Understanding Killing In The Name
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- Опубліковано 3 тра 2018
- What's the secret to a great Rage Against The Machine song? At its heart is a strong political message, of course, but it's the strong, aggressive music that really drives their point home, so let's take a look at some of the driving riffs and surprisingly complex interactions they use to build that unapologetic, explosive sound.
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Last: • How To Fake Harmonic M...
Killing In The Name: • Rage Against The Machi...
Script: docs.google.com/document/d/13...
SOURCES:
www.thebassment.info/transcri...
guitaralliance.com/private/rif...
web.archive.org/web/200710120...
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Some extra thoughts:
1) The rhythm. As I mentioned, they seem to have recorded without a metronome, which makes some rhythms hard to describe precisely. When I first went through this, I was convinced the intro riff was not a triplet, but a tresillo. Tresillos are a pattern of two dotted eighths and then a regular eighth, and they sound like triplets that got rushed at the end. However, there's enough points in the intro where it's clear that triplets are the _intention_ that in the end I went with that. But in reality, it's often somewhere between the two.
2) Another analysis of the intro guitar riff is to ignore the Eb and view the notes just in relation to the key, in which case what you have is the root and the fourth degrees each being approached by a non-diatonic note a half-step below. I like thinking of it as a minor/major dichotomy more, but either way makes sense.
3) In the verse, I kinda regret that my reduction didn't include the octave leap. If I had this video to do over again, I think I'd put the beat 2 D up an octave to show more of the riff's shape in addition to its pitch content. Anyway, that leap's fairly straightforward to explain: big leaps, sense of power, blah blah blah. Same thing as in the intro. I just wish I'd thought to mention it. Although keeping all three Ds down does better showcase the rise and fall of the E, which was my primary goal in not including it in the first place. Anyway, that's another thing going on there.
12tone did you know this song topped the UK charts at Christmas in 2009
"Tresillo" is spanish for triplet !!!
1) I would say it starts as a triplet, but when the drums come in, the bass drum clearly plays two dotted 8ths followed by an 8th note. Then it changes back to triplets in the end.
Wow, wait a second, you call two dotted eights and a regular eght a tresillo? As a latin american spanish speaker this confuses me a lot, we call triplets tresillos and we call two dotted eights and a regular one a 2-3-3 or a milonga rythm or clave, or we describe it in some way. I had never heard that denomination, that's seems so counterintuitive to me.
how do you handle all these D's?
"Lyrics I'm not gonna repeat because 12tone is a family show" - So now you do what they told ya?
Now he's under control
And now he does what they told him
And now he's under control
And now he does what they told him
And now he’s under control
Family friendly version:
No thanks, I won't do what you tell me.
No thanks, I won't do what you tell me.
No thanks, I won't do what you tell me.
No thanks, I won't do what you tell me.
No thanks, I won't do what you tell me.
...
There, fixed. Now the song is perfectly family friendly.
Cris Dekker I won’t lie, this got a bigger laugh out of me than it should have.
The cover of this song from the video game Guitar Hero 2 substitutes "Now you're under control, I won't do what you tell me;" almost as divisive a statement from the singer to the intended recipient of the lyrics, if not quite as confrontational as the original words.
This is very good.
ayyyy, finally KidzBop can sing this song
Do the Guitar Hero version duh
"It's like punching you in the face with sound." Never have I heard a more accurate summation of RATM.
blalo'u that’s more like pantrea
i think mediocre is more accurate
Like a fistfull of steel.
@@pyros683 okay
@@pyros683 ok. 👍
Love this tune and love me some Rage! I do have something to add to this...check out the rhythm in the intro again! When the guitar/drums kick in against the bass quarter note triplets, the quarter note triplets...seem to morph into dotted quarter, dotted quarter, quarter....or something in between.
Part of what makes Rage Against the Machine so interesting for me are little details like this. They are first and foremost a groove band that has a LOT of push and pull between rhythmic elements, which is part of why their riffs are so devastatingly effective.
Also, I know that "this is a family friendly show," but there is a lot to be said about that section after the solo. Imagine if it was any other phrase repeated over that length of time - the musical result would be absolutely different!
Adam Neely you should do your own vid on RATM. Perhaps even a jazz reharmonization 😂
YEX
Imagine if it changed to All Star by Smash Mouth instead.
