STRONG SONGS - RHYTHM - Monthly Coaching
Big thanks to Alexx for giving me the 'nudge' to catch-up and do the assignment work.
Watched the coaching session recording to re-fresh my memory (thanks Ruth for the extra editing on it, really helpful).
I chose 'Stand By Me' by Ben E. King (1961) regarded as a timeless classic, so as well as it's a song i like, i also thought it met the 'Strong Song' criteria.
MELODIC RHYTHM: Q1; Yes, the Bass line motif is consistent throughout the verse and chorus and the Phrasing of the lyrics follows that rhythm. Q2. The Bass line motif is matched with strings on the chorus and then the strings flow into a melody bridge. Q3. It is a Syncopated melody, i.e. Syn-Co-pa ta. If i was humming it the 4 beat measure would be; da-da-da da I da-da-da da I da-da-da da I. As it was syncopated, i found it difficult to decide, however it sounds as if the emphasised melody notes are on the ON-Beat.
HARMONIC RHYTHM: Q1. The Groove is instantly conveying a mood of 'relaxed', 'smooth' and 'chilled'. Q2. It's a Bass guitar motif that repeats throughout the song and underpins both the verse and chorus. Q3. The tempo follows the syncopation as well as the phrasing of the lyrics.
SUMMARY: Whether i've interpreted the Rhythm correctly or not, this was a great exercise to go through. I really like how Ruth distills the teaching/lesson down into the key elements with enough content to support so that it is crystal clear. I missed the earlier two coaching sessions for this series, but I think i'm going to go back and review the reordings and work through the assignments. 🙂
