help with some theory - Too High

[Jay]

AHA!

i thought so.

question fatjack: does D Dorian start on a D or an E? and what key sig. does it have? nothing, 2 sharps? what i mean is: is D Dorian in the Key of C, but with the root of D, or is it in the key of .....erm...D, with a root of E?

[fatjack]

AHA!

i thought so.

question fatjack: does D Dorian start on a D or an E? and what key sig. does it have? nothing, 2 sharps? what i mean is: is D Dorian in the Key of C, but with the root of D, or is it in the key of .....erm...D, with a root of E?

dorian is the 2nd mode, so to find what key D dorian is in, you find what key D is the second note of. and that key is C, so its signature has no sharps or flats

[gravedigger]

i think its safe to say that it doesn't stay diatonic to any key at all considering it has every single note in it besides Db. aint no scales with eleven notes

if you broke up by parts you could stick each part in a few different keys

yeah, you're definately right, you could stick parts in different keys like you can with a shit load of Dave's songs. BUT, all theory aside the song hangs on that Gm chord. take the verse for example, it starts G octave (which can be a G or Gm) then it goes to Bb6 interval (calling it that cause its only 2 notes. (Bb is the relative major chord of Gm) then it goes to Ab (which Jay pointed out doesn't fit in Gm because A is the 2nd scale degree. well good point but the Ab SOUNDS more dark for the song. that's it., the song can still be in Gm. one note doesn't change that. ok then it goes to the chorus - kindofa key change to Am-C-F5-D-Em. this starts out sounding like its in Am or C but then you get that cool switch up the the D chord which sets up another key change with the big Em, then on "the slow hand quickens" he gives us the C5, D4, to set up to the G octave again which coming off the Em sounds like the song is now in Gmajor. ANYHOW, I hope you guys are still reading by this point. so then it goes back to the verse which to me sounds Gm/Bb ish. okay so that cool bridge part starting at G octave - F9 interval, C5, Am7 interval, G octave. This section is definately in Bb (or Gm) And on the Breakdown part at the end, You can hear the minor fall from Bb-A-G which leads me to believe the song is in Gm. But the song definately touches other keys in the song.

Gcom? Ticohans? anyone else who'd like to give a second opinion?

[fatjack]

i think its safe to say that it doesn't stay diatonic to any key at all considering it has every single note in it besides Db. aint no scales with eleven notes

if you broke up by parts you could stick each part in a few different keys

yeah, you're definately right, you could stick parts in different keys like you can with a shit load of Dave's songs. BUT, all theory aside the song hangs on that Gm chord. take the verse for example, it starts G octave (which can be a G or Gm) then it goes to Bb6 interval (calling it that cause its only 2 notes. (Bb is the relative major chord of Gm) then it goes to Ab (which Jay pointed out doesn't fit in Gm because A is the 2nd scale degree. well good point but the Ab SOUNDS more dark for the song. that's it., the song can still be in Gm. one note doesn't change that. ok then it goes to the chorus - kindofa key change to Am-C-F5-D-Em. this starts out sounding like its in Am or C but then you get that cool switch up the the D chord which sets up another key change with the big Em, then on "the slow hand quickens" he gives us the C5, D4, to set up to the G octave again which coming off the Em sounds like the song is now in Gmajor. ANYHOW, I hope you guys are still reading by this point. so then it goes back to the verse which to me sounds Gm/Bb ish. okay so that cool bridge part starting at G octave - F9 interval, C5, Am7 interval, G octave. This section is definately in Bb (or Gm) And on the Breakdown part at the end, You can hear the minor fall from Bb-A-G which leads me to believe the song is in Gm. But the song definately touches other keys in the song.

Gcom? Ticohans? anyone else who'd like to give a second opinion?

you can say it generally stay in Gm, the music for the song would probably have a Bb key signature, but it would most definitely change, because like i sai, it has all but one of the twelve chromatic tones, so that would be an assload of accidentals!

[Jay]

cool, ok. so G Phrygian like you mentioned is in the key of Eb right?

[gravedigger]

you can say it generally stay in Gm, the music for the song would probably have a Bb key signature, but it would most definitely change, because like i sai, it has all but one of the twelve chromatic tones, so that would be an assload of accidentals!

hah, yeah no kiddin'. but its a hell of a cool song.

[fatjack]

cool, ok. so G Phrygian like you mentioned is in the key of Eb right?

right, but like i said before, it has a rather flimsy key center

[gravedigger]

yeah but it doesn't sound like it's that flimsy, cause of that G note that he rings through most of the song. I think it's a pretty tight song for Dave. I wonder if he wrote it in the studio or like, at home or whatever before Some Devil or a little of both. I always wonder how the songs come to be. I heard that The Stone was written and recorded all in the studio for Before these crowded Streets. on Some Devil, I dig Too High, Stay or Leave and Gravedigger. The other ones are good but all in all arn't great. anyway, that's my 2 cents.