Adam Neely fuck ya dude
Adam, I'm just curious though, why would you choose to notate without rests instead of using them? It seems easier than starting to analyze into triplets etc, plus it better describes the staccato that's going on specifically in the Killing in the Name intro. I would simplay say the rhythm is "8th note, 16th rest, 8th note, 16th rest, 8th note, 8th note, 16th rest, 8th note, 16th rest, 8th note". I think that would be the more simple way. If this however would somehow be wrong to do "theoretically", then I'd be interested in an explanation as to why that isn't correct as an approach. You can even include this question in a Q+A of yours if the answer is more complicated.
Why did you pick this song?
Because you do what they told ya.
maybe he watches gill & gilbert, who knows
Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me
Those who die are justified, by wearing the badge they’re the chosen whites.
@@adudefromde8671 weee wuuu wee wuu wee wuu wee wuu wee wuu wee wuu wahhhh
wee wuu wee wuu wee wuu wee wuu wee wuu wee wuu wooooo
I would love to see an analysis of schism by tool. The rhythm in that song is so awesome
That’s probably true of any Tool song.
ua-cam.com/video/pRmwRgu7Zok/v-deo.html
Here you go
Turururun tun tun tun turururun tun tun tun tun
Average tool fan
Breaking down killing in the name of: a nearly 20 year old song (idk exact age, thats a guesstimate) about a problem people are still out in the streets insisting is still a problem today. I watched brass against perform this song recently, and literally cried my eyes out at the emotion the black woman lead sang with, it was so raw and so relevant. It hurts my heart now to think of this song. I will Rage on though
Someone was blasting this at a protest I was at today. Say what you want about Rage’s lyrics, but they are nothing if not forever relevant
It was released in 1992 I believe after the LA/Rodney King beating. So it is almost 30 years old.
For once I finish this video with the thought, "he didn't draw NEARLY enough mushroom clouds." First time for everything.
This is a *FAMILY-FRIENDLY* show!
Also this was a really good song choice for an analysis
Just want to say the elephant-shark was absolutely adorable.
I had to whip up a radio-friendly edit of this song at one point, so had to take note of the profanity. In the end, I dropped almost the whole of the last minute and decided "16 Fs and an MF" would be a great name for a band.
Lol
@@RudyAyoub A hidden Rudy in the comments section is a magnificent sight to behold. The Rudy, states lol and then retreats back to his channel to make 45 second videos every 4 months
Lol
excellent video! the only thing i would have mentioned as well is at the end of the song, tom plays a repeated Dm7 chord while the bass continues the D-F-G-C walkup - notable because it's the only time in the song he plays something that isn't a power chord or single note riff!
Pretty sure it's a D7(#9), aka the Hendrix chord, by far the most harmonically complex thing in the song.
And since D7#9 contains a C, as well as both an E# and F#, it functionally acts as a chord that encompasses the main verse riff almost entirely! The only note it's missing is the E natural.
Dude, this video was absolutely brilliant. The way you draw out the rhythmic complexities versus a traditional harmonic analysis does wonders to show how contemporary music can have plenty of its own subtleties despite lacking what would be considered complex or interesting in a classical sense. While modern music can definitely benefit from drawing on musical discoveries of the past (and no doubt musicians would benefit from seeing those relationships teased out on this channel), so much of modern experimentation goes beyond scales and harmonies to play with things like the polyrhythm you mention or Tom Morello's use of distortion and feedback in his playing to create news kinds of sound. Testify!
So this popped up in my UA-cam recommendations... I am speechless after watching this video; not only was your analysis and delivery brilliant, you give a new perspective on the mind of the artists behind a seemingly simple song giving a whole new depth to their art. You've won yourself a new subscriber. I love it, keep up the awesome work.
Just imagining people finding the ruins of our civilization, trying to figure out how we lived... And finding this guy's sheet music, covered in doodles.
This channel is fantastic! It came to me completely by accident as i wasn't even looking for the understanding of written music at this time, ive been playing guitar for 10 years now and of course its all well and good playing different songs and pieces with technique, but understanding what the music is and why its there is a completely different thing that I've always been interested in but I never got round to trying to wrap my head around it, ill be going back and watching every video from the beginning now. Thankyou 12tone!
It would be really cool to hear about War Pigs by Black Sabbath!
Agree. While iron Man is iconic and Paranoia kinda set the stage to change rock and metal forever, War Pigs is such a masterwork. From the raid sirens running chills up your spine during the haunting intro, to the sparse yet flourished verses, to the solo-powered choruses. It's just metal: dark, thick, angry, and deep.
This is great! Thanks for creating and posting!
This was an excellent analysis! I never thought about the underpinnings of this song, I just knew how it made me *feel*. Now I feel like I understand it a little better! Thanks!
