This is really what makes a video about music good. I've seen people who talk about a song and its different parts for 15minutes, but NEVER play even a 3 second song sample. It just sucks.
The thing that makes Out of the Woods so great is that each time the chorus is repeated, the production, instrumentation, and background vocals build in intensity, so that by the time you reach the bridge, breakdown, and final chorus you really feel the urgency and anxiety felt in the relationship she's singing about.
Fun fact: I have never actually listened to “Mr Brightside” and until now believed it to be a song along the lines of “Mr Sandman”. You can imagine my surprise upon hearing the actual song for the first time
I love how you jump right into the concept and examples. You're not like these other youtubers that have a longwinded introduction and then five minutes of channel updates then an advertisement and finally the video starts. You're the best bro
@@skogis06 No, we gotta like and sub immediately because his content is unique and outstanding. I've been curious and learning about music for over 50 years, and I'm delighted to learn something every single time I check out one of his videos.
2010-2011 had a horrendous amount of one noters. I’d often joke and play the song with one finger on the piano and see if people could guess what it was. They rarely could. 😂
skyblaze eterno what the hell by Avril Lavington, California girls, teenage dream, e.t. by Katy perry, grow a pair by Kesha, everything by Kesha, basically anything written by Max Martin at the time... SO many more though. 😂
The rhythm of Mr. Brightside always reminds me of my mind racing through painful possibilities or facts and then fixating on the most excruciating details and the emotions I'm feeling due to my own thoughts.
How to make a viral pop song: 1. pick a key 2. use the I-V-vi-IV chord progression 3. make a melody with 3 notes, as explained in the video 4. it's good to be in 4/4
In pop it's usually 6/8. Listen to the drums: if the snare hits in every other bar (while you're thinking that the song is 3/4), it's actually 6/8 and in one single bar. If the song was 3/4, the usual drum beat would be bass-snare-snare, bass-snare-snare...
Don't forget to include a decent male vocalist singing about falling in love or finding the love of his life...or a female vocalist singing about losing the love of her life and how she is now stronger than ever as a result. Guaranteed hit right there.
@@guillaumefelix9655 because its a minor chord, major chords are written with big letters. Its a minor chord starting on the 6th (vi) note in the scale. If its a Cmaj scale the vi chord would be A-C-E. The major chord starting on 6th (VI) note in Cmaj would be A-C#-E Sorry if i misspelled something
Katy Perry’s “Never Really Over” has the one note through the entire chorus, but by doing this the descending harmony behind it creates such a beautiful sound that goes unnoticed. The ear picks up a difference but technically the melody is the same but the vocal harmony has the real movement making it very unique
@@nate_storm yes there is. Listen very closely to the second repetition in the chorus and especially in the 2nd time singing the chorus. It’s very subtle but very pleasing. While singing a single note over and over on rhythm is technically difficult to accomplish in itself I actually like singing along to the descending harmony.
This is me! But on my flute. Like the song will be so fun to listen to and sing and then I realize how repetitive the notes are and it’s like “oh this really isn’t that much.”
The start of your composition on the 5 Composers challenge showed just how much can be done with one note - it was somehow really touching - despite just using one note. Enjoyed collaborating with you, and thanks for another great vid.
@Dazzy Bakemono Rhythm is all there is. Rhythmic noise of power tools isn't music. A lot of the time there is no melody. There's a UA-cam video that documents that, but I am having trouble finding it now.
It‘s literally aggravating, and I can‘t figure out whether to admire it for being intentional or consider it just another example of how modern pop music is intentionally overpowering to prevent people tuning it out and force itself into people‘s head.
@@raylast3873 it's supposed to resembled the anxiety she felt while she was in a very delicate, already crumbling relationship, she has much more soothing songs (example: her entire new album 'Folklore')
Or Neil Young’s guitar solo in Cinnamon Girl. which he enjoyed so much he played the 4 bars a second time. I like Neil, he can be and is sometimes brilliant . But I figure he was stoned out of his mind at that time 😉
Or the ironic "I get by with a little help from my friends, Get high... gonna try..", which is mostly a single note backed up by a half dozen chord changes.
All to prove that there is no "right way" to write music. Limitation in one area sparks creativity in another and the widening of variety of resources creates new avenues to explore!
@@TheRealBrandonMcDuff I agree. To me personally lyrics can (almost) never be the basis for a piece of music. (And because of that I will not evaluate her lyrics, and that's the reason I have never cared much about Bob Dylan) A piece of art has to have something. You can remove or reduce one or more defining elements, but there have to be something left that triggers some feelings or is somewhat interresting or surprising. A lot of new pop music lacks harmony, melody, rythm or timbre (or lyrics) that I care about. I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot of good music, but jeez, there's a lot of uninspiered shite. To me the music video, the music, and the lyrics seems completely disconnected in Out of the Woods.
@@matthewhart9585 The Beatles knew more than you might think. Not formally trained, but they grasped a fair amount of it. You should watch David's video on how much theory the Beatles knew.
The melody in Out Of The Woods is so fitting tho. It's like switching between sweet dream (verses) and nightmare (chorus) while the bridge is you waking up.
