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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>A few comments [- this reminds me of that extended
thread we had 6 years ago regarding precedents for I-bVII-IV (or the clichéd--
I Can't Explain, Lovely Rita, Manic Depression, Communication Breakdown,
Sweet Home Alabama, Takin' Care of Business etc progression).]</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>1) Like many here on this list (refer to my
comments I posted some years ago) it has been my intuitive position as
well as that of the many "illiterate" self-taught guitarists with whom
I have played (now in their 50s and 60s), these structures are idiomatic
to the way these chords (or power chords (the "chess Knight move") appear
on the guitar fretboard, BUT</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>2) A few thoughts regarding Walt
Everett's note that "Yesterday" was composed on
piano. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I recently taught "Yesterday" to some of my
students. In the process, two other works came to mind</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>a) CONFIRMATION (Charlie Parker 1953) - the opening
progression - This tune (and/or similar ones from Be-Bop and Musical Showtunes,
Jazz, etc.) could easily be rendered on piano and do not idiomatically
transfer to the "BB's Box" pentatonic structure used by most blues
influenced guitarists. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>b) BOURREE from Suite in E Minor (BWV 996)
accompanying the lyric, "...had to go I don't..." - This might be something he
applied while at the piano, but perhaps because of his familiarity
with the Bourree (as Paul stated in an interview, that was the ONE classical
lick that everyone learned how to play) he may have been transferring
his "guitar ear" to the keyboard instrument.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Note, BB's Box is not the only structure that has a
visual or tactile idiomatic influence. As an electric bassist for the
past 26 years (who only begrudgingly plays guitar and then usually
only with "Power Chords") I have found the relationship from F to C to G7 very
easy and natural, likewise C-E7-am -- I'm certain other guitarists
here could provide better examples. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>ANYWAY - Perhaps we would all benefit by watching
Paul play the concluding I-II-IV riff on guitar. Check out this beginning at
1:57 <A
href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONXp-vpE9eU">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONXp-vpE9eU</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Notice:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>a) he is using more or less basic chord
voicings, not "BB's Box" inspired blues pentatonic "power chord"
voicings </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>b) the occasional use of thumb for bass
(common among self-taught guitarists) </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>3) PROUD MARY - as a bassist who long ago
supplemented payment for his undergrad Philosophy & Classical Languages BA
by playing weekends in Southern Rock / Biker bands across Northeastern
Iowa, I tended to play the "V-IV-bIII" all on the same string so that,
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>a) I could use more or less the same finger pattern
between "bVII - V" as I did for "bIII - I"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>b) keeping bIII on the same string as IV and V
provides a more consistent tone color and is less likely to
cause false accents.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sincerely,<BR>K. Christian McGuire, <BR>Instructor
of Music History and Music Theory<BR>Studio Artist: Electric Bass<BR>Director of
Rock & Improv Ensembles<BR>Augsburg College<BR>Music Department<BR>2211
Riverside Avenue<BR>Mpls MN 55454<BR><A
href="mailto:mcguire@augsburg.edu">mcguire@augsburg.edu</A><BR><A
href="http://www.augsburg.edu/music/">http://www.augsburg.edu/music/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>International Society of <BR>Hildegard von Bingen
Studies, Treasurer & Webmaster<BR><A
href="http://www.hildegard-society.org/">http://www.hildegard-society.org/</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Musicologist & Electric Bassist<BR><A
href="http://www.grianeala.com">http://www.grianeala.com</A><BR><A
href="mailto:kmcguire@bitstream.net">kmcguire@bitstream.net</A> / cell:
651-270-5807</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=weverett@umich.edu href="mailto:weverett@umich.edu">Walt Everett</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A
title=smt-talk@societymusictheory.org
href="mailto:smt-talk@societymusictheory.org">smt-talk Talk</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Sunday, August 30, 2009 7:57
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Smt-talk] I-II-IV as a
progression</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT
face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On Aug 30, 2009, at 6:18 PM, Paul Steinbeck wrote:</DIV><BR
class=Apple-interchange-newline>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">[. . .] I think that the indigenous-ness of
I-II-IV to the rock idiom can better be explained by guitar chord shapes and
the importance of the guitar in rock composition. Guitar-influenced tonal
practice, of course, also dominates many styles of classic and contemporary
blues, but has not resulted (as far as I know) in any blues songs featuring
I-II-IV (or transposed versions such as bVII-I-bIII).</BLOCKQUOTE>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT><BR></DIV>A
few thoughts on this . . . Guitar voicing sometimes plays a role in these
progressions, and sometimes the ear guides the hand. "Yesterday" (the
refrain of which concludes I - II - IV - I) has been mentioned in this thread.
This song was composed at the piano but recorded on guitar. The
song's opening sounds are a thirdless tonic sonority moving down a half step
to a thirdless ii of vi. It's an easy hand motion on guitar (played in G
major on an instrument tuned a whole step low), but it was created on the
piano. It lies equally well on either instrument, but I know of no other
pre-metal rock song that moves from a thirdless I to a thirdless VII, even in
a power-chord context, so it's hard to say whether this progression is
"idiomatic" on guitar. No other chord succession in "Yesterday,"
including the germane II - IV motion, takes advantage of parallel guitar
voicing. "She's Leaving Home" is another McCartney use of II-IV, and I
would speculate that this was written at the piano as well.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>The guitar voicing in "Proud Mary," which I mentioned in my previous
post, likewise dispenses with parallel chording in the bVII - V and bIII - I
motions, thus emphasizing the modal scale-degree respellings through the
changing hand positions. I do play the intro riff with parallel voicings in
moving from IV to bIII (barring G to F)--can any other guitarists comment on
this? --walt everett</DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
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<DIV>
<DIV>Walter Everett</DIV>
<DIV>Professor of Music</DIV>
<DIV>Chair, Department of Theory</DIV>
<DIV>The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance</DIV>
<DIV>1100 Baits Dr.</DIV>
<DIV>Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2085</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><A href="mailto:weverett@umich.edu">weverett@umich.edu</A></DIV>
<DIV>voice: 734-763-2039</DIV>
<DIV>fax: 734-763-5097</DIV></DIV></DIV></SPAN></DIV><BR>
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