The truth is this looks at what happens and mainly in the harmony. Imagine if we looked at what everything they did meant aswell as all the things they did
I study music at the university, currently passing my master degree and this analysis would give me headache (to be fair, I’m not that good at this). But when we have to analyse a part of a song (could be from middle-age to contemporary music), we usually have 4 hours
@@seangriffiths8036 That's because most composers probably do not write music solely from a theoretical standpoint. The analysis comes later. Brian Wilson put it very well this way: "music comes from the heart." He said the music seems to come through him unconsciously. I've been lucky enough to experience that too. It's like the songs are channeled or they write themselves. The theory may come in later when a song is polished but some songs are "born" whole and fully formed.
Start reading about musical theory, and if you're already a musician, play the song a few times and analyze what happens in it. You'll find this analysis pretty accurate.
This song unlike any other has hit the charts now on 3 occasions, initial release, Wayne's World and now the movie. Factor in Freddie's vocals and this little tidbit of information; artists who have covered this and other Queen tracks cannot produce the same results, they can't hit the notes the way Freddie did. It's time for Stairway to heaven to move aside, there's a new old number 1 song of all time,; Bohemian Rhapsody.
@@carlgustov7728 I am a HUGE Led Zeppelin fan. I'm going to admit 1 thing: "Stairway" is not my favorite Zep tune. (I see the pichforks coming"). "Since I've Been Loving You","Tea For One", "How Many More Times","Ten Years Gone"and more deserved more airplay then they got. "Stairway" was burned out by overplay.
@@DavidBennettPiano Really awesome analysis. Understanding these songs make them even more enjoyable. How can one access those multitracks you worked with?
1st section: Bb, and then Eb 2nd section: Starts in A, goes back to Eb, goes to F# for a sec, back to Eb, Final Section starts in Eb mixolydian(or Bb), and finally ends definitively in Eb
@@damsapollo the fact that it isn't really a rock or jazz song makes it about as rock and roll as it gets. Subverting expectations, one legend at a time.
In this one, yeah, but there's a bunch of videos in which he speaks about the historical side of a song or its influence (what i meant by musicology), and then he gets more into the analysis of tonalities, chords, modes etc... (what i meant by music theory) !
Dawson Skinner Well, I’m currently passing my master degree in musicology and I can tell you one thing : musicology and music theory are two differents things
@@sun4502 music theory is the math and mechanics of notes, harmony, rhythm etc... Musicology is the historic, cultural and contextual analysis of music making.
Musical parkour is a brilliant description what this song does. But Freddie put the work in beforehand as he had musical training in voice and piano. He loved opera but, he had pop and rock sensibilities too. Genius.
From the first time I ever heard it, it was obvious that this was a very complicated operatic rock song, but now I have seen it broken down in this way, it seems clear to me that not only was Freddy a great songwriter and a great showman, he was truly a musical GENIUS, and maybe because this song was written and performed by a rock group - Queen, that nobody realized that Freddy Mercury actually belongs up there with all the Masters, such as Beethoven and Brahms. This is really truly amazing stuff! BTW, I am in no way minimizing what the rest of the band did. All of them are brilliant musicians, without which this could not have been created.
17:54 "ending with the most melancholic of chords: the minor version of the fourth chord" guess I've never seen a better definition to my beloved chord ♥️ Magnific analysis. I admire this song even more now
Thank you! I spent so long on this video that I was going mad! I'm glad you like it. A true testament to how good Bohemian Rhapsody really is is that, even after listening to it hundreds of times to write and edit this video, I only found myself more and more impressed and amazed at what a wonderful and beautiful song it is! Also.... thank GOD this wasn't taken down for copyright!
@@DavidBennettPiano I hope it will stay on the internet indeed ! That's one of the best composition ever, so clever and musical at the same time ! I really like how they used functionnal harmony, usually I hate cadences but here they are put at good use ! Very cool vidéo also, the editing and fades between your voice and the music are just perfect
Man, if you keep on making videos of this high quality, you can expect this channel to blow up in the near future. Came for the Radiohead stuff, but I'm here to stay. Awesome work!
Agree the quality is top! But can it blow up, I mean how many people know music theory that well and are interested in it? 😂 I just wrote my high school finals in music (year 13 here) and I'm struggling to understand everything with the chords and so on 😁
Not sure if it'll blow up, it's pretty heavy on the music theory which makes it suitable just for a niche market. Nonetheless, it is very high quality content indeed.
I’ve never really been a music person. I don’t play any instruments and I can’t read sheet music, but I will say I listen to music a lot. I’m really grateful for your channel and content. You explain music in a very digestive manner and I’m able to learn things about songs that give me a greater sense of wonder and amazement. I would’ve never understood the musical crazy genius of Freddy Mercury without seeing this video. Thanks for helping us non-music people out by explaining the musical frameworks and artistic composition of music in an way that’s easy to understand. Love your content and I can’t wait to see what musical greatness is in store for you! You’d be a great musical professor! :)
I think that it's really cool that even though you don't play an instrument or whatever, you still enjoy watching videos like this ! I'm a music teacher/performer and if it wasn't for people such as yourself us musicians and teachers would be out of work. Thank you for your pursuit of your love of music ! I'll be producing some educational videos on my own channel soon, reading what you wrote here is inspiring, thank you ! Archangel Michael
All people who understand music: Yes, yes, hmmm, ahhh, agree. Me: The f*ck is he talking about?!? My favourite song in the world and I love watching things like this. Just increases my appreciation for Freddie's brilliance! Even if I know idea what's going on.
Its equally as impressive that Mercurys lyrics blend perfectly to what is going on in the music. Eg the 'easy come easy go, little high little low' matches the music beautifully. The song is full of it front to back, and it really allows the chords and melodies to sing 100 times louder than they would without the lyrics. Thanks again for another great video
I have no idea what any of this means but it’s so beautiful the way he breaks it down so seamlessly, it makes me appreciate this song and music even more.
I had no idea the song even has a key change its so smooth i never even tried to analyze it. And i agree, the last part is the most amazing especially the little details
I think you're missing something vitally important here: many of those "functional" chords has at least one extra note in it, transforming it into something special and delightful!! Take for example the "F7" which starts bar 9 (at the middle of 4:12)... it is NOT just a plain old F7 chord - there is an extra note there that i can't pinpoint, which makes it more mystical than just a bargain-basement F7 - YET, it still functions in that role even though technically its something different. I call this GENIUS!!! Freddy Mercury was sooo gifted in so many ways - one of them being that he could take the ordinary and make it special, almost effortlessly.
Nice breakdown. Reminds me of chord structures that ELO used a lot. Would love to have you breakdown an ELO song. Thanks again for your thoughtful insight on pop music.
I really appreciate this great analysis! Your "what if" alterations of chords to the common expected resolutions really show the impact of the chords used in the song. There are so many interesting things going on!
