For when I get bored and want to talk about music...

[Maniakkid25]

*Throws down the shovel* It's a patented* Maniak Necro! Let's get into it.

So I was reading a tab a few days ago, and I was quickly overcome with a feeling as to the usual question: what key are you in? That feeling was this.



The song is the classic First It Giveth by Queens of the Stone Age. This song has hurt me, and I want you to try and understand why.

So, to start with, the bass riff is normal. We're in C# standard tuning, but I'm gonna transpose everything to E just so I don't mentally strain myself. The riff is actually a Mixolydian riff: 6th going to flat 7th to Major 3rd to tonic. It's a strangely dark sound for the key, but I can work with it. And the guitar just reinforces it, adding in the 5th and the 2nd for good measure. So, we're in Mixolydian, easy! Now, let's check out those vocals.

If you check the tab on Songsterr (which is a very nice site, because it lets you play out the tab audibly and allows you to see more parts than just the guitar or bass), you can actually see they transcribed the vocals (the vocals are transcribed in guitar tab writing, so you can just read them exactly like a guitar tab), and we immediately have our first problem. Again, transposed, the lyrics go G#-F#-G#, then E-D#-C#, and we immediately have a problem. While the two notes never play at the same time, D# is the MAJOR 7th of the key, but the guitar is clearly blaring away at the flat 7th. So, okay, Bebop Dominant, then, I guess. That's an 8 note scale that's basically a major scale with the flat 7th jammed in there. I mean, it's weird, but it's not that crazy.

And then the third repetition of the riff hits, and we have chaos.

So, it's easy to understand what is happening: the second guitar just moves up a major third, and plays the same exact riff. It's a really cool effect, but the problem is that it's straight major thirds, not diatonic thirds. Diatonic would mean that they keep to the same key, and sometimes the thirds would be minor. But, because it's a straight major third, this immediately inserts a FLAT 2ND to the show, and the key falls apart! And this is the point where my knowledge fails me.

And just to make matters worse, the chorus hits, and I think it actually changes key? Let's just assume we are in E Major for a moment. I think it actually changes to the relative minor of C# minor (again, if this was in E standard tuning. The actual tuning changes it from C# Major to A# Minor)? It's hard to tell from the guitar line, but the vocal line feels like it "comes home" on the last note, which is a C#. Ah, there's the darkness I'm hearing. Why is it here, now?!

So, with all this together, you can see why my emotions are what they are when it comes to this subject. I really enjoy this song, but do not ask me what key it is, because I'm just going to answer "Yes".

*Patent Pending