This is really what makes a video about music good. I've seen people who talk about a song and its different parts for 15minutes, but NEVER play even a 3 second song sample. It just sucks.
Fun fact: I have never actually listened to “Mr Brightside” and until now believed it to be a song along the lines of “Mr Sandman”. You can imagine my surprise upon hearing the actual song for the first time
The thing that makes Out of the Woods so great is that each time the chorus is repeated, the production, instrumentation, and background vocals build in intensity, so that by the time you reach the bridge, breakdown, and final chorus you really feel the urgency and anxiety felt in the relationship she's singing about.
2010-2011 had a horrendous amount of one noters. I’d often joke and play the song with one finger on the piano and see if people could guess what it was. They rarely could. 😂
skyblaze eterno what the hell by Avril Lavington, California girls, teenage dream, e.t. by Katy perry, grow a pair by Kesha, everything by Kesha, basically anything written by Max Martin at the time... SO many more though. 😂
I love how you jump right into the concept and examples. You're not like these other youtubers that have a longwinded introduction and then five minutes of channel updates then an advertisement and finally the video starts. You're the best bro
@@skogis06 No, we gotta like and sub immediately because his content is unique and outstanding. I've been curious and learning about music for over 50 years, and I'm delighted to learn something every single time I check out one of his videos.
The rhythm of Mr. Brightside always reminds me of my mind racing through painful possibilities or facts and then fixating on the most excruciating details and the emotions I'm feeling due to my own thoughts.
How to make a viral pop song: 1. pick a key 2. use the I-V-vi-IV chord progression 3. make a melody with 3 notes, as explained in the video 4. it's good to be in 4/4
In pop it's usually 6/8. Listen to the drums: if the snare hits in every other bar (while you're thinking that the song is 3/4), it's actually 6/8 and in one single bar. If the song was 3/4, the usual drum beat would be bass-snare-snare, bass-snare-snare...
Don't forget to include a decent male vocalist singing about falling in love or finding the love of his life...or a female vocalist singing about losing the love of her life and how she is now stronger than ever as a result. Guaranteed hit right there.
@@guillaumefelix9655 because its a minor chord, major chords are written with big letters. Its a minor chord starting on the 6th (vi) note in the scale. If its a Cmaj scale the vi chord would be A-C-E. The major chord starting on 6th (VI) note in Cmaj would be A-C#-E Sorry if i misspelled something
Or the ironic "I get by with a little help from my friends, Get high... gonna try..", which is mostly a single note backed up by a half dozen chord changes.
This is me! But on my flute. Like the song will be so fun to listen to and sing and then I realize how repetitive the notes are and it’s like “oh this really isn’t that much.”
It‘s literally aggravating, and I can‘t figure out whether to admire it for being intentional or consider it just another example of how modern pop music is intentionally overpowering to prevent people tuning it out and force itself into people‘s head.
@@raylast3873 it's supposed to resembled the anxiety she felt while she was in a very delicate, already crumbling relationship, she has much more soothing songs (example: her entire new album 'Folklore')
Katy Perry’s “Never Really Over” has the one note through the entire chorus, but by doing this the descending harmony behind it creates such a beautiful sound that goes unnoticed. The ear picks up a difference but technically the melody is the same but the vocal harmony has the real movement making it very unique
@@nate_storm yes there is. Listen very closely to the second repetition in the chorus and especially in the 2nd time singing the chorus. It’s very subtle but very pleasing. While singing a single note over and over on rhythm is technically difficult to accomplish in itself I actually like singing along to the descending harmony.
The melody in Out Of The Woods is so fitting tho. It's like switching between sweet dream (verses) and nightmare (chorus) while the bridge is you waking up.
Out of the woods, chorus lead vocals were intentionally supposed to be one-note despite the music and the background vocals changing notes all the time. Taylor did that on purpose to create strong tension to create a feeling of anxiety which was what the song was about. 1989 really was something creative and deep. It's definitely my favorite out of 1989.
@@vaclavjebavy5118 The song is about a snowmobile accident that her and Harry Styles got into, as well as her anxiety about their relationship since it was always under media microscope. She explained it in great detail in an interview that is on Billboard.com website. :)
Václav Jebavý Sometimes the rawest and most authentic feelings we feel on a relationship can be almost considered childish, cause they’re simple and the base of other complex feelings. The verses and bridge of the song show other aspects of the relationship, but the chorus focus on the anxiety and tension of a relationship where both partners know that it is bound to end, and so the repeated question intensifies this and shows that she’s know it is doomed to end - but she has no idea when
Václav Jebavý honestly, I don’t either. It’s wonderful that she put so much thought into it, but most people who are just casual listeners probably didn’t get that vibe; they probably thought the same as you and I, it’s just like an annoying kid. I‘ve heard a lot of music where the artist either tries to make you feel anxious or tries to channel a childlike essence and it’s all really good, I’d put it on repeat. This just isn’t that. If a song is actually annoying to listen to, you probably didn’t do a good job writing it. Just imo tho, glad other people are into it at least.
All to prove that there is no "right way" to write music. Limitation in one area sparks creativity in another and the widening of variety of resources creates new avenues to explore!
