[Monday Notes no.167] A Whiter Shade of Pale is a classic Procol Harum song, the song that launched the band in 1967. While American rock is mainly inspired by the blues, British rock has always maintained a close relationship with classical music. No wonder, then, that A Whiter Shade of Pale is largely derived from…Continue readingA Whiter Shade of Pale, all in one scale, like Bach
Tag: pop music
[Monday Notes no.166] Napule è is part of Pino Daniele’s first album Terra mia, released in 1977. The Neapolitan composer was inspired by the blues and jazz repertoire but did not deny his origins, which he proudly claimed by singing in Neapolitan dialect. It is therefore not surprising that Pino Daniele dedicated the first track…Continue readingNapule è, Pino Daniele sings of his home town
[Monday Notes no.165] Many of Gino Paoli’s songs are based on a chord sequence that is known in harmony as a turnaround. This is the case for example in Il cielo in una stanza, Sapore di sale and La gatta, probably his most famous songs. Che cosa c’è also employs the turnaround, but in a…Continue readingChe cosa c’è, Gino Paoli and the turnaround
[Monday Notes no. 163]Nicola Arigliano was a great lover of jazz and contributed to its diffusion in Italy, already his first recordings from the 1950s have a clear jazz flavour in their arrangements and in his way of singing. Below we listen to and analyse one of his latest hits, presented at the Sanremo festival…Continue readingNicola Arigliano, guilty… of loving jazz
[Monday Notes no. 162] Franco Califano was a singer-songwriter and poet and wrote dozens of songs, often for other singers. Among those interpreted by him personally, we analyse Un tempo piccolo, a song very refined both in its lyrics and music.Continue readingFranco Califano, Un tempo piccolo. A popular poet out of the mainstream
How do you play a song on the piano? In this lesson we will see how to use the piano to accompany a singer, but also how to adapt a melody so that it can be played only with the piano, in an instrumental version.Continue readingHow to play songs on the piano. Adapting a song for the piano
[Monday Notes no. 161] Kiss of Life is a song by British singer Sade Adu that has a typical 90s sound. This piece is very peculiar because it apparently does not even contain a cadence. Let’s try to analyze it to find out if there really can exist a pop song without cadences.Continue readingSade, Kiss of Life. A song without cadences?
[Monday’s Notes No. 125] Hey Jude is one of the Beatles’ most famous songs, one of those ones that you just have to hear once and you never forget it. I wondered why, what in this song is so special. I tried to analyse it to understand its secrets.Continue readingThe Beatles, Hey Jude. How does a song become a classic?
[Monday Notes no.103] Green Green Grass of Home is a country music classic. The melody is beautiful and easy to remember, the lyrics are moving. A great American song, also for the theme it touches on. Let’s listen to Kenny Rodgers’ interpretation.Continue readingKenny Rodgers, Green Green Grass of Home. A classic of Country Music
[Monday Notes No. 69] As with most children of the arts, it must not have been easy for Nancy Sinatra to take on the singing profession. However, in 1967, Nancy performed a lovely duet with her father Frank Sinatra entitled Somethin’ Stupid, which was an immediate and lasting success. Let us analyze this beautiful song.Continue readingNancy Sinatra, Somethin’ Stupid. A duet between father and daughter