Everyone who hasn't listened to the instrumental tracking session for Bohemian Rhapsody needs to do so. Just Freddie on piano, John on bass and Roger on drums, without the vocals as a reference point for all the weird rhythmic emphases in the operatic section, and all the uneven stopping and starting. Really a credit to John and Roger as players in addition to Freddie as a composer.
that was an incredibly interesting analysis !! even if it sounds weird to hear your special examples because we are so used to hear this song, they were in fact very informativ ! Thank you so much for your work, you definitely deserve more suscribers !! cheers from France :) Louis
You've done a wonderful job of opening up this song and showing us into Freddie's brain. I have studied some basic music theory, so I get what you are saying, and it is fascinating.
14:38 How dare you interrupt my eminent head banging! But on another note, great analysis! Looking forward to learning everything about this song. I've already analyzed the heck out of the lyrics, but great job with this musical analysis!
You are very intelligent and I enjoyed watching your dissection of one of my favorite songs. You did not let your musical knowledge take away the passion and love that this song is. Good job.
This was awesome to watch! I've arranged 'Boh Rap' for 12 guitars recently and it's an absolute joy to see Freddie's genius real close up! Great great video! Thank you
I’m absolitely impressed; this is a perfect piece of music, a masterpiece that will remain in the mind and heart of music lovers the sane as the great music of such Mozart or Beethoven (great music is timeless)
Whoa, incredible analysis! This is always a song I wanted to pick apart musically myself, but never had the time. Thanks for all your hard work, keep it up!
In an industry where songs come and go with great rapidity, most people in 1975 saw this as a novelty song that would eventually fizzle out and get buried under the weight of other modern compositions, but here we are in 2020 still talking about Bohemian Rhapsody!
Absolutely excellent analysis! I love that you cite potential points of disagreement like between Bb6 vs. inverted Gm7 voicing.. musical analysis has so much to do with perception, but you build cases for your opinions.. much respect!
Your understanding is “off the charts,” but what also impresses me are the video aspects you employ: separating aural sections, showing the written score, etc. So impressive. And, I imagine, exhausting for you. Greatly appreciated!!!!!!!! (This is eye-opening and mind-expanding!)
A key contains a collection of notes. Each of those notes have a chord based upon them, and we typically refer to them using roman numerals. So in the key of C for example, C would be I, D would be ii, E would be iii, and so on. Well a perfect cadence is the V chord (known as the dominant) resolving to a I chord (the tonic). I don't know that this explanation will help at all, if you don't know music theory it probably won't, but I tried. xD
This is absolutely BRILLIANT! Your analysis is superb and I can't believe the amount of time and effort it must have taken to do this "song" justice the way you did. Curiously, the song's chromatic ambiguity and riches seems to be a fitting musical portrait of Freddy as a person, including the mix of styles, genres and meters. Your analysis blew me away. Thank you!
The Jump to the A is derivative of the Paul McCartney Piano Section from "A Day in the Life" which in many ways inspired Bohemian Rhapsody they just took a different turn so.
Masterpiece! Both this song and your video! Thanks a ton for that. It feels great understanding how this musical beauty works. Keep the good stuff comin!
I learned the little bit of music theory that I get from listening to recorded Leonard Bernstein talks. David, you remind me of him with your clarity and excellent use of examples. Thanks so much for your generosity in posting these wonderful talks.
I feel like all you where doing was drooling over how amazing this song is I loved this video always love how passionate you sound when you talk about music
This is totally awesome! I studied piano to grade 5 and managed to follow along with this. Such a great analysis and really explains why Bohemian Rhapsody is such an incredibly intricate piece of songwriting, that manages to connect to every listener. Well done that man!
I am currently doing my Cambridge A level music and Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the songs I wanted to further look at, but knowing that it's so long I just didn't want to get started on it. Thanks for doing this video, I really saved a lot of my time on personal analysis and suffering lol 😂
They first leaked on-line about 11 years ago. Unlike videogame stems, which only contain already-mixed separate instruments (e.g. bass or piano), these are the contents of each of the 24 tracks they used in Wales and England in 1975. So you can hear, for instance, the bass signal coming from the amp, the bass signal coming from DI, the bass signal coming from the speaker...
Hello young man, for such a young man a lot of insight into music, but I had to smile a bit, that you all take tone increases as an example of one and the same composer, well heard.
David your explanation of the chords and notes in your videos are terrific. I love not only seeing but also hearing the notes and chords. It has helped me become a better musician. You are a gifted young man. Thank you.
This was amazing. Thank you for dissecting a song that I've loved for years and continue to love. And now that I know what's going on, I can appreciate it all the more.
Hello David, you are a terrific communicator and are extremely well prepared. Anytime I start a video of yours I cannot stop till the end! Congratulations!!
Holy crap! This is excellent. Fascinating. Thorough. And thoroughly confusing. I am currently learning Bohemian Rhapsody on piano. I have never been happier that I know next to nothing about music theory. I play piano partly by ear (the rhythm), and partly by reading the music note-for-note and memorising it as I go (so I can then get rid of the distraction of trying to read the music quickly enough). From your break down here, it sounds like if I DID know music theory, I would be completely confused by all its irregularities. Good thing I don’t notice them! 😝. Excellent job!
4:22 I'd say the Bb7 - Eb is just I7- IV, since I see the F7 and following B - Bb as a V- subV (or in other words bII7, but in triad form) I. After the Bb in bar 10 we do have some of that iconic chromatic modulation going on. Another reason why it's still in Bb is because the chromatic stuff is circling around Bb, thereby giving us a "rooted" feeling on said Bb. Even the Bb(7) - Eb is just a secondary dominant going to the 4th degree. After this we see a line cliche bringing us down to F, which is the dominant leading us back to Bb. Unlike the chorus, where we quite clearly move to Eb, in the intro, every "modulation" to Eb to me seems like it's temporarily going to the 4th degree of the scale (Eb) before going back to the root of the key. 18:31 ooh god what is that is that abomination? That's A C7(b9)
I've watched plenty of your videos as they show up on my recommended and i've enjoyed them all, but this one earned you a subscription. Excellent video.
