Comments on: Lessons for Rufus: Ives talks harmony http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2007/02/21/lessons-for-rufus-ives-talks-harmony/ Roger Bourland writes about music and life Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:24:38 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.10 by: DJA http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2007/02/21/lessons-for-rufus-ives-talks-harmony/#comment-8233 Fri, 23 Feb 2007 10:19:49 +0000 http://rogerbourland.com/blog/2007/02/21/lessons-for-rufus-ives-talks-harmony/#comment-8233 'Round these parts, I'm almost afraid to admit that I'm not the hugest Rufus fan, but I gotta say, that's a pretty sweet chord, especially in context. I really dig the half-step crunch between the Eb in the vocals and the Fb in the accompaniment -- it works great with the lyrics, too. To riff on your Debussy thing, it's really just a modal Db dorian thing (parallel modal minor), but the spacing is <i>sweet</i> -- a dark 2-b3-4 crunch above the open fifth (Db-Ab), and then over an octave of empty space before you get that decorative 2-6-5-1-6-5 piano line. I assume Rufus played the piano part on the record himself, 'cause an experienced studio pro would never try that shit behind a singer -- they'd get canned on the spot. It makes sense that Ives would approve, because this really is "one chord in one hand and one in the other" --Db- (add4) in the LH, and Absus2 in the RH. They both fit a standard mode, so it's not jarringly polytonal or anything, but the conception is similar -- dark brooding chromatic crunches down low, supporting open, spacious, pure intervals up high. Have you heard the Dave Douglas cover, from <i>The Infinite?</i> Be curious what you thought of that version. ‘Round these parts, I’m almost afraid to admit that I’m not the hugest Rufus fan, but I gotta say, that’s a pretty sweet chord, especially in context. I really dig the half-step crunch between the Eb in the vocals and the Fb in the accompaniment — it works great with the lyrics, too. To riff on your Debussy thing, it’s really just a modal Db dorian thing (parallel modal minor), but the spacing is sweet — a dark 2-b3-4 crunch above the open fifth (Db-Ab), and then over an octave of empty space before you get that decorative 2-6-5-1-6-5 piano line.

I assume Rufus played the piano part on the record himself, ’cause an experienced studio pro would never try that shit behind a singer — they’d get canned on the spot.

It makes sense that Ives would approve, because this really is “one chord in one hand and one in the other” –Db- (add4) in the LH, and Absus2 in the RH. They both fit a standard mode, so it’s not jarringly polytonal or anything, but the conception is similar — dark brooding chromatic crunches down low, supporting open, spacious, pure intervals up high.

Have you heard the Dave Douglas cover, from The Infinite? Be curious what you thought of that version.

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