P.S. Is the pooping bee a little homage to Ines? :P
It's not pooping, that's a flight path!
but also yes.
Great breakdown of a powerful song. I remember hearing it as an angry teenage boy in 93 and being hooked.
One thing I think not really mentioned is the tension created by the vocal lines in the verses. Not really rapped like some of their songs but that growly rhythmic talking style until he hits the uhhh before the pre-chorus.
The whole song is seemingly simple with all parts hammering away creating mood and tension I build ups with the heavy releases in the chorus and the end.
Anyway great video. Have you thought of doing Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen?
Listening to this song in GTA san adreas while speeding from the cops on a long highway , good times
Your videos take me to a place that i never knew existed until I saw one of your videos, i appreciate your skill and thoroughly enjoy it,thanks🤟
"Because 12 tone is a family show"
Something about how you delivered that line was really funny to me xD
This genre isn't really my thing but I really appreciate that you spent the time to take it seriously. Left to my own devices I probably never would have seen the depth in this song so thanks for shining a light on it. Also, I like that you spent some time on the rhythmic choices as I feel like the reason some songs became favorites of mine is the rhythmic choices the musicians made. The syncopation of Tom Cochrane's "Life is a highway" and the dancing complexity of "Walkin' on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves are my two main examples.
This video is so well made!!! Mad respect dude
Outstanding video and analysis!
Awesome video!!! You explained so much!
I think what really shapes the riffs of Killing in the Name is that they are played on a Guitar that is tuned in Drop D, which means the lowest string is tuned to D instead of E. This has two effects, it makes the guitar sound more aggressive when distorted, because you can play lower notes, and it makes it easier to play a power chord, as you can just make a barre on the two lowest strings D and A or just play them open.
You can see that in most of the riffs, they start on the D power chord, because that is the punchiest sound the guitar can make, and then you get other notes that sound aggressive in relation to the root note D. In the verse riff for example, you get the minor 7th and the minor AND the major 3rd. I would view those notes more modally, purely in their relationship to the root note. I would say this is also the reason why your reduction of the verse riff becomes so simple - there is not much harmonic information. It also highlights another advantage when you use the lowest (open)note of the guitar as your anchor point - you can make big harmonic leaps of more than an octave without having to make big jumps on the fretbiard
This way of playing modal music is the essence of the sound of some types of metal. Besides Nu metal which loves it's Drop D tuning, you also find it in Thrash Metal. Check out Right the Lightning by Metallica for example.
Holy cow this video is amazing. Subscribed!
Thanks for your work!
I loved this! Subscribed!
There was a whole thing on one of Rick Beato's videos a few weeks ago about there being an F# int he first chord, although that storm in a tea cup seems to have been avoided here! This time it's all about the triplets, or lack thereof.
Thanks for this video bro
Listening to this while speeding through the interstate of downtown Atlanta at midnight. Great times! This was super.
As a drummer paying more attention to how the drums helped to create the mood, it's awesome to see the whole other side of this thing.
Great video, also really like that e equation, it's a nice little touch
Dude, your job is INCREDIBLE!!! It's just a shame that you don't have millions os subscribers, really, this video was awesome and so well done...
Brilliantly done. It's one of the most important songs in the genre and you analyzed it with respect while keeping it family friendly. :D Not an easy task.
I think the F# in the main riff is straight up blues. Going from the minor third through the major third (as a passing tone) back to the the root is something that I hear a lot in blues guitar. It’s a great effect and I think it makes the riff. The interplay between that and the walk down from f power chord to d power chord at the end of the loop is great.
lovely explanation!! thanks a lot!
Love this, good job
Superb rythym control is what makes this song special for me. These guys are tight, have great internal mentronomes, and seamlessly drift in & out of swing feel, together, at will.
It's really weird how different the riffs sound when played without staccato
The first time the Riff was played I couldn't help but shout Killing In The Name Of
Thank you for doing this song! One of my all time favourite bands and favourite songs.
"big dramatic and in your face" sounds perfect
It is the real feeling also in the way the song is presented by Zack. Music plus the lyrics delivered by the master, you have a masterpiece.....
2 things:
There are a lot of muted notes on the guitar(like scratching but only one string). For example if x is a mute the prechorus is d C D xx E | d C D xx Eb ..... riff goes d C D xx F F# D d(d is an octave lower). They add nothing much to the melody but really emphasize the rhythm and and groove of the riff. Basically Morello found a way to play and emphasize his pauses. It just doesn't sound right without them
In his own words his style is about breaking the classical way of playing, so in his solos he tries to emulate DJs . He does this with a whammy bar, phase shift, overdrive and wah. No special modifications. So his tone is not that complicated but really innovative and hard to compare to anything.
