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bluevelvetgvf · 2 years

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gate & garden: two

jake kiszka x fem!reader (childhood best friends to lovers...)

MASTERLIST 2.8k words

A/N: I do not claim to, nor do I know Greta Van Fleet; they are all real people with real lives, this is an entirely fictional work.

It was the beginning of summer. Y/N was soaring above and beyond her piano teachers expectations, jumping two levels above the other students in her age group. She even played with the 8-10 year olds in the spring recital in May.

Dance was going well too, she had classes two nights a week. Jazz on Mondays, tap on Tuesdays, and modern/contemporary on Wednesdays, and she had summer theatre camp Monday through Thursday mornings. Fridays were her favorite days however. Fridays meant it was the weekend, and she had three whole days to do whatever she wanted.

She didn’t see Jake much during the week. He had soccer and gymnastics, and Josh went to theatre camp with her so she didn’t miss him. But weekends were her and Jake’s time to play.

This particular Friday, Karen and Mom both had in-service at school, and Papa K was in-charge of the entire brood, plus her. Josh was content in the back yard, very carefully crafting himself a new fort. Ronnie and Sam were playing tea-party in the living room, and Jake was preoccupied with his new guitar.

Jake’s new guitar, which was really just an old one of his dad’s was his pride and joy. And honestly, that left Y/N feeling a little discouraged. There were only so many days that she and Jake got to be together, and they weren’t going to be very fun if he spent the entire time doting on his guitar.

But she sat patiently, on the rug in the garage, which Jake and his dad sat on the couch, tediously running through the same four chords over and over again. Jake was really good at guitar, he was “a natural” as his dad said. He could pretty much learn by ear.

Needless to say, Y/N felt very left out. She didn’t really want to help Josh with his fort, it was too hot out. And she didn’t feel like playing tea-party, the feathers on Ronnie’s boas made her skin itchy. She was however, a tiny but curious about playing guitar…

Like was said before, she was really good at the piano. How hard could guitar be?

She sat up from her place on the rug, staring intently at Jake and his dad. “Kelly?” She asked, requesting his attention.

Jake’s playing stopped, and he and Kelly turned to her. “What’s up?”

Y/N sighed, shuffling her feet against the carpet. “Can you teach me how to play guitar too?” She asked, sheepishly.

She watched for their reactions. Jake’s eyes lit up the smallest bit, and his lips fought terribly from turning up into a smile. Y/N didn’t know that secretly, Jake wished more than anything to have someone other than his dad to play guitar with him.

Kelly also smiled, nodding his head. “Yeah, of course.” He waved her over. “Here Jake, why don’t we give her a turn?”

Jake nodded, a bit too eagerly, and practically threw the guitar at her.

Y/N sat down between her best friend and his dad. Kelly placed the guitar onto her lap, draping the strap around her shoulders, although it was too big to really help anyway. He placed his hands atop her’s, guiding them to the correct placements, and let her try jamming a few chords.

“That….” She frowned, whipping her head to look at Kelly. “Does not sound good.”

He chuckled, nodding. “It won’t. Not yet, anyway. You didn’t really play real notes.” He leaned forward, moving her fingers to specific strings. “Now try.”

With one strum of her hand, a still slightly off-key chord came through. At least that sounded like some type of music. “Better.” She nodded.

“I think it sounds good.” Jake nudged her from the other side.

“Jakey, lying isn’t nice.” She frowned, kicking at him with her feet.

“‘M not lying!” He defended himself. “It was better than I did my first try!”

Kelly shook his head, breaking up the argument before it progressed any further. “So you’re really serious about this? Playing the guitar?”

Y/N nodded. “I’m good at the piano, I play with kids two years older than me.” She grinned, very proud of herself.

“Okay, that’s what I thought.” Kelly nodded. “Jake’s about a year ahead of you right now, but if you learn guitar like you learn piano, I think you’ll probably be at about the same level in about six months.”

“Six months?” Jake gasped, now feeling the edge of competition brewing inside of him.

“That’s by Christmas, right?” Y/N asked, also feeling competitive.

“Yep, by Christmas.” Kelly nodded, getting a little bit too excited about sparking a competition between two six-year-olds. “Now, to be as good as Jake, or better, before Christmas-“

“She’s not gonna be better than me Dad, I’ve been playing longer-“

“Jake, relax.” Kelly shook his head, silencing his son. “Sorry, to be at the same level as Jake, by Christmas, you’re going to have to practice really hard. Not just here with me, I’ll talk to your mom, get you your own guitar for at home. How does that sound?”

Y/N nodded, eager to start her next new hobby.

Kelly removed the guitar from her lap, and sat it beside the couch. He began to explain to her the different ways to learn guitar, what to practice, and how to maintain the guitar’s condition. She could learn from ear, like Jake, or she could try “tabs”, which Kelly told her might be easier. Although, learning to read music wasn’t a bad idea either.

The rest of the day, she spent, practicing tabs from one of Kelly’s old guitar lesson books, while Jake moved on with his learning, finally getting to play on his dad’s acoustic. (Not just the old one).

The next day, Y/N woke up bright and early, as Mom and Kelly had planned for Kelly to take her and Jake to the music stand at the downtown flea market, in search of her own brand-new/used acoustic guitar.

After two very long hours of trial and error, they settled on a worn Yamaha. It was a little big for her, but at least that meant she could grow into it. And it looked just like Jake’s, except it was a lot lighter colored. Mom had given her $100 for the guitar, but she only spent $60, so she treated the three of them to fresh-made donuts from another stand for breakfast.

She and Jake spent that afternoon practicing their guitars. Although Jake didn’t want Y/N to beat him in their unofficial guitar competition, he would feel bad if he didn’t help her at all. So he made it his mission to have Y/N playing Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star, in full, by the end of the day.

Jake’s plan persevered. The pair even skipped dinner to be able to meet their goals. Y/N only cried twice, and Jake didn’t get frustrated, not even once. And she only got one blister on her finger, which Jake was quick to help her cover with a dinosaur bandage.

Kelly’s jaw almost fell to the floor, when right before bed-time, Jake and Y/N approached the two sets of parents, enjoying a few drinks around a bonfire, and told them that “Y/N learned how to play Twnkle Twinkle and she wants to show you!”

She performed the song for their parents, albeit twice as slow as it’s usually played, and just a tinge flat, but nevertheless she played it. All the parents cheered, and Dad lifted her onto his shoulders to celebrate. “Jake, you taught her that in one day?” Kelly asked, in pure shock.

Jake nodded proudly. “Sure did.”

“I told you, you’d be just as good as him.” Kelly nodded to Y/N, perched on her dad’s shoulders. “At this rate, maybe you’ll be out-playing Jakey by Halloween!”

Jake’s face fell. And Y/N let out a set of giggles. “Guess you’d better get practicing Jakey.” Karen gave her son a teasing look.

After the teasing was done, the kids went back inside, put their guitars away properly, and prepared for bed. Mom was letting Y/N sleep over at the Kiszkas. Her, Jake, Josh, and Ronnie had sleeping bags laid out in the living room, and their parents helped them make smore’s as a pre-bedtime snack.

That night, the four children camped out in the living room, Ronnie next to Y/N, because she wasn’t quite used to not sleeping in her own bed, then Jake and Josh.

In the morning Karen made them all, even Sam, pancakes, and they spent the day catching minnows in the creek, and of course taking breaks for guitar.

Y/N practiced guitar on her own the entire summer. She would practice all day between theatre camp and dance, and every Friday Kelly would teach her new chords.

When she wasn’t with Jake and Josh, she would practice her tabs, and the few tunes she knew, and by the first day of school, Kelly said she had progressed at least six months in just half of the time.

“See what happens when you work hard for what you want?” He raised his eyebrows to Jake, who had also been tediously practicing his guitar skills, so as to not be beaten by his best friend.

First grade began, and just as the year before, Jake and Y/N were placed in the same class. Dance classes continued on in the evenings, and guitar lessons were moved to Sundays only.

Fall co-ed soccer began, and Jake decided to take a stab at the sport, but “only if Y/N played too!”, which was great in hindsight, however, they were placed on opposite teams. Which only made the friendly competition between the pair worse.

After every game, they went out for ice cream. Sometimes there were tears from the losing team member, but after a few words of encouragement, the loss was forgotten, and all attention turned to their sweet treats.

Despite school, soccer, dance, and only-Sundays guitar lessons, Y/N never let up on her practicing. She would teach herself a new set of tabs every week, and play them until it felt like her fingers would fall off. She made Mom listen to her every night to make sure she sounded on-pitch, and so she would be corrected if she faltered.

And every night before bed she played Twinkle Twinkle three times, just to make sure she wouldn’t forget it.

So by the time Halloween came around, Jake was starting to get nervous. Y/N didn’t talk about guitar as much as she did when she first decided she wanted to learn. He knew she had dance and soccer after school most nights, and even with just soccer, he found it hard to find time to practice his guitar playing.

Dad didn’t let him sit in on the guitar lessons anymore. Kelly figured it would be better for them both to get one-on-one time, without the watchful eye of their competitor. So Jake had no clue how badly Christmas could turn out for his ego.

School let out for Christmas break on December 22nd. December 23rd, the Kiszkas and their neighbors had their annual Christmas dinner. Each of the kids got to open their stockings, and the parents would open gifts from each other. There was tons of delicious food, and music, and games. But it was also the night, where Y/N was to perform an entire song for the two families, solidifying her status against Jake.

Y/N felt extremely confident in her guitar skills. She knew all the notes, the parts of the guitar, how to maintain her instrument. She knew all the songs too, Twinkle Twinkle, Mary Had a Little Lamb, Happy Birthday, and Humpty Dumpty.

