Dovetail patterns-American Idiot by Green day

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.

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Sometimes a riff played in the opposite space of the melody such that they "dovetail" into each. Note the following:

(Riff ending with B)Don't wanna be an American idiot.
(Riff ending with Gb)Don't want a nation under the new media.
(Riff ending with B)And can you hear the sound of hysteria?
(Riff ending with Gb)The subliminal mind F### America.

So we could start the riff pattern as A-B-A-B and the same pattern is used by the melody. So together we get the following:
A A' (pronounced A and A prime)
B B'
A A'
B B'

Also note that the riff makes it a perfect place to use the "me first" density layer pattern. The guitar plays and then the band jumps in after the first riff completes.

Inner Patterns

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.

A inner twined pattern layer is the mark of a well put together song and Hound Dog is no exception. Similar to a figure ground pattern in art by focusing your gaze on different parts you can start to see different pictures. That is why sometimes even when everyone plays the "correct notes" the feel can be off because they are not playing off of the other players in the proper manner.

Try listening to Hound Dog picking out these items in the prescribed manner.

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog"(claps)"Crying all the time" (claps-drum roll)
"you ain't nothing but a hound dog" (guitar notes)"Crying all the time(claps-drum roll)
"Well you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine (drum roll-stop)

or you could look at in this way

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog"(arpeggio)"Crying all the time" (arpeggio-drum roll)
"you ain't nothing but a hound dog" (guitar notes)"Crying all the time(arpeggio-drum roll)
"Well you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine (drum roll-stop)

The patterns within the parenthesis are the counter patterns of the melody. They occurs in the holes of the melody and important in that give the theme added punch and structure. Try the following experiment to see how the counter melody functions.

First, sing the song a Capella and just breath in the holes.

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog"(breath)"Crying all the time" (breath breath)
"you ain't nothing but a hound dog" (breath)"Crying all the time(breath breath)
"Well you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine (long breath)

Now, try the following nonsensical but structured version.

"You ain't nothing but a hound dog"(clap twice)"Crying all the time" (clap twice pause foot stomp)
"you ain't nothing but a hound dog" (clap twice)"Crying all the time(clap twice pause foot stomp)
"Well you ain't never caught a rabbit and you ain't no friend of mine (drum roll on a table-stop)

You should see from this simple exercise the importance of counter melody in the pattern layer.

Create A Scene

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.

In my one time gig as an assistant gaffer, I was interested to note that the light guys like to create certain combos of lights into different scenes to pull up for different sections or feels as the song progresses. It become obvious that layer of abstraction is also present in the production of a density layer. Artists create scenes-collection of instruments who have certain roles or jobs. Let's look at the studio version of Hound Dog to note the scenes that are involved in this production.

There are basically two scenes involved in this production.

1. Verse
• Vocal-melody
• Drums-quant, pulse & change pattern at measure 12 (drum roll). Also note that there is a minor drumroll after measures 4 and 8 of the pattern
• Guitar A-quant arpregio
• Guitar B-counter melody in measure 8
• Bass-quant arpeggio
• Claps-pulse
• Everyone-stop change pattern in measure 12
  


2. Solo
• Guitar lead-theme
• Drums-quant and pulse and change pattern
• Bass-quant and pulse
• Background vocals-expand aural spectrum
• No change in measure 12 just drop back to Scene 1

Now with the scenes defined it is easy to see how the song flows.

• The guitar changes from a quant instrument to a theme instrument.
• The lead vocal theme drops out in the solo
• The background vocals are added to create tension
• The claps are dropped in the solo leaving the bass and drums to sustain the quant

This pattern can be considered a "toggle" pattern though a toggle pattern usually changes after each instance of a section. (Verse-Chorus)(Intro-Verse-Chorus) However, defining the density layer in this way allows you to instantly understand the inner logic of the production.

Mutt Lange density layer starting patterns

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.
Mutt Lange is possibly the greatest producer in the history of popular music. He brought fame and fortune to bands like AC/DC, Def Leppard, Nickelback and his ex wife Shania Twain. You can see a list of some of his monster hit albums at http://www.muttlange.net/. Mutt followed some basic density patterns for his songs that can easily be discerned.
On Highway to Hell, the startup pattern is join pattern. A join pattern is when different members are added, or join, as the song progresses.

