Status on learning music... (not that anyone really cares, but I do...)

[markschuldenfrei]

A week ago yesterday I started learning my Mixed Harmony Brigade music. Of the 12 songs I already knew 5. I have pretty good control over two new ones (Change The World and Ride The Chariot). I started Rock It For Me - it's a pretty hard song. I've made some good progress, but it's not really learned yet. For fun, I also went on to the next song Moonlight Becomes You. Also a good start, but not ready to sing yet. I reviewed two of the five that I already knew - those are in great shape.

My chorus wanted us to have portions of two new songs ready for Thursday: Home (from Beauty and the Beast) and Sweet Caroline. I have those well in hand as well since Monday.

That makes, basically, 4 songs and two half-songs in 7 days. This is the fastest I have ever gone in learning new music.

Comments

[cvirtue]

As I am not a singer, I am wondering what "a pretty hard song" means. Difficult tune to master? Odd timing?

Interesting question

[markschuldenfrei]

I suppose the trite answer is "whatever I find hard". :-)

Basically, barbershop songs follow standard patterns of chords, lyrics and rhythm. They are pleasing, simple and easy to learn (by and large).

I sing the bass part, and the bass part generally sings the root of the chord, so it's what I sometimes call a "second melody". It's not as catchy or melodic as the real melody, but it's pretty straightforward.

Great arrangers sometimes make songs more interesting by using less common chords, unusual progressions of chords, inversions of chords. If the song isn't "pure barbershop" it sometimes leaves the normal chord progressions far behind.

And that breaks patterns.

In this case, we have all of the above in complications, plus tricky rhythms, lots of ornamentation and very little repetition. Plenty of places where the bass sings a counter-melody or a non-word rhythmic refrain. So there is a lot of information density in the song, and some places where your voice has to go a little bit counter-intuitive to what you might expect.

That makes it "hard".

Don't get me wrong, I love the challenge. But the effort level for this song is about "3 normal songs" worth, in my non-scientific estimation.

Here is a recording, featuring my friend Vinny singing the bass really well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yElN6OrTQJ8

Re: Interesting question

[cvirtue]

Thanks, that makes a lot of sense.