But her proudest achievement of all, was knowing the entirety of Jingle Bells. She had started practicing after Halloween, and made sure to keep with it every single day, until Christmas. And the time had finally come to showcase her talents.

Mom and Dad and Y/N went to the Kiszkas, dinner was served, and stockings were opened. And now, with everyone settled in the living room, Y/N was ready to perform her song.

She could tell Jake was a little nervous as he sat on the floor beside his mom’s feet. He didn’t really look at her. Josh gave her a very enthusiastic double thumbs-up as she took her place on the stool in front of the Christmas tree.

Kelly flashed her a smile, as she placed her fingers in just the right spots, and began to strum. She wasn’t slow, and she wasn’t off-key; she played the entirety of Jingle Bells exactly perfect.

There was a moment of silence before the entire room erupted with cheers. Mom and Dad was clapping, so were Jake’s parents. Josh was jumping up and down with Ronnie, even little Sam was happy. Y/N couldn’t help but smile as she reveled in the praise of her most beloved family members.

The only person who didn’t seem to be happy for her, was Jake. Whose piercing cry cut through the sounds of cheers.

Karen immediately ceased her revelry, reaching down to scoop her youngest twin up into her lap. “Jake, what’s wrong honey?”

Everyone else, save for Sam, who didn’t really understand how to read a room yet, stopped their cheers.

“I don’t want Y/N to be good at the guitar! I’m good at the guitar too!” Jake cried into his mother’s shoulder, trying very hard not to make Y/N upset.

Karen gave Kelly a menacing look, as if to say “this is your fault!” before turning her attention back to Jake. “Jake honey, both of you can be good at guitar. Now that Y/N is good like you, you can play songs together.”

Y/N nodded, although Jake couldn’t see from his position on his mother’s lap. “Jake I practiced so hard because I want to play with you. We’re best friends, silly.”

Jake sniffled, composing himself before shuffling around. His cheeks were beet red from tears. “S’not nice to lie Y/N!” He frowned, not fully believing his friend’s words.

“Jakey!” Y/N scolded, offended that he would think she wasn’t telling the truth. “‘M not a liar! Lying isn’t nice!”

Mom stood up from her seat and crossed the room, putting herself between the two children before the fight could escalate. “Jake, do you know how many times I’ve had to listen to her play her tabs before bed?” Mom asked, removing the guitar from around her daughter’s shoulders.

Jake shook his head, rolling his sweater sleeves over his hands.

“So many times.” Mom replied, placing the guitar against the stool.

“Like one hundred times?” Jake asked quietly, slightly in awe.

“More than that!” Mom teased, picking Y/N up from her seat. “Y/N spent all of her free time, since summer started, practicing her guitar, and you know what she said to me every time I asked her “why”?”

Jake nodded, intrigued with her story now.

“She told me that she wanted to be good at guitar just like you.” With that statement, Jake’s eyes lit up, fighting a smile. “She wanted to be just like you. And when you’re older, you can make music together, just like you want to.”

“Y/N wants to be a rockstar like me?” Jake whispered, turning his head to his mom.

Karen nodded, smiling in amusement.

Y/N wiggled in her mom’s arms, a little agitated that her words were being taken out of context. “No, never said that!” She huffed, climbing out of her mother’s grasp. “I never promised to be a rockstar, I just wanna play guitar with you Jakey!” She stepped very carefully over Sam, who was now preoccupied with some discarded wrapping paper.

“So maybe you wanna be a rockstar someday?” Jake questioned, not yet sure if he wanted to accept his friend’s truce.

“Maybe.” She shrugged, tugging at his sweater sleeve. “Can we go play now? I wanna see the new matchboxes you guys got.”

The answer “maybe” was good enough for Jake’s six-year-old brain. He forgot about why he was upset, and quickly climbed out of his mother’s lap, pulling Josh along with them as they ran up the stairs to their bedroom in search of the new toy cars Santa dropped off for them early.

The twins and Y/N played with their toys until Mom told her it was time to leave. The children all spent the night fighting off sleep with the excitement of the impending arrival of Santa in just one more sleep.

And little did Y/N and Jake both know, they had brand-new guitar arrivals awaiting them, and years of endless musical adventures ahead.

•

@jakesgrapejuice @writingcold @sunshineonkennasshoulders

#jake fics #jake kiszka x y/n #jake kiszka x reader #greta van fic #jake kiszka #gvf #gate & garden

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bnxxsshh5213 · 7 months

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today I keep thinking about the similarities between Will Wood's music and Green Day

this might be a long post but I need to get this out

I remember Will Wood saying once in an interview that green day were his biggest influence even though he tends to have a very different sound, and since then I've been trying to figure out what he means, and I think I've finally got it.

A lot of musicians (Will Wood included) attempt to dive into the concept of having harmonic progressions that divert expectations, which is a good idea .... when done effectively. Usually, when you hear a chord that was different to what you expected, it sounds great. But it needs to be better than your expectation, not just different. Sometimes and artist attempt this and the harmony will feel a bit clunky, it sounds like the bass is playing the wrong note, or like the singer is in the wrong key, and so many bands do this. So let's talk about Green Day.

idk if this is just me, but when I listen to a Green Day song for the first time, it feels like I've heard it before, yet it still feels fresh. The melodies always just work, and the chords always fit in perfectly like they were written by the god of harmony, yet none of it is ever predictable. There's nothing that sounds off, but it still deviates from what you might have expected. The songs become addictive to sing along to.

That's what I think Will Wood was talking about. The melody and harmony in his music really stands out – it's simple and sometimes repetitive (most of his songs have a IV - V - I - iiic - vi progression in them somewhere) yet somehow finds that balance to avoid predictability to give you something you didn't know you wanted. Will Wood and Green Day are the only artists I know that do this, and it's something I will, from now on, keep in mind when making my own music.

ok music nerd rant over, also who's gonna wake up green day now that it's spooky season?

tldr: green day are really good at writing songs

#will wood #will wood and the tapeworms #the normal album #music #green day #music theory #maybe im looking too deep into this #I listen to too much will wood to be a normal person

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retiredtothebriars · 1 year

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@tradedsymmetry was interested in hearing my thoughts on different qualities of music (thank you!!) so on these things I brought up in the tags, plz excuse the thought dump: Melody I can’t explain why melody is so important to me, I think this is a very personal thing. Maybe because my mum only had two albums, a Michael Jackson album and an ABBA compilation album. I went for the ABBA album, but idk if it was innate because from the beginning my favourite song was Chiquitita, which is probably one of their richest in melody. I like that kind of “soaring” melody - it feels like it just lifts your whole spirit with it. My fave Perfume Genius is full of it and he knows how to orchestrate it to maximise those. All my favourite artists write great melodies.. Beirut - Zach Condon has talked a lot about how melody coming first for him. You can’t understand him half the time. Cocteau Twins! You can’t understand them all the time. Sigur Ros! Even Fall Out Boy as my first favourite band - the melodies on FUCT and IOH are gorgeous and I don’t think they would have been my favourite band otherwise. MCR similarly. Death Cab’s Plans is so simple but so moving and I think it was mainly the melody (and the lyrics). Rhythm is entwined with melody but I’m not as aware of it unless I hate it (I hate a constant crotchet/half note melody, it’s like banging your head against a wall. Oddly, although my partner is a drummer, he seems not to be bothered by this at all). There are a few notable instances though. I love when everything just stops. And there’s something incredibly satisfying about triplets. That opening rhythm from Be My Baby by The Ronettes I think is one of the most striking and eternally referenced rhythms. And speaking of the Ronettes, I wish harmonies were more at the forefront these days. I have to mention the Beach Boys if I’m talking about melodies and harmonies don’t I? Anyway melody is just absolutely indispensable to me. Many people have recommended to me Beach Fossils for the vibe and the vibe is solid but the melodies are bland to me (soz). If I don’t like the melody I simply don’t fill connected to the song.

Tonality and chord progressions

Now here I really wish I knew more about chords but I only have the knowledge of a music school dropout. There are some chord progressions that are SO beautiful, and I wish I could identify them. I will happily eat up that 1-4-5-1. But a beautiful chord progression can really make a moment. The Libertines/Peter Doherty’s bands have gorgeous traditional chord progressions...I feel like there’s something bluesy about them that makes them so but I’m not sure. Mitski REALLY opened my mind with her unusual - I don’t know if these are chord progressions or just dissonances - on Geyser and A Pearl. It’s so powerful. I’ve always leaned towards the minor keys. I find something kind of sickly about the major keys and a complete lack of dissonance. I hate Mozart. I find it childish. Too much dissonance is intimidating and alienating, and requires work. I (affectionately) hate Bartok. Debussy is that beautiful middle ground for me. So for contemporary artists I name Owen Pallett and Bjork. I’m on my 5th listen of Fossora and I feel as though my ears are finally accepting it. In addition to dissonance, there is plain singing and playing off key. PAVEMENT - how do they do it and sound so good? Going back to melody - I want to mention Dirty Projectors here because they have some of the weirdest and most dissonant melodies and harmonies I have ever heard, in addition to being incredibly sparsely textured. I am constantly in awe of how it works together. Vibe - timbre, texture These three things really give an artist their unique sound. I think for me that the vibe of a song is a very transporting thing. There are artists I listen to with the intention of being taken somewhere, or some time - Hawk and A Hacksaw, Beach House, The Cure, New Order, Wavves.