David and everyone in the comments: *cites hit classics and other notable songs in history as examples of monotonous melody* Me: _7 AM WaKiN uP iN tHe MoRniNG-_
Out of the woods, chorus lead vocals were intentionally supposed to be one-note despite the music and the background vocals changing notes all the time. Taylor did that on purpose to create strong tension to create a feeling of anxiety which was what the song was about. 1989 really was something creative and deep. It's definitely my favorite out of 1989.
@@vaclavjebavy5118 The song is about a snowmobile accident that her and Harry Styles got into, as well as her anxiety about their relationship since it was always under media microscope. She explained it in great detail in an interview that is on Billboard.com website. :)
Václav Jebavý Sometimes the rawest and most authentic feelings we feel on a relationship can be almost considered childish, cause they’re simple and the base of other complex feelings. The verses and bridge of the song show other aspects of the relationship, but the chorus focus on the anxiety and tension of a relationship where both partners know that it is bound to end, and so the repeated question intensifies this and shows that she’s know it is doomed to end - but she has no idea when
Václav Jebavý honestly, I don’t either. It’s wonderful that she put so much thought into it, but most people who are just casual listeners probably didn’t get that vibe; they probably thought the same as you and I, it’s just like an annoying kid. I‘ve heard a lot of music where the artist either tries to make you feel anxious or tries to channel a childlike essence and it’s all really good, I’d put it on repeat. This just isn’t that. If a song is actually annoying to listen to, you probably didn’t do a good job writing it. Just imo tho, glad other people are into it at least.
Not to bring Billie Eilish into everything, but I’m always pleasantly surprised that the verses of “Bad Guy” (and the harmonies in them) are built entirely on the minor third of the key, which remains the melody throughout. Really interesting choice.
I'd been listening to Brett Domino's "How to write a hit pop song" videos lately, and I feel like your video has explained all the claims he made in his. Great work!
I think Julia is really about Yoko, and John rewrote it before it came out. It's typical Lennon misdirection, like McCartney climbing up a tree in Strawberry Fields. The long drawn out melody and the way the first syllable of Julia is spoken the normal reaction of an Englishman being taught to pronounce Yoko correctly the first time. The first syllable is long, the second short. Yo-o-ko. The name means ocean child, the next words of the song. Much the rest of the song is plays on the ocean theme or expresses his attraction to her.
@@bernardfinucane2061 But John first met Yoko at the end of 1966 and Julia was released on Rubber soul in 1965, so yeah it's about his mother who's name is actually Julia, who'd have thought it huh
Great video. I wanted to add something about Mr. Brightside that you didn’t mention: besides the rhythm of the one-note vocals, the ongoing perpetual guitar riff gives off the false feeling of more melody in the vocal line. It’s a weird little thing that helps a lot in making it less monotonous.
"Are we out of the woods" is so brilliantly done that it actually triggers some type of anxiety in the listener, just to show how Taylor was feeling throughout that entire relationship
The first things I thought of was Dawn Chorus by Thom Yorke. It is like a beautiful swirl of electric noise with Thom's voice gently over it singing the same note - one note melodies work!
Maaaan “La canzone mononota” by Elio e le storie tese, an amazing Italian band. The title means “the song with one note” you should definetly check it out, Greeeetings from Italy
I know every single song by Elio e Le Storie Tese, and I do believe La Canzone Mononota is their greatest masterpiece. It's middle C in every possible harmonic combination. And it even turns out to be the dominant, as the very last note Elio sings is an F. The song is full of quotations from classical to pop and jazz. You have to be Italian to grasp the whole meaning, more or less as you've got to be a Brit to catch the meaning of Thick as a Brick, but listening to the song will be pure pleasure for the ear and brain of every musician and music respectful lover.
Every time a new music youtuber is recommended to me, I brace myself for a grating "GAHH MODERN MUSIC IS BAD" take. Props to you for such a positive video on """uninteresting""" music - the ability to understand and utilize simplicity is the mark of a very good (and, in most cases, humble :P) musician. Loved the video.
In the Philippines, we have a worship song titled Dalawang Akorde that literally translates to two chord. Not too connected to the video but, yeah hahaha
THANK YOU for not dismissing modern, simple music as “bad” for being modern and simple. I love the observation that these become chants, too. Although I would have loved to heard how the note relates to the harmony. ie, sitting on the note C sounds very different over a C-F progression than a C-dm-F-G progression.
As a painter I found this so insightful! I love all music genres- the idea of a melody with few notes is like a painting with made with limited palettes. Old masters work had the challenge to create harmony and balance because many pigments were not invented! So similarly, its not about how many or little colour you use in a painting or how many notes in a melody but finding the balance and harmony ^^ thanks for uploading, cheers !
I gotta say, your composition was the one I personally found most appealing of the 5 composers challenge. Just the right amount of harmonic movement and arranged in a very expressive way
Agreed. This monotony of the song is broken and the note gets its relief only when the word Julia is sung, imo symbolising John's relief when he speaks his mother's name.
