Prose from a Poshboy

[AlunB]

It's the same basic principle. All music is created from the same 12 notes. All major key pop songs are comprised of the same major chords. You're not going to whack an augmented fifth into a One Direction song.

[tikay]

It's the same basic principle. All music is created from the same 12 notes. All major key pop songs are comprised of the same major chords. You're not going to whack an augmented fifth into a One Direction song.

Absolutely, love the augmented fifth, when you widen the perfect fifth by the old chromatic semitone jobbie.  Love that 8 semitone thing.

[cambridgealex]

Well there's still 8major and 8minor chords, and using the 7ths of those chords is pretty common so that's quite a lot to chose from, so most songs using the same 4 is interesting imo.

[AlunB]

Well there's still 8major and 8minor chords, and using the 7ths of those chords is pretty common so that's quite a lot to chose from, so most songs using the same 4 is interesting imo.

No it is interesting. But it's because those are the chords that sound the best in pop music. If it ain't broke. Not everyone wants originality over aesthetics, especially in music.

And to imply there is no variation within that basic tonic, fourth, fifth, minor third framework is a bit silly. There is obviously a huge amount of variation or it wouldn't be a surprise to find they all use the same chords. And they've sort of cheated a bit to make all those songs fit

[celtic]

Was hanging out with my brother yesterday and we were chatting about some of the popular music on the radio these days. I was like do you know x and he would just play it on the piano perfectly having just heard it a few times on the radio. So I got him to do a short medley of 4 current "chart hits" and recorded it on my new camera.

I consider myself pretty musical - I could work out how to play those songs reasonably quickly, probably listen a few times, work it out slowly chord by chord and then I'd be able to give a pretty good rendition. Bobby literally hears it once can remember it and play it perfectly first time, it's incredible.

Just brilliant.

[AlunB]

Kid has skills. I actually preferred his version of most of those songs!

[mondatoo]

Mad Skillz, v v good.

[Tal]

Fantastic.

There's a chap somewhere on YouTube who performs al the songs from street fighter to an intent - if slightly confused - audience.

Pythagoras has a close connection to chords. Legend tells of him passing a blacksmith and hearing the harmonic sounds of various bits of metal being hit. He did some experiments at home and discovered that there were neat ratios between the notes that made the best harmonies (as in the length of the string).

Turns out that the best harmonies are the simpler fractions.

Now of course we know it's the wavelength that matters, but it is a truly incredible thing to think how these seemingly unrelated phenomena are so intertwined

[rex008]

Fantastic.

There's a chap somewhere on YouTube who performs al the songs from street fighter to an intent - if slightly confused - audience.

Pythagoras has a close connection to chords. Legend tells of him passing a blacksmith and hearing the harmonic sounds of various bits of metal being hit. He did some experiments at home and discovered that there were neat ratios between the notes that made the best harmonies (as in the length of the string).

Turns out that the best harmonies are the simpler fractions.

Now of course we know it's the wavelength that matters, but it is a truly incredible thing to think how these seemingly unrelated phenomena are so intertwined

The mathematics of music is fascinating. There is a chapter about it in a book I recently read. A perfect Pythagorean scale can only be played in one key - any instruments using it can only ever use one key and either need retuning, or replacing, to play music in a different key (which was apparently common up until 300 or so years ago). Then the 12 semi-tone scale was created (The Tempered Scale) where a Pythagorean scale was slightly messed about with, enabling instruments to be created that could play any key without retuning. So a piano scale for instance does not have perfect musical intervals between each note. Apparently if you tune a piano to a perfect Pythagorean scale in C major, most people who have grown up with Western music think its out of tune, even though musically it should sound perfectly harmonic.

Rex
Science Correspondent (Freelance, out of retirement)

Oh, and love the video, superb skills. A friend of mine at uni could do the same thing, played the Oboe as his primary instrument, but was an incredible pianist as well.

[Ant040689]

Was hanging out with my brother yesterday and we were chatting about some of the popular music on the radio these days. I was like do you know x and he would just play it on the piano perfectly having just heard it a few times on the radio. So I got him to do a short medley of 4 current "chart hits" and recorded it on my new camera.

I consider myself pretty musical - I could work out how to play those songs reasonably quickly, probably listen a few times, work it out slowly chord by chord and then I'd be able to give a pretty good rendition. Bobby literally hears it once can remember it and play it perfectly first time, it's incredible.

Amazing. Envious of those tekkers. Need to learn how to play properly myself. If poker doesn't cut it for you Alex, you can always teach me the piano!

[cambridgealex]

Decided last minute to drive to Stoke to play the GPS. Just folded Kings pre argh! Second time ever lol. Pretty sure it was correct...but not 100%!

On a table with Deadman. PJ, Mitch, John Black, Terry, Tom Langley here too so a good bunch to spend breaks with.

Up to 40k from 25k starting on level 3.

[Ant040689]

gl

[smashedagain]

gl

[tikay]

Decided last minute to drive to Stoke to play the GPS. Just folded Kings pre argh! Second time ever lol. Pretty sure it was correct...but not 100%!

On a table with Deadman. PJ, Mitch, John Black, Terry, Tom Langley here too so a good bunch to spend breaks with.

Up to 40k from 25k starting on level 3.

Good luck Alex, PJ, Mitch, Deadman etc.

[Marky147]

Good luck guys, please don't re-enter on Friday if you bust!