@@TheRealBrandonMcDuff I agree. To me personally lyrics can (almost) never be the basis for a piece of music. (And because of that I will not evaluate her lyrics, and that's the reason I have never cared much about Bob Dylan) A piece of art has to have something. You can remove or reduce one or more defining elements, but there have to be something left that triggers some feelings or is somewhat interresting or surprising. A lot of new pop music lacks harmony, melody, rythm or timbre (or lyrics) that I care about. I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot of good music, but jeez, there's a lot of uninspiered shite. To me the music video, the music, and the lyrics seems completely disconnected in Out of the Woods.
@Dazzy Bakemono Rhythm is all there is. Rhythmic noise of power tools isn't music. A lot of the time there is no melody. There's a RUclips video that documents that, but I am having trouble finding it now.
The start of your composition on the 5 Composers challenge showed just how much can be done with one note - it was somehow really touching - despite just using one note. Enjoyed collaborating with you, and thanks for another great vid.
Or Neil Young’s guitar solo in Cinnamon Girl. which he enjoyed so much he played the 4 bars a second time. I like Neil, he can be and is sometimes brilliant . But I figure he was stoned out of his mind at that time 😉
Not to bring Billie Eilish into everything, but I’m always pleasantly surprised that the verses of “Bad Guy” (and the harmonies in them) are built entirely on the minor third of the key, which remains the melody throughout. Really interesting choice.
David and everyone in the comments: *cites hit classics and other notable songs in history as examples of monotonous melody* Me: _7 AM WaKiN uP iN tHe MoRniNG-_
I think Julia is really about Yoko, and John rewrote it before it came out. It's typical Lennon misdirection, like McCartney climbing up a tree in Strawberry Fields. The long drawn out melody and the way the first syllable of Julia is spoken the normal reaction of an Englishman being taught to pronounce Yoko correctly the first time. The first syllable is long, the second short. Yo-o-ko. The name means ocean child, the next words of the song. Much the rest of the song is plays on the ocean theme or expresses his attraction to her.
@@bernardfinucane2061 But John first met Yoko at the end of 1966 and Julia was released on Rubber soul in 1965, so yeah it's about his mother who's name is actually Julia, who'd have thought it huh
@@matthewhart9585 The Beatles knew more than you might think. Not formally trained, but they grasped a fair amount of it. You should watch David's video on how much theory the Beatles knew.
In the Philippines, we have a worship song titled Dalawang Akorde that literally translates to two chord. Not too connected to the video but, yeah hahaha
Great video. I wanted to add something about Mr. Brightside that you didn’t mention: besides the rhythm of the one-note vocals, the ongoing perpetual guitar riff gives off the false feeling of more melody in the vocal line. It’s a weird little thing that helps a lot in making it less monotonous.
THANK YOU for not dismissing modern, simple music as “bad” for being modern and simple. I love the observation that these become chants, too. Although I would have loved to heard how the note relates to the harmony. ie, sitting on the note C sounds very different over a C-F progression than a C-dm-F-G progression.
"Are we out of the woods" is so brilliantly done that it actually triggers some type of anxiety in the listener, just to show how Taylor was feeling throughout that entire relationship
The first things I thought of was Dawn Chorus by Thom Yorke. It is like a beautiful swirl of electric noise with Thom's voice gently over it singing the same note - one note melodies work!
Every time a new music youtuber is recommended to me, I brace myself for a grating "GAHH MODERN MUSIC IS BAD" take. Props to you for such a positive video on """uninteresting""" music - the ability to understand and utilize simplicity is the mark of a very good (and, in most cases, humble :P) musician. Loved the video.
Reminds me of Katy Perry’s “just because it’s over doesn’t mean it’s really over and if you think it over maybe you’ll be coming over again” chorus, where it repeats the same note AND the word “over” to emphasize that the song itself is about repeating an old cycle.
Maaaan “La canzone mononota” by Elio e le storie tese, an amazing Italian band. The title means “the song with one note” you should definetly check it out, Greeeetings from Italy
I know every single song by Elio e Le Storie Tese, and I do believe La Canzone Mononota is their greatest masterpiece. It's middle C in every possible harmonic combination. And it even turns out to be the dominant, as the very last note Elio sings is an F. The song is full of quotations from classical to pop and jazz. You have to be Italian to grasp the whole meaning, more or less as you've got to be a Brit to catch the meaning of Thick as a Brick, but listening to the song will be pure pleasure for the ear and brain of every musician and music respectful lover.
So in elementary music education, we need to teach kids songs they know and love. Enough with teaching every kid to play Marry Had a Little Lamb on the violin. Give them another 3 note chorus that they know and love.
@@ieuanphillips4963 True - Maybe turn it into a medley/review situation? Instead of teaching kids one song, teach them snippets of several? That could give them a greater chance of finding something they like while helping them recognize patterns early.
I'd been listening to Brett Domino's "How to write a hit pop song" videos lately, and I feel like your video has explained all the claims he made in his. Great work!
Agreed. This monotony of the song is broken and the note gets its relief only when the word Julia is sung, imo symbolising John's relief when he speaks his mother's name.
