply #35 on: February 18, 2006, 09:21:49 AM »

I'll try and bum a ride to the library tomorrow. I've got no money to buy one.
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« Reply #36 on: February 18, 2006, 09:35:15 AM »

In my years of studying music theory, I've found that the books alone don't work as well as having someone demonstrating and explaining the concepts in person, and being available to ask questions if you need further clarification.

And it helps a great deal to have specific examples to listen to as you're learning, so you can hear what the various concepts sound like with real music, and put it all together for a better understanding.

A book and CD package would be great to save up some money to buy: "Berklee Press", for one example of many, has such a book/CD devoted to teaching theory.

I'm biased - I had some wonderful teachers in high school and college who taught me not only traditional theory, but also how the modern, popular composers took those concepts and adapted them into popular styles. In other words, the very same thing as I described Brian's writing descending chromatic lines on a tune as innocent as Surfer Girl.

If you play a specific instrument, make sure to memorize all of the scales, key signatures, triads, and arpeggios on that instrument. Start with that knowledge of keys, scales, and triads, and it all flows from there.

If you have any theory-related questions, start up a thread on this board somewhere and ask those questions! We'll try to answer them, I'm sure. I teach music and would be willing to answer them as best as I can, and other members love to discuss these things as well. It's up to you. 
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"All of us have the privilege of making music that helps and heals - to make music that makes people happier, stronger, and kinder. Don't forget: Music is God's voice." - Brian Wilson
Reverend Joshua Sloane
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« Reply #37 on: February 18, 2006, 09:41:17 AM »

I just wish I hadn't wasted four years of high school not attending a Music Theory class.

I've been teaching myself through learning songs and making my own with my growing knowledge.
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« Reply #38 on: February 18, 2006, 09:46:11 AM »

I just wish I hadn't wasted four years of high school not attending a Music Theory class.

I've been teaching myself through learning songs and making my own with my growing knowledge.

Don't look back at what you missed! What I'm saying is feel free to ask any questions, or set up a separate thread for a specific theory discussion and I'll discuss what I can, along with, I'm sure, other musicians here who would enjoy discussing these things as well (as shown in this thread alone).
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"All of us have the privilege of making music that helps and heals - to make music that makes people happier, stronger, and kinder. Don't forget: Music is God's voice." - Brian Wilson
jazzfascist
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« Reply #39 on: February 18, 2006, 09:53:19 AM »

"It's Over Now"
"Sail On Sailor"
"Pom Pom Play Girl" or at least the vocal harmonisations, I think they must be called part of the harmonic scheme
"She Knows Me Too Well"
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« Reply #40 on: February 18, 2006, 09:53:47 AM »

Yeah, I'm seconding...  Despite dropping out of my Music Theory based major in college, I actually do love discussing theory (and I wish my professors did, too...) so ask away.
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Wirestone
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« Reply #41 on: February 18, 2006, 11:22:39 AM »

"Cry."

If any single song shows that Brian can still produce an amazing song from nowhere, this is the one. Shame it had to have a backing track produced by Joe Thomas, but this tune kills me.
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mike8902
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« Reply #42 on: February 18, 2006, 11:47:14 AM »

No one's mentioned til I die?
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Reverend Joshua Sloane
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« Reply #43 on: February 18, 2006, 12:52:32 PM »

No one's mentioned til I die?

I remember reading Brian's summation of that song and how he spent months and months working on the music for it. The work truly paid off. It's one of the most evocatively dooming peices i've ever heard.
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« Reply #44 on: February 18, 2006, 02:29:11 PM »

I'd prefer if you went with a book.  I have yet to find a really good website.

I've just bought The Complete Idiot's Guide to Music Theory.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1592574378/102-9497219-4584163?v=glance&n=283155
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« Reply #45 on: February 18, 2006, 02:40:48 PM »

You aren't a complete idiot, though.  Wink
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Surfer Joe
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« Reply #46 on: February 18, 2006, 07:41:17 PM »

Someone call me...?
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Ron
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« Reply #47 on: February 18, 2006, 09:38:43 PM »

The coolest thing about Dance Dance Dance is the sudden key change in the middle of the last verse...such a non-standard place to change keys but Brian makes it work seamlessly. 

Yes, I never even noticed that (but again, I know little about theory).

Here's a question... is it possible that little, interesting, strange things like this pop up because Brian practically writes the songs as instrumentals and then layers vocals on top?  For instance, maybe he wrote "dance dance dance" as music long before he wrote the lyrics, and basically composed a key change dead in the middle of what later became the second line of Mike's vocal?

Now that I think of it... I can so hear latter day Brian humming (in the impatient, off tempo, excited way that he has) dooom doom doom doom daa daa da... DOOM DOOM DOOM DAA DAAA DAA DAAA!!!" and instructing a key change just because he was excited about how rockin'! the song was in instrumental form.
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« Reply #48 on: February 18, 2006, 09:46:06 PM »

How about Good To My Baby.... that instrumental NEEDS the vocals, but it's still amazing. It had to be planned that way.
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« Reply #49 on: February 18, 2006, 10:15:47 PM »

Everything that happens within those songs was planned by Brian in advance...like in "Dance Dance Dance", he clearly starts out the last verse exactly the same as the previous two, but throws in the key change out of left field.  A more conventional place to do it would have been during the instrumental break, or perhaps at the end of a chorus.  But Brian was never really one to obey rules like that anyways.  But what made it all possible was the advanced planning...lyrics weren't really much of a concern for Brian it doesn't seem, at least not above the music, melody and harmonies.
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