quoted 4 lines sticks...it doesnt seem like brain surgery to me, although some of the> sticks...it doesnt seem like brain surgery to me, although some of the
> simplest techniques have been used to create scores of albums. lets face it,
> without the "power chord" the grunge years would have never existed (for
> better or worse).
clarification for the sake of those unfamiliar with guitars and such: 'Power
Chords' aren't really chords, it's just a root and fifth. On a solidbody
electric (like most guitars) with distortion the harmonics get jumped up
enough to create the illusion of a fourth (fifth of the fifth) and thus it
sounds almost like three notes (standard def. of a chord) even though it's
not. Punk rock was born, raised, and has progressed into tired midlife with
very little beyond this handy two-finger salute.
'Power Chords' in this sense have been around since electrics and amps
became the norm. Most jazz guitarists, however, prefer to use an octave
interval since they're going for clarity, not density.
On a related note, the twelve-bar blues progression is still the number one
chord framework for all popular music in the western world.
The prevailing IDM chord structure is even simpler. Break down 95% of techno
or IDM and all you find is an ostinato of two minor chords. Most of the
evocative melodies we rave about incessantly on IDML are just variations on
Philip Glass, the grandaddy of piano for butterfingers.
None of this is meant to deny any music its individual expressive qualities.
I'm not discussing expression or 'soul' at all (James Brown's music is so
modal it's barely even blues). I just like to point out that there are no
magic techniques involved- good music, no matter the genre, is straight from
the performer's gut to the listener's ear.
Hence some people loving drukqs so much they almost get in traffic accidents
while others, including myself, find more entertainment in a running
dishwasher.
Tom
P.S. I said I was going to post a review this week, and I will post it, but
the mail didn't come through. Sorry!
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