FORBIDDEN Music Theory: 5 Songs That Use PARALLEL 5ths

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The other day I got an angry email in my inbox. And it was not even my fault, I swear!
(In the following I censored the insults with '##')
The person who sent me the email was angry with me because I am a music theory teacher, and music theory "does not work" since it "robs people of their creativity by enslaving them with rules"
I think I can give you an idea of the tone with this short passage:
"Why the #### are #### parallel 5th forbidden? My ##### theory teacher at the conservatory completely ######## me up and now I can't even write a ###### song because I'm to afraid I will break a ##### rule"
Well. This person has all my compassion and understanding.
He's right in being angry. This is not the way one should be taught music theory.
(Music theory malpractice, that's what it is...)
Because - for instance - parallel 5ths are perfectly ok. Songwriters use them all the time...
(and no, power chords are not parallel 5ths)
Yes, I know that books on music theory tell you that parallel 5ths are forbidden... because they sound worse than rusty nails on a blackboard...
But... it's not true.
Have you ever heard a parallel 5th, {subtag:name|part:first|ucfirst}? They actually sound gorgeous.
Let me prove it to you: in this funny video I'll show you 5 famous songs that use parallel 5ths.
If you like this video, share, like, comment & don't forget to subscribe for more content!
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1 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 226

@robertbedard6945 3 года назад

And the whole parallel fifths thing is a lot like being told not to begin sentences with and or but. But it is a rule that is broken all the time, because it sounds natural.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Yes. Or like that rule that you can't end a phrase with a preposition... Like Churchill said: "This is the kind of English up with which I will not put" ;-)

@christopherheckman7957 3 года назад

I see what you did there ... Also, split infinitives. I break that rule all the time; I would hate to not do it sometimes. 8-)

@aylbdrmadison1051 3 года назад

And If J.R.R. Tolkien thought using _and_ at the beginning of a sentence was fine, who am I to argue? But perhaps being a professor of English at Oxford somehow doesn't imply that he understood basic English.

@christopherheckman7957 3 года назад

@@aylbdrmadison1051 Legend has it, he got tired of grading essays and started writing The Hobbit at that moment.

@Snarkapotamus 3 года назад

@@christopherheckman7957 - That and overworking commas were my two biggest faux pas in comp class...

@vladislavbutskikh 3 года назад

That moment of Max Richter and musicians with parallel 5th made my day 😅 This is the video editing we need 👍

@wellurban 3 года назад

I never thought that parallel 5ths were “forbidden”, except in the very specific context of four-part SATB vocal harmony. And even then there was no suggestion that they sounded “bad”, just a bit weak, because the voices start to blend into one rather than sounding like independent voices. For instrumentation and styles with less emphasis on individual voices, such as guitar, where voice leading can still matter but not as much as in a chorale, they were always considered fine. To some extent they become more of a timbral reinforcement than a harmonic structure, which is why they’d be looked down on in certain fields of composition, but in other genres it was never a problem.

@DeflatingAtheism 3 года назад

I've heard that parallel fifths are common, and in fact almost encouraged, in barbershop quartet arrangements.

@owenevilmakings5433 Год назад

@@DeflatingAtheism yeah because in barbershop quartets there is much less rhythmic and harmonic variability as notes are different but move together to create a unified sound which doesn’t harm the individual line(cuz there is none) which was kinda the main point of it in classical music theory and besides this is a relatively new art compared to classical music and has close roots to jazz in sus chords or tritone substitution which is basically the other side of the coin in terms of music compared to classical music

@owenevilmakings5433 Год назад

@@DeflatingAtheism besides Bach put the melody in every voice, especially in chorales and since hes kinda the granddaddy of music church hymns(highest voice) and barbershops or sweet adelines(2nd highest) kinda branched out and the general vocal range of all the people singing allows for this harmonic availability to switch leading voices and where the melody should be if a certain voice (SATP) should fit a certain style or harmony better

@mikeg9b 3 года назад

The way I remember my music theory teacher explain it (c. 1987) is that parallel 5ths make two voices sound less independent in an otherwise polyphonic context. I don't remember him saying that they sound bad.

@gwalla 3 года назад

AIUI "Mozart fifths" refers specifically to parallel fifths when going from the German 6th to the dominant. It's sometimes considered an exception because it's otherwise pretty hard to avoid (not impossible, but you have to add passing notes or a cadential ⁶₄, and sometimes you don't want that either) Music theory is useful for when something doesn't sound right and you want to figure out why so you can fix it...but if it sounds right there's nothing to fix. The ear is always king.

@devinl9464 3 года назад

Okay now I want a full rendition of heaven played by an orchestra!

@antonkovalenko364 3 года назад

Agreed!

@zeenohaquo7970 2 года назад

sounds heavenly indeed.

