Songs that use Counterpoint

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 พ.ค. 2024
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    Counterpoint is a musical texture where two or more melodies interact to create a sense of harmony whilst also maintaining their independence from each other. It is most commonly found in Baroque music, however we can find examples of contrapuntal writing in pop and rock music too.
    For this video I decided to forego my usual Patreon outro and instead feature a rendition of the Ukrainian national anthem which I've arranged. I've also decided to donate the Patreon proceeds from this video to Save The Children's work in Ukraine.
    And, an extra special thanks goes to Douglas Lind, Vidad Flowers, Ivan Pang, Waylon Fairbanks, Jon Dye, Austin Russell, Christopher Ryan, Toot & Paul Peijzel, the channel’s Patreon saints! 😇
    SUPPORT ME ON PATREON: / davidbennettpiano 🎹
    0:00 Introduction & Bach
    1:04 "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys
    2:23 Homophony Vs. Counterpoint
    3:28 "For No One" by The Beatles
    4:39 "Supermassive Black Hole" by Muse
    5:45 "Paranoid Android" by Radiohead
    8:10 "Country House" by Blur
    9:05 "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" by Simon & Garfunkel
    10:29 "One Day More" from Les Misérables
    11:57 Fugues
    14:20 Consecutive 5ths
    16:19 Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia

ความคิดเห็น • 1.1K

  • @DavidBennettPiano
    @DavidBennettPiano  2 ปีที่แล้ว +74

    Get full access to over 40,000 sheet music works with a Tomplay 14 day free trial: tomplay.com/premium-trial?ref=davidbennett6 🎼

    • @furretwalky
      @furretwalky 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      yes

    • @brakman01
      @brakman01 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Not sure if you know Gentle Giant: here's a song by them that utilises counterpoint and canon techniques, and they do it live, using instruments and vocals. One of the most underrated bands ever IMO: th-cam.com/video/z6WSLG5r-wE/w-d-xo.html

    • @_InTheBin
      @_InTheBin หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      David, could you tell, whether "Big Jet Plane" by Angus and Julia Stone uses also counterpoint in terms of the vocals, guitar and the strings or not? I just can't figure out the last. Thank you in advance.

    • @janeamandaford4199
      @janeamandaford4199 6 วันที่ผ่านมา

      👌🌸🙏

  • @PvtPartsRPG
    @PvtPartsRPG 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1555

    There’s a lot of instability in my life but one thing I can always count on is seeing Paul McCartney in the thumbnail of a David Bennett Piano video

    • @jameshannagan4256
      @jameshannagan4256 2 ปีที่แล้ว +60

      And Radiohead and i read that Paul is a big Radiohead fan which is just perfect because even though they often sound nothing alike the band that reminds me of the Beatles the most by far is Radiohead.

    • @paulmeunier5747
      @paulmeunier5747 2 ปีที่แล้ว +42

      There are 3 guarantees in life: Death, taxes, and a Beatle being featured in a thumbnail of a David Bennett music theory video 😜

    • @gloomsdoom649
      @gloomsdoom649 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Bahahahahaha

    • @wetbeans7957
      @wetbeans7957 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      SenpaiKai

    • @oakvalepennybridge
      @oakvalepennybridge ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I hate the thumbnails. Can't quite put my finger on why they bug me so much. I think it's because they're always very staged photoshoot shots. Also he frequently puts randoms like green Day alongside the Beatles, you get the impression he doesn't know that much popular /rock music other than Beatles and Radiohead, apart from a couple of random bands like green day

  • @luisrusmonforte8048
    @luisrusmonforte8048 2 ปีที่แล้ว +53

    - Songs that use: "insert music theory concept"
    - Thom York's face: Helloooooooo

  • @mateusbez2669
    @mateusbez2669 2 ปีที่แล้ว +603

    Oh god. That ‘vocals only’ of God Only knows is beautiful. Brian Wilson is such a brilliant mind.

    • @kellydalstok8900
      @kellydalstok8900 2 ปีที่แล้ว +21

      That’s one song I’ll never grow tired of.

    • @houdinididiit
      @houdinididiit 2 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      You should check out his latest solo piano album. You will hear harmonies of some of those Pet Sounds and Smile tunes like you’ve never heard before. Some of it resembles a blend of Debussy, Mozart and Gershwin. Unbelievable mind.

    • @roberts1918
      @roberts1918 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Sir Paul’s all-time favorite song.

    • @pianomikey0
      @pianomikey0 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I went to a religious college, where we occasionally sang from "101 Bach Chorales". It was some of the most amazing, hauntingly beautiful music I've ever been a part of. The classical composers have earned their fame!

