Shinsuke Honda - Silence

 

 

Shinsuke Honda - Silence

Shinsuke Honda @ discogs.com 

 

 

 Intoxicated cowboy swaggers amid dustscapes and witnesses passingbys of celebration, climate disasters of varying degrees, and placid ghostly social events.  Inevitably, he rides towards sunset.  Also the cowboy is Nels Cline.

 

For The Golden Star

 

               WOWOWOW what a doozy.  These changes are whacky but thankfully there is a loose pattern to tie them together.

 

 

|| B-  F#7/A#  |  B-    Amaj    |  A min   E7/G#   |  A-      E7/G#   |

|G-    D7/F#    |  G-   Fmaj      |  Bb maj69          |  F#-7b5   B7     ||

 

This bit repeats, but instead ends with 2 full bars of Bbmaj69.

 

||Bbmaj9/D    A7/C#            |  Cmaj69              |  F-7        Bb13       |    Eb maj69         ||

||: Bb-   F7/A   | Bb-    F7/A    |  C-      G7/B         |  D major7              :||

||D maj7         |  Cmaj7/G        |  D maj7              |    F#-                      |

 

|| E minor walk down you know the one that appears in tons of musical literature around the world it’s easier to type this than notate it exactly, resolve to C13, followed by B7b13.  Then back to top. ||

The golden star is dark!  What the heck.  Maybe it is the sun after the earth is destroyed by climate change.

I never know if I notate slash chords correctly.  The note after the    /    is meant to be the bass note.    

Mr. Dark Golden Star uses a lot of normal minor triads and lower clunky voicings.  His Bbmaj 69 is tabbed as follows :  6x5566.  His C major69 is the same shape moved up two frets. 

 

 

 

たそがれ (Tasogare)

 

 

               Tasogare is a lot simpler harmonically than our previous pal.  Opening with the E major hippy jam that pops up every now and then across music.  The voicings are as follows, tabulated :  022100, 044200, 066400.  The first chord is a big happy E major open style, then following shapes are nearly identical, but spreading the index finger out for a little stretch.  All open strings are played.  Strum it like you are summoning the god of peace and joy. 

               At some point Shinsuke Honda does some G#- and F#- triads, and back into the E major.

 

 

 夢夜 (Yumeya)

 

               ||E -           |  E-/ D#                   |       E-/D             |    Cmaj7              |

               |A-7           | D maj                     |   A-7                   |  Dmaj                  | With a transition D# bass note

 

               The C maj7 is our open voicing.

 

 

 

プエノス ホノオ(Buenoshonoo)

 

 

               Opening with a B-9 to B-13 melody thingy.  Approximated xx7779 and then xx7797.

 

               || B-9                      |     Bbmaj6#11                        |  Fmaj7           |     Fmaj7                         ||

              

This is pretty much it.  Buenoshonoo…Bansheenono…Buenoghost…slightly eerie wonderland. 

               The B-9 in form is voiced xx4635, one of those jungled gymnastics to reach the dramatic half step

 

 

 

Winter Space 1226

 

               WINTER. SPACE> VOYAGER TWELVE TWENTY SIX.  PRE-PARE, FOR   .  >> >> >> >> IG N’TION

               Also known as The Horse with No Name.  Open E minor followed by D major with F# in the bass, also sometimes with an open B string.  D major is voiced roughly 200230.  Play around with variations and it will be great.

               Echo echo echo echo snow echo echo.. . . .

 

 

 

夕映え (Yuubae)

 

               Okay we had fun jamming.  Here’s another wonky Nels Cline-esque minor piece.

               Intro is a play of B-9, A-9, G-9 resolve to E major.  It’s that barre shape, so for B-9 xx7779, then move it downwards as needed.