@christopherheckman7957 3 года назад

(1) Bryan Adams uses parallel fifths? I KNEW they were evil! (2) J. S. Bach had more children than parallel fifths in all of his compositions. (3) "Stop looking at the girl now." [from another TZ video]

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

2) Very true. But that's because J.S. Bach IS the style in which you use the least possible amount of parallel 5ths.

@utahcimbalom 3 года назад

Do not mix up different styles! In each music style there are different traditions. Most of theory books are based on classical/romantic music for which parallel 5th cancel the independence of voices. Of course, when counterpoint is not needed, like in pop music, parallel 5th are used to color one voice.

@saveriodipasquale7065 3 года назад

That's what I needed to hear/read from someone. Thanks!

@FrankFurther 3 года назад

Mix up every style!! Music is freedom of expression, don't start applying rules to it. As long as the piece evokes an emotion in the listener then it is music.

@utahcimbalom 3 года назад

@@FrankFurther You did not get my point. Your argument about parallel 5th has nothing to do with music freedom, which by the way should be distinguished from music chaos. The prohibited parallel 5th you are referring to are important stylistic feature of Western classical music and not respecting this rule will turn this music into something else.

@JoshuaKallenberg 3 года назад

@@utahcimbalom Western classical music of the 15th to early 19th centuries*. I'm being slightly pedantic, but Medieval and modern (Satie/Debussy and later) classical music (and even plenty of romantic classical music) does not follow this rule (in fact, in pre-renaissance European music parallel 5ths was the primary way to harmonize melodies for a long time). And even then, even composers like Bach in a few instances wrote parallel 5ths (though of course incredibly rarely). Though, you're correct that one should probably avoid parallel 5ths if you're trying to emulate the style of music from that period.

@fredk3485 2 года назад

@@FrankFurther Sorry but without rules you would not be able to speak English. Every language has its own rules that one must follow to be understood. Music is no different. Music composed without rules would be shit.

@gmanolicious 3 года назад

Tomasso, you are amazing ! You are the best teacher. Would love lessons with you. I cannot thank you enough! You explain things so well. You get it into my head!!

@turnipsociety706 3 года назад

your editing has become epic!

@alsatusmd1A13 3 года назад

Parallel fifths were never officially “illegitimate”, they just fell out of favor by a gentlemen’s agreement to avoid them made during the transition from Renaissance to Baroque music because those composers who who made it were bored of them. It was only later that they became codified as “illegitimate” in chorale-style harmony and I wouldn’t say the music was missing much for it. A harmonic progression of consecutive perfect fifths is easy to hate because it’s too perfect.

@studiomilo 3 года назад

This is correct I think. The idea is to move away from the medieval and the 'simple' and, because they are an easy effect - the lazy. It begins to clearly delineate 'art music' from the wailings of the troubadour in popular and folk music. To me the Richter piece sounds the worse for it and typical of modern so called classical music that plainly is just 'popular' since 'complicated' and counterpoint is totally out of favor. Oooh what a snob - get me !

@stnhndg 3 года назад

Yep. That's what many people get wrong. There are some rules regarding some specific type of music from specific time period. Obviously, when people try to apply them to another kind of music they fail. But that's not the problem of musical theory, it's the problem of people trying to fuel their Teslas with diesel.

@DeflatingAtheism 3 года назад

Funny, the parallel fifths in the Richter piece give me a very "medieval" feeling.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

"Medieval feeling": it's intended. Richter said that this piece is his homage to early (pre-Baroque) counterpoint.

@richarddoan9172 3 года назад

The Mozart usage is a pretty subtle. The first fifth is between E and B in the context of a A minor chord. The B is a passing 9th (non-chord tone) that is resolving down to an A. I googled Bach and parallel 5ths -- he did this occasionally with non-chord tones, as well. In any case, the "rule" about parallel fifths is a stylistic rule. In a certain style of music, parallel fifths don't sound good -- usually. But if the composer is clever enough, it sounds good, which is really what the rule is all about. Oh -- the Bryan Adams arrangement sounds fantastic!

@ruairicoyle6839 3 года назад

I like the bit about the Bahlalel Feeths!!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Deeed Uuh Naaw?

@kyrohmc4639 2 года назад

1:47 this is so good

@guitarakademiet546 3 года назад

Hi Tommaso. Nice video. I especieally liked the arrangement of the Bryan Adams song. Really well done. But to your point on parallel fifths. In my understanding the "problem" with parallel fifth (at least what I was taught in uni) is not that they sound bad or that you can't use them at all. The reason why they are "forbidden" in some genres or situations is that each individual voice lose their sense of independence. If for example your write a piece of music for a string quartet, you want each voice to sound independent but part of the whole. Because of the consonance of the fifth interval, you lose this effect if you have parallel fifts making four voices sound like three. You can however do this on purpose, but the reason why they flunk people in exams is that these parallel fifths seem to crop in all the time unintentionally. Overall, I do of cause agree that music theory should never be about rules.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

I agree that's the explanation they give - though way too often it is simplified in "just don't use parallel 5ths". That said, did you hear any loss of voice independence in the examples I make?

