Where's the Hook?
by Kurt
on
Aug 17, 2002 at 5:06:36 am
I brought this up in my other thread... In Pop Music, the songs "Save Tonight" by Eagle Eye Cherry or "Mambo #5" by Lou Bega are good examples of songs that are built around a single phrase or repeated chords/rhythms. Or, I can think of a ton of Smooth Jazz tunes also...
Where's the Hook in such material?
Let's look at some specific examples. I'd like to take apart and analyze a simple song for starters and then look at something more complex and textured later.
Re: Where's the Hook? by Bob O Dell on Aug 18, 2002 at 1:42:11 am
Hi Kurt,
A Hook is an identifiable, memorable Riff. When you listen to it, this "Mambo Fifth" do you hear a memorable Riff? I'm not sure where to go with you on this question. Comp. does have structure and placement on that, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.
Mambos are incredibly percussive in origination. Timothy would probably have a more insightful answer for you on that. Marco may also.
Re: Where's the Hook? by Kurt on Aug 18, 2002 at 2:01:14 pm
Good point, a memorable Riff, etc would be the hook. I'd argue that the memorable hook is the whole song in these examples. Here, I tend to remember the lyric and rhythm combination as a whole.
My question rather asks, why does this work? If you take the chords F, Am, C, G and play them repeatedly over and over we get the song "Save Tonight". Why does this work? I’d answer, because the lyric brings interest to the listener via a memorable story line. Of course, this is subjective. Someone else may have another breakdown for why this piece works.
Re: Where's the Hook? by Bob O Dell on Aug 18, 2002 at 4:11:19 pm
[Kurt] That would be my point too. They can be placed anywhere and often all over, it does have some common placement, but usually it is in a working part of a piece, not a separate entity of its own. I just told a student that sent me an ACID piece, the whole thing sounded like a Hook and it did, but it did have structure also and it was within the small elements of the structure that these Hooks were found. Why this piece works? Like I said, I think someone else may have more help for you.
P.S. I like your Guitar list in your profile, Cool Kurt.
Re: Where's the Hook? by Ron Lindeboom on Aug 18, 2002 at 4:21:48 pm
Yes, definitely some nice guitars there. Me, I am down to a bunch of percussion instruments, a Yamaha 12-string and a Precision bass. Oh and some flutes with which to drive Kathlyn nuts. (She likes my drumming and strumming but let's be nice and say that she finds my flute playing "...really sucks.") ;)
Re: Where's the Hook? by Bob O Dell on Aug 18, 2002 at 4:53:14 pm
[Ron] Those Flutes wouldn't happen to be native American would they? : )
Percussion instruments, I wish I could play. The only way that would fly today is if I get a digital set, so my wife would not hear them. I had an Internet Student that really digs Mambo, I should ask him. The only thing I know about Mambo is that it derived from Rumba and I guess the dance steps start on the up beat or is it an incomplete measure, I don't know.4/4 I think and has polyrhythmic accompaniments and it had a major influence on the Cha Cha. That is where I leave the subject.
Just another one of those things to take a look at, maybe?
Bob O'Dell. Did. you see Kurt, had a "Martin" on that list!:)
Re: Where's the Hook? by Kurt on Aug 18, 2002 at 6:52:27 pm
As I listen more closely to Pop and Jazz music I hear theme repetition used quite often. For example, many songs are written around a looping rhythm or chord figure. I'll look forward to talking more about this subject!
Yeah, the '66 Martin D-35 has the original Brazilian Rosewood, which has a wonderful character of its own. It sounds better IMO than current D-35s, which use Indian Rosewood. This particular instrument also has a history, supposedly well used in Nashville and looks it! It has become my main instrument. I lucked out on that find!
I'm making plans to get a weighted action piano or keyboard, probably the nicely priced Yamaha S80. I've played the Yamaha DX7II for years and love it too!
Wow! One of the reasons that I'm studying and playing guitar more often is that my dad left me an early 70's Martin D-35. I'll have to check out the serial number at the Gruhn's guitars web site, to find the exact age. It has an original Neil Young & Crazy Horse backstage pass sticker on the case.
That reminds me...(maybe a topic for a new thread)...How does string guage affect your recordings? Not being a guitarist, I can't listen to a piece of music and tell whether someone is using a certain guage of strings, but I do notice the difference between extra heavy and extra light. I keep extra light strings on my guitar, because I don't play it enough to keep my fingers strong, but I'm wondering if it might be better to go ahead and put heavier strigs on it for the tone.
I write on guitar, but I always hire or borrow a guitarist to actually any record guitar parts for me. (You know what they say..."Jack of all trades, master of none..."
