The secret rhythm behind Radiohead's "Videotape"

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  • Опубликовано: 3 авг 2017
  • Watch the full first season of Vox Earworm: bit.ly/2JKK30W
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    In this season opener of Earworm, I speak with Warren Lain. He's a Radiohead fan who also happens to be an incredibly talented musician and music teacher. In December 2016 he uploaded a 38 minute video to RUclips about a Radiohead song that I deeply love, "Videotape."
    He had been thinking about the music theory behind this seemingly simple song for the better part of a decade. The reason? “Videotape”, a slow rhythmically monotonous song, is actually syncopated. I’m joined also by Erin Barra, a professor at Berklee College of Music, who helped Warren and I explain this musical illusion.
    Warren’s video can be found right here:
    • The Hidden Syncopation...
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Комментарии • 3,1 тыс.

  • @pockit5107
    @pockit5107 6 лет назад +4991

    I can only imagine how frustrating this song is to play live when you have thousands of people clapping to the piano..

    • @Secretlyanothername
      @Secretlyanothername 4 года назад +259

      People who sing along... they pay $100 to listen to someone, then sing over them like they're in the shower. They disgust me.

    • @seanmatthewking
      @seanmatthewking 4 года назад +230

      Lol calm down

    • @Cargo_Bay
      @Cargo_Bay 4 года назад +295

      @@Secretlyanothername you seem fun

    • @Cargo_Bay
      @Cargo_Bay 4 года назад +49

      prolly not. Most people have the in-ear monitors and it kind of tunes out the crowd and has the music go to their ears

    • @bsegovia23
      @bsegovia23 4 года назад +22

      Secretlyanothername the Japanese wait for not interrupt concerts. It’s nice and you can hear everything, buts it’s a boring show.

  • @jeffgoble9206
    @jeffgoble9206 6 лет назад +5886

    Radiohead's music is so interesting that you can make a 10 minute long music theory analysis of that one time Thom Yorke made a mistake.

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +165

      Another 38 minute video, too

    • @billhicks8
      @billhicks8 6 лет назад +142

      But this isn't even a big deal. There are syncopated, irregular rhythms in all kinds of songs. There are loads of interesting things Radiohead has done in their music that are far more interesting than this.

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +163

      That's not what this video is saying though, that it's syncopated. It's about how the syncopation is totally buried in the album and later versions, but the band still hears it fast and syncopated.

    • @Datpleb
      @Datpleb 6 лет назад +9

      Warren, does that mean the syncopation isn't even there anymore but they act as if it were?

    • @jeffgoble9206
      @jeffgoble9206 6 лет назад +53

      Debora A the syncopation is still there, but they eliminated the downbeats beats that make it easier to hear. The music is still framed around it which is why they have to make sure they all "feel" it correctly before they start. They do what's called "subdividing", which basically means feeling a faster portion of the beat. It helps the band stay together and adds a forward energy to the song.

  • @khetaglagkuev6001
    @khetaglagkuev6001 3 года назад +1492

    So Radiohead basically created something that they are secretly hearing differently than their audience, so they are the only ones who know the real song. That’s just beautiful

    • @kiiro712
      @kiiro712 2 года назад +12

      No, when the drums kick in at 1:20 of the album version, you hear the syncopation too

    • @nge1301
      @nge1301 Год назад +24

      @@kiiro712 not really, that snare-kick does not help much to disambiguate the down beat from the offbeat. Especially because the kick goes with the piano.

    • @koiyujo1543
      @koiyujo1543 Год назад

      exactly it's amazing

    • @tomsxe
      @tomsxe Год назад +1

      @@nge1301 you can feel it at 1:20, and specially at 3:10

    • @julioricardo2415
      @julioricardo2415 Год назад +1

      And made easy listening a 10/4 time signature with Everything....Just a Beautifull talent

  • @stitchgrimly6167
    @stitchgrimly6167 3 года назад +554

    The most profound thing for me is that the syncopation gives the effect of gasping for one last breath, but only the performer - ie. the dying person - is aware of it. The outside world just sees regular breathing and pulse. Only the gasper feels the gasp.

  • @Carlos-ln8fd
    @Carlos-ln8fd 6 лет назад +1973

    Those crappy cell phone recordings of concerts are finally useful!

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +16

      Hahaha right?

    • @jaywonlee1436
      @jaywonlee1436 6 лет назад +6

      Carlos haha yeah, cellphones back in the 90's sucked.

    • @GoLDnTRiXX
      @GoLDnTRiXX 6 лет назад +2

      BTW theres a version with the crap video but good audio.

    • @scyhte82
      @scyhte82 6 лет назад +15

      also cellphones in the 90's didnt record videos. :D

    • @dundee6402
      @dundee6402 5 лет назад +3

      Jaywon Lee 90s? Huh

  • @GroupConglomerate
    @GroupConglomerate 4 года назад +1192

    This video reminded me that I really don't know anything about music. Lol

    • @crieverytim
      @crieverytim 3 года назад +25

      they really make this much more difficult than it is

    • @stitchgrimly6167
      @stitchgrimly6167 3 года назад +35

      They're trying to make it seem like some grand genius undertaking was made but it's extremely simple and utilises jazz techniques that have been around for ages (and again, aren't complex). This is about getting views. All songs have tricks we could blow out of proportion if we wanted.

    • @LocalManMakesMusic
      @LocalManMakesMusic 3 года назад +3

      Don’t worry neither does Vox. There is a ton of laughable nonsense in this video if you do know what they are talking about.

    • @user-wx8mi1pd6g
      @user-wx8mi1pd6g 3 года назад +2

      @@LocalManMakesMusic classically trained guy here, what was wrong here?