@dkelley9661 3 года назад

Thanks again, SO MUCH! I Really love your courage (?), irreverence (?), hutzpah (?). I am focusing on all things that are outside of conventional accepted music teaching, simply because it appears to me to be super useful, and you’ve helped me in that tremendously! I’m a convert! Further, your instruction parallels that which I received from a college music professor, who was a house musician in the old NBC house orchestra. He was an outstanding music teacher, as you are. My earnest and humble thanks! These videos are like heroin for me

@faselblaDer3te 3 года назад

Also, you could list any rock/metal guitar riff that has consecutive power chords... it's pure parallel fifths all the way!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Well, power chords are technically not parallel 5ths, as they are not in a harmonic context. They are melody lines doubled at the 5th.

@fernandog5855 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Parallel fifths only apply to harmony? If I double a melody with the octave, for example, it’s not count as a parallel octaves?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

@@fernandog5855 Exactly, it does not count as parallel octaves. Look at any orchestral score of any era, and you will find plenty of octave doublings.

@faselblaDer3te 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Oh I see! I didn't know that.

@antonkovalenko364 3 года назад

@@machinesPawn *Soooo* many unresolved tritones in black metal... 😆😆

@petergreen1869 3 года назад

I thought that parallel fifths were forbidden in Fux's counterpoint text as he was trying to follow the style of the Renaissance masters like Palestrina which he held up as being examples of pure and perfect music. Much has changed since then. Vaughan Williams used perfect fifths all the time in his music. The Lark Ascending is filled with them. Vaughan Williams was a Professor of Music so he knew exactly what he was doing.

@kompletzlost9988 3 года назад

Hey man, can you do a Video about the melodic minor scale?

@gamma7824 3 года назад

...distracted by a PAIR OF... proceeds to explain us how to break music theory as we know it

@JoshuaMRichard 3 года назад

This is awesome! Thanks Tommaso. : )

@coriander3170 3 года назад

Walter Piston - Harmony. Learned the rules for part-writing this way - for what was called Common Practice (used for hymnals). However, that era also used 7th, 9th, 11th chords very differently. It's how they got 'That Sound.' Which for them was a blended one. Our modern Common Practice uses them, and strong chord progressions and 'power chords.' Things also changed when people started using V7 chords at the turn of the 19th century. And Debussy had a lot of nice 9th chords... Parallel 5ths (and Octaves) sound great!

@DeflatingAtheism 3 года назад

Of course, Debussy wouldn't observe the compositional strictures of Bach, since they had drastically different artistic aims. For Bach, independence of voice and clarity of voice leading was tantamount, and for mature Debussy, they were non-issues, if in fact he didn't desire the opposite. In 2020, it's all a matter of taste, but don't go banging on with parallel fifths expecting to sound like Bach. 😀

@whitex4652 3 года назад

Widhnone Ash, Allman Brothers, Queen, Judas Priest, and, and, and. I love it. 😀 Parallel 5th in solo guitar is the best ever!

@MistaHexHash 3 года назад

6:05 e belissimo!! Bravo maestro! 👏 Can I ask what software you're using?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

It's called Staffpad

@mk8 3 года назад

This way to teach with this humor videos is very clever! Very good! In this case, I did not understand the subject, but very interesting. Cheers from Mexico

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Thanks! If you don't know what parallel 5ths are, here's a video with the explanation: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DzeAsD99FBA.html

@mk8 3 года назад

Thanks

@listopadoff 3 года назад

cheers for max, i will subscribe. i first started music theory with heavy metal as a teen and later, much later, read about those funny rules about parallel forbidden (and even hidden in parallel, can u imagine?) whatever, in serious harmony theory books. In most of the examples you present the issue is so dissolved in the mix that an average listener (whatever that means these days) probably is never aware of it. It also might be something that the big brain academics of theory (whoever they are) have been keeping in their bags unter their Augen, not unlike one or two camel humps to carry them forward to eventual parallel musical enlightenment which we, mortals, could never taste as free as we are to play whatever we like...

@ulfcarlstrom6684 3 года назад

As I hear it parallell fifth gives a certain type of sound of hollowness or emptiness which maybe is what the composer wanted. It can be very effective when contrasted against e.g. lyrics of songs about love when it can give a sensation of longing, distance and/or sorrow (e.g. in Wicked Game and Heaven) or against "warmer" parts as in "The Nature of Daylight"

@FernieCanto 3 года назад

"lyrics of songs about love when it can give a sensation of longing, distance and/or sorrow (e.g. in Wicked Game and Heaven)" Isn't that the *OPPOSITE* of what Heaven is about, though?

