Questions tagged [pop-music]
Pop music (a term that originally derives from an abbreviation of "popular") is a genre of popular music which originated in its modern form in the 1950s, deriving from rock and roll.[1] The terms "popular music" and "pop music" are often used interchangeably, even though the former is a description of music which is popular (and can include any style).[
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From whom did The Beatles steal the extra beat in “Don't Let Me Down?”
It's well known that The Beatles made good use of every existing musical idiom in their work, a side-effect of talent borne from constant live performance. In this case, I'm curious if anyone can ...
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204 views
Are there fewer rhymes in contemporary popular music? If so, why?
Vsauce mentions a study by Joan Serra showed contemporary pop music is less complex in its musical motives than it was, which he explains by a wider diversity in form and genres.
While complexity of ...
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2answers
128 views
Difference between new-age classical and traditional classical as far as theory?
I'm wondering what the differences between new-age classical (Yiruma, Dustin O'Halloran, etc) versus classical (Bach, Beethoven, etc) are as far as theory goes.
Traditional classical always seems ...
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2answers
99 views
What's this chord progression (called)? [closed]
I'm substituting for a guitarist and need to learn a whole bunch of songs pretty fast. I'm currently working through them, and everything is very straightforward. But there is this one song with a ...
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0answers
27 views
Specific music video of a band in a forest with blue creatures? [closed]
I can remember I used to listen to a specific pop song with a band walking into a forest to play their instruments there. They were, while they were doing that, also being watched by specific ...
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2answers
437 views
Are most male pop singers really tenors? [duplicate]
I listen to a fair amount of pop music, and I have picked up on the trend of high ranges for the male pop singers (Somehow, this seems less pronounced on the female side). The male pop singers all ...
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1answer
57 views
Arrangement question: Strings [closed]
I know that this is gonna be a pretty generic question. I finally started refining my knowledge about arrangement, and I was wondering: are there any conventions about arranging strings inside a pop ...
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2answers
126 views
Is there any significance of key change of 3 semitones in pop songs?
I was listening to Nightwish's Nemo and noticed they have a key change of 3 semitones from Dm to Fm out of the blue that just sounds pretty good/unnoticeable:
And ...
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2answers
88 views
What exactly is a Christmas carol?
I looked up differences between Christmas carols and other Christmas songs. Generally about carols being about nativity or some other traditional songs not necessary religious while other Christmas ...
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1answer
396 views
Why are triple meter pop songs so rare?
Most popular music is in double, quadruple, and occasionally sextuple meter, but there are quite few pop songs in triple meter. My impressions is that songwriters write their songs in triple meter ...
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70 views
Term for chorus that sounds like pre-chorus
I'm not good with musical terms, but I like to listen to songs that have odd and strange parts while maintaining "good" structure.
There's a song called Remember Me by Oh My Girl. To my ear, the ...
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2answers
77 views
Trouble feeling rhythm in section
The song is in 4/4 but this section is giving me a hard time feeling the rhythm. Clearly it can be divided into 16ths, but the pattern feels like triplets after the first note. For example after the ...
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2answers
167 views
Term for 'key change' when going for the chorus
There are songs that change key midway. The most common one I've heard is they change the key when going for the chorus. After that, when the song goes back to the verse, they change the key back.
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2answers
92 views
Good nylon accoustic guitar pieces to learn [closed]
I'm a passable electric guitarist of many years.
People are often thrusting accoustic guitars at me and saying, dude you know loads of songs.. I've seen your band! I say.. yes it is true, my part to ...
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2answers
243 views
What if musical piece not ended with tonic chord?
I've a chord progression G, A, Bm, A, repeating itself throuh whole song in a key of B minor....i mean How it will affect the listener and how they feel ..
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2answers
150 views
What are these non-chord tones in the Jackson Five's “Want you Back”?
for example could u play a neighbour tone twice or got from a chord tone to an nct then to another nct. I was looking at jackson 5's want you back and this appeared to be the case
this is written in ...
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1answer
235 views
Is there a name for the extra measure that they like to put into country songs?
The song that made me think of this is Amarillo by Morning, made popular by George Straight, but it's quite common in a lot of country and pop music. In the verse at the end of the second 4 measure ...
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3answers
2k views
Does pop music ever make use of modulation?