 

               ||Dmaj7 (no3rd)      |  C#7/G#          |  Dmaj7             |  Ddim7         |

               |Dmaj7                      |  C#7/G#          |  D maj7             |  Ddim7         |   (Bar of F#-??)     ||

               |F  maj7                     | E7                    | G-6                    |  Gdim           |

               |F  maj7                     | E7                    | G-6                    |  Gdim           ||

 

               Then he does E major, E minor, D major, D minor, then repeat all.  PLZ mind the form, not sure if I caught all the repeats.

 

 

 

白夜 (Byakuya)

 

               More Nels Voicings !  Opening with A F G C E, on guitar x03010.  A cool F major.  Then A E G B E, X02000, E minor or A minor of some sort.

               Kicking it into high gear we get D majorish and C major7; x54000 and x32000 respectively.  Then an A-9 chord voiced x055000, or AGCBE.

               A crash into our Cmajor 7 open, kind of vague but generally in the C/G tonality.

 

 

朝 (Asa)

 

               Happy Happy E major sunset stuff.  0x6857, same shape as the B-9 from a few songs back.  Followed by A major rain (Amaj9 open voicing) which is x066000, lovely chord. 

               Lots of guitar harmonies (in 3rds I believe) and conversation, there’s a geisha gal singing in the background ! 

               There is a flop to F#-7 for a while before breaking free to E major7, D major 7 on repeat.   

     

                 

                                                        Then back into Sunset paradise.

Takashi Kokubo – Healing Music – Bird

Takashi Kokubo - Healing Music - Bird 

Kokubo @ discogs.com

Bright yellow sun rise starting new spring, Kokubo treats us not with a mystical, inquisitive or mythological mood.  He gives us a simple, crisp, pure sunny day.

1. Daichi no kokyū II (Breath of the earth II) 

               We are introduced with some subtle Eb #11 happenings before the form ! Then we jump into a loop of:

               ||Bb maj   |  Eb maj      | Ab maj        | Bb maj|

               |Eb  maj     |  Bb maj     |  Ab maj       |  Ab maj / F in the bass||

               This is the gist of what Kokubo is up to.  At times he will throw in a chord inversion, Bb major with D in the bass, Ab major with F in the bass, stuff like that !

               The main theme plays on the major triads; D, F, Bb slide up to C.  Then he repeats the theme up down a whole step, (So, C, Eb, Ab, Bb).

2. Kono michi (This way)

               ||D maj    | B-       | A maj     D maj    |  G maj   A maj    | D maj ||

               ||: G maj   A maj  :||

               On a kalimba perhaps?  Total unaffected innocence.  “Come this way !, follow me !” On a light hearted journey to see a secret bird nest.

3. Nettaiurin no yoake (Daybreak of the tropical rainforest) 

               Tune bops around between C major with a 9 flavor in there, to F major similarly styled.  After a little while A minor and G major fly into the mix.  We get some of that signature Kokubo echo scales JJ.

4. Haru no ogawa (Spring brook)

               Another kalimba jawn ,cool !  Basically G, G major7, C major, C major 7ish descending riff.  First part is as follows, arpeggiated:

               ||G B D G  |  G B D F#  | C E G C   |  C E G C ~B A G ||  Where after the C trails more into a melody.

               Part 2, arpeggiated:

               ||D A G D   |    C B G D    |  B A G D   |   C B G D    ||

               I’m sure Kokubo has a written composition for this, though in my mind he goes off to Jam City, plucking away with all the birds in the world, still in G major the whole time through.

5. Tori no shi • Mori no yoake (Bird poem • Daybreak of the forest)

               ||GCC, B G D |  G maj           |  F  maj  G Maj   |

               | D – 7     E-7   |  Fmaj   G maj |   

               Not sure exactly the harmonic rhythm here, but those are the chords.  Where the notes “GCC” are played together, followed by a melody of B G D.  We’ll see some Gmajor with B in the bass on occasion.  Cool wistful tune, reminds me of Phil Keaggy.

I think it’s that Low D note.