I've been a huge Taylor fan since 1989 and started watching David's videos a little while before this particular video came out, so when I saw her in the thumbnail I KNEW he was going to talk about Out of the Woods 😁
I gotta say, your composition was the one I personally found most appealing of the 5 composers challenge. Just the right amount of harmonic movement and arranged in a very expressive way
As a painter I found this so insightful! I love all music genres- the idea of a melody with few notes is like a painting with made with limited palettes. Old masters work had the challenge to create harmony and balance because many pigments were not invented! So similarly, its not about how many or little colour you use in a painting or how many notes in a melody but finding the balance and harmony ^^ thanks for uploading, cheers !
I was going to post a comment, but. This fella knows more about music than I can ever understand. He's like the Red Arrows! Here they come! Straight over my head!
@@sarasthoughts I'm not trying to gate keep, I wad just making a joke about the fact the song was popular and some so my mum would have heard it several times a week on recorder. Think of how much everyone ended up listening to songs like let it go. You can like the song, there's nothing wrong with that. But you have to admit, it's repetitive, especially when instrumental.
That song is similar to Horse with No Name by America. Horse primarily alternates between two chords, never really finding resolution. It's monotonous on purpose to evoke a sense of isolation or tension and they both do it very well. Similarly, they both have increasingly busy support instruments to contrast.
A suggestion I give for a next video is "simplicity vs complexity" in musical composition. Why is complexity not a guarantee of quality? Why do we many times prefer simple songs instead of complex songs even though the latter are objectively better in technical terms? I love classical music and am very pleased to listen to Bach or Mozart, but sometimes I get just the same pleasure from a simple Dylan tune.
@@janmatula1534 Yes, in a compositional sense. Beethoven is far superior to Milli Vanilli, just like Emerson Lake and Palmer is much better than Billie Eilish. I'm not taking taste into account because then it becomes susceptible to the listener's subjectivity.
Generally speaking, I would say complex songs tend to be more appreciated and timeless, even though most listeners may not realize the songs are complex. Simple songs seem to get old quickly.
klausssgroi what im saying is it doesnt really make sense calling more thought-out music "better", when in practise it might be less liked than music you would say is "objectively worse". calling this property "objective quality" is misleading. it also makes it seem as if it was "better" to listen to certain kinds of music. isnt that exactly the problem we are trying to solve when we say music is subjective?
The bassline in "Mr. Brightside" does share a similar chord progression with Prince's "No One Can Take The Place Of Your Man". Crosby Stills & Nash's "All The Lonely People" uses a similar chord progression in it's first two verses as "Julia". I always thought the Chainsmokers' "Closer" was somewhat similar to Human League's "Human".
Mr. Brightside having just one note melody makes it REALLY EASY to drunkenly shout
True true
Karaoke hours
So true 😂
That's beyond true!
Pctyd :(
God Bless this dude's attempts to avoid copyright strikes
This is really what makes a video about music good. I've seen people who talk about a song and its different parts for 15minutes, but NEVER play even a 3 second song sample. It just sucks.
agreed. he's getting his sweet sweet money
@@sinner272 Would you like to work lots of hours to make a video to get nothing of it?
@@zeus-os3fb uhm, my point was that he deserves the revenue. no point arguing.
This actually works?
There's a famous italian song called "La canzone mononota" (the one-note song), which is literally an entire song with a one note melody
Elio e le Storie Tese
It's a really great song.
What you are describing sounds like neither a song nor a melody.
Its not famous if you have to tell us what it is...
@@bootsnc4ts611 Because they said it's Italian the song may only be famous in Italy.
Fun fact: I have never actually listened to “Mr Brightside” and until now believed it to be a song along the lines of “Mr Sandman”. You can imagine my surprise upon hearing the actual song for the first time
It also sounds a lot like Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, especially the bridge
Honestly same-
Same, but you cannot imagine my disappointment.
Me to got it mixed up with Mr Blue sky
@@rogergreen9861 Welcome to good music and live concerts
The thing that makes Out of the Woods so great is that each time the chorus is repeated, the production, instrumentation, and background vocals build in intensity, so that by the time you reach the bridge, breakdown, and final chorus you really feel the urgency and anxiety felt in the relationship she's singing about.
yeah she described it exactly this way
REMEMBER WHEN YOU HIT THE BRAKES TOO SOOON??
Me , with 0 music theory: interesting
I’m glad 😁
I feel you
I wanna like the comment but it has 69 likes
@@DavidBennettPiano You get to be his music teacher lmao.
one note at a time
2010-2011 had a horrendous amount of one noters. I’d often joke and play the song with one finger on the piano and see if people could guess what it was. They rarely could. 😂
Haha that’s amazing
name some then
@🌟༻🅹🅰🆈🅵🅰༺ ✓ • 5 years ago That's not 2010-11...