    • @Mercury574
      @Mercury574 3 месяца назад

      You don't need to, music is music

  • @shruggzdastr8-facedclown
    @shruggzdastr8-facedclown 5 лет назад +1212

    So, essentially, they're essentially playing to a muted drummer in their heads which only they hear -- delivering something that sounds darker and more-detached to the listener but which is brighter and more-engaged in their own minds?!

    • @ChristianNelsonn
      @ChristianNelsonn 5 лет назад +188

      That's the gist of it, yeah.
      It's actually kind of beautiful when you think about it. The song is about death, or more specifically, about a dying man saying goodbye to his loved ones. It's sad because, you know, it's a dying man's last message to loved ones, but he doesn't quite feel that way. *_"Because I know today has been the most perfect day I've ever seen."_* He doesn't feel sad, he feels glad.
      Brings a whole new perspective to the song's double identity.
      God, I love songs that tell a story.

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 4 года назад +11

      WELL PUT

    • @andrewd2534
      @andrewd2534 4 года назад +28

      No they're playing between the notes it's not that that complicated
      vox always exaggerate

    • @justanotherfishinbikinibot6060
      @justanotherfishinbikinibot6060 4 года назад +12

      i think that’s why they chose to use syncopation in it. it’s one thing to create a great song, but to actually use musical themes to express the idea is another. i think it’s genius.

    • @stitchgrimly6167
      @stitchgrimly6167 3 года назад +8

      Essentially.

  • @GeneralBlaguin
    @GeneralBlaguin 5 лет назад +2432

    Easy... can we talk about Pyramid Song now ?

    • @dungeonmasterblaster5600
      @dungeonmasterblaster5600 5 лет назад +22

      Riiiiight?!

    • @okcomputera9647
      @okcomputera9647 5 лет назад +134

      Pyramid Song, AKA 3+3+4+3+3=5

    • @DarfinxCore
      @DarfinxCore 5 лет назад +175

      Pyramid Song is in 4/4. What you perceive as quarter notes are actually dotted rhythms.

    • @literallyjustmyname2353
      @literallyjustmyname2353 5 лет назад +10

      ruclips.net/video/MdZSOoOF5Ms/видео.html

    • @archologyzero
      @archologyzero 4 года назад +32

      @@okcomputera9647 Yeah Pyramid is actually really simple, and in 4/4.

  • @dearmrfrodo
    @dearmrfrodo 6 лет назад +2187

    now tell me are you rushing or are you dragging?

  • @maakenx
    @maakenx 4 года назад +2676

    why does Vox have to be so extra,
    instead of just clapping they pull out a $150 sampler
    to do the clapping

    • @Diamond_Tiara
      @Diamond_Tiara 4 года назад +125

      they are americans, they like to clap a lot.

    • @thegoodguy44
      @thegoodguy44 4 года назад +67

      @@Diamond_Tiara they like to applaud themselves endlessly.

    • @averyprice9422
      @averyprice9422 4 года назад +7

      😂😂😂😂😂😂

    • @supercoolyoutubename
      @supercoolyoutubename 4 года назад +27

      If you have it, might as well use it

    • @alanmartinez1025
      @alanmartinez1025 3 года назад +21

      thats a cheap sampler not that exta.

  • @onemahyar
    @onemahyar 6 лет назад +221

    I’m tired of watching old videos, why aren’t you guys making anything like this anymore? this is an amazing work.

    • @BeatrizLopes-hx2qn
      @BeatrizLopes-hx2qn Год назад +2

      yessssss😢

    • @Erin-000
      @Erin-000 Год назад +1

      Still yes

    • @adxthree4199
      @adxthree4199 Год назад +6

      Just my 2, but it might be due to the devaluation of music content across nearly all platforms

    • @jack-uv6mt
      @jack-uv6mt Год назад

      why are you watching a video you watched already lol

    • @onemahyar
      @onemahyar Год назад +5

      @@jack-uv6mt don't you watch movies again and again sometimes because they're that good? 😉

  • @josephwright4222
    @josephwright4222 5 лет назад +166

    “No ones watching this video anymore”
    “Probably”

  • @xisumavoid
    @xisumavoid 6 лет назад +2430

    As someone who plays music, playing in the half time before or after the beat has never been especially difficult beyond a bit of extra focus. Nor has it ever seemed particularly special where it crops up in music. Not putting down the band or anything, I don't understand how something that takes 30 seconds to explain is glorified as musical genius in a 10 minute video.

    • @kulu2628
      @kulu2628 6 лет назад +224

      I'm a huge Radiohead fan but i agree

    • @KenshiAS
      @KenshiAS 6 лет назад +23

      Xisuma!!! :D

    • @chesca6469
      @chesca6469 6 лет назад +165

      xisumavoid yeah precisely. I'm kinda confused what the message or point of this video is? Is it just explaining syncopation? It all seems very simple... 😐

    • @oscodains
      @oscodains 6 лет назад +87

      It's like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. No matter how long you've done it you kinda have to think about it first.

    • @grantmalone
      @grantmalone 6 лет назад +225

      It's not hard playing in syncopation, but when the entire song is shifted off the beat - bass drum, chords and vocal line - it takes some effort to not count the 1 where everything seems to be sounding the 1. I'd say the bigger question is what's the point? If nothing in the music itself makes the listener aware that the music is syncopated, why bother? Would be like taking any common time piece of notated music and shifting it a 16th beat forward so it's full of tied 16th notes, then marking accents where the shifted bars land. It's gonna sound the same but just be unnecessarily irritating to read.

