Craig Anderton's Sound, Studio, and Stage

[LordBTY]

2:48



3:58



First one is in minor, what other songs feature this pattern?

[techristian]

This is basically a modified BossaNova rhythm. The roots spread wide through all Latin American and contemporary music. Your examples are actually the first HALF of a bossanova.

Dan

[blue2blue]

I made it through the intro to the Taylor Swift vid (two minutes and three seconds of my life I'll never get back) but I had to draw the line about 4 bars into the treacly sing-song autotune-solo, er, song. I did skip ahead to the break at the point you ref'ed but I couldn't hear anything special or intriguing or interesting in the slightest. (I was definitely amused by the cookie cutter love-interest dude. Wow. No cliche left unturned.)

The second track I couldn't make it through four bars of, the very poorly tuned vocals were even more annoying that the programmed 'vocal' from Swift, which, though obviously tuned, at least didn't have as many awkward tuning wrenchmarks as her previous, country efforts or this unfortunate effort.


I've listened to a lot of bossa nova over the last 50 years. I'm afraid I don't hear the linkage Dan suggests. But he's a drummer and I'm a guitar player. The thinking of those twain rarely meet.


With regard to finding other songs that use similar chord patterns, I mean, there are only so many patterns. This I - VI - IV thing is very common. Of course, it's very similar to the classic 50's do wop cadence I - VI - IV - V.

And, of course, all this has been commented on hilariously by Axis of Awesome. (NSFW language.)

[Ernest Buckley]

Originally Posted by blue2blue

I made it through the intro to the Taylor Swift vid (two minutes and three seconds of my life I'll never get back) but I had to draw the line about 4 bars into the treacly sing-song autotune-solo, er, song. I did skip ahead to the break at the point you ref'ed but I couldn't hear anything special or intriguing or interesting in the slightest. (I was definitely amused by the cookie cutter love-interest dude. Wow. No cliche left unturned.)

The second track I couldn't make it through four bars of, the old school hard tuned vocals were even more annoying that the programmed 'vocal' from Swift.

So... you liked it then?

[LordBTY]

Originally Posted by blue2blue

I made it through the intro to the Taylor Swift vid (two minutes and three seconds of my life I'll never get back) but I had to draw the line about 4 bars into the treacly sing-song autotune-solo, er, song. I did skip ahead to the break at the point you ref'ed but I couldn't hear anything special or intriguing or interesting in the slightest. (I was definitely amused by the cookie cutter love-interest dude. Wow. No cliche left unturned.)

The second track I couldn't make it through four bars of, the very poorly tuned vocals were even more annoying that the programmed 'vocal' from Swift, which, though obviously tuned, at least didn't have as many awkward tuning wrenchmarks as her previous, country efforts or this unfortunate effort.


I've listened to a lot of bossa nova over the last 50 years. I'm afraid I don't hear the linkage Dan suggests. But he's a drummer and I'm a guitar player. The thinking of those twain rarely meet.


With regard to finding other songs that use similar chord patterns, I mean, there are only so many patterns. This I - VI - IV thing is very common. Of course, it's very similar to the classic 50's do wop cadence I - VI - IV - V.

And, of course, all this has been commented on hilariously by Axis of Awesome. (NSFW language.)

It was just about 4 seconds I was referring to, along with the melodic contour over said progression. I'm trying to think where else I've heard that I VI IV used with that descending melody.

It's shame on me now
When you feel like falling down

[blue2blue]

I was just on my way back here to delete my perhaps uncharitable screed, which, on reflection, didn't seem to really address the OP's question. Suffice it to say the answer to your question, Ernest, is, not really... the Swift vid really got me going on the wrong foot with the loooooooong voiceover intro. Oh my heavens. It's like a perfume ad for tweakers.

But, anyhow, that's all impertinent to the OP's perfectly reasonable (if open-ended) question.

[elsongs]

I try to avoid I IV V progressions as much as possible. Even if it means no one under 30 will care for my music (they don't anyway, so no loss there...)

[Ernest Buckley]

Its funny, all this talk about chord progressions... I think there are 3-4 songs on my next record that all have the same chord progression:

VI / I / V / II9


The trick is getting them to sound like different songs. Obviously the melodies are all different but it is funny how I never noticed the progressions until I was actually in the studio working on producing them and not while I was writing them.

[MikeRivers]

Originally Posted by blue2blue

I made it through the intro to the Taylor Swift vid (two minutes and three seconds of my life I'll never get back)

My, that's a long intro! No, I didn't listen to it. I don't care. Music is in the eye of the creator. Acceptance is something else.

[LordBTY]

Originally Posted by Ernest Buckley

Its funny, all this talk about chord progressions... I think there are 3-4 songs on my next record that all have the same chord progression:

VI / I / V / II9


The trick is getting them to sound like different songs. Obviously the melodies are all different but it is funny how I never noticed the progressions until I was actually in the studio working on producing them and not while I was writing them.

I totally agree. Interesting chords can be good, but melody is what really matters.

Anyway, the aforementioned chords I was mentioning being used in such a manner feels quite power-ballad-like. Similar to 'once upon a time I was falling in love.. now I'm only falling apart.'