The theme of the song is stated by the guitar. The drummer joins into the song next and the vocalist joins next. Notice that he uses the exact same pattern in the early Def Leppard hit "Photograph."


In "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHbdC1U1EaE -sorry embedding was not allowed), he does the same pattern with a slight twist in that Shania has a spoken part at the beginning before the join pattern gets in place.
Foreigner's Urgent is not exactly a join pattern but an "add" pattern because the new instruments, guitar in this case, add a new theme to the mix when they appear.

On the Car's "Magic", Lange uses a "Bang and Back Off" starting pattern. The full band play, plus a keyboard riff, starts the song off but the band is pulled back when the verse comes into play.

In the Car's Drive, there is a slight add, but it can also be seen a "Bang and Back off" as the theme dies when the lyric enters.

Look for more Mutt Lange posts in the future as this is just a tiny examination of his considerable catalog.

Pulse and Quant- Elvis' Hound Dog

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.

The pulse layer consists of elements that define the musical space. The quant instrument(s) define the smallest unit. In this Elvis tune, the steady appregiated bass figure played by the bass and guitar defines the smallest unit to the user. However, it leaves out a space in the process leaving a "quant hole." The figure defines for the user the musical space with a gap after the root note. The pulse, a pattern that lays on top of the quant, is define by the clapping figure. This steady pulse pushes the song forward until the "change pattern" of the drum roll following by a "stop pattern". This last two bars of a blues, called the "turnaround", sends the user back to the start and is extermely effective.
The density layer change between the solo and verse on this song is effective in adding tension. Notice on the famous live version of this on the Ed Sullivan song the solo isn't as effective as a tension without the background "ahs."

Also note the different arrangement with the solo following the verse directly in the live version while the recording plays the solo after the third verse. Also notice the choppy nature of the live version due to the fact that the guitar has the quant alone because of the low recording level of the bass.

Some thoughts on best practices for performing this song-

1. Having the solo after the second verse might be more effective as it splits the song up in a more logical fashion
2. The "ahs" over the solo add a lot. If you don't have the vocalist try maybe an organ or other instrument that can sustain over the measures to add the dynamic tension.
3. Doubling the bass figure with bass and guitar will "smooth" out the pulse of the song
4. The clapping adds a lot in the pulse layer, if the claps are absent try to make sure the drummer creates this pulse to push the song forward.

Density Layer-Smells Like Teen Spirit

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.


Nirvana use the density layer to make this song really come alive.
The song starts off in the intro playing the theme with a clean guitar and after 2 times through the whole band comes in and the guitar changes to a distorted guitar playing the same pattern. This is a very common pattern called a "me first" pattern. A me first pattern is when a single individual starts off with the theme and then joined by the rest of the band. It is very similar to an "join" pattern but a join pattern adds a single member at a time. Check out the following Fall Out Boy to see an example of a join pattern.


It is also very similar to an "add" pattern but an add pattern introduces added themes, not musicians. The following Fall Out Boy is a decent example of using an add pattern.


Not only is the density layer changed by using the me first pattern in Smells Like Teen Spirit but the pattern layer is changed by the fact that the guitar riff in the second part of the intro plays in the holes or breathing spots of the distorted guitar.

The drummer does a roll, which is a change pattern or a pattern that tells the user that the section is going to end, and the band jumps into another section with a totally different density layer. The guitar has changed to a chorus guitar and only plays 2 notes which the bass player plays a counter pattern. Note the section is much quieter but it is NOT because they are playing quietly. Their tones and their instrumentation create the quiet. Trying to play softer or louder in sections is a bad design pattern or as I like to call them a "Garage Band Smell." The quiet or loudness of a section is the result of the instrumentation and timbre of the instruments. The quietness or loudness of your playing should only be in response to the pattern you are performing not the section you are residing.

After reciting the lyrics of the first verse, a distorted guitar comes in the climb section to create tension in the density layer which ends with the drummer's drum roll.

The greater tension of the chorus is caused by the distorted guitar and the pulsing symbol crashes. The change out of the chorus is extremely effective because of the use of a "stop" pattern. A stop pattern is just what sounds like and is the most effective technique to create tension in the listener. The big crash and the lone guitar note pushes the user to the edge and then they fall back into the regular calm density layer for the second verse.

The song progress in the same manner through the chorus.After the chorus change pattern, the change goes to a solo. This is a good place because it breaks up the pattern of Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus leaving it broken after two times which keeps the listener's interest.