So all in all, super fun riffs to play and listen to, super hard solos to emulate, really genius songwriter and guitarist
So refreshing to see some analysis of riff-based music :)
Thank you for doing this song! I covered this song twice live and means much to me.
Thank you! That was quite something!
I find your doodling helps me so much. My attention tends to wander with theory videos. But not with yours! Also, loving the content in general, keep it up. Also why elephants? I mean, I like them enough but why specifically elephants?
Edit: Just saw "Why do I write my Numerals wrong" so that answers my question.
0:50 that bass tone
Nice breakdown. Sub'd. :)
Love your analysis. As a fan of the channel, it'd be cool to see you explore some reductions of other famous riffs. I know there is a subjective element to it, but I'd be curious to see you distill other riffs.
I never took any theory classes, so most of your content goes over my head. I still find it fascinating, though.
Do professional musicians really put that much thought into their songs, or do they just play what they think sounds good? Are they really thinking about how different intervals and time signatures cause conflict and tension, or do they just hear it instinctively?
I Initially thought this was going to be a discourse on the lyrics. As a guitar player, this is a brilliant explanation! I love your use of Sketchnoting.
Subscribed.
PS. If I’m not wrong, i believe the ornament should be a mordent. A trill is quicker and repetitive.
This video was really well made
listening to the recording, I feel like the triplet riff in the beginning intentionally changes to a tresillo (dotted quarter, dotted quarter, quarter) rhythm just to line up with the drums better. Commerford and Morello are both talented musicians (despite how informal the band was) and could probably handle a 3/4 polyrhythm if they really wanted to, but I think they just wanted to groove for a bit. it also creates an effectively stark contrast eight bars before the verse riff when they play unison triplets with the drums. This is such an interesting and well done video series. keep it up!
Love this videos. Check Cantata de Puentes Amarillos. That song's pretty complex and I bet you could get a good video on it.
I would like to see more riff analysis please.
Surprised you haven't done Queen yet
He said he'd do Bohemian Rhapsody for a Patreon goal, I think.
Mister Apple There are lots of other great Queen songs though. And they're (as the website Queen Songs showcases) a great harmony material.
Oh yeah, absolutely. I'd love to see an analysis of Ogre Battle, or '39, or really anything from Queen's giant catalogue.
I think BR is coming at 500k right?
+Quinn Brown That sounds right.
I just realised - Are you left handed! Cool video! I liked the Nirvana and Soundgarden ones too!!
You're my favorite music channel on youtube :^)
This is so cool!
Nice analysis.
Really liked this one!
Any chance you could take a look at The Raven or Drive Home by Steven Wilson?
Hey man! Love your videos! Quick question, when you say you don't have the expertise to analyze guitar tones do you mean like Alan Licht style stuff, like...he experiments with tone and timbre?
Fantastic! Just one question... What do you mean when you draw an "antesque" figure? 04:39
Can anyone help me understand this chord progression from the outro of Sir Psycho? It loops: E, Ebm, Bb, D, Ab, Cm, Ab, G
In his video Rick Beato says the first chord is a D major and not a D5. In one of his live streams he strongly reiterated the concept. I agree, I think I can hear the third. But whatever! Nice job as always!
Well a distorted power chord sounds kinda like a major chord because of the harmonics
That's what some people said to him during the live. He insists it's the third and not the harmonics... I can't be sure but I tend to agree with Rick Beato
Interesting! Like Jyry I'd probably attribute that to harmonics, what with the plethora of fundamentals that produce strong F#s plus the distortion which can accent some of those higher harmonics, but I can't say for sure.
12tone The flanging effect in the intro also emphasises the harmonics which might fool some. Whatever it is your analysis still stands. It's just a big powerful chord that hit's you in hard!
ua-cam.com/video/Fdv64SDhhCM/v-deo.htmlm53s for the record
Great channel ... Very original idea and usefull ... To understand how much music is complex and deep but everything proceed by our emotional intelegence ... Please do '' Nutshell '' by Alice in chains ... I thing that in that song there are many topic to be considered ... from the deepness of the lyrics tho the deepness of the music ... Thank you !
hey man when you gonna do the whole trout mask replica album
Can someone explain to me how I get 12tone to analyze a song? Ik it's through patreon but do I have to donate a certain amount and how do I know when they're going to do it. I'd love for them to analyze Age of Consent by New Order; such a good song, pls give it a listen if you're unfamiliar. Thanks, stay safe everyone and keep on rocking lol
Nice video. I always thought of the verse riff as a Myxolydian figure, with the natural F as an augmented 9 (a melodic device quite common in jazz/blues/funk music) and the "thrill" as a temporary excursion into Phrygian territory. It would imply a D7#9 chord, quite reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix, one of Tom Morello's main influences.