Even if the lyrics were removed, the music itself in Bohemian Rhapsody tells a story. Sure, the actual lyrics themselves don’t really have a real narrative flow, but when with the music, it tells a story. “Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?” The chords used in the intro of the song fit the lyrics perfectly, creating a distorted, dazed confused feel for the narrative. This narrative could almost be viewed as the journey and growth of someone’s life; the intro being them trying to find their way in life, their purpose, who and what they are, etc, for a majority of their earlier years. Sooner or later though, they find a little bit of peace in this represented by the “verse” part of the song; the ballad. But they are always held back despite having found some peace, which is shown by the end of the intro with the Bb key never being able to fully justify itself as the key of the song due to being held back the chromatic notes that surround it. This pattern somewhat continues throughout the ballad, which doesn’t necessarily have a happy nor an unhappy feel to it. Our protagonist is kind of stuck somewhere in the middle. Sometimes coming close to finding peace, but always getting stopped short, (the Bb key never fully being able to settle.) But in the protagonist’s mind, they’re like, “Hey, things aren’t so bad, they could be better even though you’re a bit confused but it’s mostly fine.” They believe this for the most part, but there’s always a part of them striving for more, knowing that although they like parts of this life, they can do better. And there still is definitely a lot of room for growth and exploration. But they’re always contained and held back by something. It might be a friend, spouse, parent, introvert-ness, that’s up for interpretation. Then they make a breakthrough; the operatic section. Whatever was holding them back, they broke free from it. Now they’re ready to explore and live life to the fullest, but little do they know that the world is a whole lot bigger than what their previous restrained mind thought it was. But nonetheless, they still pursue to find peace and purpose throughout the operatic section. When the rock section arrives, they’ve done pretty well for themselves by now, a couple bumps, but pretty good overall. They’re happy, but not yet fully satisfied. They’re still craving for more. This could be represented by how through parts of the operatic and almost if not all of the rock section there’s a constant feeling of upwards-ness. Everything sounds like it’s right, happy, moving upwards in life, it gives the listener and the main character an excitement. Things are finally going right, everything is going right up, they’re headed down the right path that will sooner or later lead them to full enjoyment of life. Then, the outro. This section of the song is the most confusing to interpret in this theory. It sounds as if our protagonist has finally reached their goal, their point, purpose, meaning, etc. That ladder that the operatic and rock section created has finally been climbed to the top. But something feels... off. Almost as if the end result was disappointing, or maybe the ladder merged into different platforms at the top and the wrong platform was chosen. Or perhaps wrong ladder was took. Maybe all that was needed to be happy was in the ballad section. Maybe our protagonist might think that they should’ve stayed there, life was somewhat dull but ok there. Or maybe it’s just bittersweetness for leaving behind all the random in-the-moment fun that was had in the past- (operatic and rock) despite all the bumps that were encountered. It could also be insecurities and doubts, for the protagonist has maybe found their purpose and broken free, but is unsure because of the bittersweet-ness they’re feeling. There’s a definite chance that could be the case, for the Bb finally escapes the chromatic notes that were entrapping it at the very end of the song. Maybe the last 10 seconds of the song could represent them in a riding-off-into the-sunset type ending, which the bittersweet notes display perfectly. But what about the lyrics? They don’t sound happy at all- “nothing really matters to me”- even though our protagonist has seemingly reached a long worked for, well deserved ending. What I can best decipher is that the goal is achieved, bittersweet but achieved. But although everything should feel right... something doesn’t. Sure, there’s a lot of bittersweet feelings, as most transitional stages in life contain them, but there’s something else bothering our tired protagonist. This is represented by the lyrics of the outro. To sum those up- “Nothing really matters to me”. Perhaps, although receiving a happy pay-off for all of our hero’s hard work that in any book or movie would be a perfect, cheesy ending they realize that life isn’t a book or movie. Sure they’ve reached the best life they possibly could... but now there’s nothing left. Whatever that final happy pay-off may be, a partner, child, whatever, it feels so...empty. They do definitely care and love that pay-off, but what now? There’s nothing new left for them to discover, explore, realize and most of all- experience. They’ve done everything they possibly could. This could apply to so much more than someone’s life or growth as a person. A fun day of play as a kid, but eventually having to go back inside the house to wake up for just another day. Another day at work to come home to the same family everyday, rinse and repeat. Sure, whatever you come back to, (the outro), may be suitable and fine, but there could be so much more to life. But you keep telling yourself, “this is fine”. This is what our protagonist did in the beginning of their life, and realized that there was more, sk they pursed that “more”. But when they did that and came to the operatic section, they were so blinded by joy they didn’t see or chose not to think of the emptiness that their riding off into the sunset ending would have. So by the time the rock section comes about, there’s a sense of down, even at its most exciting part, because at the end of the day, everything must come to an end- the children must go home after all the fun. But is this really true? What was the protagonist’s ending? A tired but overall happy well deserved closer, where they can ride off into the sunset and happily bask in their achievement until their days are done? Or have they achieved all this but feel so...empty inside? Sure the Bb broke free... but it feels so pointless now, just caught in a loop, where’s the excitement, the nerve-wracking but thrilling uncertainty? Even describing this feels like a loop; “The Bb broke free, suitable but empty” blah blah blah. They say the journey is what matters most, not the destination... so what happens when you reach the destination?... But hey, things aren’t so bad, they could be better even though you’re a bit lost but it’s mostly fine.
I haven't analyzed anything since college (1976) but you are so clear and precise (and my understanding of chord progressions in Musical Theater scores since then) I was able to airplay your chords as you highlighted them and WOW! Thank you for the work/time you spent on this... Amazing!
Extraordinarily impressive analysis demonstrating the fineness of Freddie Mercury's masterpiece. Great insight ! David, I know that you want to focus on music theory on your channel, but you perform piano so beautifully. Might you also offer us a bit more (and longer) piano performances ? Besides enjoyment, I also learn from listening to you perform. (Piano is not my primary instrument.)
My question to you is this: Do you think Freddie understood all of this at a technical level, or just used his gut intuition to write it? I know he had some training in music at school, but I doubt to the level you are talking about here. So did he study it further, or was it just how he "felt" it should be?
I think he knew more than he let on, but I also think that he had a fantastic ear and knew what sounded good. Also by this point, he was on his fourth album and I'm sure he had some on the job training while he was composing.
@@caleblarsen5490 Could be But I would have thought someone would have mentioned it if that was the case He said he went to grade 4 and stopped because he struggled to read music His friends from school said he would hear music/piano on radio and just reproduce it
School mates said he would hear music/piano on the radio and just reproduce it He didn't go further than grade 4 because he struggled to read music I have no idea what would have been taught to that level But I think it's very much instinct
@@theresasutherland2380 Yes I think that's the case he learnt the basics the rest was instinct The guy from ibex / wreckage was happy with what they did but Freddie taught them a lot how to make it more interesting by changing keys which they didn't think was that important at the time Even richard who was a very good producer said he learnt from freddie he just had an instinct and even when hed gone and he was producing he feel he could hear Freddie no try this and it was better (I dont mean in a literal sense) I think it's sad he lost confidence or passion? For the piano When he met mike moran and couldnt play/compose read and write music to his level he seemed to think what he could do wasn't that good But he brought something a lot of higher trained pianists cant it's like singing someone might have learnt more but you have that something or you dont! But for someone who wasn't trained at all eith singing and only basics I think he was extremely talented He composed bo rap on instinct! I cant help smile on some times that very would be listening as intently as us oh ok that's what I did! Mike was very accomplished composer and he admitted they had banter Freddie would suggest a change,it wont work,try it,didnt work,see,ok try this...did work,see Mike said he was quite happy with what he did and considered it done but changes freddie would do did elevate a few of his pieces Even brian complimented him! Saying it was like he had a metronome inside of him! Roger liked playing with him because of his sense of rhythm..
