A Good Song Is One That Transcends Its Notes

[Banana Mango]

In other words, it's no longer just a series of notes or a series of chords. It becomes a thing-in-itself, it has it's own being, its own feelings. 

 

Who agrees?

 

This is what I strive for in my recent songwriting endeavours. I think a small few of my songs achieve it. If they don't achieve it, I'll likely scrap them. 
 

[Rudi]

Unless you are speaking wholly in metaphors, I disagree. 

 

Something with its own being & feelings is not a description of a song that I can recognise. 

 

You could consider a song to be an entity in an abstract sense, but perception of what a song means to people is different thing altogether. 

Its the listener who has feelings about the musical construct, not the song itself.  

[CaptObvious]

Unless you are speaking wholly in metaphors, I disagree. 

 

Something with its own being & feelings is not a description of a song that I can recognise. 

 

You could consider a song to be an entity in an abstract sense, but perception of what a song means to people is different thing altogether. 

Its the listener who has feelings about the musical construct, not the song itself.  

 

You have a point no doubt, much of the mental processing is made of course by the individual brain that hears the music.  But consider that to our westernized ears in particular, we can manipulate the chord structures and effectively make a sad song or a happy one.  Perhaps too simplistic, but we are trained from birth that minor keys are sad, major keys are happy, perhaps it's instinctual. 

 

To demonstrate, check out Hey Jude, modulated into a minor key.  The tune takes on an entirely new flavor to our westernized ears.

 

First the original in a major key...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5c-LVYnafg

 

Now in aminor key!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dcfpH8oJoM&list=RDy6KmiIq2-m8&index=2

Edited January 5, 2015 by CaptObvious

[Rudi]

I think it could have been done without altering the melody.