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Featured Song:

This song has a simple structure: a quieter “A” section followed by a livelier “B” section. The listener is in for a surprise at the end of the “B” section, when the “A” theme returns—with a twist, to put it mildly.

All the melodies are played on the same instrument: a short-scale four-string bass strung with the top four strings of a six-string bass, in standard tuning (A-D-G-C). I love that axe. It’s so easy to play, with tons of room between the strings for plucking. Different effects and virtual amps are used to create the impression of different voices without radically changing the character of the instrument.

The first section uses a harmonic minor scale. The melody really shines here, unhindered by a very simple chord progression. Toward the end of the section, the progression shifts slightly, setting up the move to a Mixolydian scale in the “B” section.

Things pick up from there. The whole mood changes, and we feel uplifted. Then the return to the “A” section arrives in a somewhat chaotic way—almost like a punch in the face. The familiar theme delivers the same message as it did at the beginning, but much more forcefully. This time, we feel the sadness along with a LOT of frustration.

If I had more room, I’d talk about the use of the secondary dominant IV chord and what it achieves. See if you can spot it during playback.