This is such a well-produced and truly thorough and clear video Conceiving, planning, making, and editing this video could not have been easy. I appreciate all of the hard work David put into this video and his others.
I literally was thinking when will your new upload be last night and saw it this morning!!!... Well done dude, enjoy watching this analysis as usual ❤️
I've been thinking 'when will I upload a video next' for the last three weeks --- this video took ALOT longer than I thought on every level... research, filming, editing... it's basically two videos duration-wise as well!
Awesome analysis. So glad somebody took the time with this masterpiece. At around 13:48 you talk about the rapid progression of chords that move too quickly to establish anything til they stop moving, however I think they very strongly establish that we are moving, via perfect cadence back to Eb (but who knows when!). This starts at the Gb, resolving to B (Cb) then D, then Gb, then home again to Eb. The changes need to be fast in order to really push (delay) the tension before we hit the Eb. A brilliant little trick to keep the listener on their toes. If you play the triads on a keyboard its easy to visualize the way Freddie might have thought of it, as the voice leading is pretty clear. The apex of this section is the awesome “mama mia” lyric, (we’re locked in on Eb, and the music drops out momentarily for effect) which references verse 1, thus kind of bringing it back home lyrically and closing the theme of the protagonist crying to mama. Indeed the next section (the rock part) is the protagonist kind of changing character and “yelling out to the world” that he doesn’t want to accept his fate, unlike all of the previous sections in which he is acquiescing to his fate. So yeah. Big changes deserve lots of perfect cadences lol. Second, I always found it interesting that the last chord of the song is F, not Bb. If you look at the entire song as basically a big huge dominant chord that resolves to F (only at the last bar), the analysis gets even cooler! Tl;dr: chords are fun. Mercury was a genius. (Edit: remind everyone that Mercury was a genius)
Good video.The year of 1975 was WILD on the radio.(FM and AM) Look at lists of top 100 and see what was on the air waves UNLESS you remember it. I turned 19 at the end of October and after (or on) Halloween, BR was played on FM radio (US). It was SO different from all other songs played that year, it took a few times to listen to it (and many hated it - could not dance to it) and then wait for the Album to come out a few weeks later. The song was released as a single, I only bought albums then. My ears loved the song and the whole album.
If this is a brief analysis, I can’t even imagine what an in depth one would be
The truth is this looks at what happens and mainly in the harmony. Imagine if we looked at what everything they did meant aswell as all the things they did
Oh, trust me, even a bachelor's degree-level of music theory, involving the chord analysis of this song, would make you question your love of music.
I study music at the university, currently passing my master degree and this analysis would give me headache (to be fair, I’m not that good at this). But when we have to analyse a part of a song (could be from middle-age to contemporary music), we usually have 4 hours
Bricky C what’s amazing is that Freddie Mercury did all of this instinctually without in depth music study.
@@seangriffiths8036 That's because most composers probably do not write music solely from a theoretical standpoint. The analysis comes later. Brian Wilson put it very well this way: "music comes from the heart." He said the music seems to come through him unconsciously. I've been lucky enough to experience that too. It's like the songs are channeled or they write themselves. The theory may come in later when a song is polished but some songs are "born" whole and fully formed.
I truly wish I understood what any of what you said means.
Lmao my superior basic music theory knowledge grants me access to sort of not really understanding what he said
Start reading about musical theory, and if you're already a musician, play the song a few times and analyze what happens in it. You'll find this analysis pretty accurate.
Me hardly understanding this video really makes me want to learn music theory.
Patrick Ahearne same and I’m supposed to be doing gcse music
@@theyellowentity9668 mood
19:12 "The last note breaks free."
But did it _want_ to break free?
God knows it wanted to break free
I guess it was under pressure..
God knows.
This time for real tho.
Life still goes on though
I've always loved this song on a visceral level, but seeing and hearing this analysis now makes me think of it as a jaw-dropping work of genius. ...
Totally agree.
This song unlike any other has hit the charts now on 3 occasions, initial release, Wayne's World and now the movie. Factor in Freddie's vocals and this little tidbit of information; artists who have covered this and other Queen tracks cannot produce the same results, they can't hit the notes the way Freddie did. It's time for Stairway to heaven to move aside, there's a new old number 1 song of all time,; Bohemian Rhapsody.
@@carlgustov7728 sorry Carl as much as I love BR STH isn't going anywhere. It got there first nothing will ever change that!
@@carlgustov7728 I am a HUGE Led Zeppelin fan. I'm going to admit 1 thing: "Stairway" is not my favorite Zep tune. (I see the pichforks coming"). "Since I've Been Loving You","Tea For One", "How Many More Times","Ten Years Gone"and more deserved more airplay then they got. "Stairway" was burned out by overplay.
@@carlgustov7728 naw, sff has to take the cake
The part with the final note (“...blows”) breaking free from the motif gave me goosebumps. Awesome analysis.
That bit has always given me goosebumps! Glad I got my point across 🙂
Bohemian Rhapsody guitar solo was written by Brian May
Same!! When he said that the note breaks free I just listened to it and suddenly I had tears in my eyes.
Rover Waters It wasn’t, it was written by Freddie. Brian May has said this himself. Bohemian Rhapsody was done entirely by Freddie Mercury
@@DavidBennettPiano Really awesome analysis. Understanding these songs make them even more enjoyable. How can one access those multitracks you worked with?
What key is Bohemian Rhapsody in?
Freddie Mercury: yes.
cringe
1st section: Bb, and then Eb 2nd section: Starts in A, goes back to Eb, goes to F# for a sec, back to Eb, Final Section starts in Eb mixolydian(or Bb), and finally ends definitively in Eb
So that would make it Jazz
@@Musicman1506_ Maybe? But this song isn't only a rock song either.
@@damsapollo the fact that it isn't really a rock or jazz song makes it about as rock and roll as it gets. Subverting expectations, one legend at a time.
Man I don't think I've ever seen someone who can mix music theory and musicology better than u do
Ju Seg music theory and musicology are one in the same
In this one, yeah, but there's a bunch of videos in which he speaks about the historical side of a song or its influence (what i meant by musicology), and then he gets more into the analysis of tonalities, chords, modes etc... (what i meant by music theory) !
Dawson Skinner Well, I’m currently passing my master degree in musicology and I can tell you one thing : musicology and music theory are two differents things
@@zGrego Whats the difference ?
@@sun4502 music theory is the math and mechanics of notes, harmony, rhythm etc... Musicology is the historic, cultural and contextual analysis of music making.
Literally shed a tear when that bohemian motif resolved. Thank you.
Victor Kholod me too!
Me too ...
Creative people create. The rest of us try to figure it out.