  • @patcupo
    @patcupo 6 лет назад +487

    It's a specific type of syncopation called "anticipation". All of these smart musicians and no one mentioned that the piano chords anticipate beats 1 and 3 by an 1/8th note. It's what gives the song that forward momentum. Also, if you just heard the piano chords alone and clapped along with them, you wouldn't be wrong. In order to use syncopation, you need something else to syncopate against. From the listener's perspective, the piano is the steady beat, the drums enter and sound like they're syncopated against the piano, but then there's suddenly a point when the piano is actually syncopated against the drums. It's a jarring effect, a big switch, but it's definitely not the first time it's been used. Listen to an Afro-Cuban tumbao bass line by itself and try to find the downbeat. All antici ....... pation.

    • @makkapetanovic6838
      @makkapetanovic6838 6 лет назад +4

      Patrick Cupo
      Any syncopation with focus on the upbeats is going to anticipate those beats you were talking about tho? I don't see how you can have syncopation on the upbeats without that

    • @patcupo
      @patcupo 6 лет назад +5

      mak kapetanovic I see what you're saying. You can have the opposite though, a delayed attack. Those four piano chords would just be half notes on beats 1 and 3 but they're anticipated. But they could have been delayed an 1/8 note on the ands of 1 and 3.

    • @jackdiller9087
      @jackdiller9087 6 лет назад +4

      Patrick gets it.

    • @MARSBELLA1
      @MARSBELLA1 6 лет назад

      Is the drummer in this band frustrated then? Someone just asked me that?

    • @patcupo
      @patcupo 6 лет назад +1

      Radiohead's drummer? I doubt he's frustrated. He's an awesome musician and I'm sure he can handle it.

  • @JulioAvalos3000
    @JulioAvalos3000 6 лет назад +238

    You had me at Radiohead.

  • @profaneuprising
    @profaneuprising 5 лет назад +769

    Musicians are downplaying the video because syncopation is nothing new. True, I play music for decades and I get that. But the tricky part here is having no clue to the downbeat through the entire song and singing on top of it. Of course, nothing impossible for a seasoned musician on a studio, but it can become very risky for a live performance.

    • @boozalm3715
      @boozalm3715 5 лет назад +16

      It doesn't matter...He sings in time with his chords...so there's no confusion.

    • @TheSquareOnes
      @TheSquareOnes 5 лет назад +60

      @@boozalm3715 Not quite, some lines start in unison with the piano and some lines start off it so either way you want to think about where the chords are hitting he still has to feel the syncopation. Given that even talking while playing is an acquired skill that can take a lot of practice even a "simple" song like this can be difficult to sing (keeping in mind that he probably wants to be perfectly locked in to give the best performance rather than just phoning it in and being "close enough") if you're having an off night.

    • @boozalm3715
      @boozalm3715 5 лет назад

      @@TheSquareOnes I see comments like this on the piano only version...I'm mostly talking about that one since i listen to that.

    • @TheSquareOnes
      @TheSquareOnes 5 лет назад +16

      @@boozalm3715 That's what I'm talking about too, his vocals don't uniformly match the piano.

    • @inlonging
      @inlonging 4 года назад

      Agreed

  • @nmikloiche
    @nmikloiche 6 лет назад +574

    I'm a drummer so I understand how super interesting syncopation is when added to a song. What makes Videotape so god damn crazy is that the song opens and is built on the syncopated beat. Most often syncopation is an element added by the drummer or the bass player to add a bit of interest to the song, and is only played for a short time, like in the bridge leading up to the chorus or in a break. Loved this video and I'm still trying to find the beat myself. The audience clapping on what they think is the 2 and 4 of the measure is really what is making it most difficult.

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +11

      That's right on! You can hear it in my syncopated version over on my Twitter profile @warrenlain if you are so inclined!

    • @Urbanmystic123
      @Urbanmystic123 6 лет назад +2

      One name...Stewart Copeland

    • @joelcoool
      @joelcoool 6 лет назад +2

      What are you talking about syncopation is everywhere

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +1

      ThunderHawk606 then why did Phil struggle for two years to find the downbeat?

    • @joelcoool
      @joelcoool 6 лет назад

      WARRENMUSIC because it's a confusing riff? I'm not sure what that has to do with anything

  • @superomelet2897
    @superomelet2897 6 лет назад +732

    I found it to be an odd choice to put together a ten minute video on this song without focusing on the second half of the recorded version, where the percussion changes and the rhythmic complexity is most evident.

    • @jonathanpalmquist4894
      @jonathanpalmquist4894 6 лет назад +23

      Yes, thank you! I made a video that shows this because so many people are coming away from this still not able to hear the displaced rhythm: /watch?v=7M7FRpvUf8M

    • @Darel13712
      @Darel13712 6 лет назад +17

      But you are wrong there. Your 4 is the actual 1. And vox's 1 is the actual 4 when they show where to clap lol. They showed places to clap before the piano while they should be after. Listen to the guy in the end of the video to get it right.

    • @grtrukat9360
      @grtrukat9360 5 лет назад +1

      Limelight by rush is a far better example

    • @redlion145
      @redlion145 4 года назад +1

      I know this is late, but you should check out the original video warrenmusic put out about this track. It's like 30 minutes (they referenced it here in the Vox video) but he does go into detail on the second half of the studio version and how it reveals the syncopation later in the song. I think they ignored it here for the sake of the journalistic narrative. Vox have got to tell a story, not post a 30 minute diatribe about a single song. It's part of their brand (and why they have so many subscribers) that they can broach more subjects in a lighter manner than people like Warren, who actually study and teach specific subjects, in this case music.