Note that after the solo, the band breaks back into the verse but the density layer is changed by the sustained chord on top instead of the chorus guitar 2 note them. This keeps the tension going after the climax in the solo and really gives the last verse a frightful feeling as the guitar feedback screeches in the background.

The piece from the pre-chorus or climb to the chorus is the same as the two previous times. However, in the chorus the drummer makes some subtle changes in the pattern layer that push the song to an even greater tension. The drummer is using a subtle counter pattern against the vocalist in the chorus.
With the lights out (drum toms)
its less dangerous (drum toms)
Here we are now (drum toms)
Entertain us (drum toms)
However at the end of chorus the drummer abandons this and keeps the pulse going. This makes the whole band feel like that are in unison thumping out a pulsing beat until the grand thumping end chord.

Questions to ask yourself to see if you can use these techniques in your own music

• Does your song have a guitar riff that acts a theme for the song? If so, using the me first pattern is always very effective.
• Does your song have change patterns to tell the user where each section change happens? It doesn't always have to be the drummer but if you don't have any change patterns in the music make sure the drummer plays a change pattern for each section change.
• Does your verse and chorus have different density layers? If not, this is the most important thing to do because it is important to keep the listener's interest
• Does your song have a stop? Look at the top songs rated by Rolling Stone (http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs) and you will notice that 95% of them use the stop pattern at some point. Sometimes less is more. Sometimes nothing speaks louder than words. Sometimes you gotta stop so the listener can remember you are playing.
• Do you have a song with a ABABAB pattern. Make sure you put some change after the second chorus like a solo to break up the monotony. Note how blues artists tend to play the solo after two times through the lyric pattern to break up the pattern.

Examples of the pattern layer and density layer using "Respect"

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.


The pattern layer is where the melodies and counter melodies of a song live. The important difference between a garage band and a professional band is the complexity of the counter melodies in the pattern layer. Being able to hear the different counter melodies is similar to finding out the different images in a figure-ground painting.

First, lets take a look at the queen of soul and her classic "Respect."


The first counter melody is between the horns blast and the guitar's melody line. The form is as such:
(Horns)Guitar Line (silence)
(Horns) Guitar Line (Keyboard note)
(Horns) Guitar Line (silence)
(Horns) Guitar Line (drummer and Aretha scream leads to first verse)

In the first verse, the singers and Aretha take to using the same pattern.
(Woo) What you want
(Woo) Baby I got it
(Woo) What you need
(Woo) You know I got it
(Do) All I'm asking
(Woo) Is for a little respect
(Just a little bit) Yea baby
(Just a little bit) etc.....

The patterns are similar however there is a difference in the density layer. The intro has the horns who hold their notes for the full measure thats add tension by adding to the spectrum level (low notes), harmonic density (more notes playing the chords), aural spectrum (the held notes fill in any empty speces in the sound). When these drop out in the first verse is becomes the classic "Bang and Back off pattern." This pattern occurs when multiple instrument layers are in the intro and are removed in the verse. This is a very common technique in the density layer.

Note that the drummer uses a "change" pattern to let the user know when the "chorus" section ends and leads you to the second verse.

Examples of different pulse layers using Rolling Stone top songs

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.

The quant, a main part of the pulse layer, is the instrument that defines the smallest level of notes that will be significant to the user. It is the foundation that the rest of the song leans upon. Sometimes there is the pulse of the song is not just one instrument but a combo on a pulse from one instrument and a predictable pattern.
Usually the quant is found via the drummer's symbols, however in this Ray Charles clip notice how the piano defines the "shuffle 8th notes" as the smallest unit and this is the foundation of every other instrument in the band.



Notice that on "Satisfaction" that the quant is defined by the snare (1-2-) and the tamborine (3-and-4).



Note the steady beat of the vibraphone (I think that is what instrument that is) on the quarter beat for the intro to Good Vibrations which makes a pulse for the song. Note that it isn't the quant in itself because the guitar riff pattern is playing on the downbeats which later mirrored by the drums. On the chorus, the synth strings eigth notes take over the pulse as the quant. This changing quant pattern is one of the strongest and most used of all popular music.



On Respect by the queen of soul Aretha Franklin, the pulse is a steady drum beat on the quarter note. The numberous counter melodies combine to make the quant. All of these hang on the steady beat of the straight drum track.