Right!
Tis the circle of life
Very good way of saying that !
figures
Creative people try to figure it out by creating
Freddy Mercury jumping from one key to another in Bohemian Rhapsody: *Parkour!*
This made me giggle!
Musical parkour is a brilliant description what this song does. But Freddie put the work in beforehand as he had musical training in voice and piano. He loved opera but, he had pop and rock sensibilities too. Genius.
@@BigHenFor Good say!
Never stop doing what you're doing
Agreed
From the first time I ever heard it, it was obvious that this was a very complicated operatic rock song, but now I have seen it broken down in this way, it seems clear to me that not only was Freddy a great songwriter and a great showman, he was truly a musical GENIUS, and maybe because this song was written and performed by a rock group - Queen, that nobody realized that Freddy Mercury actually belongs up there with all the Masters, such as Beethoven and Brahms. This is really truly amazing stuff! BTW, I am in no way minimizing what the rest of the band did. All of them are brilliant musicians, without which this could not have been created.
damned right
You are correct, all of Freddie's song are quite complex, even the songs that sounds simple.
Queen isn’t a rock band
Yeah, gotta appreciate Brian may, the shit he wrote for guitar was so perfect
16:11 so even legends have voice cracks lol
Easily the best voice crack I've ever heard!
How dare he show the flaws of Freddie, doesn't he know he's the one and only god?
Yes, but when put back in the mix with the other track(s) on the same note, the 'crack' is hidden - effectively on the cutting room floor.
His voice didn't crack. He just invented Björk.
@@pepijndeputter8892 It's not just the flaws of Freddie, it's the pain of Freddie.
He recorded it like that on purpose to give those verses more power. Brian May has discussed it before.
17:54 "ending with the most melancholic of chords: the minor version of the fourth chord" guess I've never seen a better definition to my beloved chord ♥️
Magnific analysis. I admire this song even more now
I'm pretty sure your analysis totally nailed it, all of this makes perfect sens !!
Thank you! I spent so long on this video that I was going mad! I'm glad you like it. A true testament to how good Bohemian Rhapsody really is is that, even after listening to it hundreds of times to write and edit this video, I only found myself more and more impressed and amazed at what a wonderful and beautiful song it is!
Also.... thank GOD this wasn't taken down for copyright!
@@DavidBennettPiano I hope it will stay on the internet indeed ! That's one of the best composition ever, so clever and musical at the same time ! I really like how they used functionnal harmony, usually I hate cadences but here they are put at good use ! Very cool vidéo also, the editing and fades between your voice and the music are just perfect
@@DavidBennettPiano You were going mad? Perhaps you were going _slightly_ mad?
I lost track at 2:30
@@DavidBennettPiano where did you get the stems from?
"We are slowly modulating to Eb..."
Me: Freddie you clever girl
waitt hol up
Man, if you keep on making videos of this high quality, you can expect this channel to blow up in the near future. Came for the Radiohead stuff, but I'm here to stay. Awesome work!
Thank you so much for the support! I would have burnt out already if it wasn't for all you wonderful subscribers!
Agree the quality is top! But can it blow up, I mean how many people know music theory that well and are interested in it? 😂 I just wrote my high school finals in music (year 13 here) and I'm struggling to understand everything with the chords and so on 😁
Not sure if it'll blow up, it's pretty heavy on the music theory which makes it suitable just for a niche market. Nonetheless, it is very high quality content indeed.
Omg he has Radiohead stuff!?! I gotta watch that next. This was incredible
I love this type of analysis. Was a bit hard to understand at times though, because I don’t have background in theoretical music!
but I have a theoretical degree in music!
I’ve never really been a music person. I don’t play any instruments and I can’t read sheet music, but I will say I listen to music a lot. I’m really grateful for your channel and content. You explain music in a very digestive manner and I’m able to learn things about songs that give me a greater sense of wonder and amazement. I would’ve never understood the musical crazy genius of Freddy Mercury without seeing this video. Thanks for helping us non-music people out by explaining the musical frameworks and artistic composition of music in an way that’s easy to understand. Love your content and I can’t wait to see what musical greatness is in store for you! You’d be a great musical professor! :)
I think that it's really cool that even though you don't play an instrument or whatever, you still enjoy watching videos like this ! I'm a music teacher/performer and if it wasn't for people such as yourself us musicians and teachers would be out of work. Thank you for your pursuit of your love of music ! I'll be producing some educational videos on my own channel soon, reading what you wrote here is inspiring, thank you ! Archangel
Michael
20 minutes
"Brief"
That's Queen for ya
What about 40 minutes?
ruclips.net/video/77HwUMh13dM/видео.html
what did you expect 6 minutes? 1 minute per minute? that s the length of the song alone!
@@SalvatoriusMyspace I expected about 10-15 mins.
It’s a bloody masterpiece darling
lol
All people who understand music: Yes, yes, hmmm, ahhh, agree.
Me: The f*ck is he talking about?!?
My favourite song in the world and I love watching things like this.
Just increases my appreciation for Freddie's brilliance! Even if I know idea what's going on.
I know bohemian Rhapsody so well the chord progressions feel so natural, this analysis makes me realise how truly genius it is
Just, WOW, is all I can say. The most concise and clear breakdown which really shows why this song stands the test of time. Thanks, really.
Its equally as impressive that Mercurys lyrics blend perfectly to what is going on in the music. Eg the 'easy come easy go, little high little low' matches the music beautifully. The song is full of it front to back, and it really allows the chords and melodies to sing 100 times louder than they would without the lyrics.
Thanks again for another great video
I have no idea what any of this means but it’s so beautiful the way he breaks it down so seamlessly, it makes me appreciate this song and music even more.
Treasure Hollis thank you!
is anyone else just here because they like bohemian rhapsody
like i have no idea what he’s talking about but i still watched it lmao 😂😂
guccigucci 78 🎹🎹🎹👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
:)
In music school, these kind of videos are very helpful for me
Everything he said could have been complete bullshit and we'd have nary a clue
I'm here for both lol
I had no idea the song even has a key change its so smooth i never even tried to analyze it. And i agree, the last part is the most amazing especially the little details
How about a breakdown of The March Of The Black Queen, it’s lesser known, but I think it’s even more deserving of a breakdown than Bohemian Rhapsody!
Yes, this one is nice as well. Did you ever think it's a BDSM song? 😁
It really has a lot of weird polyrythms going on
The Prophet's Song has a really good operatic sectioOOOoN
I think you're missing something vitally important here: many of those "functional" chords has at least one extra note in it, transforming it into something special and delightful!! Take for example the "F7" which starts bar 9 (at the middle of 4:12)... it is NOT just a plain old F7 chord - there is an extra note there that i can't pinpoint, which makes it more mystical than just a bargain-basement F7 - YET, it still functions in that role even though technically its something different. I call this GENIUS!!! Freddy Mercury was sooo gifted in so many ways - one of them being that he could take the ordinary and make it special, almost effortlessly.