Reminds me of Katy Perry’s “just because it’s over doesn’t mean it’s really over and if you think it over maybe you’ll be coming over again” chorus, where it repeats the same note AND the word “over” to emphasize that the song itself is about repeating an old cycle.
"Se telefonando"'s chorus melody, famous italian song originally performed by Mina and arranged by M^Ennio Morricone, has only three notes placed in an interesting polyrhythmic way, considering that the song is in 4/4. Morricone said that for this melody he was inspired by Marseille police sirens.
So in elementary music education, we need to teach kids songs they know and love. Enough with teaching every kid to play Marry Had a Little Lamb on the violin. Give them another 3 note chorus that they know and love.
@@ieuanphillips4963 True - Maybe turn it into a medley/review situation? Instead of teaching kids one song, teach them snippets of several? That could give them a greater chance of finding something they like while helping them recognize patterns early.
give you a thump up from Hong Kong, the very first time that i find music theory interesting is watching your video talking about the first note of "yesterday"
Another very interesting video. Thank you so much. I don´t know if it was already mentioned in the comments but IMHO here´s a very good example of a "one-note-song": Plastic Bertrand "ca plane pour moi" ;-)
You do a great hob of illustrating your points. I'm referring to the highlighted '1', '2', & '3' in this video. Also, in the video about sleighbells in songs, you helped the listener hear the the sleigh bells by showing them on the screen. Good job!
I've been a huge Taylor fan since 1989 and started watching David's videos a little while before this particular video came out, so when I saw her in the thumbnail I KNEW he was going to talk about Out of the Woods 😁
I was going to post a comment, but. This fella knows more about music than I can ever understand. He's like the Red Arrows! Here they come! Straight over my head!
In university, I was in the jazz band and we did improvised solos at every practice, the key for which was announced at the previous practice. C# came along and it had been a busy week with tests and papers due, so I didn't get enough practice in for that key. My solo ended up being just one pitch where I played with rhythm and dynamics. It was pretty awesome, actually, but our music directed caught on pretty quickly to why I went that route!
In the case of Mr. Brightside, the other factor that makes the single-note work as a melody is that descending bassline. There's much movement in the bassline, so the singer does not at all seem like he's singing the same note over and over again. Which is remarkable, because not only is the melody one note, it's one chord played beneath it. If you ever do a video about bass-driven songs, this could be first on your list. :)
Omg that "little samba" is pretty good in English! I clicked this video waiting to see that song and it was not disappointing. I love this song, one of the first that i learnd on guitar. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Hey, I just wanted to say that I'm very impressed. I initially thought I'd click off the video pretty quickly, but you actually maintained my interest amazingly well. I love this video! It was great.
I’ve seen very few musicians look at this kind of simpler music and give it the same treatment you did. I see a lot of musicians (including myself) get very annoyed with the repetitiveness of modern pop. But it’s very interesting to see a different way of looking at it. Great video.
Mr. Brightside having just one note melody makes it REALLY EASY to drunkenly shout
True true
Karaoke hours
So true 😂
That's beyond true!
Pctyd :(
God Bless this dude's attempts to avoid copyright strikes
This is really what makes a video about music good. I've seen people who talk about a song and its different parts for 15minutes, but NEVER play even a 3 second song sample. It just sucks.
agreed. he's getting his sweet sweet money
@@sinner272 Would you like to work lots of hours to make a video to get nothing of it?
@@zeus-os3fb uhm, my point was that he deserves the revenue. no point arguing.
This actually works?
There's a famous italian song called "La canzone mononota" (the one-note song), which is literally an entire song with a one note melody
Elio e le Storie Tese
It's a really great song.
What you are describing sounds like neither a song nor a melody.
Its not famous if you have to tell us what it is...
@@bootsnc4ts611 Because they said it's Italian the song may only be famous in Italy.
The thing that makes Out of the Woods so great is that each time the chorus is repeated, the production, instrumentation, and background vocals build in intensity, so that by the time you reach the bridge, breakdown, and final chorus you really feel the urgency and anxiety felt in the relationship she's singing about.
yeah she described it exactly this way
REMEMBER WHEN YOU HIT THE BRAKES TOO SOOON??
Fun fact: I have never actually listened to “Mr Brightside” and until now believed it to be a song along the lines of “Mr Sandman”. You can imagine my surprise upon hearing the actual song for the first time
It also sounds a lot like Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, especially the bridge
Honestly same-
Same, but you cannot imagine my disappointment.
Me to got it mixed up with Mr Blue sky
@@rogergreen9861 Welcome to good music and live concerts
I love how you jump right into the concept and examples. You're not like these other youtubers that have a longwinded introduction and then five minutes of channel updates then an advertisement and finally the video starts. You're the best bro
I'm glad! Thank you 🙂
And no awful begging for likes and subs
skogis and interestingly, or ironically, i liked and subscribed 😅
@@skogis06 No, we gotta like and sub immediately because his content is unique and outstanding. I've been curious and learning about music for over 50 years, and I'm delighted to learn something every single time I check out one of his videos.