  • @cheesecakelasagna
    @cheesecakelasagna 5 лет назад +617

    The outro should've been just the entire video 9:48

  • @iximusic
    @iximusic 2 года назад +89

    This video inspired me to start my RUclips channel, years later. Just wanted to say thank you. This is so well done and such an enlightening subject. I remember my mind being blown. I always felt like Thom's vocal's rhythm and the drum elements that come in near the end felt really weird. I remember rushing to my drum kit and playing along to Videotape with a backbeat on the actual beats and it was like seeing this beautiful jewel from a new angle for the first time. I like listening to this song now with two different downbeats.

    • @candycane3739
      @candycane3739 2 года назад +5

      That's really cool! I'm glad the video helped you in that way!!! For me, it helps in a different way. I know nothing about the way music actually works, music theory, and the terms used. I took music class in HS but it was a pretty poorly funded school and the class taught nothing interesting to me, but the video actually explains things easily unlike the daunting tutorials I've watched where I had no idea what they were saying. I've always dreamt of making my own songs, but never had the knowledge, skill and practice to make it happen. This video isn't revolutionary per se, but it's really helping to open up the possibilities in my head. I just love that feeling when everything clicks in music, the eye-openers that broaden your horizons and just make things seem a little more magical.
      Best of luck to you and your music journey!

    • @psychotogether5114
      @psychotogether5114 Год назад +2

      Love your channel!!!

  • @cfloster
    @cfloster 6 лет назад +233

    Friends don't let friends clap on 1 and 3

    • @TheWhynaut
      @TheWhynaut 5 лет назад +14

      As a musician it does somewhat aggravate me when people clap on 1 and 3 because clapping imitates the typical snare. Yet, I have come to appreciate the power that a well placed clap on 1 and 3 can present. It's all about knowing what to do and when, there are no absolutes in music- just what sounds good.

  • @RafaelJoseBurgos
    @RafaelJoseBurgos 6 лет назад +2390

    Not quite my tempo.

    • @Vox
      @Vox  6 лет назад +96

      media0.giphy.com/media/yj1LYrEmVRf8I/giphy.gif

    • @RafaelJoseBurgos
      @RafaelJoseBurgos 6 лет назад +65

      OMG you repplied. Is the best thing that happened in this year so far in my average venezuelan life.

    • @daniellevy1703
      @daniellevy1703 6 лет назад +30

      That and the people's revolution.

    • @CodyAlushin
      @CodyAlushin 6 лет назад +14

      Replied with a quirky gif, even! Vox is on the ball.

    • @bryanlilib
      @bryanlilib 6 лет назад +5

      This made my day

  • @youdbettertube
    @youdbettertube 6 лет назад +671

    The real hero is the guy who shushes the shrieking girl at 5:40 lmao

  • @borp6912
    @borp6912 6 лет назад +59

    I was at that Bonnaroo show!! I feel an inkling of significance now!!

  • @tiesthijsthejs
    @tiesthijsthejs 6 лет назад +208

    Vox can easily get away with a separate department only making these wonderful high quality analyses of Radiohead.

  • @halseykale9930
    @halseykale9930 5 лет назад +364

    ok it's a great song but "the mystery is so deep" and "this man is using 100% of his brain" is just too much to believe lol

    • @natjoh9786
      @natjoh9786 4 года назад +9

      @@ethandeister6567 if someone can do the downbeats they can do the upbeats. 1 2 3 and 4 are the eight note before the piano and the &s are an eight note after the piano, like playing swung but backwards

    • @boozalm3715
      @boozalm3715 4 года назад +6

      @@ethandeister6567 Not very hard

    • @wakeupmofoers691
      @wakeupmofoers691 3 года назад

      to me videotape was kinda basic yet its not.... idk the band is bunch of pros doing good stuff... its whats inside the songwriting... ya know make what u want of it... sounds like spiritual stuff....

    • @Morgsch
      @Morgsch 3 года назад +17

      Agreed. While Radiohead is one of my favorite bands and its indeed a very interessting thing to note, the video overhypes this rhythm a lot. As a songwriter i can tell you that syncopation is used so much, it would almost be more baffling to hear a song without any syncopation. I know its not the snycopation itself that makes this song special and rather the way they used it, but again: not that complex as they present it in this video.
      However as a music performer I can also tell you this "using 100% of his brain" might not be to far off. If you lose your inner metronome during a performance without anything to cling on rhythmically, you really gotta focus to stay in tact. So the video is true on this one imo

    • @june4171
      @june4171 3 года назад +3

      fr they just made a 10 min video explaining syncopation💀. like even if it is hard for some people.. many songs have done this.

  • @mauriciolinares9295
    @mauriciolinares9295 6 лет назад +634

    This kind of syncopation is not so weird or complex for musicians. In my opinion this song is brilliant because syncopation goes perfectly with the emotions that the lyrics convey. The song is about someone that is about to die (or even dying in that moment) and is recording a final message. This person knows he/she is going to die and its heart is trying to catch the pulse to keep on living, the same way the piano tries to go with the rhythm, but goes "behind" it.

    • @yasmin_thelight6789
      @yasmin_thelight6789 5 лет назад +2

      Mauricio Linares yesss ❤️

    • @phoenixdavida8987
      @phoenixdavida8987 5 лет назад +15

      Great. I love Radiohead but everything after 2003 I'm like not as partial to. But this is great. My boyfriend of 12 years just died out of no where (kinda) and this song is great. Your explanation is the best.