    • @deetay725
      @deetay725 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I loved all the harmonies and polyphony of The Beach Boys. Even in a less serious song like Be True to Your School, check out the cool chord change on the word fly in the sentence Let your colors fly and also later in the song on the Oos going into Rah Rah after the chant Push En Back, Push Em Back, Way Back! Genius!

  • @jasonremy1627
    @jasonremy1627 2 ปีที่แล้ว +100

    Thom Yorke, Paul McCartney, and JS Bach. David's big three...

  • @FaMinore
    @FaMinore 2 ปีที่แล้ว +250

    Paul McCartney also uses counterpoint in Wings' "Silly love songs" layering the 3 melodies introduced before then adding a fourth melody with the bass

    • @ThinWhiteAxe
      @ThinWhiteAxe 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      I love that! It's mind-meltingly cool

    • @brentmcf
      @brentmcf 2 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      The way Paul plays bass, most Beatles/Wings/Paul solo songs could be considered counterpoint

    • @NNnn-zc2bm
      @NNnn-zc2bm 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Is there counterpoint in McCartney's song Wanderlust?

    • @tommyhughes4661
      @tommyhughes4661 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@NNnn-zc2bm yes at the end of the song

    • @brentmcf
      @brentmcf 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@NNnn-zc2bm yep, definitely! That’s a great example. That second melody comes in with the horns under the verse about midway through the song, and then as has been pointed out, it becomes really prominent with the two overlapping vocal lines at the end. Although it’s not from the bass on that one-I mean something like All My Loving

  • @jaakkot5440
    @jaakkot5440 2 ปีที่แล้ว +422

    The ending piece was lovely

    • @farteinjonassen7523
      @farteinjonassen7523 2 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      National anthem of Ukraine.

    • @andreasheine9607
      @andreasheine9607 2 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      In the flag's colours!

    • @jaakkot5440
      @jaakkot5440 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@andreasheine9607 yes, noticed that too

    • @GorillaCanon
      @GorillaCanon 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@farteinjonassen7523 Thank you! I didn't realize that. I've already listened to it three times, looked for more versions of it, and fully intend to learn to play it. I am a huge fan of Bach, and this piece spoke to me in all the same ways. Amazing.

    • @Ivartshiva
      @Ivartshiva 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      There I was playing along innocently until the end. Then I went back and played it again.

  • @Vonliktenstien
    @Vonliktenstien 2 ปีที่แล้ว +214

    My favorite Bealtes counterpoint is the 4 parter at the end of I’ve Got a Feeling with John and Paul’s vocals mixing with Georges and Billy’s riffs. Great stuff.

    • @tina.InTheSkyWithDiamonds
      @tina.InTheSkyWithDiamonds 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yes!! Looove that as well!

    • @Bella-nt7ec
      @Bella-nt7ec ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Right, that's heavenly piece of music

    • @peterbernhard7415
      @peterbernhard7415 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Considering "mixing", "riff" I'd like to draw you attention to my comment. In fact, isn't riff not a counterpoint as the vocals always come first (it might be just the opposite, or just seen from the "mixing": it's up to the studios to turn a riff into a counterpoint).
      Never mind. Your comment pleases me.

    • @voornaam3191
      @voornaam3191 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The Senots are also interetsing...

  • @Marina-pe1gx
    @Marina-pe1gx 2 ปีที่แล้ว +178

    oh my. David this is insanely good?! I mean everything you do is perfection. Whenever you do the 'if it was......, then it would sound like this', I LOVE it. So much care goes into stuff like that and it is so satisfying to watch while learning!

    • @Marina-pe1gx
      @Marina-pe1gx 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      And an example by Blur? YES.
      Also, as a piano player, fugues are bastards :)
      Lovely arrangement at the end too.

    • @DavidBennettPiano
      @DavidBennettPiano  2 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      Thank you! That means a lot 😊😊

  • @i.setyawan
    @i.setyawan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +66

    I always love Bach's use of counterpoint, although it caused me great grief when I was learning the piano as a child. It was my piano teacher, who pointed out that my two hands were playing independent melodies although together they make nice harmony. Perhaps that was the point when my liking of counterpoints (in any genre of music) begun.

    • @peterbernhard7415
      @peterbernhard7415 ปีที่แล้ว

      makes me tentatively think of counterpoint as creating suspense until two or more notes of a riff and a vocal line meet. A riff might be a simple melody ... but isn't that what the video shows? So equality might lead to dominance, and just like the key of a piece or row of notes is a matter of ambi-valence turned to "dominance", hierarchy. I was told it's a matter of counting. Crows know to count to 4, no more. Do they eat chocolate bars - of course they do, just like real bears know to talk too. There is always an a-specht (I'm German, too) of equality. Sorry about my brmng.