What were some of them?
skyblaze eterno what the hell by Avril Lavington, California girls, teenage dream, e.t. by Katy perry, grow a pair by Kesha, everything by Kesha, basically anything written by Max Martin at the time... SO many more though. 😂
I love how you jump right into the concept and examples. You're not like these other youtubers that have a longwinded introduction and then five minutes of channel updates then an advertisement and finally the video starts. You're the best bro
I'm glad! Thank you 🙂
And no awful begging for likes and subs
skogis and interestingly, or ironically, i liked and subscribed 😅
@@skogis06 No, we gotta like and sub immediately because his content is unique and outstanding. I've been curious and learning about music for over 50 years, and I'm delighted to learn something every single time I check out one of his videos.
Ask my Dad to whistle and I can guarantee you he'll turn ANY song or symphony into a one-note hell-hole masterpiece.
😂😂
I think we have the same dad
The rhythm of Mr. Brightside always reminds me of my mind racing through painful possibilities or facts and then fixating on the most excruciating details and the emotions I'm feeling due to my own thoughts.
There's 6 beats in the rhythm. Try counting to 7 to cut the cycle and get onto a fresh page.
YES!
So I'm not the only one who does this. lol
Stop it, Get some help.
Little details like this in the song are the reason why it's my favorite of all time
How to make a viral pop song:
1. pick a key
2. use the I-V-vi-IV chord progression
3. make a melody with 3 notes, as explained in the video
4. it's good to be in 4/4
If it's a love ballad you can get away with 3/4.
In pop it's usually 6/8. Listen to the drums: if the snare hits in every other bar (while you're thinking that the song is 3/4), it's actually 6/8 and in one single bar. If the song was 3/4, the usual drum beat would be bass-snare-snare, bass-snare-snare...
Don't forget to include a decent male vocalist singing about falling in love or finding the love of his life...or a female vocalist singing about losing the love of her life and how she is now stronger than ever as a result. Guaranteed hit right there.
Excuse my ignorance but why is vi in lowercase?
@@guillaumefelix9655 because its a minor chord, major chords are written with big letters. Its a minor chord starting on the 6th (vi) note in the scale. If its a Cmaj scale the vi chord would be A-C-E. The major chord starting on 6th (VI) note in Cmaj would be A-C#-E
Sorry if i misspelled something
Great video!
Thanks! I love your work too 😀
thanks
HEY! ROOMIE! NICE!
My teacher sent me here and I find this🤣🤣
Didn't expect to see you here😳
Makes me think of the pre-chorus in Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Great suggestion!
or most of the verses from Come Together
Baby you're a rich man was the first thing to come to mind when I saw John Lennon in the thumbnail
Or the ironic "I get by with a little help from my friends, Get high... gonna try..", which is mostly a single note backed up by a half dozen chord changes.
Also the first bars of the chorus in All You Need is Love
Reminds me of high school when I would play pop songs on my violin and realize how boring they were note-wise. 😂
yo me too! 🎻
I do this too lol
I use to be able to play the Star Wars theme on my violin.
Oh same!!!! I duetted someone on tiktok doing mr. Brightside on my fiddle and I just realized "hang on-"
This is me! But on my flute. Like the song will be so fun to listen to and sing and then I realize how repetitive the notes are and it’s like “oh this really isn’t that much.”
The chorus of “out of the woods” enables my fight or flight mode
the exact intention of the song!
Me too, I love it to death
It‘s literally aggravating, and I can‘t figure out whether to admire it for being intentional or consider it just another example of how modern pop music is intentionally overpowering to prevent people tuning it out and force itself into people‘s head.
@@raylast3873 it's supposed to resembled the anxiety she felt while she was in a very delicate, already crumbling relationship, she has much more soothing songs (example: her entire new album 'Folklore')
@YellowOnline lol what are the other 9
I could HEAR that thumbnail.
".. it's all in my head now.."
I just can't look. It's killing me and taking control.
Same here
I too can do that just fine.
Love how you include classics with newer pop songs. You're never here to frow upon newer musicians, just to teach. Keep it up!
thanks!
Katy Perry’s “Never Really Over” has the one note through the entire chorus, but by doing this the descending harmony behind it creates such a beautiful sound that goes unnoticed. The ear picks up a difference but technically the melody is the same but the vocal harmony has the real movement making it very unique
I’ve always noticed it, I really like the fact it changes when it repeats for the second time
The note isn't the same if it's a harmony, dumbass. It is.one octave up.
@@MrParkerman6 rude much.
there’s a descending part? i only notice the repetitive one note part and find it annoying lol
@@nate_storm yes there is. Listen very closely to the second repetition in the chorus and especially in the 2nd time singing the chorus. It’s very subtle but very pleasing. While singing a single note over and over on rhythm is technically difficult to accomplish in itself I actually like singing along to the descending harmony.
The melody in Out Of The Woods is so fitting tho. It's like switching between sweet dream (verses) and nightmare (chorus) while the bridge is you waking up.
Queer?
Out of the woods, chorus lead vocals were intentionally supposed to be one-note despite the music and the background vocals changing notes all the time. Taylor did that on purpose to create strong tension to create a feeling of anxiety which was what the song was about. 1989 really was something creative and deep. It's definitely my favorite out of 1989.
i dunno just kinda feels like a kid asking if they're there yet
@@vaclavjebavy5118 The song is about a snowmobile accident that her and Harry Styles got into, as well as her anxiety about their relationship since it was always under media microscope. She explained it in great detail in an interview that is on Billboard.com website. :)
Václav Jebavý Sometimes the rawest and most authentic feelings we feel on a relationship can be almost considered childish, cause they’re simple and the base of other complex feelings. The verses and bridge of the song show other aspects of the relationship, but the chorus focus on the anxiety and tension of a relationship where both partners know that it is bound to end, and so the repeated question intensifies this and shows that she’s know it is doomed to end - but she has no idea when
@@tiagoadulis Yea I just don't see it.
