has anyone done a deep dive into the music theory behind Becker‘s compositions? (From what I understand, at the risk of oversimplifying, he and Fagen understood music theory quite well, but didn’t necessarily think about it in the songwriting process). So much of Becker’s stuff has a unique and distinct harmonic language. There are relationships between chords that I don’t hear anywhere else, save a handful of Steely Dan songs. As a keyboard player, I find most SD/Fagen songs have some linear chord logic I can intuitively follow (if not fully
comprehend). Becker’s stuff is a different animal. Maybe it’s just a guitar vs. piano thing, but at any rate, I’d be interested in some analysis of, say, Surf And/Or Die, if such a thing exists.
Very interesting that you bring that up, OTC: there's more than a little synchronicity going on between you and residents 'round this way. Time schedules have gotten in the way for us. But we would love a post on this, and have been itching for deep dives in most any waters. And now that we see there would be at least one other conversant, it's time to pick up the start on this, and get cracking!
(at the superficial level, I was thinking the other day about the simple issue of resolutions. If somebody wanted to sound incrementally more like Becker, they would write the usual resolution at the end of a line, say…and then do something else instead. Don’t resolve that phrase with the harmonically obvious default. Same in the middle of a melody line, something as simple as flatting a note at the point for a standard transition, say, is a Becker thing to do. These are cheap tricks —they're not part of some alternative scheme, just an attraction to violating expectations in small ways here and there, putting the listener in a somewhat unbalanced posture...and certainly paying attention.)
Can't remember which interview it was offhand, but DF and/or WB referenced the George Russel book entitled the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization. Maybe that would provide some hints? I've tried to track it down at various local libraries without any luck. I plan to just buy it if/when I ever get through some of the other music theory books that are around here collecting dust...
Hey Steven -- a little slow on the draw here--but for what it's worth I looked through the small stack of music/scale/theory books in WB's home studio in Maui but didn't find that one in particular. Doesn't mean it isn't in one of any number of other bookcases...in NYC perhaps.
[EDIT: and yet upon further reflection, I think one can certainly say of Walter that most of his composition, whether chords in songs or single note solos, certainly don't seem to follow any common harmonic or even melodic theory or set of "principles" at all -- which is of course precisely the observation OnTheCorner started this thread with.]
Ah, the Chromatic Life! Not directly on point to the larger theory perhaps (I'm too uneducatied to know), but the land of Chroma is where my honey lived inside and out. In fact if it weren't for the half-dozen other tells that will help ID a Becker solo, there'll almost inevitably be a run in there somewhere that he couldn’t resist. The most recent reminder of that for me was the solo in Fra Lippo Lippi's Angel, (or was that Milli? Or Vanilli?) recently dscussed in the '80s Output thread
guitarists will have to stretch to play some of these voicings- I use a 24" scale Fender Jaguar to make it easier. may the transcription light your way to insight, like the tubes from a thousand boutique amps. I think of it as "note clustered modality" launched from a base that is a maj7 without the 3rd. God bless the ears and hands of Danny Begelman. google him! cheers and harmony to all.
Fantastic!--Thanks jake6120 and Mr. Begelman! I don't play guitar so it will be interesting to hear from more of you that do. Jake, does it sound like Adam Rogers is playing these voicing on the recorded version?
Steven- that IS the chord! I did try that- it's the intuitive alternative but on my guitars, it doesn't get there- though my 6120 came close if I grazed the Bigsby to goose the cluster. That high on the neck for me, the next three strings just don't cross over to the place Adam got; that fingering doesn't ring and resonate like the transcription. Sorry, D-mod, I didn't respond directly to your question and it is a very good one. I think it IS what Adam Rogers is playing, Dan Begelman is that good. I could ask him but I'd rather ask Adam :) Can we do that? Steven- perhaps string gauges/guitars matter. If you can get that otherworldly sound with the easier stretch, please tell me how you are getting it! Aside from that, I am compelled to pile on the "holy fuck" (vis a vis Donald, according to the bootleg, hearing the raw spontaneous solo to Your Gold Teeth II) for Adam. Holy Fuck. I submit that what he plays (for me, it's still in the present tense) in the song's finale is a musical metaphor for a hang glider guy gracefully "surfing the wind" on the descent that certainly doesn't feel like it's about to go very very wrong. Walter is already mourning his friend as it goes down, down, down- though, his friend doesn't know it yet. Why should he? He's in the zone. Then, listen carefully to the synth just after the monks become more conspicuous; it's a washover cascade going very suddenly (vs the mesmerizing feeling of gliding above in the airy realm) ...down.
You could miss it. Listen! It's there.
Not accidental!
Metaphor music. I rest my case.
wait!
The fact that the recorded monks were in already G perhaps was serendipity- but, let's hope that by now, dear Walter knows if this was serendipity or a profound nod from the cosmic wow.
My soul wants to believe it was the latter.
Let's not slight Fima and Ben. Holy Fuck! This sublimely minimalist recording (with heavy processing sauce) is a synchronicity of the right musicians converging at the right place and time for a soul soaring/wrenching experience... for dear Walter. Sorry. I got a little misty.
Here's propers to Fima and Ben.
Holy Fuck.
The sound of the guitar is heavily processed... maybe both pre and post recording. I hear a lot of compression and EQ in addition to some delay and other modulation effects (chorus?). The compressor should help the chords ring more evenly, even across string sets.
Either way, there are several things you could try to help get there in addition to the effects. For example, your pick (or fingers) and how hard you pluck/pick the strings... and where you're playing. To my ears it sounds like the chords are being played quite aggressively and that signal is being smashed with a compressor (probably during mixing too). If you play really close to the bridge vs. really close to the neck you'll get wildly different sounds. The latter bit is a bit tricky on my Stratocaster because of the floating tremolo. However, I suspect something with a hardtail might make playing extremely close to the bridge more comfortable.
If I had to guess, I would think it's a guitar with single coil pickups... like a Fender in an in-between pickup position. Really sounds like something with a vibrato system though. Probably some sort of Stratocaster? Jaguar or something with a shorter scale does seem like it'd be much less uncomfortable though!
I'm starting to think the recording also uses those voicings off the D string for both of those stretches... something about the way it hits the compressor and the slightly darker (or less-bright?) tone.
There's always the possibility of different tunings being used... or maybe the player had unusually large and/or flexible hands.
Wow Jake -- great Fever Dreaming!
Yeah everybody involved in the recording always marveled at how the monks "just happened" to be chanting in the 'right key'. But I sorta like your hunch better...
Don't quote me personally on this but Adam is active on Facebook and seems to interact with gig-goers and audience members and as far as I know has always been happy to talk to people about his work with Walter. I'd get in touch with questions, props, whatever you got. I'm sure he'd be gratified to know people are considering how he (and his Tribe mates) pulled off such a gawd-awful beautiful and moving bit of music making....he'd probably be flattered and interested in the whole discussion. I mean...wouldn't it be nice to know aficionados are so carefully and appreciatively considering how they did what they did, some 25 years later?-)
{EDIT: Adam Fima and Ben are well aware of walterbeckermedia.com and have been proud of and pointed to some of our posts, such as "Were You Close" . He/they'd know where you were coming from, so to speak.]