@kevinmedvedocky165 3 года назад

Some classical trained musicians when they hear a parallel fifth : Wait. That's illegal!!! 😆😅

@Maurriss 3 года назад

The part about the Mozart fifths in German is not completely correct. It is true that a mozart fifth is in fact a parallel fifth movement, but besides that, it is a very specific one i.e. the transition of an augmented sixth chord to the V chord of the scale. Also these transition are not that common in Mozarts work. They are characteristic non the less but it is not like he would use then all the time ;) Besides that, great video 👍🏻

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Thank you. Since I am not a German speaker, I was not sure about that bit. It makes more sense as you say it (i.e. the resolution of the German 6+)

@Maurriss 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar glad I could help;)

@Krieghandt 3 года назад

ooooo, I love 6+ , and to know another resolution makes me happy

@jimmydoe3569 3 года назад

B99 + music theory + tomasso explaining it = best video ever

@LouisSerieusement 3 года назад

2:27, lol, love your little note ! But the big question is why ? Why it was forbidden in the first place ? I know it's a typical rule you find in counterpoint books but most of those rules actually make sens (in the context of a counterpoint), and I can't seems to see the logic behind parallele fifth, especially since parallele motion with other interval is "legal"

@user-sg5wv5jh7e Год назад

it goes right into my playlist which makes me laugh like a seagull. because of the Richter pretending that nothing happened

@cheesecakelasagna 2 года назад

I wish you provided the names of the songs/pieces showcased here, even just in the description. I don't think I heard you say the title of the second song shown.

@chasvox2 3 года назад

Nice presentation - As for me - I go by a couple rules (My paraphrasing): Ellington - "There are two kinds of music. Good and bad. Ray Charles: "How does it sound?" Let the theorists theorize all they want. Parallel 5th to your heart's content. Let your gut tell you..."Here." - or "No. Not here."

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

YES! And yet, I hear so many people being hung up on the parallel 5ths, I had to make this video...

@leonli7394 3 года назад

I‘m really interested to learn some“6th diminished scale”from you，couly you tell us something about this？

@yakzivz1104 3 года назад

who knew that parallel fifths would sound so beautiful!!!!

@atreyfall3812 Год назад

What I see is that parallel 5ths produce a weaker harmony ( less voicings ) and sound more rude. That´s not bad or good, just diferent caracteristics. One of the pros of paralel 5ths is that rudeness and because of that the harmony is weaker, It gives more importance or attention to the main melody. I think that the key is to have complete control of what you do and use things when you think you need to. I think that the rule of avoiding parallel 5ths is ok in some context, and the usage of parallel 5ths without fear is ok to in it´s context. You can even use both perspectives on the same song or even section; For example: You can avoid parallel 5ths for the whole verse because you want to make it smooth and rich. but at the last phrase, a strong and important one that builds up to the chorus, you use parallel 5ths to make enphasis on that phrase. This is basicaly my whole perspective for all the music theory. What it causes and just use what I need.

@arcdanielcasakitcabrera1480 3 года назад

Sir, what software are you using in transcribing pieces? I hope this question of mine would be recognized. I just want to try other softwares aside from Sibelius

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

It's called Staffpad.

@antonaustirol8135 3 года назад

funniest of all your videos! made laugh out loud :-)

@AlbertKimMusic 2 года назад

Is there any examples for String writing?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 2 года назад

Like 3:13 and 6:05? Or do you have in mind something different?

@axeman2638 3 года назад

it's about what is stylistically appropriate not hard and fast rules. if you want to sound like baroque music then you avoid them, but in other styles they might be totally appropriate.

@CaptJackAubreyOfTheRoyalNavy 3 года назад

Whoa, StaffPad looks incredible. Can you use third party sample libraries with it? And automate MIDI CC for dynamic expression?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Yes to both, but not in the way you think. You want to go on their website and ask so they can explain. Third party libraries have special Staffpad versions, and the automating is done from the score rather than raw editing CC data (though you CAN draw the dynamic curve)

@CaptJackAubreyOfTheRoyalNavy 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Thanks. Well I'll be darned, I might just buy a Surface for StaffPad. Getting away from the mouse seems liberating!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

I love it, personally. I can't stand using a mouse while composing. Before Staffpad I was composing on paper.