Me , with 0 music theory: interesting
I’m glad 😁
I feel you
I wanna like the comment but it has 69 likes
@@DavidBennettPiano You get to be his music teacher lmao.
one note at a time
2010-2011 had a horrendous amount of one noters. I’d often joke and play the song with one finger on the piano and see if people could guess what it was. They rarely could. 😂
Haha that’s amazing
name some then
@🌟༻🅹🅰🆈🅵🅰༺ ✓ • 5 years ago That's not 2010-11...
What were some of them?
skyblaze eterno what the hell by Avril Lavington, California girls, teenage dream, e.t. by Katy perry, grow a pair by Kesha, everything by Kesha, basically anything written by Max Martin at the time... SO many more though. 😂
Great video!
Thanks! I love your work too 😀
thanks
HEY! ROOMIE! NICE!
My teacher sent me here and I find this🤣🤣
Didn't expect to see you here😳
Ask my Dad to whistle and I can guarantee you he'll turn ANY song or symphony into a one-note hell-hole masterpiece.
😂😂
I think we have the same dad
The rhythm of Mr. Brightside always reminds me of my mind racing through painful possibilities or facts and then fixating on the most excruciating details and the emotions I'm feeling due to my own thoughts.
There's 6 beats in the rhythm. Try counting to 7 to cut the cycle and get onto a fresh page.
YES!
So I'm not the only one who does this. lol
Stop it, Get some help.
Little details like this in the song are the reason why it's my favorite of all time
Love how you include classics with newer pop songs. You're never here to frow upon newer musicians, just to teach. Keep it up!
thanks!
How to make a viral pop song:
1. pick a key
2. use the I-V-vi-IV chord progression
3. make a melody with 3 notes, as explained in the video
4. it's good to be in 4/4
If it's a love ballad you can get away with 3/4.
In pop it's usually 6/8. Listen to the drums: if the snare hits in every other bar (while you're thinking that the song is 3/4), it's actually 6/8 and in one single bar. If the song was 3/4, the usual drum beat would be bass-snare-snare, bass-snare-snare...
Don't forget to include a decent male vocalist singing about falling in love or finding the love of his life...or a female vocalist singing about losing the love of her life and how she is now stronger than ever as a result. Guaranteed hit right there.
Excuse my ignorance but why is vi in lowercase?
@@guillaumefelix9655 because its a minor chord, major chords are written with big letters. Its a minor chord starting on the 6th (vi) note in the scale. If its a Cmaj scale the vi chord would be A-C-E. The major chord starting on 6th (VI) note in Cmaj would be A-C#-E
Sorry if i misspelled something
Katy Perry’s “Never Really Over” has the one note through the entire chorus, but by doing this the descending harmony behind it creates such a beautiful sound that goes unnoticed. The ear picks up a difference but technically the melody is the same but the vocal harmony has the real movement making it very unique
I’ve always noticed it, I really like the fact it changes when it repeats for the second time
The note isn't the same if it's a harmony, dumbass. It is.one octave up.
@@MrParkerman6 rude much.
there’s a descending part? i only notice the repetitive one note part and find it annoying lol
@@nate_storm yes there is. Listen very closely to the second repetition in the chorus and especially in the 2nd time singing the chorus. It’s very subtle but very pleasing. While singing a single note over and over on rhythm is technically difficult to accomplish in itself I actually like singing along to the descending harmony.
Reminds me of high school when I would play pop songs on my violin and realize how boring they were note-wise. 😂
yo me too! 🎻
I do this too lol
I use to be able to play the Star Wars theme on my violin.
Oh same!!!! I duetted someone on tiktok doing mr. Brightside on my fiddle and I just realized "hang on-"
This is me! But on my flute. Like the song will be so fun to listen to and sing and then I realize how repetitive the notes are and it’s like “oh this really isn’t that much.”
I could HEAR that thumbnail.
".. it's all in my head now.."
I just can't look. It's killing me and taking control.
Same here
I too can do that just fine.
The start of your composition on the 5 Composers challenge showed just how much can be done with one note - it was somehow really touching - despite just using one note. Enjoyed collaborating with you, and thanks for another great vid.
Thank you David! It was a great idea for a composing brief! Pleasure to work with you 😊
love this crossover! :')
yeeyee
7:10 my man just called all of modern pop music Nursery Rhymes
Aren't they? Lol
@@mariaz6359 They aren't music. They are noise.
@Dazzy Bakemono Rhythm is all there is. Rhythmic noise of power tools isn't music. A lot of the time there is no melody. There's a UA-cam video that documents that, but I am having trouble finding it now.
@@billbauer9795 ???
@@billbauer9795 Maaan, you must hate batucadas
The chorus of “out of the woods” enables my fight or flight mode
the exact intention of the song!
Me too, I love it to death
It‘s literally aggravating, and I can‘t figure out whether to admire it for being intentional or consider it just another example of how modern pop music is intentionally overpowering to prevent people tuning it out and force itself into people‘s head.
