#132 - 21st August 2024 - No post code envy

We‘ll try to play a cover tomorrow. Royals by Lorde.

Fantastic song. It came out in a time when I was all snob about music, only listening to Stoner and Progressive Rock - mostly instrumental stuff. Music had to have time signature changes and intricate patterns, be 7min long and all that.

What a glorious time.

Then I heard Royals on the radio and remember thinking „pop music has its moments, here and there… every couple of years“.

The lyrics are great. This whole working class, us against the world, we may not be rich, but know how to live - kind of attitude… it‘s got a vibe, I can relate.

Also from a German perspective, this is super British. Kinda similar to The Prodigy who also bring this angry British working class attitude in their songs.

But I‘m digressing.

I tried a few things on the couch with my trusted Stratocaster and I think I got a pattern and way to play it that will work standalone, supporting the vocal line.

It‘s always a trade off between playing intricate chord voicings, taking care of a steady rhythm and keeping it sufficiently simple to still be able to play it. Playing guitar once or twice a month really isn‘t enough to bring my chops back.

Royals is in D Mixolydian. Main characteristics of the Mixolydian sound are the major third and a flat seven. It is quite common in rock music I believe. I like digressing from the overly often used major and minor scales. It keeps things interesting.

„We crave a different kind of buzz“