Why are SO MANY Funk songs in E minor? - AN INVESTIGATION

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► STREAM THE SPOTIFY LISTENING GUIDE: open.spotify.com/playlist/45v...
And yeah... Hollywood Swinin' is in E Major 🤦‍♂️
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SOURCES
The inciting article: pagesix.com/2018/02/12/did-mi...
The Quincy Interview:
www.vulture.com/2018/02/quinc...
TOPICS COVERED
MIchael Jackson
Off The Wall
Workin Day and Night
Rick James
Mary Jane
Mashup
Remix
Billie Jean
Thriller
Bill Withers
Use Me
Bass Guitar
Double Bass
E minor
Funk Music
Soul
Music History
Classical Music
Beethoven
Domenico Dragonetti
Fender
Jazz
Monk Montgomery
Quincy Jones

Опубликовано:

9 мар 2023

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Комментарии : 736

@diggingthegreats Год назад

@thornyback Год назад

Everyone calls him Superfreak... along with his tagline "Cocaine's a hell of a drug"

@DuragsTuRiches Год назад

Your videos are maad dope keep up the great work

@EricBishard Год назад

I mean I get, this information he puts out is just too high quality, to get 1 mil subs you need to make cheesy content. Let's just be happy knowing we know a secret

@MetaphysicalMusician Год назад

Emin -A7 = E Dorian

@MetaphysicalMusician Год назад

And every one Steals from Everyone we are musicians that's what we do 🤣Paganini Stole from Bach

@anthonyspare Год назад

With the bass being the backbone for most of the songs, I believe it is due to the open E string being easiest to slap.

@RightStickRob Год назад

100%

@joetheegohunter Год назад

yea its lowest.. also to levarage hammer ons and pull offs

@KyleKalevra Год назад

And the same bassist playing on almost every Motown song from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s.

@mississippijohnfahey7175 Год назад

It's also super comfortable to play in E minor on keyboards which are pretty much as ubiquitous as bass guitar in funk

@alfberger3150 Год назад

And the deepest note on a 4 string with standard tuning, in a lot of metal and electronic music there's a lot of focus on making songs in the keys with the deepest bass

@ICanWriteLeftHanded Год назад

That workin day and night/mary jane mix is butter

@ICanWriteLeftHanded Год назад

the BIll Withers one is heat too!

@diggingthegreats Год назад

🙏🙏

@stereo-soulsoundsystem5070 Год назад

Its work.Workin.WORKIN fam good work

@Miguelrockwell Год назад

Yeah I’m doing the Bill Withers one with Serato Stems for sure tonight at my DJ gig. That ish was funky.

@thebasedgodmax1163 Год назад

dude the fact you don't have a million subs yet is insane. your videos are so professional, fun and informative yet it never feels pretentious or snobby, just pure music facts. and the mashups!

@diggingthegreats Год назад

🙏🙏

@danielasbjrnsson7500 Год назад

I second this!

@jakw Год назад

Third!

@goldendragon7853 Год назад

@@diggingthegreats yea man my favorite channel for learning about the different colors of music. Really beautiful stuff man!!

@MrKez666 Год назад

fourthed. it's definitely picking up steam!

@hongkongcantonese501 Год назад

You are the music teacher we all wanted in high school.

@ScorpioIsland Год назад

How tf you putting out so much well produced genius content? I swear you're some kind of plant with a huge team behind you or something 😅

@diggingthegreats Год назад

I wish! It would make my life a whole lot easier haha

@nobodynothing6551 Год назад

Nah he's just a bamf

@kristenmlondon Год назад

I swear I thought this was something one of the majors was putting out. It's TOO GOOD.

@t.c.o.g.773 Год назад

DR. SIRI😆

@keisi1574 Год назад

@@diggingthegreats Which one of your team wrote that response?!? Ha

@tanishadee3883 Год назад

That Mary Jane/Use Me mash up was 🔥 AF!!!

@fayettenampeach Год назад

Yea that was smooth!!