@andrewvallee5738 3 года назад

This video makes me happy

@andrewtessman9921 3 года назад

I'm not disagreeing, but some further comments from the classical perspective: There are multiple examples of the parallel fifth being broken in old composers (Bach himself), where it's treated in very specific manners. Bach often uses "parallel" fifths in contrary motion (the bass goes down, but the upper voice goes up), or similarly in the following: In the Mozart example (Rondo alla Turca), there the fifth in the soprano could be seen as an appogiatura to the G#. As for "I'm in heaven": Sure, the underlying structure is fifths, but the melody - just barely in syncopated upbeats - actually creates a sort of rising 5-6-5-6 sequence :)

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Agreed on classical treatment of parallel 5ths, my point is that there is no blanket prohibition of parallel 5th. As for "Heaven" you're correct for the first phrase of the chorus (and good observation, I didn't think about it!) but the second phrase is straight parallel 5ths ;-)

@andrewtessman9921 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Well, if I could read the tiny score of your orchestral arrangement :) One of my favorite examples of Bach AVOIDING the parallel perfect fifth is in the 3rd movement of his Harpsichord Concerto in A Major, BWV 1055. During the first "solo" section, the chord progression is AM - EM - F#m. There's a 2-piano edition I have that actually writes out the parallel fifth, but in the actual score Bach indeed avoids the parallel fifth, but instead breaks the rule of not doubling the leading tone (one G# going to A, one G# jumping to C#).

@Markrspooner 3 года назад

Bit staggered that on the nature of daylight has parallel 5ths. Love that piece of music and Max would have know he had 5ths and clearly he wanted them as they sound good.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Yes, Max definitely knew what he was doing, these parallel5ths are no accident. He also mentioned that "On the nature of Daylight" was composed thinking of pre-Baroque counterpoint, and parallel 5ths were used in that style.

@AsdeEspadas.Fernando 3 года назад

Nobody says they sound bad, they are not recommended in old harmony books because the objective was counterpoint and parallel fifths get in the way of independendent melodies, just like repeating thirds or sixths all through the melody...

@lovor01 3 года назад

Did Bach have parallel 5ths? Example please?

@image30p 3 года назад

Excellent advice! Chuck Schuldiner used them almost exclusively.

@zachary963 3 года назад

People with “rules”: THOU SHALT NOT USE PARALLEL FIFTHS!!! Me with an electric guitar: uh huh.

@nedim_guitar 3 года назад

What are parallel 5th's?

@thejontao 3 года назад

I’m thinking of when my composition teacher heard my first exercise, and only a couple bars in he said “I’m hearing parallel fifths.” I think it was frowned upon because it sounds medieval... plus, if, as a composer, you are lazy and/or unskilled (like me), parallel fifths will pop up all over the place. If your goal is to sound like a 19th century German composer, it’s probably a good idea to avoid them... but otherwise, have at ‘em!

@christopherheckman7957 3 года назад

As mentioned above pre-Baroque counterpoint uses them as well.

@matthijshebly 9 месяцев назад

As it is with all "rules" in music: they're only "bad" if they're *unidiomatic*. E.g., if you're trying to write counterpoint that's supposed to sound like J.S. Bach, then using parallel fifths and octaves would "break the spell", as it were. It will sound *out of place*. But in pop & rock music, modern classical, etc, i.e. in every style where they ARE idiomatic, then they're absolutely fine!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 9 месяцев назад

Yes! But somehow, most books/resources on theory fail to make this point clear.

@matthijshebly 9 месяцев назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Indeed! I myself "suffered" from a "fear" of parallel 5ths / 8ths for the longest time! And I will *still* avoid then, but now *purposefully*, i.e. only if and when I am writing / arranging something that NEEDS to sound "Common Practice", "Baroque", etc.

@hcesarcastro 3 года назад

Would it be possible to avoid parallel 5ths when playing two adjacent chords one scale step apart while still trying to keep a voice leading. For me, It does not seem possible to do a I-ii, IV-V or bVII-i in voice leading without using parallel 5ths.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

It is possible, just lead the 3 upper voices in contrary motion respect to the bass. So for C -> Dm the bass goes C -> D, the upper voices go C -> A; E -> D; G -> F. No parallel 5ths.

@hcesarcastro 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Thank you for your quick answer. Does it mean that for it to work one should use a motion larger than one whole step (in this case, C -> A)?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

@@hcesarcastro Yes. There is no problem at all with motion larger than a step.

@goodingreen4736 3 года назад

The Mozart fifths are actually called like that here in Germany

@mlagathomason2555 2 года назад

They are more what you would call guidelines

@philippsobecki8510 3 года назад

6:50 "Mozart-Fifths" arise when a Ger6 is resolved into a V without suspensions. "Even Mozart does it" -> yeah, while avoiding them in about 99,99% cases. I don't understand why people teach or learn "classical theory" while not being into "classical music". It's like teaching gansta rap to a trve metalhead - a little broadens the horizon, while a lot creates frustration because it's disconnected from listening experience and personal taste. These frustrations and disconnections are really obvious in the tone of some discussions. Whoever is feeling it: Do yourself a favor and negotiate a style you like with your teacher. (This is what I do at least, it works fantastic). Or if you really want to get into classical music: Listen more before learning the complementary theory. Oh, and calling Max Richter a "classical" composer... There are parodies about that here in germany ("Rax Michter" by Arno Lücker). Thanks for the examples. Here is one for you: Debussy's Canope.