    • @brown9671
      @brown9671 5 лет назад +4

      Yeah there was no swing or anything, this isn’t that crazy

    • @dalex7777
      @dalex7777 4 года назад +8

      Mauricio Linares This is why I love Radiohead. I am sad for people who don’t understand their music.
      Radiohead is the Mozart of our day.

    • @squirlmy
      @squirlmy 4 года назад +14

      "trying to catch the pulse..." But doomed to never catch it. THAT'S the kicker. If the piano caught up at the end it would be a happy ending, maybe an entirely different song, a song of redemption. It is the fact that it doesn't catch up that makes me cry! Devastating!

  • @jahhah6719
    @jahhah6719 5 лет назад +11

    I'm a major Radiohead fan... their music catalog is nothing short of brilliant! Nice video

  • @DarkAvra
    @DarkAvra 6 лет назад +49

    It's in Little by Little too and it's so hard to pin down in the album version

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +13

      And "The Butcher"

    • @808sos7
      @808sos7 6 лет назад +3

      Man it took me TWO years to figure out how to fill the drumbeat in my mind during the first half of the song!!!

    • @Datpleb
      @Datpleb 6 лет назад +2

      it's much more evident in LBL, for sure. Didn't know about the butcher tho, lol god damn it radiohead

    • @JivanPal
      @JivanPal 6 лет назад +2

      It emerges in a lot of tracks written by a lot of bands (heck, you can literally do it with any piece of music, and it makes for a good music exercise-trying to play a piece you know well with a different downbeat) but _Videotape_ was the last place I expected to see it.

    • @wgb01001
      @wgb01001 6 лет назад +1

      This is true. I have a very hard time hearing LBL the "right" way. I can do it for a while but I lose it. Led Zeppelin was also really good at this technique. Black Dog and Candy Store Rock both purposely hide the downbeat.

  • @kalaiselvi5505
    @kalaiselvi5505 6 лет назад +365

    Ok, After reading few comments I see lots of people who know music or musicians themselves are not impressed. But as someone who doesn't understand the nuances of music, this was really enjoyable and interesting for me. I didn't know about syncopation or the brain waves thing and I still struggle to understand what they are talking about with the '&' and 1/4, 1/8 and 1/16. This got me interested to may be try learning about sheet music. Maybe I am their demographic lol

    • @RojazzBG
      @RojazzBG 6 лет назад +35

      So I have a degree in music and I teach music. Everything said in this video is hyper-over-complicated. And, imo, this whole thing is completely wrong - a rabbit holr of over-intellectualized music theory.

    • @RojazzBG
      @RojazzBG 6 лет назад +8

      W de Vries I doknt care that you don't care :)

    • @JLX5
      @JLX5 6 лет назад +3

      RojazzBG thank you!! Finally someone with ears...

    • @abnormallynormal8823
      @abnormallynormal8823 6 лет назад +1

      Mr. Problematic it... it is though.....

    • @YTbeber
      @YTbeber 6 лет назад +4

      Too bad. 2 mn with an experienced musician AND good teacher, and normally the thing is clear. (Then it needs some time to become familiar with it, ok). It has to do first with a body perception as a walker or dancer. This gives clear reference points in the rhythm. Then, it is about the way we "measure", cut (in 2? 3? 4?...) the flow of events inside those milestones (your foot stomping). Keep searching :), count, ... but have fun first. Music, like poetry, is something that looses its qualities when explained.... though you can analyse and describe some of its tricks, which can be useful but also kills something.
      Our brothers in India, Africa, and also Afro-Cuban music for instance, really dont care about all these mathematics, they just sing the stuff and then play it nicely.

  • @fishsurfer1
    @fishsurfer1 5 лет назад +6

    Great job with these videos! These concepts are hard to explain and learn but these examples and commentary are highly helpful.

  • @kaistreetsvisuals
    @kaistreetsvisuals 4 года назад +54

    7:56 It is weird that I just shed a single tear at the thought of knowing there’s somebody else out there who gets it. No one knows why I move like this when I hear this song. No one knows why Radiohead is the only music that can keep me up on a long road trip while it puts everyone else to sleep. It’s hard to explain. At least now, I can send them this.

    • @julezdacoolz5955
      @julezdacoolz5955 11 месяцев назад +1

      i see, :)

    • @penguinwolf3330
      @penguinwolf3330 6 месяцев назад

      Radiohead is one of the most popular bands in the world. I don't think its that mysterious to people why you like them

    • @kaistreetsvisuals
      @kaistreetsvisuals 6 месяцев назад

      ⁠@@penguinwolf3330This was a very specific post about the rhythms that most people don’t hear, even some Radiohead listeners. Maybe I need to broaden my social circle but it was very specific to why people don’t understand why I move the way I do while listening to them and how it puts everyone else to sleep on road trips.

    • @penguinwolf3330
      @penguinwolf3330 6 месяцев назад +1

      @@kaistreetsvisuals oh ok, fair enough. Sorry for the bother

    • @kaistreetsvisuals
      @kaistreetsvisuals 6 месяцев назад

      @@penguinwolf3330 No bother at all 🙏🏽

  • @flowerpunk5255
    @flowerpunk5255 6 лет назад +11

    I love when Vox breaks down music

  • @aidandammermann8378
    @aidandammermann8378 6 лет назад +6

    Love this series from Vox already! I found the video on warrenmusic's channel a few weeks ago and really loved it. I've never been able to describe the effect in this song, but watching these videos has helped me to learn to appreciate one of my favourite songs in a whole new way.

  • @TheMusehobo
    @TheMusehobo 5 лет назад +80

    The best version of this song is neither of the versions mentioned here. It’s the solo Thom version on From the Basement.

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 3 года назад +8

      I mention this in my original video essay! The click track is so audible in that version...