  • @LTDLimiTeD1995
    @LTDLimiTeD1995 2 ปีที่แล้ว +58

    When you mentioned musicals, my mind when straight to the last bit of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" when all the verses come together.

    • @KingoftheJuice18
      @KingoftheJuice18 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Yes, of course, but, you know, We Don't....

    • @1stevenreid
      @1stevenreid 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Lin Manuel Miranda uses counterpoint a lot. "The Schuyler Sister" from Hamilton has a great counterpoint section with Angelica repeating a section, Eliza and Peggy a different section, and the ensemble doing a third section.

    • @Johnisawsome1
      @Johnisawsome1 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yes. Lin Manuel Miranda is a master polyphonist and has incredible understanding of counterpoint. See “Blackout” “Non-Stop” and “The Battle of YorkTown”

  • @whatever2045
    @whatever2045 2 ปีที่แล้ว +140

    I'm a big fan of counterpoint, so this may be my favorite video of yours yet. Also bravo for your arrangement at the end!

  • @unacuentadeyoutube13
    @unacuentadeyoutube13 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    I've never had chills running down my spine from a brief example in a music theory video, till now. Les Miserables is a complete work of art

  • @leon723
    @leon723 2 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    I was rooting for Scarborough Fair / Canticle to make into this piece, and there it was!

  • @jorgeguberte
    @jorgeguberte 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Counterpoint is definitely my favorite subject. I'm still a beginner so i can do only second species, but it's still fascinating. It relaxes me, makes me dream, makes me feel immense satisfaction when I crack the puzzle.

  • @wozzywick
    @wozzywick 2 ปีที่แล้ว +240

    Great video. Blackbird by The Beatles is the example of counterpoint in pop that I most often hear cited. In terms of vocal counterpoint, Queen’s The Prophets Song and Duran Duran’s New Religion are great examples.

    • @sharpphilip
      @sharpphilip 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      I think “New Religion” is such an undervalued song-and yeah, those contrapuntal vocals get me every time!

    • @andik110
      @andik110 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@sharpphilip As well as The Prophets Song 😉

    • @wandajames143
      @wandajames143 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Blackbird is moving in 10ths or 3rds it’s not really counterpoint

    • @urilevy1
      @urilevy1 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      The little things give you away - Linkin Park

    • @aldeayeah
      @aldeayeah 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@andik110 Now I know :P

  • @ivind6625
    @ivind6625 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I love the fact that in almost all your music theory videos there is radiohead !!! RADIOHEAD GENIUS

  • @sarahbird7398
    @sarahbird7398 2 ปีที่แล้ว +82

    Great example with For No One. It’s one of my favorite Beatles songs and hearing those two melodies come together toward the end of the song always hit me extra hard.

    • @ThinWhiteAxe
      @ThinWhiteAxe 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      yes it's soooo good

    • @TheDirge69
      @TheDirge69 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      my daughters fave Beatles song, however she says it doesn't go long enough, maybe an extra verse-chorus? Come-on Paul you can do it!

    • @jacobshirley3457
      @jacobshirley3457 23 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@TheDirge69 Early Beatles and their short song lengths.

  • @andriyskrypnyak9640
    @andriyskrypnyak9640 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

    Thank you very much, David, for the example of our country's national anthem from the 16:23 minute. You are real friends!

  • @Sloth_and_Badger
    @Sloth_and_Badger 2 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    Kudos to the last piece.

  • @NinjaPastry
    @NinjaPastry 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    I learned a lot about this in theatre, MANY musicals use this technique with the last song of the first act, ie Hamiltons "Non-Stop" or in A Gentlemens Guide to Love and Murder combative character/pushing moment, "I've Decided to Marry You". It's a fantastic opportunity to really sink multiple people and ideas together in such a creative way. I adore it, it's one of my favorite things about transitive music writing.

    • @TTarragon
      @TTarragon 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Lin Manuel Miranda really loves it. He used it in In the Heights (96000, Blackout, Finale), Hamilton (Non-stop, Schuyler Sisters... ), and Encanto (We don't talk about Bruno).
      I think he really makes it work!

  • @AtomizedSound
    @AtomizedSound 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    Man, coming with a great video topic. I think a lot of music lacks counterpoint today. Doesn’t matter what genre but legit counterpoint would be nice to hear again in some music from someone.

  • @howie9751
    @howie9751 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I'm glad someone finally pointed out the wonderful counterpoint of "Scarborough Fair/Canticle".

  • @micahbannister1287
    @micahbannister1287 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    Counterpoint is what I'm going over in university, this is perfect timing! Thanks for all the videos

  • @aureliande2659
    @aureliande2659 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Again a very informative and well-built video, thank you for that. But especially for the end: Your moving arrangement as well as the gesture itself brought a tear to my eye.