In John Lennon's Imagine, the piano is the pulse of the song for the intro and the drum kit takes up the pulse after the chorus.




Mavin Gaye's "What's going on" uses the common drum quant pattern.

Meta patterns

All music patterns derive from a few "meta" patterns. The meta patterns themselves are because of a rule that multi #1 hit songwriter Steve Seskin calls the "rule of 2." Simply put, the rule states that if you do something more than 2 times it creates boredom in the listerner. It could be the "why" in the most common musical lyric forms.
A-B-A-B-C-B or Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Bridge-Chorus
A-B-A-B (solo) A-B or Verse-Chorus- Verse-Chorus-(solo)-Verse-Chorus

Understanding the why behind the patterns will allow your music to be logical but not predictable which is the end goal of any song.

Common meta melodic patterns are:

• A-B or call and response
• A-B-A-B'(C) -which is call-answer-call-a slightly different answer
• A-A-B- which is the most common blues form
• A-A-A-B- which is really a different way to express the above pattern
• A-B-B which is really a deceptive call response pattern

It is important that every pattern creates a "hole" pattern where the previous pattern breathes or rests. For example:

"Mary had a little lamb" (rest or hole)

"Little lamb" (rest or hole)

"Little lamb" (rest or hole)

"Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow"(small hole)

Each pattern creates a "figure ground" like some of the great artwork by M.C. Escher.

//to do Escher painting

Garage Band Smells

This article builds upon the concept of the three layers of a song. If you are not aware of this concept please read this article here first.

In programming, use of design patterns as best practices has led to the discovery of bad practices which are called "smells." The understanding of the three layers of a popular music song has led to a similar practice. These bad practices will be called "Garage Band Smells" because they keep the band down to a level of a garage band and not a professional one.

1. No instrument has the quant
2. No instruments play "changes" to tell the listener that a section change is imminent
3. Same instrumentation throughout
4. No silence in song
5. No counter instrumentation
6. No spectrum change
7. Break the 2 times meta rule without consequence

Layers of a song

Popular music songs, in their greatest form, has three separate layers that each function to provide the song some unique function. A song that does not include all three layers will leave the listener with a feeling that the song has a "lack of direction." First, I will state the layers and then go into the elements of each layer in particular.

1. Pulse-This layer has an instrument define the aural space into discrete rhythmic units.
2. Pattern- This hosts the melody, the harmony, and any riffs.
3. Density-This layer is a constantly changing form that helps the user to understand the logical sections of a song.

Pulse

 A requirement for a song is that one or more instruments provide the listener with the smallest meaningful unit of time. This will function like train tracks and allow the band to put on layers of harmony and melody on top. Without this foundation, the rest of the elements of the song will not sound cohesive. The commonly used instrument for this purpose is drum symbols. The drummer will keep a constant 8th note pulse on the hi-hat or ride cymbal. Other examples could be having the bass pounding out 8th notes or a guitarist picking an 8th note arpeggio.

Pattern

These are the places in the song where rhythm met pitch. The foremost pattern in any song is the melody but a melody by itself is empty. The melody in itself creates "holes" where the melody stops and allows for counter melodies or other patterned forms. Patterns in this layer include the following:

• Melody-the main theme of the song, the musical part of the lyrics, if applicable
• Counter Melody - a melody that plays when the melody is "resting"
• Riff - a melodic pattern that is not subservient to the melody of the song
• Complement - a pattern that puts emphasis on a certain section of another pattern
• Change- a pattern that tells the user that a section change is imminent
• Harmony- a pattern of notes that imply a harmony, call be arpeggio or simultaneous
• Holes- places where patterns rest. For example, the part in the melody where the singer takes a breath.

Density

This layer is constantly changing and helps the user understand the sectional nature of the piece. The different densities allow the band to puts the ideas in their proper context. The densities are:

1. Harmonic- the thickness of the chords being played or how many notes are actualized vs. implied
2. Note how many instruments are playing a given note
3. Attack-how fast the notes are being played. For example, 8th notes vs half notes
4. Instrument-how many instruments are being played
5. Spectrum-how much of the aural landscape is being used. For example, you might be using bass tones or treble tones or both.
6. Aural-whether or not the aural space is being covered. For example, a staccato eight note melody would not cover as much as a legato half note melody
7. Timbre-the types of tones being used

The use and understanding of these layers will be the difference between a garage band and a professional group.