p88a

~ supplemental songs ~

~ standards and gems ~

~ finding Americana music's colors, time and components in one composition ~

The standard. Back at music college, it was often said there was something unique about a 'standard song, that made it a standard song.'

It had that 'something' that made folks want to listen to the story, to the musicteller, to sing along even.

We survey together 100 standards and know that this 'something' could turn out to be a dozen or so different things.

A lovely melody, solid hook, cool chord changes, jumping rhythm, great lyrics, catchy riff, draw dropping lick, even novel first time ever 'special effects', have all helped to make a song into a standard.

The gems. 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 to #1 on the radio charts and stick around forever after on the playlists of performers and radio dj's.

As schooling up musicians, we can study the standards and gems. Totally by taste, and what tops the our own fave charts, the supplemental songs included here each bring something special, so that's where our schooling comes in. Imagine having a dozen or so cool 'somethings' to spice up our everyday musics.

So the following listing of songs is reversed engineered. I listened to these songs and found a magical component in its writing that may have helped to make them a popular standard or even a gem in their respective eras.

Included here for both listeners and players, each listing has a 'something' that is identified by its theory component, and then linked back into those topical discussions within the text.

'... 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 a picture ...'

1860
kids holiday song

catchy hook that swings

1899
Scott Joplin ~ ragtime jazz
wiki ~ "Maple Leaf Rag"

blend classical and jazz

1925
Maceo Pinkard ~ jazzy / dixieland
wiki ~ "Sweet Georgia Brown"

cycle of V7's

1936
Duke Ellington ~ jazz
wiki ~ "Caravan"
1940
Bill Broonzy ~ blues
wiki ~ "Key To The Highway"

eight bar song form

1945
Woodie Gutherie ~ folk
wiki ~ "This Land Is Your Land"
1945
Charlie Parker ~ bebop jazz
wiki ~ "Confirmation"
1951
Hank William ~ country swing
wiki ~ "Hey Good Looking"
1958
Chuck Berry ~ blues rock
wiki ~ "Johnny B. Goode"
1959
Ray Charles ~ blues rock gospel jazz
wiki ~ "What I Say"
1960
John Coltrane ~ jazz
wiki ~ "Giant Steps"
1965
Otis Redding ~ blues rock gospel jazz
wiki ~ "R E S P E C T"
1965
Bob Dylan ~ folk rock pop
wiki ~ "Mr Tambourine Man"
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'

1971
Marvin Gaye ~ pop jazz rock classical rhythm and blues soul
"What's Going On"
1971
John Lennon ~ pop classical
"Imagine"
1971
Led Zepplin ~ hard rock
"Stairway To Heaven"
1973
Billy Joel ~ pop
"Piano Man"
1984
Van Halen ~ pop rock
"Jump"
1991
Nirvana ~ pop rock
"Smells Like Teen Spirit"

same harmonic motion to of One to Four from two different pitches

1995
Selena ~ Tejano / TexMex pop
"I Could Fall In Love"

classic bass line story in a love story for everyone

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's information comes from school, books and the bandstand and made way easier by the folks along the way.

Find a mentor / e-book / academia Alaska. 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 and can help you with your studies in the musical arts.

go to a public library and ask the librarian

Always keep in mind that all along life's journey there will be folks to help us and also folks we can help ... for we are not in this endeavor alone :) The now ancient natural truth is that we each are responsible for our own education. Positive answer this always 'to live by' question; 'who is responsible for your education ... ?

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 !

~ comments or questions ... ? ~

~ jacmuse@ak.net ~