I remember being completely taken by Not Sure by Hatchie feeling like I was in a Lizzie McGuire movie, in a more compelling way than any of the actual songs in Lizzie McGuire movies - I think this is a notable song because those other aspects like melody and rhythm aren’t so strong on this song but the vibe is SO strong (and I am SO disappointed by the rest of that album). But I will happily listen to a song that doesn’t have a strong vibe. Vocals This is mostly timbre but I’ve also been thinking about this lately since someone posted about it - I appreciate when artists aren’t afraid to not sound pretty. Screaming, crying, etc. makes me scream, cry, etc. I refer to my fever dream obsession with Pulp. Honorable mention - Conor Oberst/Bright eyes. Dashboard Confessional. Actually, yeah a lot of emo bands hahaa I feel like most bands will Go For It live though. Production On thinking more about this, I think production may be one of those aspects you don’t appreciate unless it’s really really bad (unless you make music yourself). When it’s so terrible you can’t hear any of the other qualities of the song properly or it’s so clean and squeaky it’s cloying. Absolutely absolutely hate when a heavy band has clean production. Why does your distortion sound manufactured. wtf Lyrics Now I appreciate lyrics but it’s completely dispensable to me. I’ve noticed this lately - there are some lyrics I hold so highly eg, Paterson & Leo by Pinegrove - but when I go to look at them, I’m surprised at how simple and un-evocative they are on the page. I still think these are great lyrics - but they need the melody to bring them to life. Another one of my favourite songs goes here - Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks. would love to hear your thoughts too. anyway this just makes me so excited to listen to new music!!!!

#whoops i wrote a lot but this was fun and it was fun listening to a bunch of my favourite music #even if nobody reads it which i dont expect anyone to holy shit

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mack-anthology-mp3 · 8 months

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This is one that I ask myself a lot. Of these two post punk bands, which band do you prefer, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, or Einsturzende Neubauten? And why?

oh gosh hard question!!! hehe

buuuuuuut think i like Einstürzende Neubauten better. they just have that *something* to them, and i've liked almost all of their stuff that i've heard so far. all their stuff is just so different from anything else i listen to, and the range of it, from industrial to like, string section and backing vocals, and songs with a bit of both, it's just ahhhhhh it's so good! they have super heavy ominous ones and absolute bangers and beautiful quite ones and arty poetry ones and and and so much of it is really good!

i love how they can use so many languages in one song, and have really strange sounds that also fit the piece perfectly. i love how a lot of the songs, the music is actually quite simple, but also really complex in that yeah, it might only have one chord, but all those sounds are very specific things and you can't just play it, like you can't just google chords for it cos most of the song is played with percussion and feedback with a bass occasionally hitting a note. the general vibe is just so good. and of course our much beloved Blixa is a really cool person who is also a nice person! there are so few musicians who actually seem like people i'd want to know and Blixa is one of them. and he's pretty cool looking as well. and his lyrics are so good ahhh so may of them are so cool and/or so beautiful. and english is his second language and he can write in it better than a lot of people who speak as a first language like that's next level talent. and the amount of talent it takes to be able to make music so good out of such strange sounds! like anyone could write a chord progression on guitar but to write a song where most of the instruments are hitting metal things like that's just wild. and his unique voice and style and scream and the way he says things are just so gooodd.

the bad seeds are great as well of course! but some of their stuff, i just feel like nick's mediocre songs are just. mediocre. and of course the so many brilliant bad seeds songs with Blixa playing key parts of the song <3

#thank you so much for the ask!!!#i could probably go on about this one #for quite a while #i have Thoughts about these bands hehe #though tbh i have Thoughts about a lot of bands #einsturzende neubauten #nick cave and the bad seeds #blixa and nick #blixa bargeld

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josiah-theory · 1 year

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How the hell do changes work?

Sorry, I don't have much of an answer. Only guesses.

There seem to be multiple different ways of getting around

Holy shit it made the number big. Anyways, uh, cadences. You know, like a G chord going into a C chord, or an F chord going into a C chord, to establish that feeling of "we are in C major."

Cadences seem like the most obvious scheme to work from, when trying to establish tonality. V -> I, IV -> I, ii -> V -> I, IV -> V -> I, V -> vi... these are the blueprints which can be injected with detours and be stringed together to form more sophisticated progressions.

The motivation behind their use seems to be "let's make it sound like we're in this key."

Pivot chords. Say we're in our previous example: C major. We've gone between the I and V a lil bit, and then we've reached our IV chord, F. Then we play Dm - still in C major, because Dm is the ii chord. But, wait - then comes a Bb chord. Huh? Then another C - are we still in C major? - but then we go back to our F chord - and it sounds resolved! In F major, not C major! We've used Dm as a pivot chord to modulate keys - from C to F.

This works because the chord D minor is present in the keys of C major and F major. In C major, it's the ii chord. In F major, it's the vi chord. the ii became a vi, and facilitated a smooth shift from one tonality to another. The pivot chord was our entry into the tonality of F major, and then the IV -> V -> I cadence, Bb -> C -> F, sealed the deal, communicating "yes, we are in F now."

Modal interchange. This is when you take a chord in a progression and temporarily borrow tones from another key to momentarily change the chord's "flavor". Let's assume you're playing F -> G -> C. Now, the chord Fm uses a tone that's outside of C major - the tone A flat. But hey, it sounds cool. So maybe we decide we want to make the F a minor chord at some point. We are free to choose this - I promise you won't go to jail.

Whenever we substitute a chord in a progression for a chord sharing the same root but different tones, that's basically what modal interchange is.

Now, you can combine modal interchange with pivot chords and cadences, and things can get really interesting! Now that' IV chord in C major can become basically whatever chord in whatever other tonality you want. Fm? FM7 augmented? F9? Fm7b5? [Insert corresponding keys these chords fit into here]? Have at it.

Hey, where'd my huge numbers go? I guess you only get three.

Anyways, the next one I wanted to mention was voice leading. This is another way of deciding which chord comes next - you can shift around the notes in the chord you're currently playing.

This technique has a lot of overlap with modal interchange - after all, when you substitute a minor chord for a major chord, you're just shifting the third (and seventh) tones down a semitone. But where modal interchange works with respect to the root note and its position in the key, manipulations of voice leading aren't really focused on key/tonality so much as they are focused on how the voices in a chord move around.

There's a kind of music theory called Neo-Riemannian theory which covers these kinds of manipulations. There are fancy names given to these different manipulations - they're called "transforms" in this theory - but I'm not going to go over them, because I can't be bothered to google it right now.

But basically, you can do things like shift from minor to major, or major to minor - C to Cm, or Cm to C - or perhaps shift the C note down to yield B E G, the notes of Em - or perhaps shift the G up to G# to yield C E G#, the notes of C augmented - or a personal favorite, shifting the first and fifth up a semitone to yield C# E G#, the notes of C#m - there are many possibilities.

With manipulations of voice leading, you're not focusing so much on tonality as you are the way the chromatic movements feel in their own right. But just like modal interchange, this can be combined with the other techniques to establish a feeling of tonality.

Oh cool, my big number privileges have been restored!

There is actually no 5th thing I wanted to say, that's really all that's on my mind right now.

All of these concepts (and more than what was listed here) may be used to get around harmonically. I like thinking of harmony in terms of a big complicated city, or maybe like constellations in the night sky. You learn to get around, you learn the routes. Tonality concerns orbiting around a certain star, but wouldn't it be boring to orbit the same ball of gas forever?

I'll stop before my metaphors become even more tedious.

#music theory #harmony

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jamestaylorswift · 15 days

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NEED you to elaborate on the Thing please

Yes! The Thing!! If you have thoughts about The Thing, anon, I’d love to hear them.

I can’t for the life of me figure out what to properly call The Thing other than like…at times a cross between and at times just a drone and an ostinato and just background voicings? And mix in the functional opposite of pedaling? A more technical name, if it exists, is escaping me and a few google searches have not helped me figure out if such a term was ever in my brain. I will continue to call it The Thing until I figure it out.

The best way I can illustrate The Thing is *puts on my tiktoker voice* okay so you know the thing where a song is in (let’s say) the key of G and then there’s just this one synth that’s playing G constantly and oh look here it’s in another song too, just this one instrument playing the root, oh and in this song it’s doing a little boop boop boop but it’s still just a (let’s say) G major triad, oh and here we have it in THIS song too, you can hear the melody changing and the chords changing kind of around it but it’s jUst the ROOT rIGht There and it never stops and it never changes and oh my god watch out it’s even in this song because you see while these notes are being arpeggiated they’re just the notes of the first chord and the chord being arpeggiated doesn’t change even though there is a chord progression to different chords do you see what I’m saying??? guys I think this means something

Before I go on I should emphasize that Jack Antonoff is neither the only nor first artist to use The Thing or write songs that sound like This (“This,” of course, being the technical term for songs employing The Thing). I don’t think he or The Thing are “the problem” with (popular) music. It’s not like this is even a particularly new development in his music—I’d argue that it appeared at least 4-5 years ago if not earlier. And it’s hard for me to tell the extent to which The Thing is contributing to the rise in Jack Antonoff haterism of the past half decade. The reason I bring it up is that being cognizant of The Thing is different than being floored by its absolute overuse/oversaturation/overreliance (take your pick and then soften it a little) on the Bleachers self titled album. The latter I was last month. The Thing is not bad, it just is. That’s all.

Honestly one of the reasons I was so surprised when hearing Bleachers is that it really cemented how important understanding the context of The Thing is for identifying The Thing itself. I almost think it’s more obvious that Jack is using The Thing when the part that’s playing it is not as front-and-center. If said part is front-and-center then it’s given extreme musical importance. However, the Thing is important as an additive feature, and it’s rarely the main idea. Textural complexity is often subtle and so is The Thing. Similarly, The Thing is useful rhythmically when it’s repetitive and harmonically when it’s static. It’s the marriage of these three features that identify The Thing and that give The Thing value.

Here is an “annotated bibliography,” if you will, of examples of recent Jack Antonoff songs that employ The Thing. Note that this is a biased sample from songs I know/like/listen to enough to have them paged into my memory for constructing this argument. I did not do a comprehensive deep dive of Jack’s recent projects to come up with this list. Don’t take this as a timeline of The Thing’s existence. Also, this is highly subjective and there can be overlap between these categories. IMO they all kind of count as The Thing but I’m breaking it up for the purpose of illustration. You know how it is...

The “obvious use of The Thing” category:

“I Am Right On Time” (Bleachers) - good example of many The Thing and The Thing-adjacent parts! The gist of the song is a medium-high tempo song that steadily builds up. Part of the way Jack achieves this is by having a single electric guitar strum the same chord on 2 and 4 to create a backbeat. There’s also the ostinato (staccato synth rhythm on beats 2, 3, and 4) and single note (also just a single synth) that you can hear in the first and second verses and then continuing as the song builds to the end. All are very clearly establishing the key of the song and remaining at that center while the melody and chords change.

“Self Respect” (Bleachers) - in this category because of the large number of The Thing things. At very least, I’m counting the arpeggiated chord and the syncopated piano rhythm as appearances of The Thing. This song has the same ethos of “I Am Right On Time,” excitement built as the song becomes more musically busy. The Thing helps in that endeavor by contributing thickness, again mostly texturally and rhythmically, to the song.

“Me Before You” (Bleachers) - most notable instance of The Thing/its beginning in this song is that syncopated synth rhythm that starts at the beginning of the first verse and plays throughout the rest of the majority of the song. I put this song in this category, as opposed to the third, because I think this is a good example of the most basic/simple form of The Thing. At its core, The Thing is just playing around with how much of the root can be folded in to a song without crossing the threshold of making it sound “boring” or static or like something you’ve heard before. This part is just playing the same rhythm on one note. Because there’s not as much dynamic excitement/variation in this song, The Thing does less legwork than in other songs. But you can see how this could be the logical beginning for overreliance on The Thing.

“Isimo” (Bleachers) - Same explanation as above. The hemiola rhythm is just played over and over on the root. To me this part seems to be working pretty equally for rhythm, harmony, and texture.

The “eh, you could argue either way” category:

“Alma Mater” (Bleachers) - In the last minute or so there’s a lilting sax part that’s mostly there for textural/rhythmic purposes. Nonetheless, I think it’s a little ditty in the spirit of The Thing.

“Tiny Moves” (Bleachers) - This one is tricky and, in my opinion, easier to argue against. The main synth part (quarter notes of the 2-3 notes clustered around the root) is particularly salient as not clearly The Thing but clearly Thing-adjacent. The part is rhythmic, of course, but also plays a fairly important harmonic part in establishing the key center and keeping it relevant at all times. It has enough slight variation to make the song fun in a quirky way.

“The 1975” (The 1975) - Included because it’s very similar in spirit to “Tiny Moves.” Again, the quasi-randomness in this song makes it interesting and effective. Whether you like it or not, it is, at the very least, Thing-adjacent.

“91” (Bleachers) - The Point of this song is that repeated cello ostinato. Of course it doesn’t move. That’s The Point. That’s…The Thing, if you will.

“Question…?” (Taylor Swift) - Syn-co. Pa-ted. Synth-sound. Same-notes. The-Thing. Or-not. It-could. Just-be. The-synth. That-comps. The-chords. Your-choice.

The “The Thing, but more so its ontological beginning” category:

“Free” (Florence + The Machine) - all I can say is: B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B (break for the bridge and Florence’s ethereal vocals) B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B-B

“Looking For Somebody (To Love)” (The 1975) - all I can say is: A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A (break for the bridge - at this point I should acknowledge that it’s not like this the whole time and, yes, the bass very much matters and there is a “stronger/more obvious” chord progression in this song than “Free”) A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A

“Anti-Hero” (Taylor Swift) - all I can say is: E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E (okay you get the picture, also in this song there is a bit more variation from seminal The Thing because other synth parts are loudly playing other notes in the chord progression)

“The Archer” (Taylor Swift) - good song! Don’t you love how much C there is? Don’t you?! But that’s what helps make it work so well, in case that wasn’t clear. Oh there’s some variation too. But… C *hold for 3 minutes*

“mirrorball” (Taylor Swift) - another good example of the beginning of The Thing. The reason this song feels so “hazy” is that one of the guitars is just constantly playing the root chord, and any dissonance these chords’ individual notes’ dissonance have with other chords’ notes starts to melt away as you just get more entrenched in the first mode. (That is, it’s literally just vibes.) You can draw a very clear through-line between this sound and the next 3 years of Jack’s work.

IMO the reason The Thing is is not a vocally disliked part Jack Antonoff’s production style or music is that it’s hard to get your generic-enjoyer-of-western-pop-music to truly dislike songs that are so very drenched in “the ionian mode” or “the key” or whatever you want sum it up as. (Myself included—I hate neither Jack’s music nor The Thing.) If you’re playing a pop song only in the key of G then the more G you add, usually the better. The more D you add, often the better. The more B you add, yeah, sometimes-to-often the better. We—our ears and brains—have been trained to love and crave a certain amount that sameness, that root-iness, “the 1” (iykyk 🤪). Artists can, should, do evolve—and Jack has...and still, I don’t see people naming The Thing as what they hate about his music. Until twitter randos’ criticism becomes just slightly more targeted/technical I’m inclined to believe it is truly just nebulous haterism instead of, for example, constructive feedback about his style. I digress.

(If you’re wondering, my hypothesis for The Thing’s rise in prevalence over the last few years is to attribute it to the coincidental rise of whisper-y girl bedroom pop plus a subconscious sonic backlash to the pop music that dominated the late 2010s, specifically 2017-2018. In fairness, I don’t listen to a lot of either of those things so I don’t have good evidence off the top of my head for this theory. But, like, I’m sure Ed Sheeran has used The Thing too. Just a hypothesis, ya know.)

Here’s a far more fascinating line of inquiry that I’m trying to explore (still not sure what my answer is though): Can The Thing’s relevance, of course related to its artistic usefulness/ubiquity but also specifically Jack’s prominence in pop music, potentially be understood through the lens of an aesthetic?

To argue that The Thing has aesthetic value would be to argue that its virtues of textural, rhythmic, and harmonic complexity are more highly prized than the music produced avoiding/excluding that. Do we truly value the sensory experiences of being bathed in a singular note, a singular chord? Do we like that more than when we feel pulled in a strong current of a harmonic cadence? It’s clear we like The Thing because we’re nowhere close to, for instance, rioting at its very appearance like crowds did when they heard the dissonance of Shostakovich’s “The Rite of Spring.” But how much do we really love The Thing? Do we value it only because it’s highly available—Jack Antonoff still being a preeminent purveyor of pop music—and because we perceive few ways to escape his sonic influence? How much do we account for the fact that he did not invent The Thing? If we truly do love The Thing, when did this came about, originally and recently? Why would we truly love The Thing?

A final digression: I do think the shift towards use of The Thing this should be a credit to Jack. Over the last half decade, Jack has shown more restraint from a textural and dynamic point of view and been able to exercise that restraint to create warmer and more complex soundscapes. That kind of restraint helps “the softs seem softer and the louds seem louder.” It’s given us fan favorite songs like “august.” Whether this shift towards textural complexity more fully proxying for dynamic complexity is truly at the expense of, for example, more interesting harmonic complexity—well, maybe. The Thing need not imply such a zero sum game, though perhaps the data is skewed in favor of that conclusion right now. However, credit for artistic growth does not mean that growth should stop. It’s important to try out new ideas. Would the audience truly being sick of The Thing be a catalyst for another shift in Jack’s style? Only time will tell.

I’m not trying to turn this post into a referendum on whether Jack Antonoff’s music is good. The reason I point out The Thing as part of the current period of Jack’s style/work is that it is quite different than what he initially gained prominence for. Whether this shift means "good" or "bad" resulting music is purely opinion (mine is in favor of "good"). But above all I think we should value when artists change because they find something new exciting and fruitful.

If you asked someone, gun to their head, to describe Jack Antonoff’s “sound,” I’m not sure they would mention The Thing. He got famous for stuff like big drums, 80s synths, huge chord progressions for epic songs. He loves the 1-4-6-4 so much, is what I’d say if I had this gun to my head. His earlier work is very “I am going to make it obvious which chords you’re hearing, and when I pair that with some epic drums it’s going to sound cool.” Now, the chord changes are more “implied” (termed loosely). The tradeoffs he’s explored is that the more The Thing he uses, the more significant the choice of the degree to which to fill out the chord progression; the more the literal volume of the lowest bass notes matter; the more selective, sometimes, he has to be with adding percussion. Encountering and grappling with these tradeoffs is not bad. Jack Antonoff has made different music because he’s explored these tradeoffs. I, for one, find it funny that people say in the last decade he hasn’t grown or changed at all as an artist.

#anonymous #qs #jack anotonoff #bleachers #anyways someone help meeeeeeee I know The Thing has a name #I’m thinking of like what specifically charlie puth might do #he sits down at a piano to make a tiktok and he’s like #one thing I just love is ugh. cow you can take a C major triad #right like *brrm (G)* *brrrm (C)* *brm (E)*#and then you know you have a C here like *bruuummm* (C) and it’s like #yeah that's nice great C major but then!#you could take that C *bruuum (C)* and move it down to an F!#and then you keep the G C E and you get a nice major 9 chord like!#*brumm (F)* *brm (G)* *brrr (C)* *brrrrrm (E)*#yeah!