@@raylast3873 it's supposed to resembled the anxiety she felt while she was in a very delicate, already crumbling relationship, she has much more soothing songs (example: her entire new album 'Folklore')
@YellowOnline lol what are the other 9
I can't believe he made it through the whole video without mentioning "I Wanna Be Sedated" and its legendary 1-note guitar solo.
SERIOUSLY thats what i was waiting for too
Genuine thanks for getting this stuck in my head.
Check out Adam Neely's video on the history of the One Note Solo
Or Neil Young’s guitar solo in Cinnamon Girl. which he enjoyed so much he played the 4 bars a second time. I like Neil, he can be and is sometimes brilliant . But I figure he was stoned out of his mind at that time 😉
Moon age daydream.
Makes me think of the pre-chorus in Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Great suggestion!
or most of the verses from Come Together
Baby you're a rich man was the first thing to come to mind when I saw John Lennon in the thumbnail
Or the ironic "I get by with a little help from my friends, Get high... gonna try..", which is mostly a single note backed up by a half dozen chord changes.
Also the first bars of the chorus in All You Need is Love
All to prove that there is no "right way" to write music. Limitation in one area sparks creativity in another and the widening of variety of resources creates new avenues to explore!
While I agree, the Taylor Swift song "out of the woods" is a great example of it being done horribly
@@TheRealBrandonMcDuff yup, lazy ass chorus.
@@TheRealBrandonMcDuff I agree. To me personally lyrics can (almost) never be the basis for a piece of music. (And because of that I will not evaluate her lyrics, and that's the reason I have never cared much about Bob Dylan) A piece of art has to have something. You can remove or reduce one or more defining elements, but there have to be something left that triggers some feelings or is somewhat interresting or surprising. A lot of new pop music lacks harmony, melody, rythm or timbre (or lyrics) that I care about. I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot of good music, but jeez, there's a lot of uninspiered shite. To me the music video, the music, and the lyrics seems completely disconnected in Out of the Woods.
Maybe there's not right way, but there are for sure terrible ways, like one-note songs.
@@egilsandnes9637 edgy
New drinking game: take a shot anytime he mentions a Beatles song in any of his videos💀
That's what you get when prolific genius dominates a genre. They're the "Simpsons did it" of music.
@@matthewhart9585 The Beatles knew more than you might think. Not formally trained, but they grasped a fair amount of it. You should watch David's video on how much theory the Beatles knew.
I was going to say you can do this for Radiohead too but ironically they're nowhere to be found in this video
Be careful watching my 20 mins "Did The Beatles know theory?" video then... you'll need to pre-book your ambulance!
Watched that video very interesting
The melody in Out Of The Woods is so fitting tho. It's like switching between sweet dream (verses) and nightmare (chorus) while the bridge is you waking up.
Queer?
I love how you used the Sangah Noona recording of “One Note Samba.” Gotta give you two thumbs up for that!
Give me the link plz lmao
@@NathanPlays395 ua-cam.com/video/GfVSHAFkuD4/v-deo.html
David and everyone in the comments: *cites hit classics and other notable songs in history as examples of monotonous melody*
Me: _7 AM WaKiN uP iN tHe MoRniNG-_
Exactly what I thought of
Gotta have my bowl
@@bipbipletucha gotta have cereal
Wait... Which song is that?
Nevermind found it.
saw COMING OUT OF MY CAGE AND I WAS DOING JUST FINE on the thumbnail and all of Britain clicked
The second half of the bridge for Fixing a Hole: "See the people standing there who disagree and never win, and wonder why they don't get in my door".
I'm an alto, I know all about monotonous melodies being important for the harmony XD
You are Blessed!!! I adore the alto section!!! They really fill in So Many Holes!!!!
From a soprano: 😬 sorry
@@betsyjohnson9699 4 years later, 3 years on Testosterone... I'm a tenor. >:3 we get the melody
@@davidgold3nrose Yay! I’m so happy for you!
Out of the woods, chorus lead vocals were intentionally supposed to be one-note despite the music and the background vocals changing notes all the time. Taylor did that on purpose to create strong tension to create a feeling of anxiety which was what the song was about. 1989 really was something creative and deep. It's definitely my favorite out of 1989.
i dunno just kinda feels like a kid asking if they're there yet
@@vaclavjebavy5118 The song is about a snowmobile accident that her and Harry Styles got into, as well as her anxiety about their relationship since it was always under media microscope. She explained it in great detail in an interview that is on Billboard.com website. :)
Václav Jebavý Sometimes the rawest and most authentic feelings we feel on a relationship can be almost considered childish, cause they’re simple and the base of other complex feelings. The verses and bridge of the song show other aspects of the relationship, but the chorus focus on the anxiety and tension of a relationship where both partners know that it is bound to end, and so the repeated question intensifies this and shows that she’s know it is doomed to end - but she has no idea when
@@tiagoadulis Yea I just don't see it.
Václav Jebavý honestly, I don’t either. It’s wonderful that she put so much thought into it, but most people who are just casual listeners probably didn’t get that vibe; they probably thought the same as you and I, it’s just like an annoying kid. I‘ve heard a lot of music where the artist either tries to make you feel anxious or tries to channel a childlike essence and it’s all really good, I’d put it on repeat. This just isn’t that. If a song is actually annoying to listen to, you probably didn’t do a good job writing it. Just imo tho, glad other people are into it at least.