  • @paulsoderquist4788
    @paulsoderquist4788 2 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    I love this! I hadn't even considered what made these songs special. It feels so freeing to have interwoven melodies that don't need block chords to support them

    • @LisaSmith-yb2uz
      @LisaSmith-yb2uz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I COMPLETELY AGREE!!! 🎵☺️👌💓

  • @benoitrenaud519
    @benoitrenaud519 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    The rock band that used counterpoint in the most effective and interesting way has to be Gentle Giant, with songs like The Advent of Panurge, Knots, So Sincere, His Last Voyage and of course, the amazing On Reflection. A whole David video on those few songs would be worth it!

    • @oliverzwahlen
      @oliverzwahlen 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      YES!!!!! It's really a pity that David ignores the rich world of 70s art rock. I mentioned here many times Genesis songs from the Gabriel area which - as I would argue - were the Radiohead of the 70s.

  • @urbangorilla33
    @urbangorilla33 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    The middle, slower section of "Close to the Edge" by Yes has a great example of two inter-woven melody lines.

    • @stephenmcg4299
      @stephenmcg4299 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Great counterpoint in And You and I on the same album.

  • @StarlightedWanderer
    @StarlightedWanderer ปีที่แล้ว +3

    "Paradise by the Dashboard Light"! Where they're singing "...will you love me forever..." and "let me sleep on it..." at the same time. Also in the outtro, "it was long ago and it was far away..." with "it never felt so good, it never felt so right...".

  • @Chishannicon
    @Chishannicon 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    My favorite pop songs of the late 90s/early 00s were always the ones that featured counterpoint at the end. Britney Spears's "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did it Again," as well as "Get Another Boyfriend" by The Backstreet Boys were great examples of such songs. Incidentally, Max Martin wrote all of them. Dude knew how to craft a song.

    • @DenysZhadiaiev
      @DenysZhadiaiev ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Counterpoint at the end, perhaps, was a symbolic representation of "divorce" (another boyfriend? or "oops" - something not according to the initial plan). These are aural pictures of the meaning behind the song. In his other video David talks about Bach's masterpiece where composer joined two identical lines for the player to play them simultaneously but one from the beginning to the end and another, identical, from the end to the beginning. For me it is clear representation of the antinomies and antitetics developed by German philosophers at that time.

    • @eleesiasportraits6114
      @eleesiasportraits6114 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      I was rambling to my sister the other day about how much I love all the "layered overlapping parts" at the end of Oops! I Did It Again! without even realizing it was the Counterpoint I was referring to. 😆

    • @peterbernhard7415
      @peterbernhard7415 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Considering the replies I wonder I you can layer a chorus with what leads to the chorus (what is the word for what's opposed to the chorus, I wonder). I think it's interesting to assume that a "chorus" can never be layered with what's before as it never really fits well, by definition. Never mind!

  • @andrewmole3355
    @andrewmole3355 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Thank you. As a choirboy, I heard all these on a weekly basis, but it is lovely to see it all laid out and explained so clearly and with examples from different genres.
    I was wondering what the piece at the end was… then I read the name… then I became aware of the colours. More meaningful because of its understated nature.

  • @loshomusic
    @loshomusic 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliantly done! You can tell how much effort was put into this. Thank you!

  • @rubenmencos5594
    @rubenmencos5594 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Great topic! Been waiting for a great counterpoint video.

  • @victorwilburn8588
    @victorwilburn8588 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    What I found interesting in the Paranoid Android example was that the various voice do sort of HINT at homophony. Like, in some places they come close to some similar motion, but passing notes, pick-up notes, and other ornamentation gets in the way.

  • @pup64hcp
    @pup64hcp 2 ปีที่แล้ว +159

    It took me a moment to realize why the second voice in the final piece was marked yellow. Brilliant. 🇺🇦

  • @mattsomogyi3128
    @mattsomogyi3128 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great video, thanks! Loved the composition at the end

  • @robster7316
    @robster7316 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    A very interesting and informative segment that provides context to a variety of musical styles and concepts. Thank you, David!

  • @garfieldh.8820
    @garfieldh.8820 2 ปีที่แล้ว +47

    One of my favorite examples of counterpoint (round) in popular music has got to be "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" by Spiritualized

    • @danielf3623
      @danielf3623 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Mine would be Fiona Apple's Hot Knife, which is pretty much a baroque pop fugue.

    • @sarahhowell7042
      @sarahhowell7042 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      i LOVE that song

    • @mhoppy6639
      @mhoppy6639 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Great shout. Great album and I have the original album with orescription drug packaging. Superb.