When I am playing the music of J.S.Bach, my friends often mistake it to be a piece of pop music. However, they often realize they are wrong the instant the music modulates.
I haven't listened to much ...
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2answers
141 views
Is it helpful to study jazz when I like pop?
Recently I started an online jazz course, and and I enjoy studying it (all the chords and extensions). But at the end of the day, I don't know why I study jazz.
I don't really like jazz, and it's hard ...
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3answers
3k views
Significance of pop songs with progressions that alternate one chord with one that's three semitones below it
I've noticed a couple of pop songs that use one chord progression that alternates between swapping one chord (either fifth or fourth) with one that's three semitones below it (to third or second):
...
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1answer
189 views
What contributes to an artist's melodic “signature?”
Studying the vocal melodies in recorded pop music, from a theoretical perspective, I have the impression that there are certain musical characteristics that make up the melodic"fingerprint" of an ...
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2answers
282 views
What are the methods used while writing pop music that make it so recognizably pop
I used to think that it's the four chord structure. But in reality many genres have four chord songs (e.g. Rock and Country) and pop isn't always limited to four chords (e.g. 2U). I used to think it's ...
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1answer
533 views
Why do some parts of a song sound better than others?
Disclaimer
I have no sophisticated taste in music, I most of the time listen to what's on the radio (which is mostly pop and charts).
I have a basic understanding of what a note is and what ...
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3answers
1k views
How to put chords (POP-EDM) under a given lead vocal melody (starting from a good knowledge in music theory)
I have quite a good knowledge in music theory, scales, modes, and all different kinds of chords (basic triads, sus, add, all extensions, slash, inversions, ...), but I'm having a tough time when it ...
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1answer
2k views
How do I describe the rhythm in these songs?
Pop music, and especially house, seems to be enamored of this beat on top of the "4 on the floor" and the closest I can get to a description of it is "tropical" which is unsatisfactory. I'm looking ...
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3answers
995 views
How to use modes in popular music?
Can a pop song be written using a specific mode for the vocal melody, and another for the chord progression, when both of the modes share the same key signature? (Please note that I am not referring ...
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4answers
709 views
Do Most Pop Songs Have An Instrument Play Chords While The Singer Sings The Melody
I'm very curious if most instruments play a melody at the same time, and work in counterpoint, or it's just a singer playing a melody while some instruments play chords.
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1answer
114 views
Is there a name for this type of blue-sy/90s pop transition on Piano
I absolutely love the blue-sy transition in this song (seconds 4-5). It's kind of like overshooting a note and coming back to it with some blues notes mixed in (bear with me, my technical knowledge ...
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1answer
551 views
Time signature - How some pop songs can be counted in both 4/4 and 3/4?
In a few songs , if I am able to count in both the 4 beats and 3 beats and it still sets perfectly .. how would I know if it is 4/4 or 3/4 ..
Eg1. This is an indian song :
...
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1answer
3k views
What are common compositional elements of 80s synth pop?
I was just wondering what defines this style of music. I mean it is pretty obvious that a lot of the soundscape is occupied by rather bassy pianos or synthesizers with driving lines.
But are there ...
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3answers
229 views
How do I figure out the tonality of a piece with a chord that doesn't fit?
The piece in question is "The Flyest" - O.T. Genasis
Initially I thought it was the 4th mode of Fm, but I'm not sure.
The chords are Bbm, C and Gb. The presence of the Gb major chord puzzles me and ...
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3answers
363 views
Is there a name for this ending tag?
I'm talking about the last notes of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" -- the accompaniment cuts off suddenly on a i chord where its progression ought to end, and the vocals continue to riff for a second. Is ...
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2answers
568 views
Are there any popular pieces which periodically modulate down?
Many pop tunes will modulate up a semitone near the end of the piece in order to gain energy or excitement. This is known as a Truck Driver's Gear Change, and some tunes will even do it multiple times ...
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1answer
845 views
What are the parts of a modern song?
I'd like to learn the names of the different parts of modern music. I know there are verse and chorus, solo parts where only a certain instrument or the vocal can be heard, but what are the rest?
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How does a advanced classical pianist start to play pop music?
I consider myself an advanced classical pianist, being able to play many Etudes, Ballades and Sonatas by Beethoven, Liszt and Chopin, for example. However, I have been struggling to play pop music for ...
