11 votes

Topic deleted by author

8 comments

  1. [2]
    TurdFerguson
    Link
    Loving this, and not at all a fan of Carly Rae Jepsen. Can anyone recommend anything else along a similar style? Also, anyone able to touch on which jazz chords are used here? Loving the dissonance.

    Loving this, and not at all a fan of Carly Rae Jepsen. Can anyone recommend anything else along a similar style? Also, anyone able to touch on which jazz chords are used here? Loving the dissonance.

    2 votes
    1. mat
      Link Parent
      The rest of Adam Neely's channel has some (this one has lots of detail) other bits and pieces along the same lines, although it's mostly music theory (albeit very well explained). He's one of my...

      The rest of Adam Neely's channel has some (this one has lots of detail) other bits and pieces along the same lines, although it's mostly music theory (albeit very well explained). He's one of my favourite musical youtubers, most of the theory goes over my head but I always learn something from his videos.

      2 votes
  2. [6]
    nacho
    Link
    In my opinion this version tries way too hard to be dissonant and different, almost edgy, to meaningfully convey a specific message with the melody. Much less the content of the lyrics. The hard...

    In my opinion this version tries way too hard to be dissonant and different, almost edgy, to meaningfully convey a specific message with the melody. Much less the content of the lyrics.

    The hard part of knowing a lot of complicated music theory, isn't how to squeeze in that rarely used chord, structure or progression for the sake of doing so, but using them when they are the right tools for the job.

    What is this version of the song trying to convey?

    That the bass player is bored of easy bass parts and therefore needs to show off that he's a smart music guy by making an overly complicated rearrangement?
    That when you deny a resolution of a dissonance between chord and melody line in the highest pitched phrase of the verse only to deny the delayed resolution by a key change right afterwards that everyone's left reeling and unsatisfied?
    That a great saxophonist can overcome all this by a cleverly construed jazz solo because he can simply cover more ground in his lines as he can play more notes to bind weird chords together than how quickly a person can sing?

    Frustration over what one has to do to get plays on music on social media?

    Nothing in particular other than strong emotion through over-acting during the performance?

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      TurdFerguson
      Link Parent
      Pretty strong words for some talented musicians just having some fun with a pop song. I don't know that anyone would argue that this is some masterpiece. Seems like fun for the sake of it to me....

      Pretty strong words for some talented musicians just having some fun with a pop song. I don't know that anyone would argue that this is some masterpiece. Seems like fun for the sake of it to me.

      Care to share some counter examples of reinterpreting a crappy pop song that meets your higher standards?

      4 votes
      1. nacho
        Link Parent
        This is not a higher standard. If you can arrange and perform the piece for 10+ parts, you're already spending so much time you'd want to put in an extra hour on the musicianship Here are 10...

        This is not a higher standard. If you can arrange and perform the piece for 10+ parts, you're already spending so much time you'd want to put in an extra hour on the musicianship

        Here are 10 low-hanging fruits off the top of my head that cover some ground for different covers that seem to have some reason for making the cover. You've surely heard several of these before:

        L'amour tojours: bad pop original cover

        What about us: pop orignial cover

        I hung my head: original cover

        Hey Ya: original cover

        PYT: PYT cover

        Enter Sandman: original cover

        Old man: original cover

        Smoke on the water: original cover

        DJ got us falling in love: original cover

        Chop suey: original cover

        2 votes
    2. smores
      Link Parent
      That... there exist other ways to interpret this piece of music, probably. The description of the video is: That doesn't sound to me like someone going after high art to me. Sometimes it's fun, as...

      What is this version of the song trying to convey?

      That... there exist other ways to interpret this piece of music, probably. The description of the video is:

      Carly Rae Jepsen's Run Away with Me, but like...a lot of jazz chords and orchestration and stuff. 808's, djents, and a sax solo by the legendary Jared Yee.

