jhudeathanddying | emiferguson

links, discussions,

and more...

from our chat on November 5th

lament bass / intro to harmony

compose your own lament bass

sound and perception (articles)

loss and musical rhetoric

Prof. Hersch's music

other fun stuff...

lament bass

what do these songs have in common?

let's dig deeper into the tracks you've been listening to ------->

I wish we could have had more time to discuss all of the songs you listened to for the class.

I have loved reading all of your responses - below is a word cloud made from the thoughts you all shared from listening in the chat.

You were all right on the money - hearing the connective tissue of the "lament bass" that unites all of these pieces of music!

so what's on the playlist ?

a little more info about who wrote these pieces of music and when (listen above on YouTube) --->

Feeling Good

Written by: Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse (1964)

Performed by: Nina Simone (1965)

Key: G minor (bass line = G, F, Eb, D)

Ciaccona

Written by: Tomaso Vitali (1745)

Performed by: Ensemble Clematis (2011)

Key: G minor (bass line = G, F, Eb, D)

View the manuscript HERE.

Bye Bye Bye

Written by: Kristian Lundin and Jake Schulze (2000)

Performed by: *N'SYNC (2000)

Key: G# minor (bass line = G#, F# E D#)

Passacaille

Written by: Jean-Baptiste Lully (1685)

Performed by: La Petite Bande (2000)

Key: G minor (bass line = G, F, Eb, D)

***but...it sounds like it is in F minor with a bass line of F, Eb, Db, C because it is being played at A=392, French baroque pitch, a whole step lower than what we use today, A=440

View the manuscript HERE (see page 147)

Hit The Road Jack

Written by: Percy Mayfield (1960)

Performed by: Ray Charles (1962)

Key: G# minor (bass line = G#, F# E D#)

Lamento della ninfa

Written by: Claudio Monteverdi (~1614-1638)

Performed by: Montserrat Figueras and Jordi Savall

Key: A minor (bass line = A, G, F, E)

View the manuscript HERE

La Blanche Biche

Written by: Emi Ferguson (2017)

**based on an anonymous folk melody

Performed by: Emi Ferguson (2017)

Key: B minor (bass line = B, A, G, F#)

***but...it sounds like it is in Bb minor with a bass line of Bb, Ab, Gb, F because it is being played at A=392, French baroque pitch, a whole step lower than what we use today, A=440

View the manuscript HERE (see page 147)

Music to Watch Boys to

Written by: Lana Del Rey and Rick Nowels (2015)

Performed by: Lana Del Rey (2015)

Key: C# minor (bass line = C#, B, A, G#)

Midnight Train to Georgia

Written by: Jim Weatherly (1970)

Performed by: Gladys Knight and the Pips (1973)

Key: Db Major (bass line = Db, C, Bb, Ab)

Just Give Me A Reason

Written by:P!nk, Jeff Bhasker, and Nate Ruess (2011)

Performed by: P!nk and Nate Ruess (2011)

Key: G Major (bass line = G, F#, E, D)

...we could keep going, adding many more songs to this playlist including...

Bach: Chaconne, from Partita no.5 for solo violin

Biber: Passacaglia for solo violin

the lament bass

a repeating, cyclical, bass line from

one (tonic) descending to five (dominant) ---->

Screen Shot 2020-11-04 at 11.43.30 PM.pn

Musicians took these four descending notes and built (and still build!) harmonies and melodies on top of it.

All of the songs in the playlist use this fundamental structure in someway - thus connecting all of them, from 17th century composer Monteverdi, to 'NSYNC.

the lament bass is usually found in a minor key, but one can also create the same concept in a Major key ---->

Screen Shot 2020-11-04 at 11.43.38 PM.pn

click on the slides below to learn a little more about how all of these songs are connected and why the lament bass has it's power ------->

For example, when I play a Major scale and end on the 7th note – what do your ears tell you should happen next?

You sense this whether or not you have formally studied music before, feeling the pull back to 1 in your bones.

We also feel the strongest harmonic relationship in the scale - between the first and fifth notes. This relationship has been developed throughout the history of Western music and now serves as the backbone of harmony. Wanting to explain the strength of this relationship in other ways, musical theorists and mathematicians turned to physics and the harmonic overtone series.

Within every note are traces of many more notes. Now, you might think that in order to change notes on the flute, I have to move my fingers, but watch.

I will play a low C and and my fingers will not move - by increasing the speed of the air, I first create a note that is an octave above the first one, then a fifth then another octave, all without changing my fingers.

All of these notes exist as part of the harmonic overtone series of our original low C.

The harmonic overtone series exists for all notes, and always unfolds in the same way, first with an octave, then with a fifth. As the series continues and more notes unfold, the strength of the relationship to the fundamental weakens, therefore physics tells us what our ears sense – that like Romeo and Juliet, 1 and 5 have a magnetic connection, one that is strengthened even more when we add harmony, or chords above.

See how we have our 7th scale degree that so desperately wanted to go back to 1 is present in our 5 chord.

Musicians have exploited this relationship for centuries – perhaps you know the following I-V hook.

These are just two examples - you can find this everywhere from Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, to the Star Wars theme song.

Sometimes, musicians would fill in the gap between 1 and 5, using the ensuing sequence it as both bass line, melody, and also as the foundation of the harmony for a piece. The effect is cyclical – one of rebirth – we fall from 1 to 5, only to be pulled back to 1 where we start the whole process again.

I’m going to play the beginning of a piece that does just this.

Notice how the ending feels unresolved because we ended on 5.

Musicians are attracted to the simplicity of this sequence, on top of which they could build masterpieces, each time putting their own stamp and emotional twist on the sequence. It can come in many guises, and under certain conditions can be called a Chaconne, Ground Bass, Passacaglia, or Ostinato.