supp songs

~ just finding some cool theory licks as written into a few of our own Americana gems (songs) ~

Nutshell; a 'standard' song. Back at music college many of the song we learned to play we called a 'standard', knowing there was a unique 'something' in its crafting that our mentors wanted us to recognize and know its theory basis.

Today, we could survey 10 recognized standard songs and easily come up with a dozen or so different components that may have contributed to help make the song a standard.

A lovely melody, solid hook, cool chord changes, danceable rhythm, great lyrics, catchy riff, singable hook, draw dropping lick, even novel first time ever 'special effects' could qualify, to make a song into a standard among our library of songs.

The gems. Maybe a step above a 'standard' are the 'gems.' These songs have a 'something' too, but get elevated it into the 'one of a kind' standards.

Gems historically go straight into the top 10 on the radio charts and stick around forever after, with spot on the playlists of performers, jukeboxes, radio dj's, by request et all.

We as schooling up musicians, studied the standards and gems. The supplemental songs included here each bring something special, so that's where our schooling comes in. Imagine having a dozen or so cool 'theory somethings' to spice up our own everyday musics while learning new 'gem of a song.'

So the following listing of songs (all are faves of mine) and their discussions, aim to find the 'gems of theory within a gem of a song.' To find a magical component or two in its writing that may have helped to make them into becoming the super popular song or their era and forevermore.

Included here for both listeners and players, each listing has a 'something' that is identified by its theory component, which becomes a link back to its discussions in this e-book.

'... creating a historical journey through listening to our Americana standards and gems ... '

'... and if every picture tells a story, then surely every story in song can paint us a picture ...'

1860	kids holiday song	"Jolly Old St. Nick"	catchy hook that has the big quarter note swing potential, find the notes by ear in a couple of keys ... or all 12 :)
1899	Scott Joplin ~ ragtime jazz	wiki ~ "Maple Leaf Rag"	blend classical and jazz, write out the chord progression by ear
1925	Maceo Pinkard ~ jazzy / dixieland	"Sweet Georgia Brown"	cycle of dominants, V7' chords, predating today's modern chromatic blur by 100 years or so ... or maybe history repeats itself yet again ?
1936	Duke Ellington ~ jazz	wiki ~ "Caravan"	mixing ethnic styles, modes and rhythms. 'new' locations for the half steps in parent scale
1940	Bill Broonzy ~ blues	wiki ~ "Key To The Highway"	eight bar song form, classic Americana eight bar foundational chord progression weaving gospel and the blues
1945	Woodie Gutherie ~ folk	wiki ~ "This Land Is Your Land"	t c a t t, creates that sense of 'forward motion' as the chord progression begins on the Four chord
1945	Charlie Parker ~ bebop jazz	wiki ~ "Confirmation"	32 bar A A B A, full explore of all 12 pitches within the diatonic melody and harmony realm with lots of cool riffs and rhythms
1951	Hank William ~ country swing	wiki ~ "Hey Good Looking"	easy sing along in a perfect 32 bar A A B A for, which in jazz becomes 'rhythm changes', the form and chord progression basis of additional songs, 'seek and ye shall find'
1958	Chuck Berry ~ blues rock	wiki ~ "Johnny B. Goode"	rockin' 12 bar blues, super essential opening riff to lift and groove to master, great fun to play, and everybody has played it at some point
1959	Ray Charles ~ blues rock gospel jazz	wiki ~ "What I Say"	crossover styles, 12 bar blues, hook and vamp, cool hook that never quits, basic groove should fill the dancefloor
1960	John Coltrane ~ jazz	wiki ~ "Giant Steps"	after 75 years or so of playing through the changes "Giant Steps" brings a new harmony cycle of changes and an improvisational approach to soloing with pentatonics, kabooming an eventual modernization of the language developed in the 1960's and forward and in great favor today among the avante garde
1965	Otis Redding ~ blues rock gospel jazz	wiki ~ "R E S P E C T"	brings the blues gospel vocal into mainstream pop radio with rhythm hits on the tiff that should be mastered, if only by singing the rhythms (they're easy)
1965	Bob Dylan ~ folk rock pop	wiki ~ "Mr Tambourine Man"	easy sing along hook over 3 chords and the truth, progression starts on the Four chord, a folk rock gem and can foundation some incredible multi voice harmonies
1966	Young Rascals ~ a #1 pop rock dance song	wiki ~ "Good Lovin"	'perfect' totally danceable hook, early electric guitar big roar, 1 4 5 in 'D' on the record with some serious rhythm 'slides' that bring the swing to rock and roll
1971	Marvin Gaye ~ pop jazz rock classical rhythm and blues soul	"What's Going On"	brings social justice into pop radio, classic I to vi chord progression for story telling, has 'new' special effects when first released, uplifting in a gospel way with some major 7th chord colors
1971	John Lennon ~ pop classical	"Imagine"	brings social justice into pop radio with lyrics that include all peoples and a message of the hope within, One to Four gospel with a bit of a fancy bridge
1971	Led Zepplin ~ hard rock	"Stairway To Heaven"	classic theatrical walk down bass pattern, combines acoustic sections into the big electric roar for the epic and perfected classical (?) leaning style guitar solo, soaked with the blues, written in now ancient strophic song form with some very tastey variations,
1973	Billy Joel ~ pop	"Piano Man"	simple descending diatonic major scale bass story line in 'C' on the record, find it on the white keys of the piano as time permits, write ur own song with a similar Greek styled, descending bass story line
1984	Van Halen ~ pop rock	"Jump"	epic 3-4-2-3 suspensions, classical leaning chord progression in solo, just a great hook and energy for arena rockers to master, tricky inside / outside guitar solo of course and chromatics in the bass line to set up the return to the top / hook take it out
1991	Nirvana ~ pop rock	"Smells Like Teen Spirit"	same harmonic motion of One to Four from two different root pitches, so repetitive but with a new styled chord loop, tone and well placed dynamics to bring it
1995	Selena ~ Tejano / TexMex pop	"I Could Fall In Love"	classic bass line story in a love story for everyone, a pure and 'exposing' song for a vocalist challenge and showcase