6. Yume (Dream)

               Mega F major 9 arpeggio spread, so cool !  One that I could approximate is voiced C, F, G E!  Mega Light BEAAAAAAAM.  Then we get :

               ||:F major     |  C major / E in the bass   |  D-7 (G7)      |  C major  :|| 

               Where we sometimes get that G7.   Super anime song, totally from the Air (tv) OST.  

7. Finlandia 

               Enjoy the wind harmonies !  !  !  !  (Main theme is very roughly B, A, B, C, then varies from there)

8. Tori no shi • Yūsuzumi (Bird poem • Cool of the evening)

Not sure of harmonic rhythm here , chords are as follows though :

               ||F maj            |  Eb maj                   |  D – 7    |   D  - 7   |

               |F maj 7 #11   |  Cmaj / E in bass   | D – 7     |  D – 7 (G7)  |

               |C maj             ||

               Some C notes flying around the Eb major chord, so that’s cool getting the 6^th in there.  Also that final C major is voiced roughly C G A B.  

               Next section Kokubo plays arpeggio heaven.  Roughly voiced C F A E, C F A D (both F major) then some kind of C major harmonies after that. 

              

9. Ōkina sora (Big sky)

               Kokubo’s take on the famous Rick Roll LOL:

               ||: G maj  A  maj   |  F#-  B-    :||  repeat as desired, eventually throw in G major, A major, resolve to D major.

               Other part strolls between G major, A major, B -  , A major.

               Is this the kind of emptiness Buddhists talk about?  Kokubo graces us with purity, clarity, lightness and emptiness rather than weighing us down with heavy musics.  Light as a feather , Birds flock together  , it is Kokubo’s “Healing Music – Bird”

 

HAELIUM – Playgrounds

HAELIUM - Playgrounds

HAELIUM @ bandcamp.com 

 

 

 

Chain linked melody contains nostalgic sun and we knock knock kick drum clap to snap through and break the chain for infinite refrain to feel the past to be at last back to square 1, 4 square, play fair this is where we were born and grew under the sun when we were at square 1.

               HAELIUM snapshots the simplicity of youth with a singular melodic whisper adorned by crisp yet radiant, as if enlightened, divine rhythms and reminiscent reverse echo splashes saturating the canvas with water color fragmented memories.

              

Tonally, the song centers around Ab Lydian.  The chord progression is as follows with lots of tasty stuff to unpack:

               ||Ab maj7 #11 | G-   Bbmaj13   |  Ab maj7 #11  | Eb maj7 #11  ||

Okay!  Lots of jazz extensions going on here.  The first arpeggio in the Ab chord I believe is voiced approximately Eb, Ab, C, G.  The major 7^th  sticking out as the high note is very important to the overall sound.  Still in the Ab chord, HAELIUM jumps to C, Eb, G, D. This time the D (9^th chord degree) is emphasized, this is what gives that Lydian #11 flavor to the Ab major chord.  

As far as I can tell, the G minor voicing is fairly standard.  It might be G-7, hard to say.  I am figuring F, Bb, D, G, like a barre on the 3^rd fret of guitar, funk chord kind of voicing.  This chord can be interpreted as the only relief from the beautiful tension, since it’s voicing is fairly straightforward and light. 

Bb maj adds a melancholic hit, voiced as Bb, D, G, A.  Cool thing happening here, we are getting Bb major with the 6^th and 7^th right next to each other, giving a major 2^nd interval crunch happening and creating a deep solemn feeling.  Furthermore, the A note stands out and shortly after we go to the Ab major chord.  Very awesome tension to have a very high A note just before Ab, sort of implies a major chord with a b9!!  Bonkers !!

The vocal melody includes a very important signature ambient thought process!  It dances around mostly stepwise between a small selection of notes, G, F, Eb, D, with the only other note being Bb, I believe, as the final resolve.  Though resolve is a loose term here, because these melodic notes in the context of the key and chords are all pretty much suspense notes.  In the context of Ab lydian they are the major 7^th, major 6^th, perfect 5^th and sharp 11^th.  All color notes, except for the 5^th being the floatiest of resolve notes in any chord (out of the choices of root, 3^rd, and 5^th).  It’s as if HAELIUM is yearning for the past, “Please don’t fade, let’s stay here forever.  Don’t let it end”.