    • @Symphonicrockfran
      @Symphonicrockfran 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I LOVE THAT

  • @verache2250
    @verache2250 2 ปีที่แล้ว +65

    Queen's "Prophet's song" is an awesome example of the canon technique - the polyphonic part starts by looping individual melodies and repeating them in rounds, but then Freddie starts layering whole harmonies in a counterpoint, which is crazy. Such a cool and underrated piece!
    P.S., as a Ukrainian, I didn't expect to hear the hymn in here. Thanks for this little gesture of support, it made me smile

    • @finchx881
      @finchx881 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      This is made by the delay technique often used by queen. Try to listen all of the live solos of Brian May where he layer himself by using the delay. Great example

    • @angelloperez7273
      @angelloperez7273 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Thanks for mentioning "The prophet's song" such an underated song by Brian May.

    • @kirkwahmmett1666
      @kirkwahmmett1666 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      The Prophet's Song is so great. I'm a huge Queen fan and it is one of my favorite Queen songs. Brian May really has written some of the most brilliant music.

    • @squidsbizarreadventure
      @squidsbizarreadventure 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Thank you for explaining it, that song is a religious experience!

    • @duppthord6278
      @duppthord6278 26 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Ooo

  • @terlis3423
    @terlis3423 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Thank you for this video!
    The end is just a pure gold ❤️

  • @aceeastman8829
    @aceeastman8829 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I am currently studying gcse music. I keep coming across new music theory ideas and absolutely love it. Your videos are great, and somehow all of your recent videos are about something I have recently come across. Counterpoint I learned about a few weeks ago, and fugues just recently. I love your take on explaining it all, it's very clear.

  • @bobsykes
    @bobsykes 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    I love this one. Also, a nice reminder of the never matched awesomness of JS Bach.

  • @UnfriendlyGhostK
    @UnfriendlyGhostK 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Amazing ending, David. One song which recently came out that uses counterpoint is one of my favourite songs, The Adults Are Talking. In several parts, the guitars that Albert Hammond Jr. and Nick Valensi play are contrapuntal against each other.

    • @squidsbizarreadventure
      @squidsbizarreadventure 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Great fucking album and I hope David will talk more about it, I want to learn everything about it!

  • @actuallythepie
    @actuallythepie 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    great video once again man!
    the middle section of paranoid android is also really interesting harmonically. a lot of borrowed chords and key changes here and there. its honestly beautiful.

  • @MiF4a
    @MiF4a 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Simply, fantastic! Thanks for posting this!

  • @danayang7712
    @danayang7712 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    David, you've opened up a whole new world to me!
    I love your videos. I watch them all and I've learnt so much! ❤

  • @torvanderlinden6560
    @torvanderlinden6560 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I’ve always been aware of counterpoint due to my love of Les Mis and my favourite song, The Confrontation. I’ve never however understood it to the extent I do now, thanks to your video.
    Thank you.
    It’s made me realise why I adore certain songs, for example Mad Hatter by Avenged Sevenfold. I knew I loved it and kind of why, but didn’t realise that it’s the counterpoint that comes in is what really draws me into the song.
    Again, thank you

  • @tarotwitxena
    @tarotwitxena 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I'm a new subscriber and I just want to tell you how much comfort your videos bring me, thank you for all of your time and effort, its not going to waste and I wish you a life of inspiration and creation

  • @gooball2005
    @gooball2005 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Excellent video! I've never heard of the term homophony before and your explanation and example of why people say "avoid parallel fifths" was great!

  • @lamelania2221
    @lamelania2221 2 ปีที่แล้ว +33

    I really enjoy watching your videos and it caught me by surprise to hear our Ukrainian anthem at the end!!! Thank you so much for this gesture, it's sounds just wonderful and I absolutely love it🥺💙💛

  • @BHHartman
    @BHHartman 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    The breakdown in Prophet’s Song by Queen feels like a great example of counterpoint

  • @OurHarmonyhouse
    @OurHarmonyhouse 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Good for you, David. Thank you for that brilliant ending statement to a fabulous video.

  • @michaelkalmar9575
    @michaelkalmar9575 ปีที่แล้ว

    Dude! You and 12 Tone are awesome. I went to school for percussion and made a living full time as a drummer for almost 25 years. I have started studying the melodic and harmonic aspects of music as well as composition and theory. Well done! Your videos are so helpful. After all these years to approach music from a different angle, makes me so happy. I actually laugh out loud at the keyboard discovering this stuff. Thank you. Blessings to you and yours.

  • @MalMotorDedo
    @MalMotorDedo ปีที่แล้ว +5

    This dude Bach was insane, clearly insane

  • @gqgaming1224
    @gqgaming1224 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    Knots by Gentle Giant has some of my favourite vocals in music. They’re known for complicated music, even for prog rock, & the vocal counterpoint is dense and rich.