@ace15Nura Год назад

The only song that inspired Billie Jean was I Can't Go for That by Hall & Oates according to Michael himself. He listen the song endlessly and found a way to make a new groove out of it. He even told that to Daryl Hall during the we are the world recording.

@rofea Год назад

That’s what I thought

@marlonkemp5627 Год назад

Carreberian Queen Billy Ocean Not To Be Confused With Billie Jean Michael Jackson!

@elnorey Год назад

Michael never said it himself. Daryl could’ve made it up

@hipowa909 Год назад

It was actually a song by donna summer called state of the union or something like that.

@stuatagovailoa7536 Год назад

@@elnorey have you listened to ‘I can’t go for that’ ? Because it has a very similar sound to Billie Jean

@danieledgell7465 Год назад

I’ve been on RU-vid for like, twenty years. This is theFIRST channel that’s held my interest, challenged my music history education (in a good way - nobody EVER told me about Beethoven and the classical bass evolution), AND got me all geeked about the sponsor! Incredible.

@DorkusDomingus Год назад

I love you using your bass playing as a framing device within these comparisons. It really does a great job of driving your ideas home about the chord progressions being used, all the while adding more of yourself into the content, thus giving yourself a stronger identity as you dissect the songs in an efficient manner.

@keithroberts4952 Год назад

The bass line on the song "thriller" is inspired by Rick james' "give it to me baby".

@Silly81 Год назад

True, I hear that also, and (plot twist) Rick accused Quincy Jones of stealing the bass line for Thriller.

@keithroberts4952 Год назад

@@Silly81 let's just say Rick was not in a good mood during those days. He ranted about Prince to anyone who would listen, complained about not being played on MTV (he had a point actually) complained some more about Prince and so on and so forth.

@briangmurray6367 Год назад

You make making music sound so simple, yet its so HARD. Thank you for allowing us mortals to understand the complexity of music.

@OdaKa Год назад

@@darrellmfume4020 it's both..

@OdaKa Год назад

Just make bad music. That's pretty easy. heh.

@godjhaka7376 Год назад

It's all how your brain perceives. Music or anything is hard for some, very easy to understand for others.

@godjhaka7376 Год назад

@@OdaKacash me outside girl got more views and subscribers and can't speak proper english

@mississippijohnfahey7175 Год назад

It's not that it's that hard, but maybe you are expecting too much from yourself too soon

@steve_santiago Год назад

Great video as always! I’m a fan of MJ’s work and I’m a fan of Quincy’s work, especially his work with MJ. Q is an undeniable legend of course. But the last several years Q’s been throwing a lot of dirt on MJ’s name and legacy. This would be foul even if MJ were alive to defend himself and it’s even more foul sense he’s not.

@charlie-obrien Год назад

But it made us pay attention to Q again, Right? I think the mystery is solved.

@Mike-ow4ot Год назад

Quincy lacks class. Huge musical talent, but a trash human being.

@dethbolt000 Год назад

The reason why most funk is written in E minor is because the BASS guitar's lowest note at the time was E. At times, like I do, a player might tune down to E flat or D for a deeper tone.

@bustabass9025 Год назад

Or grab a five string tuned to low B, which for me is the better move. Not only do you get those five notes below low E but it also gives you greater range across the fretboard. This helps minimize a lot of shifting positions to play octaves and double octaves.

@dethbolt000 Год назад

@@bustabass9025 I'm a guitarist and a bassist. I am an aggressive rocker and funker. My hands are large and I play a five for less intricate baselines, but prefer a 4 detuned because the space between strings makes more feasible for pop -slapping.

@ricardorico4951 Год назад

Brilliant video after brilliant video. Brother the content you are consistently putting out is just pure gold.

@elnorey Год назад

Rod Temperton composed Thriller and it‘s inspired by “Heartbreak Hotel“ a song Michael previously wrote and recorded. It’s on the Jackson‘s Triumph album, That’s mostly where everything came from (from the theme to the music)

@Prospect_ Год назад

The baseline of Thriller is heartbreak hotels baseline sped up

@JULIANSBEATS Год назад

The Thriller baseline is mostly the baseline from Rick James Give it 2 Me.

@weefy117 Год назад

I can see that, but dude you can't tell me that they didn't hear Give it to Me Baby's bass line and weren't atleast inspired by it lmao. I'm a massive MJ fan, but come on now

@toothpastehombre Год назад

I have to say, the homework done here is top notch. It is one of those things I've always kind of suspected and felt like I knew, but I've never been able to put it all together and connect all the thoughts. Nicely done

@beselbic Год назад

No Doubt's "Hella Good" also kicks off with that beat.

@kairopocket Год назад

That Mary Jane / Use Me mash up is absolutely 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯😭😭

@diggingthegreats Год назад

🙏🙏

@johnanderson9337 Год назад

Your explanation of the double bass was spot on, so many people get the roots of the instrument wrong but you got it!

@user-gp8oj1ci9h Год назад

You are becoming one of my favourite music RU-vidrs. I’m currently getting into hip-hop and funk/soul, as well as dabbling with production and sampling, and your channel really accelerates my acquisition of love for & knowledge of these things. Your videos are so informative and easy to follow, yet filled with so much fun and love for music. Thank you for another great video, you deserve far more views and subscribers!

@mississippi_burning Год назад

That Use Me/Mary Jane mash up was thicker than cold grits!

@diggingthegreats Год назад

😂😂

@jojorock6908 Год назад

PLEASE release the working day and night and Mary Jane Mashup in full with you on bass. That sounded killer🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@TimScottSuiGeneris Год назад

I’ve heard the story that Billie Jean is basically Say No Go by Hall & Oates for the last ten years. Michael was one for inspiration to say the most. Big edit: correction- I Can’t Go For That, it’s obvious that De La Soul is on my mind 😅

@LogicalNiko Год назад

Daryl Hall indicated several times that Michael approached him during the We Are The World Sessions and indicated the main intro and groove inspiration from “I can’t go for that” and he just swapped the order a bit. Daryl of course thought that was a great honor but didn’t see it. Although it’s not that uncommon for artists l, or Michael specifically. A lot of Michael’s works show he was paying attention to multiple genes of music both in and outside pop music. He did the same thing with choreography and stage production. It’s really the composition of various inspirations that was unique.

@iamraytmusic Год назад

Came for video stayed for your bass playing. Groovy AF 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

@ginahouston9352 Год назад

DAMN. THOSE. MASH-UPS. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

@diggingthegreats Год назад

🙏🙏🙏

@priceth Год назад

This is gold. We need those full mash-up’s in mp3!

@KarlBonner1982 Год назад

More specifically...funk songs are in the key of E *dorian* minor. That Em-A7 repeating chord is a classic i-IV dorian vamp.

@Kreln1221 Год назад

*It should be noted that many popular songs were composed on the guitar, and like the four strings on the bass, the bottom four strings on the guitar are tuned E, A, D, & G. So whether a song was written on guitar or bass, the same keys that are easy and convenient on one would also apply to the other. And as the bass and especially the guitar are both very popular instruments, many popular songs are written in keys that are easy and convenient on both.*

@reswofford Год назад

The same idea allbeit somewhat less applies to Jazz music which favors keys simple for horn players Bb, F, Eb, Ab while bass and guitar are simpler to play in E, A, D, G.

@hannuback Год назад

I write a lot of stuff in E minor just because there are a lot of good open harmonies etc. It's just what guitar is as an instrument. Suits my vocal range well too!

@mcgritty8842 Год назад

Same with electronic music. It all kinda works around the range of the bass/sub

@mississippijohnfahey7175 Год назад

It's also super comfy and fun to play Em on keyboard. People think funk is all bass guitar but synths and keyboards were just as common, often playing the bassline

@Kreln1221 Год назад

@@mississippijohnfahey7175 A Minor is even easier on keys, as it's the relative minor of C Major, so it's all the white keys, with no sharps or flats...

@vaughnmiller4371 Год назад

Dude, these mashups you are doing are"cold blooded". 👍 Keep the FUNK alive.

@charlescdt6509 Год назад

“Good artists copy, Great artists steal” Picasso. Everyone gets inspired by something the great ones take that and make it so good you think they were the one who did it first. Good stuff as always. As a bass noob keep dropping that knowledge.

@wwddwi2183 Год назад

Yeah that’s a hack, not artists or creatives. The great ones make the song theirs through the creative effort. Skill, talent, emotive response to the challenge of making it theirs. The greats don’t copy or steal. Because they always cite their influential heroes. For without those influences what would we the artists be? My apologies, I keep seeing that statement.✌🏿🔆👍🏿 Bass noob as well😂

@OdaKa Год назад

@@wwddwi2183 what are you talking about? I get what you're saying, but it doesn't make the original quote invalid. All that stuff is implied within the original quote by those who understand it.

@TheMuveTube Год назад

Your content is phenomenal 👏🏽

@realjoshb Год назад

That Mary Jane Use Me mashup is phenomenal

@maco34576 Год назад

all of this content is so so valuable you have no idea, im goin to class everytime I watch one of your videos lets gooooooooo keep it up youre a very good communicator congrats

@masterofdoinit6697 Год назад

I really love how you always tie the end of one of your videos to the beginning of another one. It's kinda like a "cinematic universe-esque touch" but with videos? I don't know how to describe it, but it's cool! You're so cool, man 😉

@neilthornely9713 2 месяца назад

This channel covers the absolute creme-de-la-creme of music. Me and some friends used to run a funk and hip-hop night back in the late00s/early 10s that focused on that magical sweet spot between funk and hip-hop and watching these vids just takes me back to those days when we'd be digging through records or one of us would find a sample that popped up in a song (WhoSampled wasn't as much of a thing then although it is very useful too). Keep making these vids, you're style/delivery is really warm and engaging and your taste in music is dynamite.

@streetsweeperzmusicinc9139 Год назад

You are an excellent storyteller You will expand into world wide documentaries/films based on anything you choose to teach Congratulations

@BlakeSuperior_Beats Год назад

Your music history expertise never fails to vow me away

@sethmasten5818 Год назад

Holy shit, that Mary Jane/Use Me mashup is fucking incredible

@robscooters12 Год назад

You deserve wayyyyy more subs than this, the quality is unmatched. Routing for you bro!

@inlivingcolor...abroad6099 Год назад

Just discovered your channel-as a music teacher, I appreciate how you can break down music concepts for literally ANYONE-you have quite a gift, besides the fact that you’re a dope bassist!

@brahadeeshsuresh8408 Год назад

Bruno Mars' "Calling All My Lovelies" sounds similar to Mary Jane.

@PMB827 Год назад

That Bill Withers x Rick James mashup was nastyyyyy 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

@ShawnTewes Год назад

The first 30 seconds of "One Nation Under A Groove" is another of many examples of that Em- A7 progression, and it was also released in 1978. Given Michael's proximity to Rick James though, the Mary Jane theory is likely more plausable.

@djbattledmv Год назад

This man just took me to school and it was fun. I don't know anything about keys or chords or writing/reading music...but this guy had me for every second of this video. I'll be surfing his channel fa sho!

@sonialadystardust Год назад

I could listen to you for hours straight! 🤓 Very Nice job!!

@diggingthegreats Год назад

🙏🙏

@Yomommahouse6801 Год назад

Your bass playing is excellent. You got the groove my brotha!

@louischristle5379 Год назад

Hey man I'm an Irish bassist who just recently discovered your channel and I absolutely love it! All the artists/genres you do videos on are ones I've really gotten into over the last few months so finding out about your channel has made listening to this type of music all the more enjoyable. Keep doing what you're doing my guy :D

@gallardosbull Год назад

This video deserves an award. Assuming it can all peer reviewed, your presentation is both entertaining, creative and educational. Very well executed or at least I enjoyed it!

@richieluukmane5256 Год назад

Rick James had said in the liner notes for the CD compilation, "Rick James Bustin' Out", that Quincy Jones approached him and told Rick that he used part of Give It To Me Baby for the title cut of Mike's Thriller album. Which actually makes sense.

@Koilia42 Год назад

I like your video so much! I like that there are always fun facts, a story with a good structure, and a summary. All of that makes a video both entertaining and educational.

@SClass-jl4mu Год назад

The truth is Michael came up to Rick in a club about street songs. Mike like how Lanise kept a hard heartbeat like groove without all the fills

@Esaisaenz 3 месяца назад

Man I just discovered your channel and I’ve been binge watching all of your videos. Extremely thought out and digestible scripts about music history. You’re my new favorite channel.

@richardpayton9671 Год назад

Wow! I never knew that was the history of how the bass came into being. Always learning something new here. And yeah, that Em-A7 progression is all over the place. A lot of Philly Soul songs used it as well ("You Got What I Need" - Teddy Pendergrass, "Love is the Message" and "TSOP" - MFSB, and more).

@williampamblanco Год назад

Nifty bass playing, great concepts and you're clearly both having fun and a fan of the stuff you're covering. Dig it a lot, great work!

@preciousmousse Год назад

Thank you so much for spreading all this knowledge on funk and soul and all the groove! Such wonderful music the world needs more of, we're savoring every second 👀

@user-wj3rb2vp8b Год назад

For Billie Jean, MJ admitted that the bass line and drum beat was heavily inspired by "I Can't Go For That" by Hall & Oates. In many interviews, Daryl Hall mentions the conversation he had with MJ about this and how flattered he was when MJ told him, "you know I stole the intro from Billie Jean from you."

@Desnes7 Год назад

Dang I can't unhear it now

@kitrik23 Год назад

BUT THE DRUMS FROM BILLIE JEAN AND GHETTO LIFE ARE IDENTICAL AND I CANT BELIEVE I NEVER NOTICED THAT

@loftusal Год назад

The quality of the info, explanation and illustration in your videos gives me funk face. Your videos are STANKY good!

@MR2JONESY Год назад

WOOOOO! keep it up bro... An upload or 2 a day would be great 🤣😅 loving the content

@diggingthegreats Год назад

Haha! If only I could!

@setaylw Год назад

This is possibly my favorite RU-vid video of all time! Being a bass player whose favorite genre is funk, you really gave a great history listen here. Keep up the good and informative work!!!!

@clint3530 Год назад

Thank you! Love your videos and bass playing! 🔥🔥🔥

@totttrax Год назад

Your breakdowns are awesome , love the details

@rofea Год назад

“I can’t go for that” - Hall and Oats = Billie Jean’s inspiration as stated by MJ.

@MetaphysicalMusician Год назад

When I was growing up ,learning to play ,jamming with other people in the 70s we had a joke .Someone would yell "JAM IN E"..if we wanted the fake songs to prolong a set we would yell jam in E!!!.SO YES your correct and it's an easy key for guitar and Bass the root of blues funk and rock. Love this post ..NICE WORK

@MovieMonkez Год назад

Rick James in the thumb nail?? Instant click we need more music breaking down the king of punk funk!

@Newbreedkinght Год назад

Love the channel, love this episode, love the history involved 👏🏾

@oceanmicah9760 Год назад

My guess for the short answer is simply the open notes giving you easy access to paying with octaves (especially low E) especially with slap bass. Feels very natural. Interesting video though, as always

@nerdcoke4574 Год назад

Incredible work as always. The love of the music pours through in each video!

@TerryBorderline Год назад

My brother, this was a MASTER CLASS on eminor. Wow! As a producer who interpolates a lot of sample material, I constantly have come across eminor and supposed that I personally had an attraction to it, but you just put the nail on the head with this one! It has a historical and practical reason to be in some of the best songs ever made! I'm excited to compose my first song intentionally in eminor to A7 just for this reason and see how it sounds! Never stop doing what you're doing! I don't think theres anyone else who lays down as good as you!