With nearly every musical aspect about this song being floating and unresolved, it’s a perfect compliment that HAELIUM matches it with a grounded, sharp, defined beat.  We hear a very forward sounding kick drum, a snare/clap combo (?) that cuts through the haze and subtle splashes of metallic rain hi hats.

  

 

HAELIUM builds a mournful dreamscape, longing for days gone, yet reaching for positivity to share with the future.

Fumio Miyashita – White Morning

Fumio Miyashita - White Morning

Miyashita @ discogs.com 

Miyashita @ bandcamp.com 

1. 目覚め (See The Light)

 

               Bass line greets us with  A, D, D, Lower D.  The bass provides a sparse feathered anchor of tonality, never deviating but peeking its head every now and again through the composition.  It’s such a COZY timbre, as if being blanketed with cotton soft ethereal clouds, warm as sun.

               Synth pad undulates below us, subtle layer of fog as we fly above.  Synth pad steadily air currents on a drone of A, D, A.  This is an approximation, but there are certainly no chordal texture notes here, just some combination of the Root and the perfect 5^th.  

               So far both the bass and the synth pad are giving us a similar flavor; airy whipped mist with a delicately light palate.

               Synth lead comes into being as if from out of nowhere, parks it on an F#, the major 3^rd of the implied harmony from the bass and pad!, and proceeds touch on A, C#, to D, outlining the full D major 7 arpeggio.  There it is, tonal harmony of the tune fully established in one blessed whisper.

               After the bass line, synth lead follows suit, C# down to A, then G to A, playing with a modal flavor (the relative A mixolydian, AKA a subtle outline of an A7 chord), then resolves down to F#.

               Next line: F#, G, A, C#, D, G, A, F#.

               The lead continues like this for the duration of the song.  Miyashita is playing with an Indian Raga feeling, sticking to a reduced D major scale.  He’s specifically using the notes, D, F#, G, A, C#.  Harold Budd also plays like this.  The limited note choice helps zone in on a specific feeling or color.  The use of the G note in this scale is what gives is that Indian flare.  Tension is created by holding on the C# or the G notes, D is the ultimate resolve, F# and A partial resolves. 

               Fun to try at home!  If you play guitar, tune to drop D (DADGBE) and play with this scale while occasionally hitting the Low D note.  Let it breathe, take your time and FEEL each note.  Don’t be afraid to go slowly, let the music unfold naturally.  It is totally normal to lose track of time and fall into a wormhole.

2.  朝の祈り (Morning Prayer)

 

               Bass : F, C, F, D, High A.

               Synth Pad: Combination of F and C.

               Chimes : F, G, A, Low D. Then F, G, A, C.

We see a lot of similarities here.  Tonal center is some kind of F major, as depicted by the bass and synth pad.  This time the bass plays more of a harmonic role, in that it outlines a fuller scale.

               A slight deviation with the synth lead!  Starts out playing a riff like F, Bb, A, G, A.  Pretty much outlining F major tonality,  We see a lot of Bb in here, the suspended 4^th.  It’s weird that the melody doesn’t often play the D note, but the bass does every time.  Also worth noting, the scale is note as confined as the first song.  The lead plays the full spectrum F Major scale; F, G, A, Bb, C, D , E, F, though it doesn’t emphasize the E or D notes as much.  So it’s not totally exclusive in its note selection like the previous song.  That riff, F, Bb, A, G, A, seems to be the main theme that’s built on.  Interesting how plaintiff the theme is and the song is titled “Morning Prayer”, a beckoning to the Gods.

              

Big ideas for Miyashita’s “White Morning”:

               -Soft tones

               -Slow breathing pace

               -Limited note selection within key

               -Static harmony, interest is within melodic meanderings