@peev2 2 года назад

Parallel fifths aren't forbidden in classical music. They are forbidden in counterpoint exercises.

@armandomazariegos8190 3 года назад

If parallel fifths become allowed, harmony teachers will get bored grading 😅 Very funny video ❤️👍🏽

@stefan1024 3 года назад

Doesn't practically every plain chord progression contain parallel 5ths? (sure, there are diminished and augmented chords and voicings and stuff, but still)

@radiozelaza 3 года назад

Thank god I never heard about this silly concept...

@alinagranger6757 2 года назад

SO MUCH rules in music theory.

@doctorxyss 3 года назад

Goooood...🖖👽

@cheesecakelasagna 2 года назад

Enforcing rules on art is just stupid, considering most artists are naturally stubborn and itching to go beyond.

@gooshnpupp 3 года назад

I think the avoidance of parallel 5ths isn't getting a fair shake. It has alot of merit in the context of the aesthetic framework it was practiced and conceived. I guesd it should be taught with that in mind.

@bruceboome 3 года назад

Every generation rejects the previous ones music, at least in part. My theory (unproven) is that after the period of Gregorian Chant, which was usually in parallel 5ths and 4ths, the next generation developed more complex harmony, and rejected the parallel 5ths, which then became an integral part of common practice music- much as DNA contains "junk" from earlier adaptations that no longer have a useful purpose. I think we can thank American music for the rehabilitation of the awesome parallel 5tys,

@DeflatingAtheism 3 года назад

Yes, early music began with planed harmony (first inversion chords in Medieval Organum,) then independence of voice was prioritized, then composers went back to planing harmonies in the impressionist era. People neglect to mention that in contrapunctal harmony, not only are parallel fifths and octaves forbidden, but there are additional restrictions on parallel fourths (can't be used between the bass and upper voice) and even thirds and sixths (can't use more than three parallel thirds or parallel sixths in a row!)

@marcadabollo 3 года назад

Ciao Tommaso, ma un canale in lingua italiana? Secondo me sfonderesti anche qui!

@HotRot89 3 года назад

Let's take a moment of silence for all ignorant souls who still believe parallel 5ths are forbidden.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Well, it's not their fault if they have been taught the wrong way. But we can take a moment of silence in compassion for them.

@bogdanmusic5726 3 года назад

interesting

@EclecticEssentric 3 года назад

You stumped me... What exactly is a parallel fifth? In one example, you had A and E. I get that E is A's fifth, but what makes it parallel? I love your videos and usually fully or mostly understand...but what? Huh? And ¿que?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

I have a short explanation here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DzeAsD99FBA.html but feel free to comment again here if it's not clear.

@EclecticEssentric 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar That cleared it up nicely. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

@carlsong6438 3 года назад

2:53 😂😂😂

@ErixSamson 3 года назад

I see you are using StaffPad. How do you like the tool?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

I love it. For composition, it feels much more natural to me than any other software I used. YMMV of course.

@ErixSamson 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar may I ask you on which device you use it?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

@@ErixSamson Surface 6 (4Gb RAM) + a Renaisser stylus that I greatly prefer to the Microsoft one. Usually I am a Mac user, but the Surface is a great machine and I prefer it to the iPad.

@ErixSamson 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar I'm a Microsoft employee and wanted to be sure you had the right setup for StaffPad 😎

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

@@ErixSamson HAHAHA. I had a Microsoft engineer/sales rep as in-person student too, he sold me on the Surface :) I'm on my second one now. (The old Surface 2 still works great, just a bit too slow for Staffpad +. libraries).

@rolfisdreamworld489 3 года назад

I didn't understand anything, but it's interesting 😅👍

@GreggOliverBass 3 года назад

well.... classical theory incorporates Fuch's book on species counterpoint. That is one of the very few instances of someone "prescribing" something in music theory. Fuch's opinions are all expressed in his counterpoint rules and people haven't paid attention to them for so long (except for students studying classical composition and people that look to music theory for rules) . I learned them, passed the tests, and set them aside. Music theory is for analysis, not "rules to follow for composing" and classical theory applied to non-classical music is folly. I only think in terms of jazz theory anymore just because of these things.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

My opinion on this is here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DZwmxnSUQFo.html

@mikedalton4440 3 года назад

Great. I like the humor. Very funny.

@mooseyard 3 года назад

I’d never heard f parallel fifths before, so I went to Wikipedia to read about them. According to that article, this was one of those “Common Practice” rules that only ever applied to Serious Music and was already widely ignored in the early 20th century. Are people still teaching it?!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

1. Yup 2. Never go to Wikipedia for info on music theory. There are straight up errors in there.

@mooseyard 3 года назад

Yeah, I eventually gave up on trying to learn the Obtuse Suspended Eighth chord I read about in the Wikipedia article on King Crimson. Now I guess I’ll never learn to play “Fracture”.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

@@mooseyard HEHEHE :)

@bluesriot2 3 года назад

Italia baby

@outkast512 3 года назад

Umm what's a parallel fifth? Can someone please explain?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

If you don't know what parallel 5ths are, here's a video with the explanation: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DzeAsD99FBA.html

@outkast512 3 года назад

Thank you! :)

@Stemma3 3 года назад

Alice In Chains discography is 4th and 5th

@danielsont5247 2 года назад

If a powerchord is a fifth, then that makes all metal forbidden.

@EddieMetal68 3 года назад

As a hard rock and metal listener, power cords are so present and sound so beautiful, why don't use parallel 5ths? If someone say that using only tritone would be annoying, maybe I would agree... Maybe!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Well, power chords are technically not parallel 5ths, as they are not in a harmonic context. They are melody lines doubled at the 5th.

@EddieMetal68 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar the Iron Maiden's song, "Aces High" , plays the vocal melody using power chords. Can this be treated as parallel 5ths?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Not if the WHOLE melody is doubled in 5th. In that case it's simply a melody doubled in 5ths. If the harmony changes and it includes other intervals, THEN we can talk about 'parallel 5ths'. NOTE: I did not made this definition, I am just explaining it ;-)

@EddieMetal68 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar I think I got it... Something like a counterpoint when the bass note and the high note match a 5th interval? If not, it's the first time I don't understand a subject from you. Regards from Brazil.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Let's start from what parallel 5ths are. When you have time, can you watch this video? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DzeAsD99FBA.html If it's not clear, I'll explain.

@mueslimuncher1950 3 года назад

I hate to admit it, but as someone who has always played by ear, I still have no idea what a 'parallel fifth' is. Could someone please define it for me?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DzeAsD99FBA.html

@mueslimuncher1950 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Thanks, but I already watched it. It doesn't answer my question. The examples may (or may not) have parallel fifths, but I still don't know what they are or how to recognise them.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

The first 3 minutes of the video I linked explain what a parallel 5th is.

@alleghenymusicacademy 3 года назад

The rule against parallel fifths only applies to counterpoint.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

It applies also to counterpoint, but it's routinely explained in the context of 4 part harmony too.

@joelstephenson8017 3 года назад

4:31 loool

@riccardodiecidue1984 3 года назад

As some have already pointed out, it depends on the context. Parallel fifths and octaves (and also direct fifths and octaves) are 'forbidden' in polyphonic and contrapunctual music for the sake of the independence of the voices, so they sound 'bad' in the sense that you lose the feeling of separate voices/lines/melodies; not because they sound bad in an utter sense. Rock and pop music (and all the genres that derives) obviously have other stylistic features which can go against classical harmony, but aren't 'bad' for this reason; just different. Moreover, in contemporary classical music you can find examples of violations of the 'rules' (or completely other sets of 'rules') when composers want to achieve a certain sonority which may imply the use of parallel fifths or other 'forbidden' devices (and also in classical harmony there are some cases where you can't avoid parallel fifths or they don't affect the polyphonic 'flavor' of the music). There is a lot more that could be said on the topic, but I hope this can clarify the general ideas.

@quentinmorales 3 года назад

I think that when you have a parrellel fifth your ear merge the two voices together sounding like one then when you separate them it creates something audible that is not really pleasing to classical trained ears

@DeflatingAtheism 3 года назад

There are examples of Bach using parallel octaves... _in a fugue!_

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

I'm curious. Can you tell me in what fugue it happens?

@teembo 3 года назад

this could has used an actual explanation of what parallel 5th are.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

That's here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DzeAsD99FBA.html

@trevormadsen 2 года назад

The misunderstanding is in concept of the the word "bad". What you consider about "bad" can be different than what I do (for ex.). "Parallel 5th sounds bad", doesn't mean "sounds distorted" or "sounds dissonant". It means exactly the negative atmosphere what Max Richter wanted to create on purpose (for ex.). You can rewrite the same score, but non-parallel, and then play it by strings, you will find out the difference. And the example which you showed us on Turkish March of Mozart, is not parallel! are you kidding us?!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 2 года назад

I never said it meant "distorted" or "dissonant". If anything, parallel 5ths are considered too consonant. Most definitely, though, parallel 5ths do not create a "negative atmosphere" per se (unless you think that "I want it that way" or "heaven" have a negative atmosphere to them...)