[Philter]

Originally Posted by LordBTY

I totally agree. Interesting chords can be good, but melody is what really matters.

Anyway, the aforementioned chords I was mentioning being used in such a manner feels quite power-ballad-like. Similar to 'once upon a time I was falling in love.. now I'm only falling apart.'

The melody is part of the chords. I don't think it's fair to try to separate them. It's not fair to the melody or to the chords. The proof of that is that the melody completely changes character if the chords are changed, and vice versa. It's like trying to choose a favorite leg bone.

[Lee Knight]

Call me silly but I think that Taylor Swift track is great. The pop instincts of Swift, Max Martin and Shellback are pretty cool to me. Fun stuff. That chorus kills.

I'm a little confused by your question though... edit: Ah, I got it, where haven't you heard it?

[blue2blue]

Originally Posted by Ernest Buckley

Its funny, all this talk about chord progressions... I think there are 3-4 songs on my next record that all have the same chord progression:

VI / I / V / II9


The trick is getting them to sound like different songs. Obviously the melodies are all different but it is funny how I never noticed the progressions until I was actually in the studio working on producing them and not while I was writing them.

I usually don't realize I've written over some of my 'favorite' changes until I go to transposing, and all of a sudden that fresh sounding thing falls familiarly into old moves. (This phenom, of course, is even worse on guitar than on keyboard.)

[blue2blue]

Originally Posted by Lee Knight

Call me silly but I think that Taylor Swift track is great. The pop instincts of Swift, Max Martin and Shellback are pretty cool to me. Fun stuff. That chorus kills.

I'm a little confused by your question though... edit: Ah, I got it, where haven't you heard it?

She's certainly gotten better -- I've heard her sing unaided in the last few years and it wasn't totally embarrassing -- basic folkie girl next door, but not the horrid trainwreck that her live singing had notoriously been in previous years -- and, crucially, the vocal editors assigned to recent projects appear to be much better than those who marred her earlier career with the who-cares-what-it-sounds-like Nashville tuning so typical of the first decade of the century. (Of course, it's generally easier to tune someone the closer they come to being able to hold pitch.)

[Lee Knight]

I'm less concerned about Taylor's vocal chops than her ability to create massive hits. Good songwriting, keen pop instincts. Some really good modern pop production and arranging. Max Martin knows how to stay current, I am a fan. That floats my boat.

And that long video intro... so.. you're telling me what was intended for a 16 year old girl doesn't appeal to you?!?!?! That seems like a good thing to me.

[blue2blue]

Actually, if I never had to hear the clumsy and obvious tuning on her voice that we became accustomed to in the Nashville pop era of her career again -- and if she hadn't won a Grammy for female Country Vocalist of the Year, celebrated on awards night by one of the most ear-shredding, tuneless TV vocal performances since Roseanne Barr decided to mangle the "Star Spangled Banner" -- I'd be a lot more inclined to forgive and forget.

FWIW, music intended for teenyboppers of either sex has almost never appealed to me. I didn't like 1910 Fruitgum Company, David Cassidy, the Archies, Ohio Express, the Partridge Family, etc, then. But I find this big budget, high gloss paean to tweaker trash culture somewhat more disturbing. At least most of those earlier teen-products were designed to project a wholesome image. I'm not sure how I'd feel if my teen daughter wanted to hang around with a style-challenged mutt like the dude in the vid.

[Lee Knight]

Originally Posted by blue2blue

I'm not sure how I'd feel if my teen daughter wanted to hang around with a style-challenged mutt like the dude in the vid.

Oh... you get used to that!

[blue2blue]

Maybe I'd rise to the job but I don't think I have what it takes. Every guy she went out with who reminded me of me at that age would be chased down the block with a sawed off...

[Folder]

Originally Posted by blue2blue

FWIW, music intended for teenyboppers of either sex has almost never appealed to me. I didn't like 1910 Fruitgum Company, David Cassidy, the Archies, Ohio Express, the Partridge Family, etc, then. But I find this big budget, high gloss paean to tweaker trash culture somewhat more disturbing

I haven't really heard a lot of her music but I saw a feature with Taylor Swift on 60 minutes a few years ago and I have to say I was truly impressed by her songwriting ability especially at such a young age. I think she was still a teenager and had already written several hit records.

I think most of today's teenybopper music is just manufactured musical image product. I imagine Katy Perry, Britney Spears and the like just showing up to sing over some hot shot producers pre-programed tracks and having very little say in the final product. I got the impression that Taylor Swift was pretty involved in the making of her music.

[Folder]

Originally Posted by blue2blue

FWIW, music intended for teenyboppers of either sex has almost never appealed to me. I didn't like 1910 Fruitgum Company, David Cassidy, the Archies, Ohio Express, the Partridge Family, etc, then.

Oh come on blue2blue you had to like some teeny bopper music as a child didn't you?

When I was a kid I just loved the Banana Splits.

I remember collecting Kelloggs cereal box tops and sending them in to order their records. I still remember the anticipation of waiting for what must have been at least a month before I received two yellow 45s with four songs on each. Man I loved those records and would play them everyday when I got home from school.

I guess you could say the Banana Splits were one of my first influences musically.

When I saw them on TV I knew that was what I wanted to do when I grew up.

This was my favorite: