Analysing Nirvana: What makes Kurt Cobain's songs so special?
Nirvana - Lithium: A detailed look at what makes this song work so well. 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - 1. Structure 02:07 - Why a third verse? Dynamic balance 03:04 - 2. Instrumentation 03:08 - Loud/quiet dynamic contrast 03:49 - Intro instrumentation 03:57 - Verse 1 instrumentation 04:53 - Chorus instrumentation 06:20 - Double tracking 07:06 - Verse to chorus transition 07:45 - Flam (drum rudiment) 08:07 - Verse 2 instrumentation 08:32 - Bridge instrumentation 09:12 - Intro 2 instrumentation 09:33 - Verse 3 instrumentation 09:44 - Comparing the 3 verses 10:39 - 3. Chords 11:05 - The 2 borrowed chords 11:29 - Explanation of flats in minor key notation (how to create a minor scale from a major scale) 12:33 - Bridge chords (a key change) 13:37 - 4. Melody 13:52 - How using borrowed chords increases melodic possibilities 14:34 - How many notes in the average song melody? 14:48 - Modal mixture (hybrid key) 15:07 - Verse melody analysis 16:36 - Repeated motifs in melodies 17:23 - Chorus melody analysis 19:44 - Offbeat rhythms in Cobain's melodies 21:49 - What would Cobain's melodies sound like without borrowed chords and offbeat rhythms? 23:14 - 5. Lyrics 23:36 - The meaning of the song's title 25:03 - Religious references in lyrics 25:41 - Different emotional states in verse lyrics 25:57 - An example of vague lyrics and multiple interpretations of their meaning 26:25 - Surprising twists in lyrical lines 27:04 - The appeal of Kurt Cobain (aside from the music) 29:00 - Song structure and start times of sections 29:13 - Song Challenge! Video chapters: 1. Song structure (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, etc) 2. Instrumentation (how different combinations of instruments are used and why) 3. Chords 4. Melody 5. Lyrics Target audience: 1. This video is designed so that people with little musical background who just love the song ('Lithium') can gain a deeper appreciation for how their favourite songs work. Unfamiliar musical concepts are broken down and explained using audio and visual examples. 2. This video will be particularly useful for musicians and songwriters who want to improve their songwriting skills by understanding how to manipulate a variety of musical elements to make a song great. Some of the musical concepts covered in this video include: -parallel keys -borrowed chords / modal mixture -loud/quiet dynamic -flam (drum rudiment) -double tracking Lithium – Nirvana • Nirvana - Lithium (Official Music Video) Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana • Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Of... In Bloom – Nirvana • Nirvana - In Bloom (Official Music Vi... Gigantic – The Pixies • Gigantic Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers • Tom Petty - Free Fallin' My Sweet Lord – George Harrison • George Harrison - My Sweet Lord