@Joshua-qy3wi Год назад

Dude keep up the great vids! 🔥and thanks for the spotify listening guide

@Trife_G Год назад

The only songs I’ve heard that have almost the same bassline is Jefferson Airplane “White Rabbit”, Jackson 5 “Can You Feel It” and Madonna “Material Girl”

@ray_maestro_ Год назад

Love the content. These videos are great.

@jasonlegister2277 Год назад

Each new video from you is outstanding/ on 🔥🔥🔥, longing for your next one, all the time.

@diggingthegreats Год назад

🙏🙏 thank you

@pjtaylor3438 Год назад

Love this channel man!

@hipsnews2914 2 месяца назад

Ran across your videos and they are jewels, very informative, and entertaining. Thanks for the subject and history lessons. Awesome Dude❤🌹🌹🔥🔥🔥

@wilenedozier6961 Год назад

I was a music major back in the day and still am a musician at heart. I have all the albums you cite. Yes, albums. I enjoyed the music history lesson. Well done! I subscribed and will spread the word about your channel.

@steelkeez7700 Год назад

Thanks for your all of your hard work 🤘🏾

@willieboyland3180 Год назад

"Start copying what you love. Copy copy copy copy. At the end of the copy you will find your self." Austin Kleon, Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

@JohnathandosSantos Год назад

Such a great personality! Love your vids

@Mark-db1ok Год назад

This was a fantastic history lesson, even as a bassist I didn't know all this stuff. Thanks for the great video!

@anthonyrobinson6590 Год назад

I remember hearing Prince talk about E funk. It might have been in a song too but I can't recall which one.

@itseveary5756 Год назад

I love you, never stop uploading

@cheddarcheez9917 Год назад

Great video! This fills in the blanks about my own beats and why, when sampling, I always seem to gravitate towards E

@stuzzaa Год назад

Awesome work man. Absolutely loving your content ❤

@alexandrel.bourassa7929 Год назад

Such a great video! Thanks for the great content!

@ericksalazar3644 Год назад

this is incredible as per usual but i’m surprised that you didn’t mention the similarities between the bass lines in thriller and give it to me baby

@fnerXVI Год назад

Fun fact about the string bass: In some orchestrations, the instrument is written to reach a C1 note, requiring an addition to the fingerboard called a C Extension, which does exactly what it sounds like. It extends the range of the instrument from a low E to an even lower C. Each note position from the nut of the C extension (C# to E♭) have their own gates, which if you've played a guitar, act similarly to a capo but for one string instead of the entire fretboard.

@carlking7557 Год назад

Bro thanks for that musical history. Very good. Very important. Love it.

@TripleMTmoney Год назад

Love your content ❤

@terrencespikes3110 Год назад

Brilliant video 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 Much, much respect.

@kindell1 Год назад

Dope channel. Music history is important. Keep putting out content!

@TMthe33rd Год назад

Wow thank you for these knowledge, man Props to you from fellow bass player

@motorola59 Год назад

Very, very well done! Great job. I love your content.

@diggingthegreats Год назад

🙏🙏

@Capgpro1 Год назад

I heard "Billie Jean" was a take-off of "I can't go for that" by Hall & Oates. D. Hall said " Hey, we all steal from each other."

@columben7272 Год назад

Exact

@sample455 9 месяцев назад

I really love how you make a living off of learning about music and teaching us. Me my friends and my dad enjoy ur videos

@TheBiggz808 Год назад

Keep up the great work. Another dope vid.

@michaelpratt1295 Месяц назад

Those mashups though. I can listen to that all day. You have made me a huge fan.

@lartisan6274 Год назад

the demo of Mj of " working day and night " is on youtube. Btw Phills collins steal ( the jackson - one more chance) for Phills collins - one more night. He even told to Randy Jackson, that he was influent by this song