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.

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