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{{a|record review|}}JC is no expert but he likes to twang on his guitar and he knows what he likes. This will be a series of deeply idiosyncratic investigations of unique songs — the type that stick in your head — to set up a story of ''why'' they stick in your head. Why are these different? | {{a|record review|}}JC is no expert but he likes to twang on his guitar and he knows what he likes. This will be a series of deeply idiosyncratic investigations of unique songs — the type that stick in your head — to set up a story of ''why'' they stick in your head. Why are these different? | ||
Along the way, | Along the way, we will look at the musical composition, instrumentation, technology, performance and recording techniques that made these songs unique. | ||
{{L1}}'''The Sound of Music''': a primer: | {{L1}}'''The Sound of Music''': a primer: | ||
{{L3}} | {{L3}} | ||
'''Do re me''' | '''Do re me''' | ||
{{L4}}'''Major scale''': ''Do re me'' is a tune set to the major scale, the main musical scale of Western music. <li> | {{L4}}'''Notes''': All music is divided into twelve “semitones”. These are the black and white keys on the piano. The twelve notes then repeat themselves. Physiologically, this is because the frequency of oscillation of the tone has doubled: Middle A is 440 Hz. A up one octave is 880 Hz. And so on. The interval between those notes is called an octave. This is confusing, and contains a western presumption, so just bear with it for now. The space between tones before they start repeating is an “octave”. Different cultures divide these twelve semitones of an octave up differently. | ||
{{L5}} Much “Eastern” music has six “tones” of two semitones each — hence it is called a whole-tone scale: this is easy, as 12 divided by 2 is six. The semitone intervals between each note are therefore: 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 2 (and another 2 to get back to the octave note). It sounds odd to Western ears:<li> | |||
Scottish bagpipes can only play ''five'' tones. Two of the intervals are three tones: 3 - 2 - 2 - 3 - 2 (and another 2 to get back to the octave note). This does ''not'' sound so odd to Western ears, for reasons we will come to. <li> | |||
Western music has, for the most part, ''seven'' tones. 2 - 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 2 - 2 (and another 1 to get back to the octave note.</ol><li> | |||
'''Key''': Every song has a “base tone” in the octave — the “key” — which the melody is based around. This is an anchor, and determines which notes sound nice and which do not. So, pick a key. <li> | |||
'''Major scale''': ''Do re me'' is a tune set to the major scale, the main musical scale of Western music. <li> | |||
'''Why do re me'''? Eleventh-century Italian Guido of Arezzo invented a notational system after the first syllable of each line of the Latin “{{plainlink|https://open.spotify.com/track/1sXoq787SP50CH0ee5Zvxr?|Hymn to St. John the Baptist}}”, each of which started on a successive note of the major scale. A seventh tone, ''ti'' was added later. The eighth note of the “octave” is the first one repeated up one level (which, er, “brings us back to doh”.)</ol><li> | '''Why do re me'''? Eleventh-century Italian Guido of Arezzo invented a notational system after the first syllable of each line of the Latin “{{plainlink|https://open.spotify.com/track/1sXoq787SP50CH0ee5Zvxr?|Hymn to St. John the Baptist}}”, each of which started on a successive note of the major scale. A seventh tone, ''ti'' was added later. The eighth note of the “octave” is the first one repeated up one level (which, er, “brings us back to doh”.)</ol><li> | ||
'''Octaves and frequency''': To raise a note by an octave is double its frequency: at concert pitch, “middle A” (“A0”) is 440Hz. A1 is 880Hz, and so on. | '''Octaves and frequency''': To raise a note by an octave is double its frequency: at concert pitch, “middle A” (“A0”) is 440Hz. A1 is 880Hz, and so on. | ||