Not to bring Billie Eilish into everything, but I’m always pleasantly surprised that the verses of “Bad Guy” (and the harmonies in them) are built entirely on the minor third of the key, which remains the melody throughout. Really interesting choice.
It definitely breaks the mold of pop songs being in a major key, giving that signature Billie edge to it.
I think it sounds so good because of the sheer amount of stacked harmonies and the really catchy bass line that makes it more interesting
She's a hack.
@@chipgaasche4933 As opposed to?
I'd been listening to Brett Domino's "How to write a hit pop song" videos lately, and I feel like your video has explained all the claims he made in his. Great work!
I think John put that tension into “Julia” because he had a lot of unresolved issues with his deceased mother, Julia.
Great point!
I think Julia is really about Yoko, and John rewrote it before it came out. It's typical Lennon misdirection, like McCartney climbing up a tree in Strawberry Fields.
The long drawn out melody and the way the first syllable of Julia is spoken the normal reaction of an Englishman being taught to pronounce Yoko correctly the first time. The first syllable is long, the second short. Yo-o-ko. The name means ocean child, the next words of the song. Much the rest of the song is plays on the ocean theme or expresses his attraction to her.
@@bernardfinucane2061 That also makes a lot of sense
@@bernardfinucane2061 But John first met Yoko at the end of 1966 and Julia was released on Rubber soul in 1965, so yeah it's about his mother who's name is actually Julia, who'd have thought it huh
@@fantasypgatour No, "Julia" was released on The White Album in 1968.
Great video. I wanted to add something about Mr. Brightside that you didn’t mention: besides the rhythm of the one-note vocals, the ongoing perpetual guitar riff gives off the false feeling of more melody in the vocal line. It’s a weird little thing that helps a lot in making it less monotonous.
That’s a good point, the guitar riff is effectively a counter melody 😊
"Are we out of the woods" is so brilliantly done that it actually triggers some type of anxiety in the listener, just to show how Taylor was feeling throughout that entire relationship
YESSS
The first things I thought of was Dawn Chorus by Thom Yorke. It is like a beautiful swirl of electric noise with Thom's voice gently over it singing the same note - one note melodies work!
Great suggestion! I should have covered that one!
My favorite song on Anima, so gorgeous
i didn't even notice it, nice one. it works so well
Maaaan “La canzone mononota” by Elio e le storie tese, an amazing Italian band. The title means “the song with one note” you should definetly check it out, Greeeetings from Italy
The comment I was looking for
Yeeeeah I was waiting for it to appear :(
mi hai fottuto sul tempo mannaggg
I know every single song by Elio e Le Storie Tese, and I do believe La Canzone Mononota is their greatest masterpiece. It's middle C in every possible harmonic combination. And it even turns out to be the dominant, as the very last note Elio sings is an F. The song is full of quotations from classical to pop and jazz. You have to be Italian to grasp the whole meaning, more or less as you've got to be a Brit to catch the meaning of Thick as a Brick, but listening to the song will be pure pleasure for the ear and brain of every musician and music respectful lover.
Here is the link to the official video ua-cam.com/video/lRq0TzYBris/v-deo.html
Tom Perry actually sings "and I'm 3, 3 fallin' "
Well spotted!
Well played sir, well played
Tom Perry? Is that Katy Perry's brother?
Every time a new music youtuber is recommended to me, I brace myself for a grating "GAHH MODERN MUSIC IS BAD" take. Props to you for such a positive video on """uninteresting""" music - the ability to understand and utilize simplicity is the mark of a very good (and, in most cases, humble :P) musician. Loved the video.
5:30 notice he goes down to the root when he finally reaches Julia. Like he is reaching and stretching for Julia then finally can. Now that’s clever.
Well said.
And at the same time Lennon overdubs himself singing the 5th - at least on the white album. Simultaneous resolution and tension.
yeah it is but sounds like shit
In Italy we have "la canzone mononota", litteraly: "the song with only one note" by Elio e le storie tese.
It's a very funny song.
In the Philippines, we have a worship song titled Dalawang Akorde that literally translates to two chord. Not too connected to the video but, yeah hahaha
Straight from their official channel ua-cam.com/video/lRq0TzYBris/v-deo.html ...but it is pretty difficult to understand for non native speakers.
È la canzone mononota.... una canzone poco nota
@@mb_entity che non scende a compromessi e se lo fa il compromesso é piccolo, tipo.... questo
Cultura! 🇮🇹
Probably one of the most challenging part of making your videos must be avoiding copyright strike :D
Great job, I like your vids.
The legend Johnny Marr playing with The Killers there.
@@kingloser4198 I don't know why he did it in the first place.
He's too good for that!
King Loser it was last year at glasto
King Loser why?
Glad someone brought it up
@@kingloser4198 It was only last year.