    • @marinathegirl28
      @marinathegirl28 Год назад

      @@warrenmusic I watched this vox video about two years ago, and then went on to listen your Radiohead videos.... I didn't listen to them prior to that... you converted me... mind you I'm 36 yo and had a chance to listen to them this whole time.. they just where not on my radar- you put them there and I just wanted to say thanks!

    • @Odrox
      @Odrox Год назад

      Listen how he starts the first chords. Very easily noticable rhythmic change.

  • @StillGamingTM
    @StillGamingTM 2 года назад +1

    This song has been fascinating and eluding me for YEARS. I know nothing about music so when your explanation came out I was just so happy, I felt sort of validated

  • @waterglas21
    @waterglas21 6 лет назад +373

    It's simple, I see Radiohead I click.

    • @therealDannyVasquez
      @therealDannyVasquez 6 лет назад +3

      You could try adding some complexity into your brain then your actions will start to follow.

    • @kendo5862
      @kendo5862 6 лет назад +8

      I also clicked... but on the off beat

  • @simkaart4655
    @simkaart4655 6 лет назад +18

    Nice video. I think these kind of syncopations don't just happen in Radiohead's music because they like it. I think it has to do with the way Thom Yorke plays the piano. Almost all songs that are piano driven (and probably written on piano) have a bit of this rhythm in them. If you listen closely to acoustic solo performances of those songs, you hear the pedal of the piano making the beat. Since it's better to release the pedal in between chords, so you don't trigger tones to ring when they shouldn't, he most likely taught himself a way of playing in which he could tap his foot for the tempo and tapped the pedal at once - creating the basis for beats that sound like this.

  • @beejay833
    @beejay833 Год назад +1

    Just discovered this channel.. SO GREAT!

  • @joesonx
    @joesonx 5 лет назад

    dear estelle, this and the rhyming in rap episode is something i can watch over and over again. thank you for that!

  • @freezedream
    @freezedream 6 лет назад +5

    Radiohead - really musical geniuses - I love their musical complexities - breaking expectations, meeting expectations - that's what compelling music is all about.

  • @HiroProtaganist
    @HiroProtaganist 6 лет назад +31

    Radiohead is amazing

  • @uwnbaw
    @uwnbaw 4 года назад +126

    Mathcore bands:* *coughs in preparation* * "Observe."

    • @TurtleGamers1
      @TurtleGamers1 4 года назад +15

      Playing slowly on time is harder than playing fast. And most math music is pretty fast.

    • @salman_3833
      @salman_3833 4 года назад +5

      @@TurtleGamers1 playing fast really is much easier bcs there r no breaks, at least from my experience

  • @jvig7353
    @jvig7353 5 лет назад +15

    Trent Reznor did the same thing back in '89 with "Something I Can Never Have"

    • @stitchgrimly6167
      @stitchgrimly6167 3 года назад +1

      But it didn't have the gasping for air feel to it that this does, by way of the syncopation.

  • @Dismoeyy
    @Dismoeyy 6 лет назад +52

    Warrenmusic

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +46

      SAY MY NAME

    • @Vox
      @Vox  6 лет назад +23

      ~shouts into the void~ WARRRREENNNN -joe

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +16

      ~listens into the void~ OMG is someone saying my name across time and space? I N T E R S T E L L A R.

    • @Vox
      @Vox  6 лет назад +20

      media1.giphy.com/media/WJEAsbOLDF0Ig/giphy.gif

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +26

      media.giphy.com/media/TefVum7Pk1YXK/giphy.gif

  • @nikmedt
    @nikmedt 6 лет назад +8

    Interesting stuff. Robert Schumann did this kind of thing all the time in the mid 19th century. He often established a figure that feels to imply a certain metric stress but a few lines later will reveal that you've been dancing on the wrong foot the whole time - what you thought was beat 1 was really beat 3. Examples include - First mvt of the piano concerto or the middle section of Grillen op. 12 no 4.

  • @johannespruess6067
    @johannespruess6067 4 года назад

    your videos are amazing - again and again! You really love it! Thank you very much.

  •  5 лет назад +49

    "That's cute"
    -Meshuggah

  • @knightarnaud
    @knightarnaud 6 лет назад +16

    Can we all agree that Radiohead really is the best band in the world?

  • @kitsovereign4127
    @kitsovereign4127 6 лет назад +6

    One of my favorite examples of this sort of rhythm recontexualizing is You Really Got Me (both The Kinks and Van Halen versions). When you hear the guitar riff on its own for the first time, you'll probably hear it as "1 & 2 & 3" - but when the drums kick in, you'll hear it as "& 1 & 2 &."

    • @Darel13712
      @Darel13712 6 лет назад

      It's impossible for me to think of it as & 1. It's clearly coming before the beat...

  • @JT-ss6si
    @JT-ss6si 4 года назад +112

    He is pretty much playing the piano in between the beat. End of topic.

    • @stitchgrimly6167
      @stitchgrimly6167 3 года назад +5

      It's played on the 4 but it sounds like the 1. We can all stop talking it now. Turns out it's no big deal.

    • @jordanfrancis89
      @jordanfrancis89 3 года назад +2

      Ok but saying it like that makes me think of dilla swing

  • @CalumCarlyle
    @CalumCarlyle 2 года назад +7

    After seeing this video last year I actually wrote a song where the rhythm is syncopated *back* a half beat, as part of getting my head around this. Watching this again now, I’m pleased to say this is a lot easier to hear now, much more intuitive.

  • @Meandmythirdleg
    @Meandmythirdleg 6 лет назад +5

    Estelle's videos are my favourite from Vox. More music content please!

