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Rules are made to be followed.
Well, are they really?
One of the things I particularly enjoy when I listen a song is when I hear a chord that in the normal flow of chords just…should not be there, but the very fact it is gives a total new meaning to the song and a totally new sonority to that particular musical phrase.
Rules are made to be followed, there is a reason for which we use G, C, D in G major, right? They sound well together and they follow the rules we learn about as we learn to play the guitar.
But of course, there are people who follow rules and people who break and even make rules. Sometimes you hear a Cm chord in a G major song, and man how beautiful it sounds… That guy broke the rule and it didn’t bother you. Just that, as with everything in life, in order to beak the rules, you need to know them well. Not everybody can break or make a rule, only those that master rules can break them.
Think also about chromatic improvisations. It is not something easy to do, isn’t it? That’s exactly because chromatic improvisation kind of break the rules of scales that we, guitar players are so attached of. It is not easy to start in G major and find room for notes such as F or C# in your musical phrase. That is exactly because you need to know how and when to break the rules in order to make thing work…
I was listening Fuoco nel fuoco, of Eros Ramazzotti, a beautiful Italian song in F#m. Listen the chorus and spot that beautiful Dm in there. And listen to the bass line in the chorus…great find, in my opinion…
Or if it is close to you, Extreme with More than words. Or Radiohead, Creep.
Here’s the song, enjoy and comment!
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7 Responses to “Are rules made to be followed?”
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Ovidiu OprescuRomania, 33 years
Playing the guitar since 17 and enjoying every moment of it!
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Vicus
February 10th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Let’s not forget “Shine on you crazy diamond” by Pink Floyd. David Gilmour managed to put a F# major right after the root chord, G minor. And it sounds extremely natural
Danny Lehrman
February 11th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
No way if you want to break out of the box and be the next Jimi Hendrix. He did not even know there were music rules! Realistically I think most of us need some rules to start with.
Ovidiu
February 11th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Well, Danny, you are right, just that you need to know the rules in order to be able to break them, otherwise it would just sound flat
J
February 11th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Rules are self-imposed and serve to develop/inspire/require new ways of thinking/acting/doing. Like going on a diet is not necessary, but it would help me play an Ovation without the darned thing slipping all over my lap.
Chord substitutions/secondary dominants are just spicy decorations. I’m not saying they’re not cool, but they can’t overpower the framework of the piece. You’ll still need your I, IV, and V chords.
Stratoblogster
February 12th, 2009 at 8:40 am
It is about flow as you say. The vocal line flows along and establishes harmony against & with the chords and thus weaves the chord progression together. That’s a non theory explanation, but it has to do with maintaining enough harmony thru the flow to keep it resolved overall so that it makes sense. Grammar and spelling can be tricky too– and exceptions exist in those areas. Ultimately it comes down to how well the communication is delivered. Flow with a spirit of play can supersede & transcend “rules” & barriers. Those rules were assembled to help explain and organize the art, but the art is senior.
sarge1875
February 12th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
There are no rules, and if there are…break ‘em. Play how you feel and then change your feeling.
Stratoblogster
February 12th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Sarge said what I was basically trying to say…