Václav Jebavý honestly, I don’t either. It’s wonderful that she put so much thought into it, but most people who are just casual listeners probably didn’t get that vibe; they probably thought the same as you and I, it’s just like an annoying kid. I‘ve heard a lot of music where the artist either tries to make you feel anxious or tries to channel a childlike essence and it’s all really good, I’d put it on repeat. This just isn’t that. If a song is actually annoying to listen to, you probably didn’t do a good job writing it. Just imo tho, glad other people are into it at least.
All to prove that there is no "right way" to write music. Limitation in one area sparks creativity in another and the widening of variety of resources creates new avenues to explore!
While I agree, the Taylor Swift song "out of the woods" is a great example of it being done horribly
@@TheRealBrandonMcDuff yup, lazy ass chorus.
@@TheRealBrandonMcDuff I agree. To me personally lyrics can (almost) never be the basis for a piece of music. (And because of that I will not evaluate her lyrics, and that's the reason I have never cared much about Bob Dylan) A piece of art has to have something. You can remove or reduce one or more defining elements, but there have to be something left that triggers some feelings or is somewhat interresting or surprising. A lot of new pop music lacks harmony, melody, rythm or timbre (or lyrics) that I care about. I'm sure I'm missing out on a lot of good music, but jeez, there's a lot of uninspiered shite. To me the music video, the music, and the lyrics seems completely disconnected in Out of the Woods.
Maybe there's not right way, but there are for sure terrible ways, like one-note songs.
@@egilsandnes9637 edgy
7:10 my man just called all of modern pop music Nursery Rhymes
Aren't they? Lol
@@mariaz6359 They aren't music. They are noise.
@Dazzy Bakemono Rhythm is all there is. Rhythmic noise of power tools isn't music. A lot of the time there is no melody. There's a RUclips video that documents that, but I am having trouble finding it now.
@@billbauer9795 ???
@@billbauer9795 Maaan, you must hate batucadas
The start of your composition on the 5 Composers challenge showed just how much can be done with one note - it was somehow really touching - despite just using one note. Enjoyed collaborating with you, and thanks for another great vid.
Thank you David! It was a great idea for a composing brief! Pleasure to work with you 😊
love this crossover! :')
yeeyee
I'm an alto, I know all about monotonous melodies being important for the harmony XD
You are Blessed!!! I adore the alto section!!! They really fill in So Many Holes!!!!
I can't believe he made it through the whole video without mentioning "I Wanna Be Sedated" and its legendary 1-note guitar solo.
SERIOUSLY thats what i was waiting for too
Genuine thanks for getting this stuck in my head.
Check out Adam Neely's video on the history of the One Note Solo
Or Neil Young’s guitar solo in Cinnamon Girl. which he enjoyed so much he played the 4 bars a second time. I like Neil, he can be and is sometimes brilliant . But I figure he was stoned out of his mind at that time 😉
Moon age daydream.
Not to bring Billie Eilish into everything, but I’m always pleasantly surprised that the verses of “Bad Guy” (and the harmonies in them) are built entirely on the minor third of the key, which remains the melody throughout. Really interesting choice.
It definitely breaks the mold of pop songs being in a major key, giving that signature Billie edge to it.
I think it sounds so good because of the sheer amount of stacked harmonies and the really catchy bass line that makes it more interesting
She's a hack.
@@chipgaasche4933 As opposed to?
saw COMING OUT OF MY CAGE AND I WAS DOING JUST FINE on the thumbnail and all of Britain clicked
David and everyone in the comments: *cites hit classics and other notable songs in history as examples of monotonous melody*
Me: _7 AM WaKiN uP iN tHe MoRniNG-_
Exactly what I thought of
Gotta have my bowl
@@bipbipletucha gotta have cereal
Wait... Which song is that?
Nevermind found it.
‘Out of the woods’ gives me anxiety and broken record feeling.
Taylor swift makes me hate music, young girls, life itself
@@abaker2921 okay
She said on the grammy museum that the anxiety part was intentional
@@abaker2921 then do the world a favour and give up on life 👍🏾
"I've played this song many times at pubs and WEDDINGS" ----- is talking about Mister Brightside *oof*
No that's literally just how the UK is. Mr Brightside is played at *everything*.
@@Sevenseasick everyone over the age of 10 knows the lyrics
Ben Townsend I knew them all when i was 4
hey just curious do you like the Killers?
Hey I know a couple who's theme song is Lips of an Angel lol
I think John put that tension into “Julia” because he had a lot of unresolved issues with his deceased mother, Julia.
Great point!
I think Julia is really about Yoko, and John rewrote it before it came out. It's typical Lennon misdirection, like McCartney climbing up a tree in Strawberry Fields.