  • @borjangagovski6545
    @borjangagovski6545 6 лет назад +6

    I immediately knew Warren was going to be in this video when I saw the title. No one else is as obsessed with Videotape's syncopation as he is lol

  • @WonderingAboutThat
    @WonderingAboutThat 5 лет назад

    I love this! Thanks for this fascinating video. I've always been curious about the rhythms in this song.

  • @omarflores1329
    @omarflores1329 5 лет назад +54

    Johnny greenwood just looks cool playing guitar. With his long hair and humbucker telecaster

  • @oolonsioo3853
    @oolonsioo3853 6 лет назад +5

    VOX I LOVE YOU , TY for covering such an amazing band like Radiohead

  • @mattd5312
    @mattd5312 6 месяцев назад +3

    I love this song. I would say it's "buried ," or hidden as a parted rhythm perhaps that the band is hearing similar to the song's meaning of memory of a passed loved one. We don't hear the rhythm, but they do. Makes me enjoy the song even more.

  • @middle_pickup
    @middle_pickup 6 лет назад +1

    What a great episode. I've watched this like 10 times, and referred many friends to this.

  • @Edu_SM
    @Edu_SM 3 года назад

    These videos are just outstanding!! Thanks!!

  • @aj1533
    @aj1533 6 лет назад +632

    Like them or not, Radiohead *is* one of the most beloved bands in the world.
    You may disagree with their opinions but their albums are rated incredibly well and they sell millions of albums without selling out.

    • @ishaanthewonderboy
      @ishaanthewonderboy 6 лет назад +35

      This very album In Rainbows was released with a "pay what you want" system on their site without any advertising. They are probably the biggest indie band out there.

    • @onixxfilth
      @onixxfilth 6 лет назад

      Ajay Vishwanaath I love "Creep" and "Karma Police" was one of my faves in middle school.

    • @clag1109
      @clag1109 6 лет назад +22

      LMAO Radiohead are not indie.

    • @teethgrinder83
      @teethgrinder83 6 лет назад +3

      Clag don't tell me Pablo Honey and The Bends aren't indie albums lol taken as a whole no they maybe aren't indie any more-especially after OK computer but come on,those first two albums were totally indie

    • @roryclague5876
      @roryclague5876 6 лет назад +2

      It's interesting that you would say this since Radiohead were signed to a record label when you claim they were indie, and have been independent musicians since In Rainbows.

  • @absaxoclar
    @absaxoclar 6 лет назад +10

    I spot that cheeky atoms for peace tour poster in the background

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +2

      Its sibling is here - instagram dot com /p/BNAs9PehPD6/

  • @fullmoonsociety7463
    @fullmoonsociety7463 Год назад +7

    How to dissapear completely is also interesting because most of the verses feel like 4/4 but the song is actually in 6/8, and sometimes that's pretty obvious in certain parts, but playing the whole song thinking of it as 6/8 is rather difficult

  • @tylerufen
    @tylerufen 4 года назад +1

    This is fascinating! Would produce another season!

  • @DylTyrril
    @DylTyrril 6 лет назад +6

    Not to be overlooked is the Thom Yorke From the Basement solo version of Videotape, a personal favourite. You can clearly see Thom working the piano's foot pedals to find his rhythm.

  • @dannii_L
    @dannii_L 6 лет назад +93

    This completely reinforces
    a) Why Radiohead are the gift that keeps on giving; and
    b) Why there is a special place in hell reserved for people that clap to the beat at concerts (oh, how I wish)

  • @ChukcD
    @ChukcD 6 лет назад

    Big fan of this series! Really has inspired my passion for music again!

  • @-topic9506
    @-topic9506 Год назад

    I come back to this video every now and then. it's always been one of my favorite Radiohead songs and I could always hear the metronome at the beginning. I used to think I was imagining it. it's just so good. makes you truly adore their musicality even more

  • @nashmillh76
    @nashmillh76 6 лет назад +110

    radiohead songs go through a metamorphosis before getting released and even after that, while they're playing it live. that's why it's always interesting for me; seems like each member is pouring their being into the record/live version.

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад +2

      Great thought... Agree 100%.

    • @ricktrevino309
      @ricktrevino309 6 лет назад

      WARRENMUSIC Know the name of the Stevie Wonder song?

    • @warrenmusic
      @warrenmusic 6 лет назад

      You'll have to ask Estelle! She's on Twitter.

    • @applesnapple5515
      @applesnapple5515 6 лет назад

      Master Blaster

    • @Zainyyx
      @Zainyyx 6 лет назад

      your comment reminded me of I Will (No Man's Land). when i first heard it, it instantly became my favorite. but then i heard the Los Angeles version and i was torn between which i favored the most. still am.

  • @bossyspaghetti
    @bossyspaghetti 5 лет назад +3

    Videotape has always been my very favorite song on that album, possibly my favorite in their whole catalog...

  • @SynthsStories
    @SynthsStories 6 лет назад

    Great, great motion design and musical knowledges shared! Thanks Vox ;)

  • @cressnaar
    @cressnaar 5 лет назад +1

    This put a whole new perception of music to me. Didn't understand everything but I understood enough.
    Very informative to me. Makes me wanna play my piano more.

  • @reydiyohed
    @reydiyohed 6 лет назад +6

    wow, vox covering this is actually really surprising

  • @ricardootiniano8315
    @ricardootiniano8315 6 лет назад +455

    "I am a professional musician and this is not hard to play" lol guys you won't get music creds just for commenting like that

    • @willritter4076
      @willritter4076 5 лет назад

      I'd be honored if some Radiohead/late 90s fans would check out my acoustic piano & vocal covers of HIGH & DRY and BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY by the Verve on my channel. Live acoustic with no digital editing. Thanks and peace.out.