I’m so glad I found your channel. You are absolutely brilliant!
Jeff Lowey thanks!!
Honestly your channel needs so much more attention. Keep up the good work man, this stuff is amazing!
This is the most underrated video ever
That was brilliantly pieced together. A phenomenal analysis. I’d LOVE to hear your in depth analysis of this.
Nice breakdown. Reminds me of chord structures that ELO used a lot. Would love to have you breakdown an ELO song. Thanks again for your thoughtful insight on pop music.
I really appreciate this great analysis! Your "what if" alterations of chords to the common expected resolutions really show the impact of the chords used in the song. There are so many interesting things going on!
Everyone who hasn't listened to the instrumental tracking session for Bohemian Rhapsody needs to do so. Just Freddie on piano, John on bass and Roger on drums, without the vocals as a reference point for all the weird rhythmic emphases in the operatic section, and all the uneven stopping and starting. Really a credit to John and Roger as players in addition to Freddie as a composer.
that was an incredibly interesting analysis !! even if it sounds weird to hear your special examples because we are so used to hear this song, they were in fact very informativ ! Thank you so much for your work, you definitely deserve more suscribers !! cheers from France :) Louis
You've done a wonderful job of opening up this song and showing us into Freddie's brain. I have studied some basic music theory, so I get what you are saying, and it is fascinating.
14:38 How dare you interrupt my eminent head banging!
But on another note, great analysis! Looking forward to learning everything about this song. I've already analyzed the heck out of the lyrics, but great job with this musical analysis!
Don’t worry there’s 14:43
Is your headbanging really eminent? Are you an award winning air guitarist whose headbanging is admired by all, or did you mean 'imminent'?
@@emdiar6588 mine is Eminem
Good to know I wasn't the only one that felt it.
@@SourGrapesandParmesan mine is remnant.
From the days of yor.
You are very intelligent and I enjoyed watching your dissection of one of my favorite songs. You did not let your musical knowledge take away the passion and love that this song is. Good job.
This was awesome to watch! I've arranged 'Boh Rap' for 12 guitars recently and it's an absolute joy to see Freddie's genius real close up! Great great video! Thank you
I’m absolitely impressed; this is a perfect piece of music, a masterpiece that will remain in the mind and heart of music lovers the sane as the great music of such Mozart or Beethoven (great music is timeless)
Whoa, incredible analysis! This is always a song I wanted to pick apart musically myself, but never had the time. Thanks for all your hard work, keep it up!
In an industry where songs come and go with great rapidity, most people in 1975 saw this as a novelty song that would eventually fizzle out and get buried under the weight of other modern compositions, but here we are in 2020 still talking about Bohemian Rhapsody!
and 2023 ✌🏼😊
Do what you want to do with my music but never make it boring……
My God this is a wonderful break down of my FAVORITE SONG EVER!! I could hear 3 hours of an analysis of this song. Freddie is a Legend.
I've been playing this for years but your video gave it a completely new dimension for me...thank you!
Absolutely excellent analysis! I love that you cite potential points of disagreement like between Bb6 vs. inverted Gm7 voicing.. musical analysis has so much to do with perception, but you build cases for your opinions.. much respect!
Paul Talbot thanks for the comment 🙂👍🏻
Your understanding is “off the charts,” but what also impresses me are the video aspects you employ: separating aural sections, showing the written score, etc.
So impressive. And, I imagine, exhausting for you.
Greatly appreciated!!!!!!!!
(This is eye-opening and mind-expanding!)
I’ve taken multiple music theory college courses and my brain still hurts from this
I just realized that this song loosely matches the 5 stages of grief.
That's a pretty cool observation 🙂
Spot on. A very impressive analysis. Cheers to your hard work. You are ready to move on.
Your channel is definitely my go-to for analysis of songs and learning theory. Absolutely class. Keep up the good work mate
Me, an idiot: what is perfect cadence?
Why am I watching this? lol
BrianaLynn7 it’s ok. He doesn’t know what a perfect cadence is either.
V -> I
@@schaerfentiefe1967 exactly!
v to i
A key contains a collection of notes. Each of those notes have a chord based upon them, and we typically refer to them using roman numerals. So in the key of C for example, C would be I, D would be ii, E would be iii, and so on. Well a perfect cadence is the V chord (known as the dominant) resolving to a I chord (the tonic). I don't know that this explanation will help at all, if you don't know music theory it probably won't, but I tried. xD
What a brilliant analysis. Makes me appreciate a great song even more. Thank you.
This is absolutely BRILLIANT! Your analysis is superb and I can't believe the amount of time and effort it must have taken to do this "song" justice the way you did. Curiously, the song's chromatic ambiguity and riches seems to be a fitting musical portrait of Freddy as a person, including the mix of styles, genres and meters. Your analysis blew me away. Thank you!
your videos are RIDICULOUSLY good, i've enjoyed every single one of them!! (also the 'perfect cadence' font made me lol)
The Jump to the A is derivative of the Paul McCartney Piano Section from "A Day in the Life" which in many ways inspired Bohemian Rhapsody they just took a different turn so.
Masterpiece! Both this song and your video! Thanks a ton for that. It feels great understanding how this musical beauty works. Keep the good stuff comin!
I learned the little bit of music theory that I get from listening to recorded Leonard Bernstein talks. David, you remind me of him with your clarity and excellent use of examples. Thanks so much for your generosity in posting these wonderful talks.
Rolf Flor wow... thank you!
I feel like all you where doing was drooling over how amazing this song is
I loved this video
always love how passionate you sound when you talk about music
I know nothing about music theory, but this was really pleasant and enterteining! Nice job!
You, sir, just made the world a more interesting place! I love it.
This is totally awesome! I studied piano to grade 5 and managed to follow along with this. Such a great analysis and really explains why Bohemian Rhapsody is such an incredibly intricate piece of songwriting, that manages to connect to every listener. Well done that man!
Young man, you are a wonder. Keep doing what you're doing. Subscribed.
Thank you!
I am currently doing my Cambridge A level music and Bohemian Rhapsody is one of the songs I wanted to further look at, but knowing that it's so long I just didn't want to get started on it. Thanks for doing this video, I really saved a lot of my time on personal analysis and suffering lol 😂
OoC, how did you manage to get a hold of the original multitracks?
you can download them, just look up Bohemian Rhapsody STEMs
They first leaked on-line about 11 years ago. Unlike videogame stems, which only contain already-mixed separate instruments (e.g. bass or piano), these are the contents of each of the 24 tracks they used in Wales and England in 1975. So you can hear, for instance, the bass signal coming from the amp, the bass signal coming from DI, the bass signal coming from the speaker...
Love David's videos. This one is tremendous. Giving this song the treatment it deserves. Keep up the good work.
