Archive for the ‘Sea Change (2002) – Beck’ Category

- ac gtr picking
- tremelo gtr notes on the 1s, percussion drums (kik and shaker only)
- vox enters
- cello bass line
- keys
- ring modulated piano (2nd verse)
- chorus: pause before 2nd half of line;
‘and i wanted to be’ – full chord sequence – ‘a good friend’
- finishes on an unresolved chord
KEY IDEAS to plunder
- chorus: pause before 2nd half of line;
‘and i wanted to be’ – full chord sequence – ‘a good friend’
- ring modulated piano (2nd verse)
- all inst come in together
- slide gtr, drums with shaker, bass, ac gtr
- vox enters
- chorus: elc keys – chords and melody
- noises: low res white noise explosions, reverbered
- big verb tambourine on the 3rd beat of every 2nd bar
- elc noises in the outro
- final bars: chords in holding pattern – keys play melody
KEY IDEAS to plunder
- atmos: noises: low res white noise explosions, reverbered
- atmos: big verb tambourine on the 3rd beat of every 2nd bar

- backwards sounds intro
- ac gtr picking, percussion drums, backwards strings
- vox
- chorus: extra gtr picking, glock, doubled vox
- middle: bass and keys thicken sound, hi harmony bvs
- white noise percussion, fizzing
- outro: backwards sounds, radio or studio chatter
KEY IDEAS to plunder
- backwards sounds
- white noise percussion fizzing
- sounds like Air
- close miked drums, slow strings, languid bass gtr, breathy vox
- chorus: big drama orchestral build, vox doubled and harmonised
- electronic keys in the second verse (rhodes)
- verbed tambourine hits every 4 bars
- climbing strings at the end, noise climax – like Beatles ‘I am the Walrus’
KEY IDEAS to plunder
- orchestrate like Air; dry drums, slow strings, languid bass, rhodes keys, breathy vox
- climbing melody – shepard tone

- ac gtr picking intro
- bass, drums and elc gtr (siren)
- elc gtr – tremelo verbed slide
- vox enter
- piano, harmonica
- bvs after chorus
KEY IDEAS to plunder
- tension and release: sliding note – down to correct pitch on the 1
- tension and release: bvs come in on the tonic chord
Return top
a track by track analysis of key productions
to take inspiration from