Categories
Music Theory Skepticism

Trebuchet – The Interview. Geo and Milt geek out.

A transcript of Milton Mermikides’ interview with George Hrab on his latest album ‘Trebuchet’
Painstakingly transcribed by Kylie Sturgess.
The hours of audio are here: http://www.geologicpodcast.com/2010/07****Warning geeky musical content ****

[scribd id=51447705 key=key-554x9iw362a5ex8r74p mode=list]

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

Modulations

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

Upper Structure Chords

Get on top of your harmony.[scribd id=50813436 key=key-2c52bur762jfva7la0oo mode=book]

Categories
Music Theory

The solution to the PD/DA/PF puzzle.

Yesterday I asked the (unlikely) question if anyone noticed a little musical easter egg I laid in the Pod Delusion tribute to Douglas Adams.

The podcast was edited in a way that made it barely audible and the reference is obtuse and lateral but here goes if you are keen to know.

The moment is most clearly heard at 56:00 of the pod delusion mp3 track.

In Pink Floyd’s tribute to Syd Barrett, ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond’ as the song is dying away the moog plays – in a very missable but achingly poignant way- the melody from Syd’s classic ‘See Emily Play’

The Hitchhiker’s theme (actually by the Eagles) that I rearranged is in a mode called Dorian (a particular scale with a lovely characteristic – see here for more: http://www.scribd.com/doc/47614279/An-Introduction-to-the-Wonderful-World-of-… This happens to be the same mode as ‘Shine On You Crazy Diamond’ so in my track as the last chord dies away, you hear a moog playing a little melody with the classic ‘Shine On’ four note guitar motif… What is the melody? The Pod Delusion theme.

The reason I did this is that Douglas Adams was a big Pink Floyd fan and as mentioned on the pod delusion special even played bass guitar with them on stage. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rk6nN-FVi0 which gives it all a nice symmetry. I won’t mention what happens at 42 seconds.

Here’s an annotated audio file:


Did you get it?

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

Complete Track Analysis Techniques

Complete Track Analysis

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

Popular Music Harmony: Inversions and Basslines

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory Research

Time-Feel Lecture Slides

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

Jazz Harmony Lecture Slides

Categories
Music Theory Research

Milton Mermikides Research Seminar – University of Surrey – Guildford

Milton Mermikides Research Seminar

Time-feel: the analysis, modeling and employment of sub-notational rhythmic expression

Date:
Tuesday 22 February 2011
Time:

16:00 to 18:00

Where?
TB06
Open to:
Public, Staff, Students

The analysis and pedagogical focus of the jazz idiom has, historically, been largely limited to those musical features most easily described within the standard notational system. These aspects took precedence over the hugely important stylistic mechanisms of rhythmic expression that fall between the cracks of standard notation. However, with 1) the advent of digital audio analysis, 2) an increased willingness and ability of practitioners to articulate this aspect of performance and 3) a conceptual liberation from a quantized grid-view of rhythm, light has been shed on this poorly understood and yet “most basic fundamental element” (Crook 1991) of jazz and popular music virtuosity. Through the consolidation of practitioner-led research and pedagogy (Mingus, Crook, Bergonzi and Moore etc.), current analytical research (Benadon, Naveda et al, Gerischer and Friberg & Sundström etc.) and extensive use of precise digital audio analysis, this paper presents a relatively simple, powerful and usable model of expressive micro-timing in jazz and contemporary popular music, variously referred to as ‘swing’, ‘groove’ or ‘rhythmic feel’ and here collectively termed ‘time-feel’.
Central to the model is the conceptual separation of the mechanisms of swing (offset of the second quaver) from latency (the sub-notational rhythmic placement of an individual performance relative to a negotiated time-line). This separation reveals and makes quantifiable a wealth of expressive rhythmic mechanisms (dynamic swing-levels, time-line hierarchy, time-feel blocks, differential elasticity, hyper-latency, swing friction, ensemble swing, isoplacement, latency contours and temporal plasticity) lost to the discretely delineated rhythmic paradigm. Analytical methods are suggested that create useful comparisons of stylistic and performer-based variations, as well as how time-feel may be controlled dynamically during performance. A formal mathematical model, specifically written real-time software, graphic notation and digital audio techniques are presented which may be employed with great flexibility for analysis or as supporting mechanisms to performance, pedagogical practice and composition. In order to demonstrate the real-world relevance of this model, detailed analysis and commentary of precisely measured rhythmic data is also presented in case studies with a diverse range of artists including Django Reinhardt, Jimi Hendrix, Chuck Berry, Michael Jackson, Nick Mason (Pink Floyd) and a specifically commissioned recording session with Pat Martino.

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

Rock and Pop Harmonic Devices

[scribd id=48711252 key=key-2iaz8sf9gsdqpgoa5051 mode=list]

 

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

Modal Interchange

Common modal interchange chords.

[scribd id=48706277 key=key-1wlqv6h66yf67alpbhhi mode=list]

Categories
Music Theory

An Introduction to the Wonderful World of Modes

Categories
Music Theory Research

A Little Drag – Time-feel analysis in Michael Jackson’s ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’

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A Little Drag.pdf (321 KB)

 

Extract from my PhD, an analysis of time-feel (rhythmic groove that escapes standard notation) in Michael Jackson’s ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ – rehearsal in This Is It (2010)
Audio extracts below.All transcription analysis and text ©2010 Milton Mermikides

The Way You Make Me Feel – Extract A by Michael Jackson  
Download now or listen on posterous

1.23 Michael Jackson Swing – Extract A.mp3 (198 KB)

 

Extract A Clicks by Milton Mermikides  
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1.24 Extract A clicks.mp3 (221 KB)

 

The Way You Make Me Feel – Extract B by Michael Jackson  
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1.25 Extract B.mp3 (506 KB)

 

Extract B 2 Of 67,69,71,73,75 by Milton Mermikides  
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1.26 Extract B 2 of 67,69,71,73,75.mp3 (740 KB)

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory Research

The Science and Art of Tuning – Lecture Slides

Categories
Learning & Teaching Music Theory

40 Elements of Popular Music Harmony

Not a comprehensive list, but understanding these elements (many covered in the Popular Music Harmony documents already posted) can really help understand the use of harmony is wide range of pieces in the jazz, rock, funk, blues, metal and pop idioms. In the future I’ll post some analyses of a range of tunes and show how this wide knowledge is needed to really understand what’s going on in contemporary popular music.
Simple? No. Don’t confuse accessible with simple. To really appreciate the harmony of the Beatles, Beck, Hancock, Gershwin and Stevie Wonder one needs as much understanding as that of ‘classical’ music harmony.

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