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zamssh · 4 months

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The Rhythm That Has Been In Our Lives

Written by Zamahlubi Nicole Mungwe

Every single day of our lives, a certain rhythm has been with us. Sometimes it has comforted our hearts and other times it has hurt us. We have heard happiness in the little things. The birds chirping. A baby laughing. A warm embrace from those that are kind to us. We have heard songs that have made us gyrate every fibre in our being and made it easier to feel full of life. However, it has all been transient.

Instead of the celestial arrangement we all fully seek, we have been unwillingly summoned to monstrous clanging bells: crescendo’s of social imbalances, a screeching of conflict between different countries, an intentional caterwauling of innocent heartbeats being brought to an imperfect halt, a dissonance of deprivation in nourishment as well as an uproar of not being able to maintain a decent livelihood.

Many of us have witnessed and experienced disheartening melodies in our lifetime. This theme has refined us like gold; tested us through the fire, built up our courage and examined our capacity to remain undamaged in discomfort.

But who has inflicted these tormenting tunes? It could only be us. Human beings. We have acknowledged the atrocities of the world as the norm yet our engrained general premise predating birth is to bring heaven on earth. Do we like this musical composition assorted with repulsive noise in between? If so, why did Jesus Christ arrive, by means of the body, to liberate us? Was his passion all for mirth?

Today we have a choice to create a new rhythm together. It starts with each one of us. It doesn’t have to be from a distance. It can be right here. We just need to simply believe. Music is one of the highest forms of consciousness and I know, I know for an abundance of us, consciousness has been connoted with boredom but consciousness does not have to be that way. The greatest awareness is love and that is absolutely fun if you ask me.

We can figure out a peaceful time signature with notes full of jubilation and unity along with chord progressions of true equality. We do not even need to immediately create a perfect symphony but all we need is to originate the key and leave an outline for the many generations that will be here when our souls have transcended our temporary temples. Our children and their children can embellish and add breath-taking as well as angelic syncopation's to the love that we have created together.

A multitude of us may think it is impossible but anything and everything is possible with God.

#music #life #faith

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classicalmusicdaily · 8 months

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Are you on the lookout for the absolute best way to learn piano music? Feeling a bit overwhelmed as you navigate through the sea of resources and techniques available to help you master the art of playing? Well, I've got some great news for you! There are so many fantastic options out there when it comes to learning piano music! From private lessons with a tutor or teacher right in your neighborhood to online courses with step-by-step video instruction, and even beginner-friendly books and sheet music each option brings something special to the table. The key is finding what fits seamlessly into your current lifestyle. In this post, we'll dive deep into different methods of learning piano music. By the time we wrap up, whether you're just starting out or you're a seasoned player, you'll have a crystal-clear understanding of the path that's perfect for you! Understand the Basics of Piano Music Theory Have you ever wondered how piano music is created? Well, it all starts with the basics of piano music theory. Piano music theory is the foundation of creating beautiful and enchanting melodies that leave an audience captivated. Understanding piano music theory doesn't have to be a daunting task. In fact, it can be quite fun and exciting. By learning the different notes, scales, and chord progressions, you will begin to develop your own unique sound and style. The beauty of piano music theory is that once you master the basics, you can start to explore all sorts of musical possibilities. So, why not start your journey today and unlock a new world of creativity and musical expression? Familiarize Yourself with Different Playing Styles If you're just starting out as a musician, it's important to familiarize yourself with different playing styles. There are so many ways to approach an instrument or a piece of music, and trying out different approaches can help you find your own unique voice. Some people prefer traditional playing styles, while others are more interested in experimenting with new techniques. Whatever your preference, taking the time to explore different playing styles can only make you a better musician. So don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. Who knows? You might just discover your new favorite way to play. Practice Scales and Chords to Develop Accuracy If you want to become a proficient musician, it's essential to practice scales and chords to develop accuracy in your playing. This isn't the most exciting aspect of playing an instrument, but it's critical to develop muscle memory and increase your dexterity. You'll be surprised how much your accuracy improves with regular practice. Take the time to learn the different scales and chords, and practice them consistently. It won't be long before you start seeing improvements in your playing ability. Plus, hitting those challenging chords or playing complex scales accurately is an incredibly satisfying feeling. So, don't skip out on the fundamentals of practicing scales and chords your future self will thank you for it! Learn How to Read Sheet Music Have you ever looked at sheet music and felt completely lost? Don't worry, you're not alone. Learning how to read sheet music can feel like trying to decipher a foreign language. But with a little guidance and practice, anyone can do it. With sheet music, not only can you play your favorite songs, but you can also communicate with other musicians and even create your own compositions. It's like cracking a secret code and unlocking a whole new world of musical possibilities. So why not give it a try and see where it takes you? Listen to Your Favorite Pieces and Take Notes If you're someone who loves music, listening to your favorite pieces is a no-brainer. But have you ever considered taking notes while doing so? There's something special about jotting down your thoughts and feelings as you listen to a song that can make the experience even more meaningful.

Whether it's the lyrics that stick out to you or the way a certain instrument is played, noting these details can not only help you remember what you loved about the song but can also improve your understanding and connection to the music. So go ahead, grab a pen and paper, and give it a try next time you're listening to your favorite tunes. You might be surprised how much more you'll appreciate them. Make Practicing Fun with Games and Challenges Practicing doesn't have to be a boring and daunting task. Make it fun by incorporating games and challenges into your routine. Whether you're practicing a new language, learning an instrument, or studying for an upcoming test, games, and challenges can help keep you motivated and engaged. For example, you can turn to study vocabulary into a game of Scrabble or use flashcards to play memory matches. If you're learning to play an instrument, set a challenge to learn a new song by a certain date or time. Whatever your goal, don't be afraid to get creative and make practicing a fun and enjoyable experience. Conclusion: In conclusion, learning piano music can be a thrilling experience that requires determination and dedication. By following the steps outlined in this article, you will be well on your way to mastering your favorite pieces. Start by grounding yourself in the basics of piano music theory and then get comfortable with different playing styles. Building accuracy is best done by practicing scales and chords, and by learning how to read from sheet music. Plus, listening to some of your favorite pieces can help immerse yourself in the piano before beginning. So c’mon get excited! Make practicing fun again with games, and challenges, and set goals for yourself the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to learning how to play the beautiful instrument that is the Piano! FAQS: Q: What is the best way to learn Piano Music? A: The best way to learn piano music is by establishing a solid foundation of basic music theory, exploring different playing styles, practicing scales and chords for accuracy, and immersing yourself in the music by listening to your favorite pieces. Additionally, setting goals and making practice fun with games or challenges can help you stay motivated and engaged. Q: Is it possible to learn how to play the Piano without using sheet music? A: Yes, it is possible to learn how to play the piano without sheet music. There are many other methods like ear training that focus on developing a good musical ear and internalizing popular tunes by playing by ear. However, sheet music is an invaluable tool for learning and mastering the Piano, so it’s best to learn the basics of reading sheet music in order to get the most out of your musical journey. Q: How long does it take to become proficient at playing the Piano? A: Learning how to play the Piano is a never-ending journey, so there is no definitive answer to this question. However, with regular practice and dedication, you can expect to see improvement in your skills in anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. Developing proficiency on the piano takes time and focus, but with the right attitude and determination, it’s possible to achieve your musical goals! Q: What are some of the benefits of learning to play the Piano? A: Learning how to play the Piano can be a rewarding experience for many reasons. It can help you gain confidence, build discipline and perseverance, express creativity, foster teamwork when playing with other musicians, relieve stress, and even improve your overall cognitive skills. Additionally, playing the Piano can be a great way to connect with other musicians and music lovers, making it an enjoyable experience for everyone!

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ads-04 · 1 year

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Muisc Theory

Music Theory blog

For as long as I remember the theory behind the music I love has fascinated me. My earliest memory of when this love for theory started was when I was around 10 years old laying in my attic bedroom looking up at the bright stars in the dark night sky listening to fade to black by Metallica on my dads iPod full volume through earphones. Everything from the rhythm changes to the melody to the arrangement of the entire song made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

As I have grown older my love and understanding for the harmonic theory and rhythm theory has only gown with me and so has my love for music.

Here I want to show and educate you in the main elements of these music theory concepts which hopefully you can implement into your own music or even just have a better understanding of what your favourite artists create.

Harmonic Theory Concepts

Chords

Chords are a group of three or more notes played together to create harmony. In popular music, chords are often used to create the main structure of a song, and the chord progression helps to define the mood and atmosphere of the music. They include Major, Minor, Dominant Seventh, Major Seventh, and Minor Seventh chords

Rhythm

In music, rhythm refers to the pattern of sounds and silences that make up the underlying structure of a piece. Rhythm is created by the arrangement of beats, which are the basic units of time in music.

The most common way to represent rhythm in music is through the use of a time signature, which indicates the number of beats in each measure and the type of note that receives one beat. For example, a common time signature is 4/4, which means there are four beats in each measure and a quarter note receives one beat.

Melody

Melody is often what we remember most about a song or piece of music, as it is the part that we tend to hum or sing along to.

Melodies are usually created by combining a series of individual notes that are played one after the other. These notes can be arranged in a variety of ways, such as ascending or descending patterns, repetition, or variation. The notes in a melody are usually chosen from a particular scale or key, which gives the melody a sense of unity.

