I'm trying to figure out whether or not there's a connection between these technological changes and move away from the blues. Why did they coincide? That's a great question. I mean there's a different spirit to it. But we also have this picture of like sitting in a garage or in a rundown saloon or at the crossroads and just plucking with your guitar and a tiny little drum kit. It's very far removed from sitting in a computerized workstation and laying down some beats. So it sounds like there's both a musical logical difference and also a stylistic spiritual difference between the two approaches. Exactly.
There is no human endeavor that does not have a theory of it — a set of ideas about what makes it work and how to do it well. Music is no exception, popular music included — there are reasons why certain keys, chord changes, and rhythmic structures have proven successful over the years. Nobody has done more to help people understand the theoretical underpinnings of popular music than today’s guest, Rick Beato. His YouTube videos dig into how songs work and what makes them great. We talk about music theory and how it contributes to our appreciation of all kinds of music.
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Rick Beato obtained a master’s degree in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory of Music. He is currently a producer and owner of Black Dog Sound Studios in Georgia, as well as host of a popular YouTube channel. He has worked as a session musician, songwriter, and lecturer at Berklee College of Music and elsewhere. He is the author of The Beato Book Interactive as well as other music-training tools.
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