@trevormadsen 2 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar As I told you before, you better write and record the same score non-parallel, and then listen and compare it to yours on video. You will comprehend what I say by listening, you don`t have to answer me!

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 2 года назад

@@trevormadsen I did (before you told me, for precisely the same reason). I listened to it. It does not sound the way you say it does. And to be frank, even if it did, this is ONE situation and it's not enough to draw a general rule. If this happened in several cases, you would have a good case - but it does not happen even for this one. By all means, if you think your case has merit make a video about it - I'd be curious if you have more insights on what you hear.

@neoaureus 3 года назад

Parallel fifth ? C’mon.....the bass line has to have a common note for POP....by the have you heard of CHORDS ? They underlie the melody.....and Please Please do a video on chord changes by Bach.

@antonkovalenko364 3 года назад

The entirety of the metal genre agrees. 😉

@nenntmichbond 3 года назад

Can you provide some examples?

@antonkovalenko364 3 года назад

@@nenntmichbond Any song with consecutive power chords is an example of this. You could grab any album off of the racks of the metal section in a record store and have over a 99% chance of finding parallel fifths.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Well, power chords are technically not parallel 5ths, as they are not in a harmonic context. They are melody lines doubled at the 5th.

@antonkovalenko364 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Fair enough. I haven't dived nearly as far down the theory rabbithole as you have, so I'll defer to the expert. I very much agree with you're overarching point in the video, though. In the end nothing should really be off the table musically, as long as it fits the vision of what you are trying to achieve. As I was told as a young man by Karl Sanders outside of a venue, "Make the kind of music that you would want to listen to."

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

@@antonkovalenko364 Definitely. Theory is not meant to restrict possibilities, but to give you ideas and make your work easier. It's a tool for the artist.

@ThrashRebel 3 года назад

I know of a lot of songs that use parallel 5ths. If it sounds pleasant in its application who cares? Snobs, are who.

@ulfsvensson9710 3 года назад

If it sound good, it IS good.

@christopherheckman7957 3 года назад

Music Theory is an empirical theory; it attempts to explain why certain music sounds good. Since it *is* a theory, it is necessarily incomplete.

@Jorge-li2fy 3 года назад

So is it for pop? Yuughh

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

3:05 ...

@stephendawg1 3 года назад

Smoke on the water. 🙂

@aaronkandlik 3 года назад

Actually the worst kind of parallel 5th... ...is one that involves a boy-band.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Especially if there are 5 people in it ;-)

@rc3754 3 года назад

Classical music theory and Pop / Contemporary music ‘theory’ are two different things. Move along now.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

And I made the Mozart example for nothing then. Also: that's my point :-)

@taubenangriff 3 года назад

Parallel fifths and octaves being forbidden is the most outdated lie they tell you at music school.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Agreed. And yet it still persists!

@taubenangriff 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar Just as the really dissonant perfect fourth - btw is there a vid on that?

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

I do have a video on something similar in a jazz context, you may find it interesting: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mewoRERBZEQ.html

@rockychieng88 3 года назад

parallel fifths every rock song XD

@baschdiro8565 3 года назад

Literally all of rock and metal is parallel fifths because of power chords.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Well, power chords are technically not parallel 5ths, as they are not in a harmonic context. They are melody lines doubled at the 5th.

@brendandowse 3 года назад

Parallel 5ths are fine if you are not a pre-20th century Western composer.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Or Mozart

@stnhndg 3 года назад

"Parallel fifth are bad" Metalheads: what did you say about powerchords?! too be fair parallel fifths are avoided in a very specific topic related with a very specific time period of time: voice leading in middle and late polyphony (counterpoint). So saying that parallel fifths are forbidden is like saying that you can't subtract a larger number from lesser one. Which works if you are in the 1st grade and you didn't learn about negative numbers yet. In general in the world of academic music ("classical" music) there were always more experimentations (and rule breakings) than in jazz or metal. Like, 'nah, I don''t want to use traditional harmony', 'meh, I don't wan't to use functional harmony', 'I don't even want to use notes for creating music' or even 'I don't want to use sound to create music'.

@MusicTheoryForGuitar 3 года назад

Indeed, power chords are technically not parallel 5ths in the classical sense, as they are not in a harmonic context. They are better understood as melody lines doubled at the 5th.

@stnhndg 3 года назад

@@MusicTheoryForGuitar I depends. If you take some example, like Nirvana's 'Smells like teen spirit' it's a simple homophonic piece with harmonic progression (I-IV-III-VI) played with powerchords, while melody is kept by voice. Though, I agree. Analyzing modern music using classical approach is a bit... stretchy sometimes.