    • @patchoulicyanide
      @patchoulicyanide 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yo that song is sick

    • @progfellow
      @progfellow 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I was looking for a Gentle Giant comment, who I’d say were the masters of counterpoint in rock. For the uninitiated, try “On Reflection” (the studio and live versions are VERY different) and No God’s a Man in addition to Knots.

  • @MarcosElMalo2
    @MarcosElMalo2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice original work, David. Keep on keeping on.

  • @DressedForDrowning
    @DressedForDrowning ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Dear David, you're my new favorite channel on TH-cam, thanks for all your wonderful videos who give me much insight. You transformed me into a Radiohead-listener, LOL, a band I haven't known before.

  • @JeremiahPickardMusic
    @JeremiahPickardMusic 2 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    This could mean interesting idea.
    Explore how composers maintain attention in longer songs.
    Some suggestions
    Cygnet Committee - David Bowie
    Supper's Ready - Genesis
    Echoes - Pink Floyd
    Karn Evil 9 or Tarkus - ELP
    2112 - Rush
    Thick as a Brick or A Passion Play - Jethro Tull

    • @ThinWhiteAxe
      @ThinWhiteAxe 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      I'm something of a long song connoisseur and I'd say a lot of it is overall dynamics. They often tend to rise and fall in a seamless, dramatic, and interesting way (Echoes, Shine On You Crazy Diamond) or continually rise in intensity until they come to a triumphant climax (Cygnet Committee, Stairway To Heaven). Very few examples are relatively steady in dynamics, and usually have some other variation or musical trick to keep them interesting - two examples that come to mind are Kashmir and Achilles' Last Stand, which both have rhythmic and harmonic tension throughout (Kashmir is polyrhythmic and Achilles has the tightly layered bass/guitar/drum parts); even they do build up and fall down, albeit to a less dramatic extent than the other examples.

    • @Symphonicrockfran
      @Symphonicrockfran 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      The Underfall Yard - Big Big Train
      We Spin the World - Moon Safari
      Other Half of the Sky - Moon Safari
      Mind Drive - Yes
      The Truth Will Set You Free - The Flower Kings

    • @danteshydratshirt2360
      @danteshydratshirt2360 ปีที่แล้ว

      I would throw in Jim Steinman to that mix who seemed incapable of writing short songs

    • @danteshydratshirt2360
      @danteshydratshirt2360 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ThinWhiteAxe I think an exception which proves the rule is Laurie Andersons O Superman and most trance music

  • @PPalmer368
    @PPalmer368 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Hello David, so enjoy your style of presentation, outstanding! Much thanks to you, I am pairing music technique/chart reading with music theory. Never having had formal music training. Looking forward to your future youtubes.

  • @lesbianham
    @lesbianham 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Nice touch at the end David 👌

  • @AndyRubio1
    @AndyRubio1 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    that Bach Fugue in G minor BWV 578 wtf incredible, heart-stopping - holy moly - never heard it before, thanks for sharing

    • @peterkelley6344
      @peterkelley6344 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You've never heard of Bach's Fugue in G minor BWV until now! That was one of the first classical works my parents introduced me to when I was a kid! (1960's). It is still one of those 'ear worms' that I have from time to time. Ear Worm = a song you can't get out of your head.

  • @antonlushankin9568
    @antonlushankin9568 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Damn David! Our anthem in the end was so good. Sorry for responding that late, but only now had a possibility to finally catch up with this video in particular. Thank you for your videos and for your support! Been a fan since too long. Greetings from Ukraine! Together we'll be strong as no one ever before. Peace out✌

  • @tanukibrahma
    @tanukibrahma ปีที่แล้ว +1

    You’re such a great teacher! I’d add that, to me, avoiding parallel fifths and octaves makes for more satisfying voice-leading in general, especially in string or other instrumental backgrounds where lines should flow smoothly without detracting from other parts of the song.

  • @jarkkohypponen6198
    @jarkkohypponen6198 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Thank you so much David Bennett. I just learned in a few minutes what counterpoint and fuque actually mean, something I’ve been trying to understand for a long time.

  • @jea559
    @jea559 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    How about Tears for Fears "sowing the Seeds of love."? Love the counterpoint in that tune. Great video David. Keep 'em coming!

  • @DukeIrritable
    @DukeIrritable 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    "Carnival Fugue" - on the album Focus 3 - written by the astonishing Thijs Van Leer, is a rare example of a fugue for a rock band.

  • @NomeDeArte
    @NomeDeArte 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Amazing video, thank you! Btw, love the bright colors of the sweater!

  • @0miyage
    @0miyage 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Well done ! Bravo !