Great analysis. One point I would have mentioned is that the repeated vocal phrases resemble chants you do at protests. It makes sense considering the message of the song.
*not enough cowbell*
Wow, I didn't know how complex the song was.
This is pure awesomeness
Understanding: Dream Theater's Dance of Eternity
That would be freaking awesome!
"The intro is Mike Portnoy rolling 2 D20 for time signatures for 48 measures."
this is possibly the most amazing thing i've ever seen
Nice video
Could you do an analysis of Paranoid Android?
Woah I just played this on bass and now I come to see this. Freaky
please, can you analyse Fermented Offal Discharge from Necrophagist ?
Haha yes do it
Yeah I concur, please do!
Do it!
Why are the couplets on the block so perfect?
what key is the song in? confused seeing a D and Eb together then a D and E later on - key change?
It's all in D
Love your stuff (and it might have already been said in the comments), but I noticed that the F# mentioned at 4:07 and the 'harmonic relationships' negation at 3:43. I believe this song in particular, out of some of RATM's material, uses subtleharmonic relationships to its advantage. Most of the song is not atonal, but still relies on the root and the fifth for most notes. However, when making a climactic point or emphasis in the song, they rely on the F or F#. It feels to me like RATM uses the F# in the verses to ease the listener into a more aggressive part of the song (ie the chorus). Likewise with the F natural, making the tonality slightly minor, can increase tension to that climactic point of the song. For instance the bridge was the point of highest tension (mentioned 7:34), because it was practically screaming minor scale at our faces. It then releases with the original motif (back to power chords), which shows a pretty strong harmonic relation between parts.
Just to me, this piece is all about those subtle changes in tonality, which sets it apart from the sea of power chord-crazy songs within its genre (and even within RATM's repertoire).
Thanks again, from an avid listener. Keep on rocking those 12tones.
Why on earth would you analyze this song when you know full well that I, personally, don't like it?
David B because it's not your UA-cam channel.
steven hamlin
The point<
>You, missing the point
Armazillo more commonly described as: Whoosh💨💨
->-> the joke ->->
(your head)
Cause he won’t do what you tell him
This video did a lot to make me feel cultured in my contempt for Rage.
I love reductions so much. 8-bit Music Theory, who I know you watch, does them quite a bit.
I'd really like to see you breakdown some Rivers of Nihil. Some really cool prog stuff in there. Possibly my favorite band, and for sure my favorite death Metal band.
Nice! Go to Beato's for more production aspect analysis, here for more note relations and harmonies.
Although Beato might get irked by 12tone's saying the first chord is a powerchord (it has a major third he says).
Keep in mind that they wrote the thing with their instruments in their hands. Cant remember the bassist's name but he used a Five string
Tim Commerford. He used an Ernie Ball Stingray four string with the E tuned to D
Justin Bell huh, I saw him play it on the low B string, might be mandela effect but I would preffer the 5 string for a lower pitch, not fundemental, just the harmonics
He uses a four string bass. I have never seen him play a five string
He has before, but not much
really, tim and brad should get more credit. bards drumming is great, and tom's guitar will be much worse without tim's bass.
Dude, that's an awesome analysis... I just thoght they composed songs gathering around and saying "hey this riff is cool, lets make a song" xD
Now analyze the lyrics. Shouldn't take too long, there's only about 8 lines.
Yea, 8 lines of “grandma turning over in her grave” delightfullness..
The lyrics are pretty obvious, why analyze what you can just hear? There's not a lot of (if any) symbolism.
@@arizonagreenbee whew you nailed it. Almost like the comment was joking about that very thing
@@averybondeson3322 sorry, i'm autistic and not good with telling when people are joking. kinda rude tho :/
@@arizonagreenbee ah shit biggest apologies mate, I didn't know. Asshole move of me though. Yeah the guy was joking
One slight correction: the bass notes after the intro are stopped, so technically there is a short pause after every note, which (to me) is part of the full punchyness (if that is a word)...
Cool!
1:00 I thought the bass line are dottted notes in the beginning. Also the guitar part at 4:09 sounds off.
He's clearly into some heavy stuff so I wonder what he'd make of the harmony in something like "selkies, the endless obsession" by between the buried and me. I might have to pledge just to recommend that track, it's a great tune.