Hits And Hooks Vignettes

This week we'll see some vocal virtuosity, I dive into folky ballads, and for contrast a rockin' drivin' riffin' song. Ostinato, what's that? What makes a rhyme and how can we use them. And we'll have a laugh or two.   In Hits and Hooks Vignettes, we play some great tunes and lift the hood to see what makes them tick. HHV is a short-form music podcast about how songs keep listeners engaged th...

This week we'll see how expectation and hooks work hand in hand. I have a couple of jokes for you. I dive into how harmony vocals can be used. What's an interval? We'll see. And we discover Dorion mode! Lots of fun.   In Hits and Hooks Vignettes, we play some great tunes and lift the hood to see what makes them tick. HHV is a short-form music podcast about how songs keep listeners engaged thr...

Trailer for Episode 5... EQing?! A studio term. We'll dig in on it, in the context of frequency separation. We count out the hook density of a driving road house tune. We look at the complex chords of Jazz. And we map out the basics of Nashville Notation. Oh, and we look at the Latin clave beat. Let's hit the trail.   This is a preview of Episode 5, Hits and Hooks Vignettes, where we pla...

EQing?! A studio term. We'll dig in on it, in the context of frequency separation. We count out the hook density of a driving road house tune. We look at the complex chords of Jazz. And we map out the basics of Nashville Notation. Oh, and we look at the Latin clave beat. Let's hit the trail.   In Hits and Hooks Vignettes, we play some great tunes and lift the hood to see what makes them...

This week, 8 more great Indie songs, in full. And we're gonna have a laugh. I'll look at hooks in song openings. We'll spin a good head-banging song. Hip hop is not my generation, but we'll spin one of those too. I'll dig in on beat, virtuosity, and the swing time rhythm of Blues and Jazz.   In Hits and Hooks Vignettes, we play some great tunes and lift the hood to see what makes them tick. H...

Love that skank?! This week we look at song bridges, and pads. We see guitar stabs used in a few different styles. I have an interesting Tango song for you, and a beautiful Blues tune with an unusual chord progression. We look at hooks, of course, and touch on fabric and functions. Let's go. In Hits and Hooks Vignettes, we play some great tunes and lift the hood to see what makes them tick. HHV is...

“Happy Happy Happy!” — “Happy” threads through our adventures this week: major chord, sad songs with happy music, tempo and the happiness indicator. We also dive into Folk-Pop over a few songs to distil its characteristics. Hooks: upper vocal range urgency, vocal gymnastics, and dynamic and emotional contour are all part of the mix. Let’s go!   In Hits and Hooks Vignettes, we play some great...

In the first episode of this, the first series, we'll start our journey into hooks, those little things that keep us engaged in a song. We'll talk about sectional contrast as one of those hooks. Also vocalizations, vocal doubling. We have a few different styles to present... Latin, Country, J-Pop, Rock, Pop. And, as they say in the ads... much much more.   In Hits and Hooks Vignettes, we play...

In Hits and Hooks: Vignettes, we play some great tunes — and we lift the hood to see what makes them tick.   Hits and Hooks is a short-form music podcast about how songs keep listeners engaged — through hooks, structure, and the musical decisions that quietly do their work.   We don’t just talk about music — we play it. Full songs. Real examples.   Maybe you make music. Maybe you do...