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.

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.

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.