Melodies can be played on a variety of instruments, such as a guitar, piano, or violin, and can be sung by a vocalist. They can also be accompanied by other musical elements, such as harmonies or rhythms, to create a more complex musical texture.

Harmony

Harmony is frequently used in popular music to enhance the melody and produce a feeling of motion and tension. The arrangement of chords that produces a good sound is called harmony.

Arrangement

The process when the many components of a song are put together and arranged to produce a finished product is known as arrangement. The use of arrangement in popular music showcases the song's many instrumentation and vocal elements while also creating a feeling of suspense

Key

A key is a collection of notes that serve as a song's foundation. The note that the song is built around determines the key, and the notes in the key contribute to the melody and harmony of the music.

Rhythm and Meter

Rhythm and meter are fundamental concepts in music, including popular music. They refer to the way in which time is organized and divided in a musical composition.

Beat

The fundamental unit of time in music is the beat. We can clap our hands or tap our feet in time to the steady rhythm. The beat in the most popular music is divided into four equal portions which is known as quarter notes.

Groove

A song's overall rhythmic feel is referred to as its groove. It is made with how rhythm and meter interact with other elements like instrumentation and production. Different styles of music have their own unique grooves, such as the funky, syncopated grooves of funk music or the driving, four-on-the-floor grooves of dance music. Regardless of the style, a good groove is essential for creating a compelling and memorable musical experience.

Tempo

Tempo is a term used to describe the speed at which music is played. Usually, it is expressed in beats per minute (BPM). Musicians use tempo as a way to create tension, excitement, or relaxation in a song. For example, a fast tempo can create a sense of urgency or excitement, while a slow tempo can evoke a more relaxed or somber mood. Additionally, different genres of music often have their own characteristic tempos that help define their sound and style.

Meter

The way beats are arranged into patterns is known as meter. The most common meter in popular music is 4/4 time, which has four beats each measure with one for each quarter note.

Transcriptions

Chord progression – The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony

Rhythm – The Winstons – Amen, Brother (amen break)

Melody - Gorillaz – Saturnz barz

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kailikameokacapstone · 1 year

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I’ve wasted a lot of time this semester throwing around ideas. None of them seemed to stick. From what I understand, my research paper should support the deliverables. That’s hard to do when you haven’t done much research. So, I spent the past month reading. This week, started drafting the research paper.

One of the points that I’m including in my research paper is that video games can be used for deliberate practice. Deliberate practice requires that a person be focused on the skill they are practicing, receive immediate feedback and have opportunities to repeat tasks that become progressively more difficult.

In the CM 314 sound design course, we played a gme where we needed to identify different types of chords. I didn’t like the game because it played the next note almost immediately after I clicked the button to select the correct answer. I thought this was confusing because I associated the next chord with the answer to previous chord. So, I decide to remake the app and expand some of the features.

I started by designing the app in Figma. The app will have 5 different modes. In music theory, students often learn about intervals. Intervals can be melodic (playing one note at a time) or harmonic (playing two notes at the same time). After intervals students learn about simple triad chords. Then, they move on to inversion (swapping the stacking order of the notes in a chord) and 7th chords (chords with 4 notes). With that in mind, the game can have 5 modes

Melodic Intervals

Harmonic Intervals

Triad Chords

Chord Inversions

7th Chords

Players will need to identify as many chords as they can in 60 seconds.

So far, I’ve finished the design and started building the game. Because the game doesn’t involve graphics, I decided to build it using web technologies (React). That’s also nice because it’s been a while since I’ve written code in Unity and I use React for work all the time.

I was able to finish the main menu and deploy the app here: https://kaili-kameoka.github.io/chord-coach/

The app is simple to build. I’ve implemented most of the features before. Some things that are nagging me are:

When the player answers correctly, there should be a modal pop up that lasts for 3-5 seconds (I’ll have to play with that) with the option to close it earlier. Then the game will progress to the next chord. This will provide some separation to let the correct answer sink in. I’'s also an opportunity to show some additional information like what the chord looks like on the staff and where the keys are on a keyboard. I’ve used modals before (those pop up windows), but It’s been a while since I’ve used a timer (to wait the 5 seconds before closing and moving on).

I need to generate all the sounds. I have Logic Pro. I just need to sit down and create all the chords. I’ll probably start with the key of C. Each interval will start on middle C, so there are only 18 possible intervals. All the chords will have middle C as the root also. Then there are 4 kinds of Triads and 5 or 6 kinds pf 7th chords.

I also need to figure out where I’m going to generate those images of the staff and the keyboard. I consider these to be stretch goals. I’d be happy if the modal simply labeled the chord or interval .for example, if the chord was C Major the modal will simply say “C Major” and include a button to continue.

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longclub · 2 years

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Liquid notes chords from melody

#Liquid notes chords from melody generator#

#Liquid notes chords from melody download#

NOTEUse that melody as you want (yes you can make your own song with. ** Single print order can either print or save as PDF. As you can read, this is melody tutorial so im not making beat. Let’s break it down further to see what notes are in each measure. If "play" button icon is greye unfortunately this score does not contain playback functionality. In this 6 bar example, the melody is derived from the C major scale. Many piano methods tend to keep chords in the left hand while the right hand plays the. Any rhythm of each chord that last for four counts will fit your music. However, you are not limited to only playing quarter note values. Simply click the icon and if further key options appear then apperantly this sheet music is transposable.Īlso, sadly not all music notes are playable. A simple way to read this would be to simply give each chord a quarter note value. In order to check if 'Liquid - F Horn 1' can be transposed to various keys, check "notes" icon at the bottom of viewer as shown in the picture below. * Not all our sheet music are transposable. Liquid Notes also routed the MIDI data back into your sequencer.

#Liquid notes chords from melody generator#

This chord progression generator vst is a little different in the fact that it works with any plugin inserted on your corresponding track and as a standalone plugin itself. When this song was released on it was originally published in the key of. Liquid Notes by Re-Compose is an amazing chord progression generator vst that can help chords, chord progressions, and scales. Be careful to transpose first then print (or save as PDF). If your desired notes are transposable, you will be able to transpose them after purchase. If you selected -1 Semitone for score originally in C, transposition into B would be made. This means if the composers started the song in original key of the score is C, 1 Semitone means transposition into C#. Changing the function of a chord causes a major difference in its harmonic quality and musical effect. These are the prime steps of a basic cadence. If it is completely white simply click on it and the following options will appear: Original, 1 Semitione, 2 Semitnoes, 3 Semitones, -1 Semitone, -2 Semitones, -3 Semitones. We can use Liquid Notes to reharmonise each bar of the sequence, Place sliders marked FUNCTION on one of their three positions: for Tonic (I), Subdominant (IV), or Dominant (V). You can do this by checking the bottom of the viewer where a "notes" icon is presented. Most of our scores are traponsosable, but not all of them so we strongly advise that you check this prior to making your online purchase. If not, the notes icon will remain grayed. If transposition is available, then various semitones transposition options will appear. In order to transpose click the "notes" icon at the bottom of the viewer.

#Liquid notes chords from melody download#

After you complete your order, you will receive an order confirmation e-mail where a download link will be presented for you to obtain the notes. This week we are giving away Michael Buble 'It's a Wonderful Day' score completely free.

#Liquid notes chords from melody

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bananavisual · 2 years

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josiah-theory · 1 year

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Building a model for scale perception

I have this idea in my head of a tool that takes a MIDI file, and tells you how the perceived scale changes over time in the music.

It's a bizarre idea for many reasons. For one, MIDI is an abstraction of real music. MIDI is music as much as sheet music is music - both are just abstractions, on the same level as a recipe, a set of instructions.

Let's say you have a MIDI note with pitch = C3, duration = 2 beats, and velocity = 100. What does this sound like?

Well, maybe it's just a straightforward sine wave.

Or maybe it's a saw wave.

But neither of these even have release - sound that endures after the MIDI note ends. Take the following synth sound for example:

Or this one, which not only has an entirely different timbre, but is in an entirely different register, despite being the same MIDI pitch:

The same piece of MIDI information can describe entirely different sounds. That's because MIDI is an abstraction of sound.

These abstractions are my primary subject of interest. When working with them, when trying to analyze them, I have to accept that models of perception can only go so far.

What these abstractions forego entirely is one of the most crucial features of sound and how it's perceived: timbre. When you ignore timbre, you ignore the very thing that makes sound... well, sound.

Does this mean my study is ruined? Is it pointless to study these musical qualities without considering timbre? I must admit it is, to some degree. Take the score of the most sombre, serious piece of music, and perform it on kazoos, and see just how sombre that piece comes out. Timbre is incredibly important.

...But, timbre isn't everything. While we can't expect a model of perception to be complete without accounting for timbre, I feel pretty darn confident claiming that these abstractions - the information communicated by MIDI data, and abstractions thereof - at least factor in to how a piece of music is perceived. And therefore, I believe that so long as you're willing to account for the rough incompleteness of such a model, there is at least SOME utility in its consideration.

And, more importantly, it's just a curious thing to me, trying to analyze how scales are perceived, just using MIDI data.

Scales, keys, tonalities, chords, whatever - these things are all themselves abstractions anyways. So I'm willing to accept that I'm working with at least one foot in la-la-land. I have no illusions about the major scale being ~fundamental~ or ~natural~, or that there's some natural, physical pretense to a V chord "wanting to resolve" down to a I chord. It's ultimately a matter of cultural programming. And there are immense variations in these associations between person to person.

Oh boy... I'm really going off on a tangent. Yeah, get used to that, I guess. I do that a lot. Anyways, what was the point of all this? Basically what I'm saying is that it's honestly kind of dumb to build a model of harmonic perception using only MIDI data, but it might be worth experimenting with anyways.