"I've played this song many times at pubs and WEDDINGS" ----- is talking about Mister Brightside *oof*
No that's literally just how the UK is. Mr Brightside is played at *everything*.
@@Sevenseasick everyone over the age of 10 knows the lyrics
Ben Townsend I knew them all when i was 4
hey just curious do you like the Killers?
Hey I know a couple who's theme song is Lips of an Angel lol
‘Out of the woods’ gives me anxiety and broken record feeling.
Taylor swift makes me hate music, young girls, life itself
@@abaker2921 okay
She said on the grammy museum that the anxiety part was intentional
@@abaker2921 then do the world a favour and give up on life 👍🏾
THANK YOU for not dismissing modern, simple music as “bad” for being modern and simple. I love the observation that these become chants, too. Although I would have loved to heard how the note relates to the harmony. ie, sitting on the note C sounds very different over a C-F progression than a C-dm-F-G progression.
“I Want You” by Savage Garden is another example. Almost every note in the verse is G.
Like a chicka cherry cola! 🎵
anytimeineedtoseyourfaceijust close my eyes
The G Note
Love that song. My mom always plays it.
imthekindofguywhoendorsesadeepcommitment
As a painter I found this so insightful! I love all music genres- the idea of a melody with few notes is like a painting with made with limited palettes. Old masters work had the challenge to create harmony and balance because many pigments were not invented! So similarly, its not about how many or little colour you use in a painting or how many notes in a melody but finding the balance and harmony ^^ thanks for uploading, cheers !
Again, a great video explaining how music works. Thank you for your hard work.
Thanks! 😊😊
John Lennon has soooo many songs that have one repeating note in them.
YEA
He doesn’t have any
@@jfgibson73 the video just gave an example
Honestly I immediately thought about Tomorrow Never Knows.
I gotta say, your composition was the one I personally found most appealing of the 5 composers challenge. Just the right amount of harmonic movement and arranged in a very expressive way
Thank you! That means a lot. 🙂
It wouldn't be a David Bennett Piano video without a Beatles reference
Yes! Not that i complain though.
Yes! Not that i complain though.
The monotonous line in Julia is probably trying to evoke the “meaninglessness” that John refers to.
I think the delicate beauty of the changes when the word "Julia" is sung would be lost in a "busier" melody
John seemed to do the "one note" thing a lot actually.
Agreed. This monotony of the song is broken and the note gets its relief only when the word Julia is sung, imo symbolising John's relief when he speaks his mother's name.
Lmao when he was like, “a lot of recent pop songs have been...” and the showed his first few examples I checked the date.
Lol
Well you know, how recent is recent? If it's in the past decade I think its fine.
5:44 ~Recent POP Songs~
Continues to play “What Makes You Beautiful” 2011.
yeah lmao I was about to check the posting time
As compared to other examples from 40-60 years ago, yeah it’s recent.
Considering music has been forever, it's recent af.
Yeah, of course music was just created on the 2000's and there is not music before so that song is recent
Hanging out with you listening to music with you would be alot of fun. I love the way you analyze music!
Cheers!
Agreed!
This guy is incredibly proficient in music and has an understanding way beyond his years. I love watching these videos! Subscribed!
Reminds me of Katy Perry’s “just because it’s over doesn’t mean it’s really over and if you think it over maybe you’ll be coming over again” chorus, where it repeats the same note AND the word “over” to emphasize that the song itself is about repeating an old cycle.
Uhh… didn’t expect to find you here lol
Gdgdgdg
"Se telefonando"'s chorus melody, famous italian song originally performed by Mina and arranged by M^Ennio Morricone, has only three notes placed in an interesting polyrhythmic way, considering that the song is in 4/4. Morricone said that for this melody he was inspired by Marseille police sirens.
The verses of MGMT's Little Dark Age also stay on the fifth most of the time, save for a few minor sixths used as ornamentation!
so good to see such a good channel as yours bringing brazillian songs!
greetings from Brasil and keep up the good work!
It's so catchy *because* everyone can 'sing' along!
I'm surprised no one mentioned REMs "It's the End of the World as We Know It."
That's a double track, one take singing B and the other singing D. Great some
@@User-jk8wq That would be a melody and a harmony.
Good suggestion - perhaps in a future video!
@@DavidBennettPiano All My Life by Foo Fighters too. The guitar stays the same too. I could be wrong. Let me go listen... (well just the first bit)
@@DavidBennettPiano Check out Elio e le storie tese "La canzone mononota"!. Really brilliant!! Greatings from Italy
So in elementary music education, we need to teach kids songs they know and love. Enough with teaching every kid to play Marry Had a Little Lamb on the violin. Give them another 3 note chorus that they know and love.
The problem with that would be everyone has different tastes in music
@@ieuanphillips4963 True - Maybe turn it into a medley/review situation? Instead of teaching kids one song, teach them snippets of several? That could give them a greater chance of finding something they like while helping them recognize patterns early.
Man dodges copyright like I dodge socializing with people my age
I like how he even wrote where he got the songs to avoid copyright. You got my respect. +1 sub from me
Lots of love from Nepal!!