Now that explains why everything feels like it's everywhere. It's a Rhapsody. Thank you for the break down of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
Hello young man, for such a young man a lot of insight into music, but I had to smile a bit, that you all take tone increases as an example of one and the same composer, well heard.
Yesss, I've been waiting for something Queen-related from you!
David your explanation of the chords and notes in your videos are terrific. I love not only seeing but also hearing the notes and chords. It has helped me become a better musician. You are a gifted young man. Thank you.
One of the best video I've seen since several month !
A really enjoyable 20 minute education there, thank you. Off to try and play it now!!
These videos definitly help me to understand music theory. Thanks!
This was amazing. Thank you for dissecting a song that I've loved for years and continue to love. And now that I know what's going on, I can appreciate it all the more.
this is now my favorite video on the internet even tho i only understood like 1/5 of it
Hello David, you are a terrific communicator and are extremely well prepared. Anytime I start a video of yours I cannot stop till the end! Congratulations!!
Thank you! 😃😃😃
Holy crap! This is excellent. Fascinating. Thorough. And thoroughly confusing. I am currently learning Bohemian Rhapsody on piano. I have never been happier that I know next to nothing about music theory. I play piano partly by ear (the rhythm), and partly by reading the music note-for-note and memorising it as I go (so I can then get rid of the distraction of trying to read the music quickly enough). From your break down here, it sounds like if I DID know music theory, I would be completely confused by all its irregularities. Good thing I don’t notice them! 😝. Excellent job!
Bohemian rhapsody it's storytelling at it finest, and your analisys went absolutely great! Cheers from Argentina, keep it up!
4:22 I'd say the Bb7 - Eb is just I7- IV, since I see the F7 and following B - Bb as a V- subV (or in other words bII7, but in triad form) I.
After the Bb in bar 10 we do have some of that iconic chromatic modulation going on.
Another reason why it's still in Bb is because the chromatic stuff is circling around Bb, thereby giving us a "rooted" feeling on said Bb.
Even the Bb(7) - Eb is just a secondary dominant going to the 4th degree. After this we see a line cliche bringing us down to F, which is the dominant leading us back to Bb.
Unlike the chorus, where we quite clearly move to Eb, in the intro, every "modulation" to Eb to me seems like it's temporarily going to the 4th degree of the scale (Eb) before going back to the root of the key.
18:31 ooh god what is that is that abomination? That's A C7(b9)
Never stop doing what you're doing
I'm pretty sure your analysis totally nailed it, all of this makes perfect sens !!
Brilliant analysis. I will however argue to my dying day that the first chord is Bb6 and not Gm 😅
The person who did the 'official' sheet music I have agrees with you.
To me it’s Gm7. With the following C7 it makes a perfect II-V to the following dominant F7.
I can not give you a different opinion, man. It's so wonderful.
A great analysis about one of (three) greatest songs.
Incredible song, fantastic analysis.
I've watched plenty of your videos as they show up on my recommended and i've enjoyed them all, but this one earned you a subscription. Excellent video.
It would be really interesting to see you break down the Prophet's Song
Or The March of the Black Queen
Or just about any classic Queen song, like, say, Bring Back That Leroy Brown, or Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon, or . . .
I just discovered this channel 15 minutes ago and I’m already so in love with it!
Thank you 😊
Even if the lyrics were removed, the music itself in Bohemian Rhapsody tells a story. Sure, the actual lyrics themselves don’t really have a real narrative flow, but when with the music, it tells a story.
“Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?”
The chords used in the intro of the song fit the lyrics perfectly, creating a distorted, dazed confused feel for the narrative. This narrative could almost be viewed as the journey and growth of someone’s life; the intro being them trying to find their way in life, their purpose, who and what they are, etc, for a majority of their earlier years.
Sooner or later though, they find a little bit of peace in this represented by the “verse” part of the song; the ballad. But they are always held back despite having found some peace, which is shown by the end of the intro with the Bb key never being able to fully justify itself as the key of the song due to being held back the chromatic notes that surround it. This pattern somewhat continues throughout the ballad, which doesn’t necessarily have a happy nor an unhappy feel to it. Our protagonist is kind of stuck somewhere in the middle. Sometimes coming close to finding peace, but always getting stopped short, (the Bb key never fully being able to settle.) But in the protagonist’s mind, they’re like, “Hey, things aren’t so bad, they could be better even though you’re a bit confused but it’s mostly fine.” They believe this for the most part, but there’s always a part of them striving for more, knowing that although they like parts of this life, they can do better. And there still is definitely a lot of room for growth and exploration. But they’re always contained and held back by something. It might be a friend, spouse, parent, introvert-ness, that’s up for interpretation.
Then they make a breakthrough; the operatic section.
Whatever was holding them back, they broke free from it. Now they’re ready to explore and live life to the fullest, but little do they know that the world is a whole lot bigger than what their previous restrained mind thought it was. But nonetheless, they still pursue to find peace and purpose throughout the operatic section.
When the rock section arrives, they’ve done pretty well for themselves by now, a couple bumps, but pretty good overall. They’re happy, but not yet fully satisfied. They’re still craving for more. This could be represented by how through parts of the operatic and almost if not all of the rock section there’s a constant feeling of upwards-ness. Everything sounds like it’s right, happy, moving upwards in life, it gives the listener and the main character an excitement. Things are finally going right, everything is going right up, they’re headed down the right path that will sooner or later lead them to full enjoyment of life.
Then, the outro.
This section of the song is the most confusing to interpret in this theory. It sounds as if our protagonist has finally reached their goal, their point, purpose, meaning, etc. That ladder that the operatic and rock section created has finally been climbed to the top. But something feels... off. Almost as if the end result was disappointing, or maybe the ladder merged into different platforms at the top and the wrong platform was chosen. Or perhaps wrong ladder was took. Maybe all that was needed to be happy was in the ballad section. Maybe our protagonist might think that they should’ve stayed there, life was somewhat dull but ok there. Or maybe it’s just bittersweetness for leaving behind all the random in-the-moment fun that was had in the past- (operatic and rock) despite all the bumps that were encountered. It could also be insecurities and doubts, for the protagonist has maybe found their purpose and broken free, but is unsure because of the bittersweet-ness they’re feeling. There’s a definite chance that could be the case, for the Bb finally escapes the chromatic notes that were entrapping it at the very end of the song. Maybe the last 10 seconds of the song could represent them in a riding-off-into the-sunset type ending, which the bittersweet notes display perfectly. But what about the lyrics? They don’t sound happy at all- “nothing really matters to me”- even though our protagonist has seemingly reached a long worked for, well deserved ending. What I can best decipher is that the goal is achieved, bittersweet but achieved. But although everything should feel right... something doesn’t. Sure, there’s a lot of bittersweet feelings, as most transitional stages in life contain them, but there’s something else bothering our tired protagonist. This is represented by the lyrics of the outro. To sum those up- “Nothing really matters to me”.