The long drawn out melody and the way the first syllable of Julia is spoken the normal reaction of an Englishman being taught to pronounce Yoko correctly the first time. The first syllable is long, the second short. Yo-o-ko. The name means ocean child, the next words of the song. Much the rest of the song is plays on the ocean theme or expresses his attraction to her.
@@bernardfinucane2061 That also makes a lot of sense
@@bernardfinucane2061 But John first met Yoko at the end of 1966 and Julia was released on Rubber soul in 1965, so yeah it's about his mother who's name is actually Julia, who'd have thought it huh
@@fantasypgatour No, "Julia" was released on The White Album in 1968.
New drinking game: take a shot anytime he mentions a Beatles song in any of his videos💀
That's what you get when prolific genius dominates a genre. They're the "Simpsons did it" of music.
@@matthewhart9585 The Beatles knew more than you might think. Not formally trained, but they grasped a fair amount of it. You should watch David's video on how much theory the Beatles knew.
I was going to say you can do this for Radiohead too but ironically they're nowhere to be found in this video
Be careful watching my 20 mins "Did The Beatles know theory?" video then... you'll need to pre-book your ambulance!
Watched that video very interesting
In Italy we have "la canzone mononota", litteraly: "the song with only one note" by Elio e le storie tese.
It's a very funny song.
In the Philippines, we have a worship song titled Dalawang Akorde that literally translates to two chord. Not too connected to the video but, yeah hahaha
Straight from their official channel ruclips.net/video/lRq0TzYBris/видео.html ...but it is pretty difficult to understand for non native speakers.
È la canzone mononota.... una canzone poco nota
@@mb_entity che non scende a compromessi e se lo fa il compromesso é piccolo, tipo.... questo
Cultura! 🇮🇹
Great video. I wanted to add something about Mr. Brightside that you didn’t mention: besides the rhythm of the one-note vocals, the ongoing perpetual guitar riff gives off the false feeling of more melody in the vocal line. It’s a weird little thing that helps a lot in making it less monotonous.
That’s a good point, the guitar riff is effectively a counter melody 😊
5:30 notice he goes down to the root when he finally reaches Julia. Like he is reaching and stretching for Julia then finally can. Now that’s clever.
Well said.
And at the same time Lennon overdubs himself singing the 5th - at least on the white album. Simultaneous resolution and tension.
yeah it is but sounds like shit
The second half of the bridge for Fixing a Hole: "See the people standing there who disagree and never win, and wonder why they don't get in my door".
Tom Perry actually sings "and I'm 3, 3 fallin' "
Well spotted!
Well played sir, well played
Tom Perry? Is that Katy Perry's brother?
THANK YOU for not dismissing modern, simple music as “bad” for being modern and simple. I love the observation that these become chants, too. Although I would have loved to heard how the note relates to the harmony. ie, sitting on the note C sounds very different over a C-F progression than a C-dm-F-G progression.
I love how you used the Sangah Noona recording of “One Note Samba.” Gotta give you two thumbs up for that!
Give me the link plz lmao
@@NathanPlays395 ruclips.net/video/GfVSHAFkuD4/видео.html
"Are we out of the woods" is so brilliantly done that it actually triggers some type of anxiety in the listener, just to show how Taylor was feeling throughout that entire relationship
YESSS
The first things I thought of was Dawn Chorus by Thom Yorke. It is like a beautiful swirl of electric noise with Thom's voice gently over it singing the same note - one note melodies work!
Great suggestion! I should have covered that one!
My favorite song on Anima, so gorgeous
i didn't even notice it, nice one. it works so well
The legend Johnny Marr playing with The Killers there.
@@kingloser4198 I don't know why he did it in the first place.
He's too good for that!
King Loser it was last year at glasto
King Loser why?
Glad someone brought it up
@@kingloser4198 It was only last year.
“I Want You” by Savage Garden is another example. Almost every note in the verse is G.
Like a chicka cherry cola! 🎵
anytimeineedtoseyourfaceijust close my eyes
The G Note
Love that song. My mom always plays it.
imthekindofguywhoendorsesadeepcommitment
5:44 ~Recent POP Songs~
Continues to play “What Makes You Beautiful” 2011.
yeah lmao I was about to check the posting time
As compared to other examples from 40-60 years ago, yeah it’s recent.
Considering music has been forever, it's recent af.
Yeah, of course music was just created on the 2000's and there is not music before so that song is recent
Every time a new music youtuber is recommended to me, I brace myself for a grating "GAHH MODERN MUSIC IS BAD" take. Props to you for such a positive video on """uninteresting""" music - the ability to understand and utilize simplicity is the mark of a very good (and, in most cases, humble :P) musician. Loved the video.
Reminds me of Katy Perry’s “just because it’s over doesn’t mean it’s really over and if you think it over maybe you’ll be coming over again” chorus, where it repeats the same note AND the word “over” to emphasize that the song itself is about repeating an old cycle.