    • @alexfeliciano2151
      @alexfeliciano2151 5 лет назад +15

      You don’t need to be a professional to play off beats. A quick 5 minute demonstration can all you need to know about off beats. They fact the viewers are trying to make is that off beats are not something special. You learn them in 6th grade band class.

    • @matthewgriffin3486
      @matthewgriffin3486 5 лет назад +22

      @@alexfeliciano2151 in 6th grade band class you don't have 30,000 fans all clapping on the wrong beat while you're trying to play a 1/16 of a note later

    • @grtrukat9360
      @grtrukat9360 5 лет назад +1

      There's so many bands between the 70s and 90s that did this in various chords

    • @rahul91090
      @rahul91090 4 года назад

      Alex Feliciano 6th grade? Really that late????

  • @christianvaneeden7460
    @christianvaneeden7460 Год назад

    This is fantastic content. Thank you thank you!

  • @BARACKD127
    @BARACKD127 5 лет назад

    You guys are amazing, thank you so much.

  • @rooftopsignals7313
    @rooftopsignals7313 6 лет назад +8

    OK COMPUTER is amazing, but IN RAINBOWS is my favorite.

  • @samw1501
    @samw1501 4 года назад +8

    The album version of this song is made more even complex by the gradually-drifting timing of some of the background percussion.

  • @chrissyhammond9089
    @chrissyhammond9089 3 года назад

    I LOVE "VOX!!" GRATEFUL a video showed up & I've been checking out MANY of their videos, had to subscribe woh...😲 I love pleasant surprises!!! Yay!!! 🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

  • @jakho19
    @jakho19 5 лет назад

    Fabulous piece guys! Thank youuuu

  • @BigBang28A
    @BigBang28A 6 лет назад +63

    is it just me or this "videotape" song plays in my nightmares all the time

    • @Misterz3r0
      @Misterz3r0 6 лет назад +21

      its just you

    • @joeyouyang
      @joeyouyang 6 лет назад +2

      When you don't double upload

  • @nashmillh76
    @nashmillh76 6 лет назад +21

    the fast version is not fit for closing track. Street sprite,the tourist all the way through true love waits the closing track has a lullaby like quality, like the band is saying goodbye to you.

  • @mouduge
    @mouduge 6 лет назад

    Great explanation, thanks, now I love this song even more.

  • @jasperbayless
    @jasperbayless 4 года назад

    It is just so brilliant! Fascinating video too.

  • @slowdivr2
    @slowdivr2 6 лет назад +3

    all the theory majors understand and love what's happening in this song! it's a brilliant masterpiece.

  • @klamin_original
    @klamin_original 6 лет назад +6

    Playing right after a beat (or hi hat) is easy, because you have something you can focus on. But playing without an existing downbeat is hard

  • @staindman00
    @staindman00 6 лет назад +1

    I LOVED THIS!!

  • @scottdunning5723
    @scottdunning5723 6 лет назад +2

    It's true, people look at me like I'm crazy when I start bouncing around to the beat of this song like a maniac. To them it's slow, it's melodic, and solemn. If you don't know what you're listening to, if you don't know what the beat is, you'll just think of the drums as background and the piano as the down beat. But every time I hear it, it electrifies me. The syncopation makes me feel every eighth note as if it were a quarter note. I FEEL this song at twice the speed everyone around me does. Paired with that slow solemn piano is just an amazing contrast.

  • @gravygravyjosh
    @gravygravyjosh 6 лет назад +4

    some people not really getting this. The difficult thing that makes this so interesting is they're playing the syncopated beat without anything on 1 to place it. When you listen on the record it sounds like normal 4, but then they start to build it and fill it out so that it feels polyrhythmic, but they were actually playing along to this "phantom beat" all along. Very cool

  • @julcaos
    @julcaos 5 лет назад +3

    Everyting in this was just brilliant... song, video, editing, research... great job guys!

  • @toymadsun
    @toymadsun 6 лет назад

    Super interesting video! Thanks for that.

  • @jand563
    @jand563 6 лет назад

    I learned something new about one of my favorite songs today. Thanks!

  • @densmaish5586
    @densmaish5586 6 лет назад +3

    A lot of modern and traditional African music has syncopation at its heart. I recall my music professor alluding to the beginnings of syncopation in the continent.

  • @julianuary
    @julianuary 6 лет назад +79

    As a slightly pedantic RH fan (haha) I have to correct something. The date of that London show was January 16, 2008, not September 29. They were ready to tour Japan by that point.

  • @solace6613
    @solace6613 6 лет назад

    Great Quality Media, sometimes I'm amazed to find this videos on RUclips. Congratulations automatically subscription

  • @fkngunicorn
    @fkngunicorn 3 года назад

    ily for this

  • @lamaziagoo
    @lamaziagoo 6 лет назад +5

    i don't understand anything but loved the video because its my fav song of radiohead

  • @ollerich32
    @ollerich32 5 лет назад +67

    over-analysis overload to the max!

  • @everest001
    @everest001 5 лет назад

    I have been listening to pop music since Bohemian Rhapsody was number 1. These videos are making me want to watch more of these videos. Thanks so much. These are amazing.

  • @L1ttleM1crosoft
    @L1ttleM1crosoft 9 месяцев назад +1

    Been subscribed to Warren for years now. Even saw him at the Berkeley show! Hahaha didnt get a chance to meet him but hes taught me pretty much every RH song i know on guitar.