Count it off. Just an essential skill for all of us. In rockin' out it'll often sound like this :)

wiki ~ "I Saw Her Standing There", Beatles song.

"Getting away gave me the possibility of having thoughts of my own, of developing my own personality, a chance to find myself, even the chance to play badly! ... he told The Times in 1960, on a rare visit to New York"

wiki ~ Abbey Simon

References. References for this page come from the included bibliography from formal music schools and the bandstand, made way easier by the folks along the way. In addition, books of classical literature; from Homer, Stendahl and Ladurie to Rand, Walker and Morrison and of today, provided additional life puzzle pieces to the musical ones, to shape the 'art' page and discussions of this book. Special thanks to PSUC musicology professor Dr. Y. Guibbory, who 40 years ago provided the initial insights of weaving the history of all the fine arts into one colossal story telling of the evolution of AmerAfroAsiaEuroLatin musical arts. And to teacher-ed training master, Dr. Joyce Honeychurch of UAA, whose new ideas of modern education have hopefully come to life in this e-book.

wiki ~ Americana

Dr. Joyce Honeychurch

an e-book

find a mentor

"Life is about creating yourself."

wiki ~ Bob Dylan

Find an e-book mentor. Always good to have a mentor when learning about things new to us. And with music and its magics, nice to have a friend or two ask questions and collaborate with. Seek and ye shall find. Local high schools, libraries, friends and family, musicians in your home town ... just ask around, someone will know someone who knows someone about music who can help you with your studies of the musical arts with this e-book.

the author can help too :)

? ? ? ? ?

mentor finding flow chart

Intensive tutoring. Luckily for musical artists like us, the learning dip of the 'covid years' can vanish quickly with intensive tutoring. For all disciplines; including all the sciences and the 'hands on' trade schools, that with tutoring, learning blossoms to 'catch us up.' In music ? The 'theory' of making musical art is built with just the 12 unique pitches, so easy to master with mentorship. And in 'practice ?' Luckily old school, the foundation that 'all responsibility for self betterment is ours alone.' Which in music, and same for all the arts, means to do what we really love to do ... to make music :)

"These books, and your capacity to understand them, are just the same in all places. Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing."

wiki ~ Abraham Lincoln

Academia references of Alaska. And when you need university level answers to your questions and musings, and especially if you are considering a career in music and looking to continue your formal studies, begin to e-reach out to the Alaska University Music Campus communities and begin a dialogue with some of Alaska's finest resident maestros !