  • @skyes00t
    @skyes00t 2 ปีที่แล้ว +112

    Great video! I especially love the arrangement of the Ukrainian national anthem

    • @DavidBennettPiano
      @DavidBennettPiano  2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Thank you 😊

    • @m.kostoglod7949
      @m.kostoglod7949 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      It's rearranged to the point that I wouldn't recognize it if I weren't told that's it

  • @thegothaunt
    @thegothaunt 2 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    Beautiful arrangement at the end there. 💜 Blessings to Ukraine.

    • @turquisestones
      @turquisestones ปีที่แล้ว

      You send blessings to a country that bombed its own civilians in 2014, right?

  • @dinodinoulis923
    @dinodinoulis923 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant set of illustrative examples yet again.

  • @fshepinc
    @fshepinc 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I've been looking forward to this subject for awhile, and the video was worth the wait. (I wish my counterpoint professor had been as clear!) When you mentioned counterpoint in musical theatre my first thought was Sondheim (check out "Now/Later/Soon" from A Little Night Music where three complete songs become counterpoint) but the example from Les Miz was spot-on and the explanation of its function made the dramaturg in me proud. So happy to see that a portion of my support is going to such a worthwhile cause, too! One of your absolute best videos, David!

  • @bettyswunghole3310
    @bettyswunghole3310 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    It's vids like this that inspire me to keep plugging away at music, even though I'm rubbish at it.

    • @toneDeFguitar
      @toneDeFguitar 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Same here. Keep it up buddy! 👍

  • @kierandansey7293
    @kierandansey7293 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    That understated finale was marvelous! David Bennett you dastardly little showman!

  • @deetay725
    @deetay725 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thanks for a great informative video! This was right up my alley as I am a retired K-8 music teacher. Love Bach and the Beatles! The Bach Invention # 13 you played at the beginning is one I play on the piano all the time! (2nd favorite after # 8) I have always loved music with a lot of countermelodies going on, like with The Beach Boys, Motown groups and so on back in the day. I started my students on countermelodies at an early age- Kindergarten- get them singing in tune- 1st grade we did Borduns- one half the class singing a simple repetitive phrase while the other half sings the melody; 2nd- 4th rounds (going up to 8 part rounds, not being next to someone singing your own part) and partner songs where you divide in groups and each group sings a different song, like Row Row Row Your Boat, The Farmer in the Dell (head start for upbeat), Three Blind Mice, Frere Jacques, starting and ending at the same time (Row Your Boat and Farmer sing twice), with the piano keeping the steady beat with a common chord. We also went up to 8 partner songs at a time. So my students learned about countermelodies and could easily go into harmony choir music after that. Some other random thoughts- I also liked the countermelodies in the vocals in Scarborough Fair and there was another nice melody going on with the harpsichord, which really added to the beauty of the song, despite the depressing lyrics! My favorite countermelody from a musical is Tonight from West Side Story (This is from the original movie with Natalie Wood) where Tony, Anita, Maria, the Jets, and the Sharks are all singing the song together from different locations, and adding to the excitement is the orchestra, which is playing music that is crazily reminiscent of the theme to Jaws, only at a faster speed! Anyway, thanks for a great video, new subscriber here, and thanks to all who commented. I am going to look up the music you suggested since I am an old codger and have not kept up with a lot of the more modern music!

  • @RhiannonRaven
    @RhiannonRaven หลายเดือนก่อน

    Thank you this was really well explained and I enjoyed it. I will show it to people who know no music theory and they will still understand it. This is the mark of an excellent teacher and communicator.

  • @urbangorilla33
    @urbangorilla33 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    "Fall on Me" from R.E.M. has three vocal lines in the chorus. "Pilgrimage" from Murmur is a good example as well.

    • @tommyamoeba9220
      @tommyamoeba9220 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      was going to post fall on me. early r.e.m. has a lot of counterpoint with backing vocals singing different melodies and lyrics that lead vocals often more clearly, blurring the line between lead and backing. other examples, harborcoat, driver 8 and it's the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine). additionally, their melodic bass lines and ringing guitar arpeggios bring even more counterpoint to the party.

    • @urbangorilla33
      @urbangorilla33 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@tommyamoeba9220 Yes, I think those were the key ingredients to their sound those first few albums.

    • @aftp6646
      @aftp6646 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      There are so many examples by R.E.M also in late R.E.M. as well like the Great Beyond, Leaving New York and Binky the Doormat.

  • @6EVILmonkey6
    @6EVILmonkey6 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Loved hearing the isolated vocals in this!

  • @richardbradley3684
    @richardbradley3684 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Wonderful example to end on, and a beautiful arrangement. I am in tears.

  • @OnkelPeters
    @OnkelPeters 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Another musical example: Tradition from Fiddler on the Roof. Four melodies comes together quite dramatically.