Nice to see a fellow countryman :")
creeper aw man
sorry i had to do it its because of your profile pic im sry ahahdsegefdf........hgfd
Your piece Once, Two, Much was absolutely brilliant!
Thank you!!
One of my favourite fairly static melodies is the introduction to Night and Day by Cole Porter. Has a bit of word painting thrown in too!
Bill Evans' version really illustrates this.
give you a thump up from Hong Kong, the very first time that i find music theory interesting is watching your video talking about the first note of "yesterday"
I watched the 5 Composers video, and I loved your piece and the way it developed. Very emotive.
Thank you! 😃😃
I'm brand new on my composition journey and love your videos. Thank you so much.
Thanks Lydia 😄
You did a great job at David Bruce’s challenge. Very melodic and poppy in a positiv way. Pleasing the ear not just a bunch of notes....
Thank you!
I've been singing this way my whole life...
_I'm monotone_
Your profile pic fits this comment so perfectly
I feel you man
Realized that Icona Pop - I Love It is mostly using a single note. Didn't occur to me before, but now it's so obvious. Thanks for this video!
Quite a lot of the song “Ugly Heart” by GRL is the same note, most obviously the chorus but also for the most part of the verses too
Bro I never noticed that before! That’s wack
Nice pfp
Why are there dislikes on this video? This is the best channel I’ve ever found on UA-cam!
Thanks Joe!
Dawn Chorus by Thom Yorke
Slayer and DragonForce: whole scale every scale
Another very interesting video. Thank you so much. I don´t know if it was already mentioned in the comments but IMHO here´s a very good example of a "one-note-song": Plastic Bertrand "ca plane pour moi" ;-)
You do a great hob of illustrating your points. I'm referring to the highlighted '1', '2', & '3' in this video. Also, in the video about sleighbells in songs, you helped the listener hear the the sleigh bells by showing them on the screen. Good job!
Thanks Andy! 😃😃
Me, a basic girl seeing Taylor swift in the thumbnail: YES
Me, actually really liking this guy cause I like music theory: Y E S
i know this is just a a joke but i appreciate when people don't care about being "basic" instead of irrationaly despising anything that is popular 🥺
@@meowimg Basic ≠ popular.
But what if its a boy?
Well I came for John Lennon
I've been a huge Taylor fan since 1989 and started watching David's videos a little while before this particular video came out, so when I saw her in the thumbnail I KNEW he was going to talk about Out of the Woods 😁
7:19 andrew huang did a great video about this. Technically you could sing Closer over Mary had a little lamb and it would sound just fine
Never thought I'd see John Lennon and Taylor Swift in the same thumbnail. Anyway great video.
I was going to post a comment, but. This fella knows more about music than I can ever understand. He's like the Red Arrows! Here they come! Straight over my head!
In university, I was in the jazz band and we did improvised solos at every practice, the key for which was announced at the previous practice. C# came along and it had been a busy week with tests and papers due, so I didn't get enough practice in for that key. My solo ended up being just one pitch where I played with rhythm and dynamics. It was pretty awesome, actually, but our music directed caught on pretty quickly to why I went that route!
These videos make me feel so smart
Very knowladgeable guy. Love this deep insight. Like
G...Guys!
He didnt mention Radiohead! Are we 100% sure he hasn't been kidnapped and this isn't a coded clue??
😉😘
*calls for the police*
7:05 this part had me DYING laughing. It came off to me like David making an incredibly savage passive aggressive burn
In the case of Mr. Brightside, the other factor that makes the single-note work as a melody is that descending bassline. There's much movement in the bassline, so the singer does not at all seem like he's singing the same note over and over again. Which is remarkable, because not only is the melody one note, it's one chord played beneath it. If you ever do a video about bass-driven songs, this could be first on your list. :)
“Flood” from Jars of Clay would fit this category well.
Early to a David Bennett video? Consider this evening's free time well resolved.
Maestro Tom Jobim! Orgulho do Brasil!
Omg that "little samba" is pretty good in English! I clicked this video waiting to see that song and it was not disappointing. I love this song, one of the first that i learnd on guitar. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
You said Mr. Bright side and I started singing Mr. Blue Sky and was like "wait that has more than one note what?" And now I feel dumb
It missed "El sonidito" whose melody is just the C note: ua-cam.com/video/-XgNFLo5WOI/v-deo.html
jajajaja (laughs in Spanish) c mamo
Thanks to Gta V I know that this song exists
Came to the comments just for this.
i wanna go to the waypoint please kind sir
Hahaha este era el comentario que estaba buscando.
I've got another example: Bohemian Rhapsody!
...wait
i was gonna say yes but....
“purposefully limiting yourself though can be a really good way to spark creative ideas”
Hey, I just wanted to say that I'm very impressed. I initially thought I'd click off the video pretty quickly, but you actually maintained my interest amazingly well. I love this video! It was great.
I’ve seen very few musicians look at this kind of simpler music and give it the same treatment you did. I see a lot of musicians (including myself) get very annoyed with the repetitiveness of modern pop. But it’s very interesting to see a different way of looking at it. Great video.