Uhh… didn’t expect to find you here lol
Gdgdgdg
Maaaan “La canzone mononota” by Elio e le storie tese, an amazing Italian band. The title means “the song with one note” you should definetly check it out, Greeeetings from Italy
The comment I was looking for
Yeeeeah I was waiting for it to appear :(
mi hai fottuto sul tempo mannaggg
I know every single song by Elio e Le Storie Tese, and I do believe La Canzone Mononota is their greatest masterpiece. It's middle C in every possible harmonic combination. And it even turns out to be the dominant, as the very last note Elio sings is an F. The song is full of quotations from classical to pop and jazz. You have to be Italian to grasp the whole meaning, more or less as you've got to be a Brit to catch the meaning of Thick as a Brick, but listening to the song will be pure pleasure for the ear and brain of every musician and music respectful lover.
Here is the link to the official video ruclips.net/video/lRq0TzYBris/видео.html
It wouldn't be a David Bennett Piano video without a Beatles reference
Yes! Not that i complain though.
Yes! Not that i complain though.
So in elementary music education, we need to teach kids songs they know and love. Enough with teaching every kid to play Marry Had a Little Lamb on the violin. Give them another 3 note chorus that they know and love.
The problem with that would be everyone has different tastes in music
@@ieuanphillips4963 True - Maybe turn it into a medley/review situation? Instead of teaching kids one song, teach them snippets of several? That could give them a greater chance of finding something they like while helping them recognize patterns early.
The verses of MGMT's Little Dark Age also stay on the fifth most of the time, save for a few minor sixths used as ornamentation!
I'm surprised no one mentioned REMs "It's the End of the World as We Know It."
That's a double track, one take singing B and the other singing D. Great some
@@User-jk8wq That would be a melody and a harmony.
Good suggestion - perhaps in a future video!
@@DavidBennettPiano All My Life by Foo Fighters too. The guitar stays the same too. I could be wrong. Let me go listen... (well just the first bit)
@@DavidBennettPiano Check out Elio e le storie tese "La canzone mononota"!. Really brilliant!! Greatings from Italy
I'd been listening to Brett Domino's "How to write a hit pop song" videos lately, and I feel like your video has explained all the claims he made in his. Great work!
It's so catchy *because* everyone can 'sing' along!
when your mom tells you to write a song but you've just started piano 2 days ago
John Lennon has soooo many songs that have one repeating note in them.
YEA
He doesn’t have any
@@jfgibson73 the video just gave an example
Honestly I immediately thought about Tomorrow Never Knows.
The monotonous line in Julia is probably trying to evoke the “meaninglessness” that John refers to.
I think the delicate beauty of the changes when the word "Julia" is sung would be lost in a "busier" melody
John seemed to do the "one note" thing a lot actually.
Agreed. This monotony of the song is broken and the note gets its relief only when the word Julia is sung, imo symbolising John's relief when he speaks his mother's name.
Hanging out with you listening to music with you would be alot of fun. I love the way you analyze music!
Cheers!
Agreed!
Probably one of the most challenging part of making your videos must be avoiding copyright strike :D
Great job, I like your vids.
Again, a great video explaining how music works. Thank you for your hard work.
Thanks! 😊😊
Me, a basic girl seeing Taylor swift in the thumbnail: YES
Me, actually really liking this guy cause I like music theory: Y E S
i know this is just a a joke but i appreciate when people don't care about being "basic" instead of irrationaly despising anything that is popular 🥺
@@meowimg Basic ≠ popular.
But what if its a boy?
Well I came for John Lennon
I've been a huge Taylor fan since 1989 and started watching David's videos a little while before this particular video came out, so when I saw her in the thumbnail I KNEW he was going to talk about Out of the Woods 😁
I gotta say, your composition was the one I personally found most appealing of the 5 composers challenge. Just the right amount of harmonic movement and arranged in a very expressive way
Thank you! That means a lot. 🙂
As a painter I found this so insightful! I love all music genres- the idea of a melody with few notes is like a painting with made with limited palettes. Old masters work had the challenge to create harmony and balance because many pigments were not invented! So similarly, its not about how many or little colour you use in a painting or how many notes in a melody but finding the balance and harmony ^^ thanks for uploading, cheers !
Dawn Chorus by Thom Yorke
Lmao when he was like, “a lot of recent pop songs have been...” and the showed his first few examples I checked the date.
Lol
Well you know, how recent is recent? If it's in the past decade I think its fine.
Quite a lot of the song “Ugly Heart” by GRL is the same note, most obviously the chorus but also for the most part of the verses too
Bro I never noticed that before! That’s wack
Nice pfp
This guy is incredibly proficient in music and has an understanding way beyond his years. I love watching these videos! Subscribed!
One of my favourite fairly static melodies is the introduction to Night and Day by Cole Porter. Has a bit of word painting thrown in too!
Bill Evans' version really illustrates this.
I like how he even wrote where he got the songs to avoid copyright. You got my respect. +1 sub from me
Lots of love from Nepal!!
Nice to see a fellow countryman :")
creeper aw man
sorry i had to do it its because of your profile pic im sry ahahdsegefdf........hgfd
The verse of America's "Horse With No Name" comes to mind also.
“All You Need is Love” is another good example of changing the context of the note (D in this case)
I believe it also happens in "And Your Bird Can Sing".