      That doesn't sound to me like someone going after high art to me. Sometimes it's fun, as a musician, especially one who's learning, experimenting with, or interested in new styles of music, to take things to an extreme (especially a polar extreme from the original) just for the sake of it. Some people write music (even 10+ piece arrangements) for fun, or because they want to, or because they personally find it interesting or rewarding, and not because they're trying to "say" something, and I think it's weird to dismiss that.

      I don't actually have a problem with critiquing music that people post here, even if it's much more obviously light-hearted and novice than this is, because I think it's helpful to think about what we like and don't like about art and entertainment, and to hear each other's opinions. I think that this piece has flaws, and I also on the whole enjoy listening to it. But something about your phrasing really rubbed me the wrong way, like you were inferring a lot of intent and even character from the actual musicians just from this one performance, and I think that's kinda not cool.

      I also think criticizing emotional expression while performing music is... I dunno, mean? Let people express themselves however they want, even if you don't think it's genuine. Acting can be fun, just like musical performance can. It is a video after all, people are, in part, watching it to see the how the musicians perform. Music isn't just reserved, stoic professionalism. Sometimes it's that, and sometimes it's other things.

      3 votes
    3. [2]
      balooga
      Link Parent
      I don't know much about music theory but I think I generally came away with the same impressions you had. I listened to this version and the original back-to-back. There's a lot more technical...

      I don't know much about music theory but I think I generally came away with the same impressions you had. I listened to this version and the original back-to-back. There's a lot more technical musicianship on display in this one... to my ear all the players are bringing their A game and individually they outshine any part of Carly Rae's recording. But for me it's too sonically dense. The intensity's dialed to 11 from the very first beat and it never really gets a chance to breathe. I had a hard time focusing on any one part because all the instruments played over each other. An arrangement like this could have really benefited from some nuance and variation.

      The dissonance was weird. There were a couple times I thought they played the wrong note and it never really paid off.

      I used to get really annoyed by musicians like Amy Turk and Lindsey Stirling emoting during performances. My feelings on that have changed over the years. I think we should judge the music independently from the "acting" and not let our impressions of one inform the other. Different people experience music in different ways, and for many that is a genuine expression (not an act). Who am I to say what is or isn't a legitimate way to feel the music as it's being played?

      Anyway, I really dig a lot of things this version did. Kate Steinberg's vocals were warm and fantastic. Jared Yee's sax solo was delightful. On the whole I have to say I still prefer the original, just because it's not overwhelmed by bombast and it exercises deliberate restraint.

      1 vote
      1. nacho
        Link Parent
        I've played with a lot of different professional musicians. I used to make quite a bit of money from playing bars and weddings when I was in college, for instance. None of the emoting is there in...

        I've played with a lot of different professional musicians. I used to make quite a bit of money from playing bars and weddings when I was in college, for instance.

        None of the emoting is there in practice, even as an ensemble. There's body language for communication, sure, but not all this crazy waving. I think the best example of how over the top some artists are has to be Saturday nigh live's stage.

        Clearly there's an expectation that musician feel the music so incredibly strongly. Music is the entertainment industry- Just like sports and all the acting you see come match time there which is never around for practice either. I'm perfectly fine with that.

        But it's so over the top fake, and it's especially annoying when you can clearly see that their playing/singing is being significantly hampered by the over-the-top expressions or dancing. My experience is also that the expectation of Lindsey Stirling-ing is way worse in the US than elsewhere. Talent shows on tv are also a sick exponent of this where the judges who aren't formally trained seem to fall for it every single time because they're scared of showing they just don't get the genre being played.

        I know that I don't know anything about rap, hip hop and a host of other genres. I have no idea what's an impressive performance technically and what just sounds cool. That's totally fine. It's perfectly fine to like a piece for whatever reason. Pretending you're something you're not? It just shines through so easily because playing is often demanding and you don't have the cognitive surplus to go beyond playing the right notes into creating magic musical moments where everything comes together just so, or at least there's a thought where those moments are planned and honestly attempted.