Maybe it's confusing what I even mean by a "model of harmonic perception". Well, what I mean by that is writing computer code that can take MIDI data, and say something like, "oh yeah, this is the ii -> V7 -> I progression in D major. Then it modulates to G major, before resolving back in D major." Or something like that, iunno.

Honestly, this is a bit of a fool's errand. But hey, it's something I'm curious about.

Given a measure of music, one way to analyze what scale it is in is to just collect all the notes present, and then report the scale they form. For example, if all the notes present form the collection C, D, E, F, G, A, B, then you clearly have a measure that's in C major.

But what about cases where you have chromatic grace notes? Short, subtle notes between other notes, which lie outside of C major. The aforementioned algorithm would report a much more chromatic scale - even though a listener would most likely still PERCEIVE it as C major.

This is where I'm at right now. I need to figure out how to weigh different notes based on different parameters - some candidates are:

The frequency at which they occur

Their velocities (how loud they are)

Their duration (how short/long they are)

Another parameter which I feel factors heavily into perception - my perception, at least - is how low a note is. I find that the lower a pitch, the more it informs the perceived scale. This is NOT a rule, but a general rule of thumb I've learned in harmonic perception is that bass notes inform perceived tonality more than notes in higher registers. Again - NOT a rule! Just an observation that's generally held up for my own ears over the years.

Frankly, there's so much more that factors into the perceived tonality of a section of music. A big factor is the context that the section sits in. I'm talking temporal context - you can analyze a few bars of music in isolation, but its perceived tonality can ENTIRELY change once placed within the larger piece of music. This gestalt quality of harmony profoundly complicates matters.

There is a lot to this. I'm going to end this entry here. Uhm... in closing, how musical harmony is perceived is a strange, elusive sort of thing, and it varies from person to person. Honestly, I feel a statistical/probabilistic model of sorts would be the most realistic. But whatever. It's curious stuff!

#music theory #perception #midi

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guitar-hero-3-cheats-qh · 2 years

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Guitar Hero III Cheats and Unlockable for Xbox

💾 ►►► DOWNLOAD FILE 🔥🔥🔥 When you picture some of the biggest and most memorable events, shows and concerts will definitely come to mind. To this day, music festivals and performances continue to sell out huge venues. It contains numerous installments but also had a trilogy with Guitar Hero 3: Legends Of Rock being released in To enter codes, go to the Cheats Menu and strum the corresponding chords. One of the most recognizable gestures in rock and roll, people continue to play invisible guitars along to the music. A big part of any rock show is style and performance which comes through when you really get into the song. All of the playable characters in Guitar Hero 3 play different guitars which you can swap out at your leisure. There are a lot of guitars to choose from and plenty of playing animations to watch. Still, if you want to see these rockers shredding their all on nothing, then just enter this code. The guitar is not an easy instrument to learn and it can take years to make even minimal progress. Some are natural talents or have longer arms and fingers to make things easier while others have to push beyond their limits. Songs have different tempos which you need to master in order to play well. Certain songs and harder difficulties challenge you to play more notes at faster speeds. Although, if you want to challenge yourself further, enter this code to dramatically speed things up. Even though you can get lost in the music and movement, Guitar Hero 3 is still a game. It becomes a game about timing and quick reflexes which can distract from the overall experience. By entering this code, you can make the colored notes disappear entirely so you have only your memory and handiwork to go on. Playing both real and fake instruments requires a lot of sharp and precise movements. Whether this song is slow or fast, simple or complex, your fingers need to be perfect to hit the right notes. After you get a feel for the positioning, you can increase the difficulty or try some of the harder songs. If you still feel that the timing window is too generous and want an extra challenge, you can enter this code to make the window to hit the notes even smaller. A classic code that many older games have is one that affects character models. A prime example is the DK code from GoldenEye which alters character models so they have giant heads. Though Guitar Hero 3 has characters, they act as representations of your playing rather than responding to direct input. You mainly interact with the colored notes that fall down the screen called gems. The main reason to play a rhythm game is for the music. While there are plenty of titles that have original music, Guitar Hero 3 relies on power ballads and tunes that most would recognize. Each installment includes a new setlist and this one focuses on hard, soft, and alternative rock songs from several decades. It covers a lot of well-known songs as well as some lesser-known ones to help flesh out your musical knowledge. The typical way to unlock the full setlist is by playing through and completing challenges. Rhythm games can be notoriously unforgiving and difficult to complete. Some of them have point requirements that ask for a near-perfect score just to advance to the next level. Although Career Mode requires you to take risks, you can eliminate any pressure from other modes if you want to practice or relax with this code. Poison is one of the most recognized American rock bands of all time with Bret Michaels being their key frontman. Michaels is quite distinguishable with his long blond hair, bright eyes, and colorful headwear. In Guitar Hero 3, though some rock legends are depicted, most of the characters models are just generic rock personas. The singer may change based on the vocals, but there are only three alternates. However, if you want to add some star power to your virtual band, all you need to do is enter this code and Bret Michaels will appear as your frontman.

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neverinadream · 2 years

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Can I request smut with Chilly, soft intimate sex on top of the famous pianooooo 😥

Y/n's Secret Talent

Summary: Ben discovers y/n can play the piano as he shows her his progress in attempting to learn the instrument

Song: Glitter In The Air - Pink

Ben's best friend was as shocked as the rest of the world when Dele revealed on his Instagram story that Ben was taking piano lessons. It wasn't something she could ever see him doing, but, nevertheless, she was supportive of his new hobby.

However, what she hadn't told Ben was that she herself was a pianist. She started taking lessons when she was five, even having a local newspaper branding her as the girl with the golden hands when she was just eight years old. Her mum even went as far as to have the news clipping framed and put on the wall - y/n quickly ripped it down and hid it in the kitchen draw the first time Ben visited her childhood home. In her opinion, she could do without him knowing about her golden hands.

"Go on then," y/n encouraged, Ben disrupting their movie night to show her his progress. She sat down on the piano stool, glancing across at him. "I'm waiting, Music Man," she giggles, bouncing her knee impatiently.

"Has anyone told you that you have a problem with patience?" He asks, rhetorically. She rolls her eyes, nudging him with her elbow. "Seriously," he continues to poke fun, "you should see a behavioural therapist about it-"

"Benji!" He loved how she said his nickname, the sweet melodic ring to it. She points to the white and black piano keys. "Either show me your progress or I'm picking the most cheesiest rom-com," she threatens, pushing her finger down onto an A key, "and I'll even talk about the male lead the whole time. We both know how much you hate that."

Ben groaned, rolling his head back. He did hate it, but only because he hated hearing y/n talk about another guy's good looks and not his own. "Fine, fine," he mumbles, cracking his fingers together as he stretched out his arms, "it's not much, so don't laugh."

Y/n gasps, holding onto his bicep. "I would never!"

His right hand comes down against the white keys, carefully pressing them as he played what y/n believed to be London Bridge. His pace was a little off but she guessed that was from him trying to concentrate on remembering the sequence of notes.

Y/n gave him a small round of applause, smiling as she looks back at him. "Look at you," she ruffles her fingers through his product free hair. Normally, Ben would hate when anyone would try and mess with his hair, but y/n was...well she was his person, even if she didn't know that. "You'll be a master pianist in no time," she says, pulling her hand back.

"Yeah, well, no promises," he replies, getting up from the stool. He tells her he's going to make the popcorn, disappearing off into the kitchen.

Y/n's hands delicately danced over the keys, their cold smooth surface all too familiar to her. She had spent an embarrassing amount of time sitting in front of a piano, practising every day until she had perfected the likes of Chopin and Bach. There were many a time when her parents had to pry her away from the piano, possibly regretting giving her her first piano lessons.

Her right hand pressed down on the keys, creating an F chord, humming as her hands used their muscle memory to play a melody she had written many years ago. She loved the sound of a piano as much as she enjoyed the sound of Ben's voice, both having a calm, soothing effect on her.

"You can play?"

Y/n abruptly stops, pulling her hands away from the piano. "Is that what I was doing?" She asks, swinging her legs over the stool until she was facing him. She looks up at him with an innocent smile, trying not to act like she knew what she was just doing. "Huh, I wonder if it's like those people who wake up from comas speaking a language they've never spoken before," she ponders, shrugging her shoulders.

"Since when have you been able to play?" Ben asks, leaving the bowl of popcorn on the glass dining room table. She shrugged her shoulder, continuing to play the innocent act. "Angel," his voice was low as he used the term of endearment she accidentally admitted to liking, "why have you never told me you could play? I've been taking lessons from a piano teacher for months when I could've just asked you."

"Oh, no, no," she shook her head, "you said it yourself, I have a problem with patience."

Ben rolled his eyes, sitting sideways on the stool. "Seriously, though, you can play?"

"It's not that big of a deal," she murmurs, turning to face him. He throws back a look that says otherwise. "Seriously, Ben, it's just a normal thing for me," she dismisses him, "like riding a bike."

"Playing the piano and riding a bike are two very different things."

Y/n shrugs her shoulders.

Ben chuckles, pushing his hair back as he runs his fingers through it. "You know I'm definitely going to get you to teach me now, right?"

She gasps, dramatically, "and put a poor man out of his job?" She shakes her head. "Nope, not happening."

"Come on," he pouts, hands hooking underneath her knees as he pulls her closer to him. He dangled her legs over his, the pair of them only a mere few inches away from each other. "I'll pay you-"

"How much we talking?"

"I was thinking of paying you with my wonderful hugs," he answers, eyes scanning over each of the freckles, beauty marks and the little scar above her left eye, "and possibly even a few more of my hoodies."