I've been singing this way my whole life...
_I'm monotone_
Your profile pic fits this comment so perfectly
I feel you man
I'm brand new on my composition journey and love your videos. Thank you so much.
Thanks Lydia 😄
Your piece Once, Two, Much was absolutely brilliant!
Thank you!!
Another great example of rhythm over melody, and the idea of release, is The Raconteurs' "you don't understand me" piano solo
Great piano solo!!!!
I was going to post a comment, but. This fella knows more about music than I can ever understand. He's like the Red Arrows! Here they come! Straight over my head!
You did a great job at David Bruce’s challenge. Very melodic and poppy in a positiv way. Pleasing the ear not just a bunch of notes....
Thank you!
so good to see such a good channel as yours bringing brazillian songs!
greetings from Brasil and keep up the good work!
Why are there dislikes on this video? This is the best channel I’ve ever found on RUclips!
Thanks Joe!
My mum's a music teacher so imagine being her when What makes you beautiful was popular...
If she isnt an elitist then she wouldn't have had a problem
Music is music. Stop gatekeeping notes.
@@sarasthoughts I'm not trying to gate keep, I wad just making a joke about the fact the song was popular and some so my mum would have heard it several times a week on recorder. Think of how much everyone ended up listening to songs like let it go. You can like the song, there's nothing wrong with that. But you have to admit, it's repetitive, especially when instrumental.
@Anne Day Oh ok, thanks! I'm not always the best at tone or making myself clear *especially* over the internet so thank you
Realized that Icona Pop - I Love It is mostly using a single note. Didn't occur to me before, but now it's so obvious. Thanks for this video!
“Flood” from Jars of Clay would fit this category well.
G...Guys!
He didnt mention Radiohead! Are we 100% sure he hasn't been kidnapped and this isn't a coded clue??
😉😘
*calls for the police*
Never thought I'd see John Lennon and Taylor Swift in the same thumbnail. Anyway great video.
Love the one note samba, as you say, it's about the rich jazz chords. The melody becomes an outer pedal, in terms of what I was taught.
Also in Numb by U2, the lead vocal line by The Edge utilises just one note throughout the whole song
I was hoping this would be in the video, but at least we could count on a hero like you to mention it in the comments. 🦸
Slayer and DragonForce: whole scale every scale
These videos make me feel so smart
Maestro Tom Jobim! Orgulho do Brasil!
“purposefully limiting yourself though can be a really good way to spark creative ideas”
The chorus of The Rolling People by The Verve is the first one to come to mind. Epic tune if you haven't heard it :)
Reminds me of the guitar riff on Talking Heads’ The Great Curve (and probably a bunch of their other songs)
Very knowladgeable guy. Love this deep insight. Like
Perfect example of a song with a one note melody, Numb by U2.
That song is similar to Horse with No Name by America. Horse primarily alternates between two chords, never really finding resolution. It's monotonous on purpose to evoke a sense of isolation or tension and they both do it very well. Similarly, they both have increasingly busy support instruments to contrast.
I’m doing a Humanities assignment on songs with repetitive notes and this is exactly what I needed!!
I watched the 5 Composers video, and I loved your piece and the way it developed. Very emotive.
Thank you! 😃😃
A suggestion I give for a next video is "simplicity vs complexity" in musical composition. Why is complexity not a guarantee of quality? Why do we many times prefer simple songs instead of complex songs even though the latter are objectively better in technical terms? I love classical music and am very pleased to listen to Bach or Mozart, but sometimes I get just the same pleasure from a simple Dylan tune.
objectively better?
@@janmatula1534 Yes, in a compositional sense. Beethoven is far superior to Milli Vanilli, just like Emerson Lake and Palmer is much better than Billie Eilish. I'm not taking taste into account because then it becomes susceptible to the listener's subjectivity.
Generally speaking, I would say complex songs tend to be more appreciated and timeless, even though most listeners may not realize the songs are complex. Simple songs seem to get old quickly.
Jon De how do you even measure complexity anyways
klausssgroi what im saying is it doesnt really make sense calling more thought-out music "better", when in practise it might be less liked than music you would say is "objectively worse". calling this property "objective quality" is misleading. it also makes it seem as if it was "better" to listen to certain kinds of music. isnt that exactly the problem we are trying to solve when we say music is subjective?
I've got another example: Bohemian Rhapsody!
...wait
i was gonna say yes but....
It missed "El sonidito" whose melody is just the C note: ruclips.net/video/-XgNFLo5WOI/видео.html
jajajaja (laughs in Spanish) c mamo
Thanks to Gta V I know that this song exists
Came to the comments just for this.
i wanna go to the waypoint please kind sir
Hahaha este era el comentario que estaba buscando.
The bassline in "Mr. Brightside" does share a similar chord progression with Prince's "No One Can Take The Place Of Your Man".
Crosby Stills & Nash's "All The Lonely People" uses a similar chord progression in it's first two verses as "Julia".
I always thought the Chainsmokers' "Closer" was somewhat similar to Human League's "Human".
I just remembered the song Sick Sick Sick by Queens of the Stone Age also slaps with a one note armony for almost the entire verse/chorus