Day 5 – Guiding principles
So here we are.
Day 5 of our challenge and we’ve exhausted all the basics already.
And yet, we’re just starting out.
The end is also a beginning. One challenge ends. Another begins.
So in this no man’s land between two races, let’s spend some time on philosophy.
Today, I want to talk about 3 fundamental principles you can use to think about your music on the micro level AND on the macro level.
I want to talk about the metaphysics of music.
1. Call and response
We mentioned yesterday that forms like the blues evolved on the basis of the to-and-fro interaction of field workers and probably have deeper roots in tribal and religious ceremonies.
Call and response is the fundamental structural principle for military cadences too.
Most of our interactions with the outside world are based on call and response — conversation, trade, study, performing, trial and error. We give and we receive; we exchange.
It’s only natural that the principle should be reflected in music too.
You can see it on the macro level — you leave the comfort of the tonal center in the beginning of the song, you travel to distant places, and at the end you (usually) return to the calm and safety of the tonic again.
But it’s also evident on the micro level, as we saw in the melodies in the beginning of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and Beethoven’s Fifth symphony.
Just like fractals appear to have the same shape at different levels of magnification, there are parallels between the rise and fall of a single melodic phrase and of the melody throughout the song.
In terms of harmony, the moment you add a second chord to the first, you are calling for a certain reply — whether it is a return to the first chord, a further exploration of the key before that return or even a change of key.
When you write and play a song, you are calling for a reaction from your audience.
If you’re as masterful as Freddie Mercury, you’ll be able to elicit a response from stadiums.
But even if your call is answered by just one person, it would not have been for naught.
2. Tension and release
This principle is closely related to the first.
Normally, we speak about tension when we play an out-of-key chord in the harmony, or a note which is not part of the chord or the scale in the melody. This is music’s way of creating drama begging for a denouement.
But the principle is as broad as it is pervasive.
Syncopation — playing a note just before or after the beat where it is supposed to fall — is tension. Skipping a kick or clap is tension too. Placing an unstressed syllable on a strong beat is tension (Do you like cooKIES?).
Playing a one-note solo is tension (have you noticed the reaction of the audience when that happens?).
Emitting a call is tension. Delaying or canceling the response is tension.
The moment we break the silence, people’s ears tense up.
The moment we leave the tonic, we stretch a spring that just wants to resume its initial position. A spring that just pulls back.
Tension is good, because without it we want be able to move a muscle (e.g. the heart muscle).
How much tension is good though, only you can decide.
Part of the pleasure of tension is in the expected release — it is hardly sustainable to remain under pressure indefinitely.
And it is up to you and to the purpose of your song to provide the right mix of both.
3. Repetition and variation
This last principle is an integral part of music.
In fact, there are studies showing that repeating a sentence makes it musical to our ears.
The repetition of a pattern of stressed syllables in the sentence, like the looped pattern of strong and weak beats we have in a measure of music, creates a groove and makes us want to dance.
The repetition of the rise and fall of intonation in the sentence reminds us of a melody.
So much for repetition.
And as we’ve mentioned a number of times already, the slight variations with each new repetition only make things more enticing and exciting. By simultaneously triggering recognition and expectation, repetition and variation together drive a song inexhorably forward.
4. Random coincidence
In today’s piece of random coincidence, it turns out I am not the only one calling out to the universe. In her video about how pros (start a) solo, Aimee Nolte touches on many of the concepts we talked about today and yesterday, including telling a story with music, calling and then listening for a response, etc.
In another video lesson, Steve Vai waxes poetical about technique and going deeper than the technique.
We talked a lot about the tools for writing music this week and his words are a welcome reminder about how to acquire those tools, that technique, and what to do with them, once you’ve mastered them.
5. Today’s challenge
If you’ve read this far, you’ve already done today’s challenge.
Well, maybe there’s one more thing.
Finish what you started this week.
The song. A song. Any song. Even a clumsy one.
Better clumsy and finished, than cool and unfinished.
What do you think?
Anyway, this challenge is finished. If anything feels unfinished, write back or comment below. If you can stomach it, post your song, or send it to me.
And of course, let’s agree on one thing.
This is just the beginning.
