I have written about the Funky Drummer break several times here before, but this podcast episode is my best explanation of it. The main thing that’s new is the connection between this break and Afro-Latin tresillo patterns. I also programmed a bunch of variations on the groove for comparison purposes.
Check out this beautiful EP by one of my former songwriting students
Savelle was in my Song Factory class at the New School, and she just released her first EP. I could not be more excited for her, and I really dig these songs.
My favorite of the three is the bluesy opener, “Company.” I take no credit for any of this. Savelle came into class as a fully-formed musical persona. All I and her peers did was offer her encouragement and feedback (mostly “wow, that was beautiful.”) She did tell me that she found it helpful having to work outside her stylistic comfort zone, especially when she had to write a fun, upbeat pop song. Anyway, I don’t think anyone needs to publicly release music to get a benefit from songwriting, but when my students do, I am always happy for them. And it helps when the songs are this well-written and well-performed.
Podcast episode on swing
Podcast episode on blue notes
Modulations in “Man in the Mirror”
It’s modulation week in aural skills class, and that means we get to talk about my two favorite pop song key changes, both of which are from the same Michael Jackson song.
The song was written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett. Michael and Quincy Jones produced. Glen Ballard also co-wrote and produced “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips and “Hand in my Pocket” by Alanis Morrissette. The man has a way with an indelible earworm.
Ray Charles on the podcast
I did a podcast episode about Ray Charles’ recording of “You Are My Sunshine”, a crucial example for my pop theory and aural skills classes.
This is the first episode where I layered multiple versions of the same song on top of each other for ease of comparison.
The circle of fifths is a lie
In this episode, I use “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing” by Stevie Wonder (1973) as a jumping off point to contemplate the headache of naming notes and chords in keys with a lot of flats and sharps in them.
New podcast episode on McCoy Tyner and the fourths chord
Making my first podcast episode really lit a fire under me, so I quickly produced a second one, about quartal harmony in jazz, classical and film music.
Continue reading “New podcast episode on McCoy Tyner and the fourths chord”
I started a podcast
The debut episode is about “Peter Piper” by Run-DMC. This episode and the next couple will be free; then I’ll contemplate instituting a paywall.
Thelonious Monk plays the blues
Everything is terrible, but at least we have the blues to help us through it. Blues melody week is my favorite week of pop aural skills class. Last session, after one of my sections worked through some Aretha Franklin and John Lee Hooker, we listened to a couple of jazz tunes, including “Functional” by Thelonious Monk, recorded in 1957.
I love Monk so much that I forget how divisive he can be. A couple of my students visibly flinched at the opening seconds of this recording. In fairness to them, it is definitely intense.