Guitar Fret-board Matrix
Basic Timing Exercises for the Piano - Two against three.
Raga and Chords - Sivaranjani
Time Signatures in the Electronic Keyboard
Learn how to improve your rhythm sense while playing music.
Structure of a Film Song - Explained.
The top ten characteristics of a great song.
- An idea that has an original element. If it's already been done, it's not great.
- A common thread, musical and/or lyrical, that people can react to on a gut level. If they don't relate, it's not great.
- A killer hook. You need one line that sums it all up and concentrates the message and the emotion into one climactic moment; if there's no payoff, it's not great.
- A well-reinforced hook. The story should create a tension that peaks or resolves itself in the hook. Also people have to be able to remember what your song is called when they go to the record store to buy it OR call up the radio station to request it; if there's no build and release, it's not great.
- A great story, even if it's a simple emotional snapshot, needs to have something interesting to draw the listener in; if it's boring, it's not great.
- Real feelings. If it's fake, it's not great.
- Well-crafted lyrics that gets the story and the feelings across in a clear, accessible manner; If nobody understands it, it's not great.
- A catchy melody; one that is not only memorable, but also has prosody to compliment the lyrics; if it doesn't sing, it's not great.
- A performance and production that captures the essence of the song; even "stardust" sounds like a bad song when some tone-deaf tequila chugger tries it at karaoke night; if it sounds awful, it can't be great.
- A great publisher or plugger to get it cut; a song isn't great until it's out there doing its job., touching lives and earning money.
PS: Some valuable excerpts from a book that my Guitar teacher gifted me almost a decade plus ago.
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We are mostly used to listening to the conventional 4/4 songs or perhaps 3/4 at times and/Or the fast lively and rocking 6/8 for the dance kind of songs in film music.
Though the trained ears can identify them instantly it is not very hard to find for the common audience also If you listen to it with enough focus.
Here is kind of a playlist to listen to just in case if you are curious to know and understand how 7/8(Aka Misra chaapu in Carnatic terminology) sounds like. I only chose 25 songs from Ilayaraja's huge collection of creative works.
2. 1979 - Ayiram Malargale – Niram Maradha Pookkal
3. 1979 - Ninaithal Inikkum – Kalyanaraman
4. 1982 - Nadhiyil Adum Poovanam – Kadhal Oviyam
5. 1983 - Pon vanam – Indru Nee Nalai Naan
6. 1983 - Kalidasan – Soorakkottai Singakkutti3. 1979 - Ninaithal Inikkum – Kalyanaraman
4. 1982 - Nadhiyil Adum Poovanam – Kadhal Oviyam
5. 1983 - Pon vanam – Indru Nee Nalai Naan
7. 1984 - Pottene Poo Vilangu – Poo Vilangu
8. 1985 - Venmegam Vinnil Indru – Nan Sigappu Manidhan
9. 1986 - Meendum Meendum Vaa – Vikram
10. 1986 - Manasu mayangum - Sippikul muthu
11. 1986 - Vaada Malliye – Kannukku Mai Ezhudhu
12. 1989 - Gangaikkarai – varusham 16
13. 1988 - Yaarai Kettu Nee Dhan – En Uyir Kannamma
14. 1989 - Om Namaha – Geetanjali
15. 1989 - Paattale Buddhi Sonnar – Karakattakkaran
16. 1991 - Pottu Vaitha – Idhayam
17. 1991 - Thendral Katre – Kumbakkarai Thangaiah
18. 1992 - Ilanenje vaa - Vanna Vanna Pookkal
19. 1992 – Kanakarunguyile Kacherikku – Pandi Thurai
20. 1993 - Kannale Kadhal Kavidhai – Aathma
21. 1993 - Anbe vaa arugile – Kili Pechu Ketka Vaa
22. 1995 - Veenaikku Veenai – Ellame En Rasathan
23. 1997 - Aruna Kirana – Guru (Malayalam)
24. 2000 - Isaiyil Thodanguthamma – Hey Ram
25. 2012 - Katrai Konjam – Neethane En Ponvasantham
Please do not miss to notice the similarity in this list.Am sure it intrigues your taste buds for music and rhythm in general.Enjoy and have fun with 7/8.
