Groove

Overview

Here, we will see how things like jack theory can be used to really make a song shine through by crafting a very fitting groove. Start by playing the first chart, then playing the second, and compare how each of these charts feel in relation to the song.

Preparation

We start by considering what the song is, how it should feel. This is notably FM funk, so we want several qualities to shine through in our work: firstly to highlight the funk elements, such as rhythmic syncopation and instrumentation, and secondly to be relatively quantized, in order to fit the artificiality of synthesizers.

Analysis

Notice that throughout the second chart, there are jacks littered everywhere, but in the marked yellow sections, they are all functioning to highlight the syncopation in the percussion. In the green sections, the focus is no longer on the percussion, as the percussion is rhythmically quite bland, and the syncopation to be highlighted shifts over to the keyboard. The mines in the white sections (they are very thin and hard to see, there are 3 of them, the second one is in the middle of the last yellow highlight) are added as extra flavor to signal releases of instruments. Finally, some extra flair in the form of counterpoint dissonance is added to the final solo section to make it pop and feel more interesting.

The first chart has colored highlights that mirror the second chart in terms of timing for easy comparison. The first chart is by no means bad, but consider them in contrast. Think about how the jacks and marked techniques change the connotation from the piece, whether it be by the clarity of ideas or by the general feeling.

As a footnote, the red highlight section in the second chart has mines that spell out "LOL" as a reference to the original author's MIDI art (that you can't hear).