Perhaps, although receiving a happy pay-off for all of our hero’s hard work that in any book or movie would be a perfect, cheesy ending they realize that life isn’t a book or movie. Sure they’ve reached the best life they possibly could... but now there’s nothing left. Whatever that final happy pay-off may be, a partner, child, whatever, it feels so...empty. They do definitely care and love that pay-off, but what now? There’s nothing new left for them to discover, explore, realize and most of all- experience. They’ve done everything they possibly could. This could apply to so much more than someone’s life or growth as a person. A fun day of play as a kid, but eventually having to go back inside the house to wake up for just another day. Another day at work to come home to the same family everyday, rinse and repeat. Sure, whatever you come back to, (the outro), may be suitable and fine, but there could be so much more to life. But you keep telling yourself, “this is fine”. This is what our protagonist did in the beginning of their life, and realized that there was more, sk they pursed that “more”. But when they did that and came to the operatic section, they were so blinded by joy they didn’t see or chose not to think of the emptiness that their riding off into the sunset ending would have. So by the time the rock section comes about, there’s a sense of down, even at its most exciting part, because at the end of the day, everything must come to an end- the children must go home after all the fun. But is this really true? What was the protagonist’s ending? A tired but overall happy well deserved closer, where they can ride off into the sunset and happily bask in their achievement until their days are done? Or have they achieved all this but feel so...empty inside? Sure the Bb broke free... but it feels so pointless now, just caught in a loop, where’s the excitement, the nerve-wracking but thrilling uncertainty? Even describing this feels like a loop; “The Bb broke free, suitable but empty” blah blah blah. They say the journey is what matters most, not the destination... so what happens when you reach the destination?... But hey, things aren’t so bad, they could be better even though you’re a bit lost but it’s mostly fine.
I haven't analyzed anything since college (1976) but you are so clear and precise (and my understanding of chord progressions in Musical Theater scores since then) I was able to airplay your chords as you highlighted them and WOW! Thank you for the work/time you spent on this... Amazing!
Extraordinarily impressive analysis demonstrating the fineness of Freddie Mercury's masterpiece. Great insight ! David, I know that you want to focus on music theory on your channel, but you perform piano so beautifully. Might you also offer us a bit more (and longer) piano performances ? Besides enjoyment, I also learn from listening to you perform. (Piano is not my primary instrument.)
David - this is an extraordinary work of analysis. Thank you.
Thank you!
My question to you is this: Do you think Freddie understood all of this at a technical level, or just used his gut intuition to write it?
I know he had some training in music at school, but I doubt to the level you are talking about here. So did he study it further, or was it just how he "felt" it should be?
I think he knew more than he let on, but I also think that he had a fantastic ear and knew what sounded good. Also by this point, he was on his fourth album and I'm sure he had some on the job training while he was composing.
@@caleblarsen5490
Could be
But I would have thought someone would have mentioned it if that was the case
He said he went to grade 4 and stopped because he struggled to read music
His friends from school said he would hear music/piano on radio and just reproduce it
School mates said he would hear music/piano on the radio and just reproduce it
He didn't go further than grade 4 because he struggled to read music
I have no idea what would have been taught to that level
But I think it's very much instinct
@@bluebell3720 in an interview he said he couldn't read music that well and played by ear.
@@theresasutherland2380
Yes I think that's the case he learnt the basics the rest was instinct
The guy from ibex / wreckage was happy with what they did but Freddie taught them a lot how to make it more interesting by changing keys which they didn't think was that important at the time
Even richard who was a very good producer said he learnt from freddie he just had an instinct and even when hed gone and he was producing he feel he could hear Freddie no try this and it was better
(I dont mean in a literal sense)
I think it's sad he lost confidence or passion? For the piano
When he met mike moran and couldnt play/compose read and write music to his level he seemed to think what he could do wasn't that good
But he brought something a lot of higher trained pianists cant it's like singing someone might have learnt more but you have that something or you dont!
But for someone who wasn't trained at all eith singing and only basics I think he was extremely talented
He composed bo rap on instinct!
I cant help smile on some times that very would be listening as intently as us oh ok that's what I did!
Mike was very accomplished composer and he admitted they had banter Freddie would suggest a change,it wont work,try it,didnt work,see,ok try this...did work,see
Mike said he was quite happy with what he did and considered it done but changes freddie would do did elevate a few of his pieces
Even brian complimented him!
Saying it was like he had a metronome inside of him!
Roger liked playing with him because of his sense of rhythm..
An amazingly well done analysis of one of the greatest songs ever written. Excellent job.
16:13 - Freddie Mercury pulling off a Björk.
that one cracked me up
This is such a well-produced and truly thorough and clear video Conceiving, planning, making, and editing this video could not have been easy. I appreciate all of the hard work David put into this video and his others.
I literally was thinking when will your new upload be last night and saw it this morning!!!... Well done dude, enjoy watching this analysis as usual ❤️
I've been thinking 'when will I upload a video next' for the last three weeks --- this video took ALOT longer than I thought on every level... research, filming, editing... it's basically two videos duration-wise as well!
Awesome analysis. So glad somebody took the time with this masterpiece.
At around 13:48 you talk about the rapid progression of chords that move too quickly to establish anything til they stop moving, however I think they very strongly establish that we are moving, via perfect cadence back to Eb (but who knows when!). This starts at the Gb, resolving to B (Cb) then D, then Gb, then home again to Eb. The changes need to be fast in order to really push (delay) the tension before we hit the Eb. A brilliant little trick to keep the listener on their toes. If you play the triads on a keyboard its easy to visualize the way Freddie might have thought of it, as the voice leading is pretty clear. The apex of this section is the awesome “mama mia” lyric, (we’re locked in on Eb, and the music drops out momentarily for effect) which references verse 1, thus kind of bringing it back home lyrically and closing the theme of the protagonist crying to mama. Indeed the next section (the rock part) is the protagonist kind of changing character and “yelling out to the world” that he doesn’t want to accept his fate, unlike all of the previous sections in which he is acquiescing to his fate. So yeah. Big changes deserve lots of perfect cadences lol.
Second, I always found it interesting that the last chord of the song is F, not Bb. If you look at the entire song as basically a big huge dominant chord that resolves to F (only at the last bar), the analysis gets even cooler!
Tl;dr: chords are fun. Mercury was a genius.
(Edit: remind everyone that Mercury was a genius)
Wow i finished the video! eventhough i didnt understand it.
Good video.The year of 1975 was WILD on the radio.(FM and AM) Look at lists of top 100 and see what was on the air waves UNLESS you remember it. I turned 19 at the end of October and after (or on) Halloween, BR was played on FM radio (US). It was SO different from all other songs played that year, it took a few times to listen to it (and many hated it - could not dance to it) and then wait for the Album to come out a few weeks later. The song was released as a single, I only bought albums then. My ears loved the song and the whole album.