    • @jeff__w
      @jeff__w 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      And, roughly from the same era, _The Music Man’s_ “Lida Rose/Will I Ever Tell You?” Barbara Cook, in a 2000 interview, said that every time she and the Buffalo Bills did that number it stopped the show, something that utterly baffled her until she saw it as an observer in the audience.

  • @flowerpt
    @flowerpt 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Counterpuntal vocals are the real harmony in my book. "4-part" choruses that are just stacking chords grind my gears (especially intrusive sevenths) but a proper ensemble of counterpuntal melodies (like One Day More) is transcendent.

  • @gumbycat5226
    @gumbycat5226 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    The best music teacher and of course, my favourite Beatles song. I just love those Bach fugues, they are mind-blowingly complex.

  • @jeffkeever9395
    @jeffkeever9395 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Awesome job on this video!

  • @dr.westwood
    @dr.westwood 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    Learned many new things today. Thank you. Would be willing to make a video of you separate the voices from a finished music track? I think it would be very helpful in trying to hear the individual parts and further understanding of how and why things work together. Is it a complicated process? Is it just load a track into a particular software program and click a few buttons and it does it for you? Can you do more than separate the vocals from the instruments? Can separate each vocal? Can you separate each instrument? Can you separate each voice so can hear each vocal and each instrument in isolation and then play them back by choosing which voices to hear together? Thank you so much. Enjoying the content as always? I don't (yet) play any instruments and I do not have a good singing voice, so I'd never get into a music school (especially at my age), but music fascinates me and I have fallen in love with dissecting music thanks to your videos. Cheers

  • @VultureClone
    @VultureClone 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    You may not know Gentle Giant, but they have some intense vocal counterpoint going on in their song, 'On Reflection'

    • @ramonromerohernandez7136
      @ramonromerohernandez7136 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      And instrumental as well. I was looking for this comment, yes, Gentle Giant are the kings of counterpoint (fugues or imitatives): The Advent of Panurge and Experience also have counterpoint

  • @GrotrianSeiler
    @GrotrianSeiler ปีที่แล้ว

    Brilliant presentation David. Thank you.

  • @adarshmane4320
    @adarshmane4320 ปีที่แล้ว

    I was struggling to understand the concept of counterpoint, but this video just made it so easy to understand. Thank you David🖤✨

  • @IanWaugh
    @IanWaugh 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    Hey David - Love this one. Great fan of counterpoint. There were a few in the 60s and 70s - before your time 😀 - which maybe laid the foundations for this in pop. One I remember is the Chiffons' Sweet Talking Guy. Can't remember the others but they will come...

    • @deetay725
      @deetay725 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I love Sweet Talkin Guy!! My favorite song from all the girl groups!

    • @IanWaugh
      @IanWaugh 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@deetay725 Hey Dee - Yes, an absolute classic. Wish I could think of the others...

  • @angry2andrew
    @angry2andrew 2 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    Great video and lovely ending :). Thank you from Ukraine.

  • @kittenfuud
    @kittenfuud 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Thank you so much. Wonderful you played that! Thanks also as now I know what to look for if I suspect a fugue! Very good explanation. 👍🏻

  • @chmendez
    @chmendez 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    What a fantastic video..thanks a lot David

  • @dianapas6442
    @dianapas6442 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

    Great video,, as usual. Special thank you for your arrangement at the end. As a Ukrainian, I really appreciate the support 💙💛

  • @rosco1pug
    @rosco1pug 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    The 'Scarborough Fair-Canticle' model of counter melody brings to mind David Bowie and Bing Crosby's 'Little Drummer Boy-Peace on Earth' from 1977. The latter has an interesting story to it. Worth looking it up.

  • @sportmemedicalcentertrauma7824
    @sportmemedicalcentertrauma7824 ปีที่แล้ว

    really amazing!!!! thanks David

  • @ernstlieber4340
    @ernstlieber4340 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great explanation of the topic - nice examples as well. I love the bee-tooooos... ;oD

  • @koopalovetoast2409
    @koopalovetoast2409 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    That sweater is bloody gorgeous I love it! You look great in it. Just wanted to point that out.

  • @jyrilukkala7434
    @jyrilukkala7434 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Wow, finally some examples from The Beatles and Radiohead!
    Thank you, I love your content! ❤

  • @fitzy7735
    @fitzy7735 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video! Your video inspired me to buy the book of Bach inventions and sinfonias. I used to play piano growing up and I definitely miss it. Thanks :)

  • @AidanEyewitness
    @AidanEyewitness 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Great insights inspiringly presented. I learned a lot.

  • @andystrazz
    @andystrazz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    the ukrainian anthem was a pleasant surprise. nice to hear nothing but music in that part, as that piece fits the theme of the video and no explanation was needed.