[Smt-talk] I - II- IV as a progression (counterpoint)

[Brad Osborn webpine]

Dear list,

Of course, voice-leading connections in rock music can be a fruitful avenue
for discussion, but reading this thread in relation to some recent music has
reminded of the "Melodic-Harmonic Divorce" in rock music (as discussed by
Temperley).  It seems that, in some cases, the rhythm section may simply
supplant II# where ii would work just fine, as evidenced by a completely
diatonic melody in the voice.

Case in point: In Katy Perry's recent single "Thinking of You,"  the chorus
progression is (in E): I-II#-IV-V.  In both predominant chords, Perry sings
the same basic *do-re-mi* tag on the song's title, thus, the two chords are
more or less interchangeable, functionally speaking, while differing
substantially in color.  However, at the end of verse 1 she does inflect the
more conventional IV-iv coloration by singing the flat-6 scale degree.

It is interesting that there is not sort of vocal play on the part of Perry
with the #4 coloring, but we do find her using b6.  I just wonder if the
former would make it too raucous for pop consumption, while the latter has
become some sort of bluesy-pop staple?  If you care to listen, the link to
the official video is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxfxDycUVnE  (1st chorus starts at 0:55, next
at 2:10)

best regards,
Brad

Brad Osborn
Ph.D. Candidate, Music Theory
University of Washington School of Music
Brad06 at u.washington.edu

Subscriptions Manager
Perspectives of New Music
pnmsubs at u.washington.edu


On Sun, Sep 27, 2009 at 9:03 AM, Walt Everett <weverett at umich.edu> wrote:

>
> On Sep 22, 2009, at 10:10 PM, Murphy, Scott Brandon wrote:
>
>
> Earlier posts in this thread proposed various rationales for the
> progression. Here’s another from a film-music perspective: having another
> chord besides V follow I-#II not only demotes #II from a more “Classical”
> role of V/V, but also promotes I-#II as a brief but clear token of the
> “Lydian” sound that plays an important role in many popular film scores.
> [citations of John Williams' *Superman* and *Star Wars* scores, among
> others].
>
>
> Scott's right--soundtracks are an important source.  The "Simpsons" theme
> opens with a melodic ^1 - ^#4 - ^5 supported by I - II# - I.  The beginning
> of the theme is a quote of "Maria" from *West Side Story*, later
> corroborated by the trumpet's quote of ^#4 - ^5 - ^8 - ^b7 from "Something's
> Coming" [see opening and 0:51-52 at
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqog63KOANc&feature=related].  (Hats off
> also, I suppose, to the Georges Jetson and Antheil.)
>
> Interestingly, the I - II# - I neighboring idea is often performed over a
> ^1 pedal (in examples ranging from the last strophe in Schubert's "Gute
> Nacht" through many Broadway tunes such as "Tonight" in *WSS*, and in many
> rock songs such as those mentioned in the section devoted to the Lydian II
> in my *The Foundations of Rock*, pp 256-57), but instead of ^1, ^#4 is
> sustained through this idea early in the Simpsons theme--a signifier of
> wackiness?  I ascribe the sense of boundless wonderment to these I - II# - I
> examples.  What's also interesting is the pop-rock song in which a phrase
> can cadence on the major II chord (The Vogues' "Five O'Clock World," BS&T's
> "Sometimes in Winter," both cases leading into wordless fantasy passages).
>
> Then there are the tons of pop-rock dorian alternations over a ^1 pedal of
> i - ii - i ("Along Comes Mary") or i - IV - i (I recall John Covach once
> referring to this as the Santana changes). . . .
>
> The descending line, ^5 - ^#4 - ^4 - ^3 ("How dry I am"), appears often in
> the classical literature, but almost always as part of a circle of 5ths, as
> in the support of Susanna's part in the second-act trio of *Figaro* (mm
> 40-45), where the applied leading tone's resolution is elided.  The Beatles'
> first use of II# - IV for this descent comes in "She Loves You," and after
> "Eight Days a Week" it became a pop mainstay.
>
>
>
>
>  Walter Everett
> Professor of Music
> Chair, Department of Theory
> The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance
> 1100 Baits Dr.
> Ann Arbor, MI  48109-2085
>
> weverett at umich.edu
> voice: 734-763-2039
> fax: 734-763-5097
>
>
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>
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