Y/n lifts her hand up to her chin, tapping her finger against her bottom lip. She pretended to think it over, having already given her answer a few minutes ago. Whilst she did love Ben's hugs and he did own some of the best hoodies she had laid her eyes upon, she ultimately shook her head. "Nope, no can do," she tells him, dropping her hand, "it just wouldn't feel right kicking a man out of his job. That and I would just be too much of a distraction."

Ben barks a gentle laugh. "Sure, okay."

"I would be," she playfully slaps his thigh, "I am definitely an upgrade from your current piano teacher. Unless old men are your thing." She lifts her hands into the air. "No judgement here-" A squeal leaves her lips as he pokes her sides, quickly moving his hands away before he could tickle her. "Are you telling me you wouldn't be distracted by this?" Y/n asks, circling her finger around her face.

Ben just shrugs his shoulders, trying to play it cool. "I think I'd be fine," he answers, "in fact, I think I would get so bored, I'd be put off the piano forever." She shoves his shoulder, a look in her eyes that said oh really? He nods his head, "Yes, really."

"I don't believe you."

"No?" Y/n shakes her head. "Why's that then?"

"Because I've seen the way you look at me when you think I'm not looking," y/n answers truthfully, dropping her act. Ben leans back, clearing his throat. "I know you don't like it when I talk about the leading male characters in films because you want me to talk about you in that way," she continues, chewing on the inside of her cheek, "I know you actually secretly like it when I steal your hoodies because it means I have a little something of yours to call me own. I know you try your best not to stare at my lips, even though you're dying to kiss me."

Ben doesn't know why she's suddenly saying all this to him. Of course, it was true, he wasn't going to deny that to himself, he just didn't know he had been so obvious. "I-" His breath catches in his throat, brain going fuzzy as he tries to deny it. "I mean-"

"Jesus, Benjamin." Y/n grabbed him by the front of his shirt, pulling him in as she makes the first move. "If you want to kiss me, then just kiss me," she mumbles, before pushing her lips against his.

Her hand snaked around his neck, holding onto him as he kisses her back, happy smiles appearing on both of them as they continued to move their lips in synchronicity. Neither one of them had wanted something more than right now. Ben reaches out to hold her face, cupping her cheeks and too scared to hold her anywhere else.

She breaks away first, needing to catch her breath. "I want you," she whispers, placing both hands flat against his chest. He raises his eyebrows, trying not to read too much into three simple words. A giggle falls from her lips, nodding her head. "Yes, like that," she bites her bottom lip.

His hands dangle down to her waist, thumbs brushing against the material of her (his) hoodie until it's just high enough for her skin to peak out. She shivers at his touch, his thumbs cold against her skin as he rubs slow circles against her. "Are you sure?" Ben asks, bumping his nose against hers, half smiling as she giggles at the innocent action.

"One hundred per cent," y/n replies, butterflies fluttering inside as he rests his forehead against hers. She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath in to settle her stomach. "I want you," she repeats, her voice soft as she opens her eyes to his.

Ben lifts his hand from her waist, resting it under her chin, using it to tilt her up into another kiss. He had always thought her lips would be soft, but as they move against his, soft isn't how he would even begin to describe them. She parts her lips, moaning as he runs his tongue across her bottom lip, a simple sound driving him crazy in the best way possible. His tongue glides slowly over hers, wanting to draw out this experience for as long as possible. Something told him in the back of his mind that this wasn't going to be a one time thing, but he wanted to burn every little bit into his memory in case his intuition was wrong.

Both pull back at the same time, him removing his shirt and then helping to remove her hoodie; they both laugh when her arm gets stuck, Ben apologising for being too eager to remove it. His breath is taken away as he takes in her chest, cheeks flushing as he has to tear his eyes away. She takes his hand, pressing a soft kiss against the back of it, before guiding it down her chest. His touch his delicate, fingertips skimming over the tops of her breasts. She doesn't stop the movement of his hand, lowering it to the waistband of her leggings. "Touch me," she whispers, using her free hand to turn him to look at her, "Benji, please."

"Yeah?" He poses the question, her placing a simple kiss against his lips as she replies, "yes."

He dips his hand inside her leggings, drawing a whimper from her as he ghosts his fingers over the outside of her underwear. "Like this?" He asks, eyes trained on her reaction as he applies more pressure.

Her breath is shakey, trying not to buck her hips into his hand. She wanted all of his touches but didn't want to come off as too eager. "Close," she replies, tongue poking against her cheek as he snaps back the elastic of her underwear. He hums when he feels how turned on she was, cockiness setting in at the thought of being the one to do this to her. "Bingo," she whimpers as his fingers push against her slick slit.

"Didn't know I had such an effect on you, angel," Ben teases, coating his fingers in her juices.

"Cockiness isn't a good shade on you," y/n quips, wrapping both arms around his neck. She pulls him in for a kiss, moaning into his mouth as his fingers circle against her clit. His tongue dips back into her mouth, the kiss a little more feverish than before. "Now, make me cum on your fingers and I might just let you fuck me on this piano," y/n says, pulling away to catch his reaction.

"Is that a promise?"

"I guess you got to make me cum to find out."

Ben groans, leaning in to kiss her once more; his tongue pushes between her lips in time with him sliding one finger inside her. This time she bucks her hips into him, him chuckling against her lips at this reaction. He places his free hand against her hip, pinning her down against the stool to stop her from moving. "You need to stop moving, angel," he pulls back, leaving a trail of kisses along her jaw. He stops at her ear, warm breath fanning her ear and neck. "You'll end up off the stool if you move too much," he whispers in her ear.

"I need more," she whines, fingers curling in her hair. She tugs gently on his locks as his finger continues to move at an agonisingly slow pace. She wanted to saviour every little bit as much as he did, but she also wanted to cum at some point tonight. "I need you to speed it up a little," she requests.

Ben obliges, slipping in a second finger. His thumb finds her clit, brushing in circles as he increased the speed of his two fingers. She moans for him as he curls his fingers, grazing over the all important spot. The spot that made her toes curl and her thighs shake. Not many could find that spot and it worked her up more to know his hands were made for more than just learning to play the piano.

"Oh, my god," y/n whimpers, head falling against his shoulder. The knot tightens inside her as she feels that all too familiar feeling building up. "Don't stop doing that," she encourages as his fingers curl once more.

"Cum for me, angel," Ben urges, ghosting his lips over her ear as he whispers into it, "just let yourself go."

Her hand squeezes his bicep as she reaches her orgasm, crying out into his shoulder, a string of profanities and his name leaving muffled by his skin. He's amazed at how tight she is clenching around his fingers, soaking them as he gently lets her down from her high.

"How was that?" Ben asks, pulling his hand out of her leggings. His hands settle once more on her waist, leaving her to lean against him.

"Ask me in a minute," y/n answers, her thighs twitching as she basks in the post-orgasm afterglow. His chuckle is deep in her ear, feeling him place soft kisses against her hair as he turns his head into her. "Only a few have done what you've just done," she openly admits to him, releasing her hold on his bicep as she pushes herself to sit up.

She glances across at his piano, the thought of having sex on it more appealing to her than before. Removing herself from his hold, she rises from the stool to shut the lid. The piano might have been one of her favourite sounds, but the noise that would come from every thrust was something she could do without hearing.

"You were being serious about the piano, huh?" Ben asks, watching as she turns herself around to face him.

"Deadly." She takes his hand, tugging at it until he rises to his feet in front of her. Her fingers skimmed over the bulge in his black shorts, before untying the string to loosen them. "Unless you don't want to have sex with me?" She ponders, taking her hand away.

"I do," he's eager to answer, fingers playing with the waistband of her leggings, "I really want to have sex with you, it's just I should go get-"

"They made the pill for a reason, Benjamin," y/n interrupts him, placing her finger over his mouth. He nods his head, definitely too eager to see this through the finish line. "Good," she tells him, both moving quickly to remove their bottoms. Ben lifted her up onto the edge of the piano, standing between her legs as wraps one around his waist. "Benji," she complained as he teased the head of his cock against her entrance, "Please, just put it in me already."

"You really need to work on your patience, angel," he taunts, pushing in the tip. His breath catches in the back of his throat, a hoarse groan leaving his mouth as he pushes all the way inside. "If only you could feel what I feel right now," he says, pulling out until it was just the tip left inside. He pushes back in, looking down to watch himself disappear inside of her. "It's crazy that this is happening right now."

She takes his face in her hands, pulling him in to press a sweet, loving kiss against his lips. "Do you want me to pinch you?" She asks, giggling as he shakes his head.

"If this is just a dream then I definitely don't want to wake up," he answers, keeping his thrusts at a steady pace.

"Had many dreams about me?" She doesn't mean to tease him, but the shadow of pink blush that spreads across the bridge of his nose is just too cute.

"All the time," the truth tumbles from his lips as he grunts into the air, "you're the only one in my dreams."

Steady whimpers and soft moans fill the air as he continues to thrust into her. He has one hand resting on her hip and the other tangled in her hair, bringing her in closer just enough for their lips to touch without actually kissing each other. The need to be as close to one another was desperate for both of them, both of y/n's arms wrapped tightly around him.

"I don't think I can last much longer," Ben grunts, the excitement getting the better of him. There's a red tinge of embarrassment across his cheeks. "I wanted this to last longer-"

"It's fine," y/n assures him, resting her forehead against his, "cum for me, Benji."

"I want us to come together," he counters, trying his best to fight off his orgasm.

She brings her hands down to cup his face, thumbs pressing circles into his beard. "I'm there with you," she tells him, clenching around him as her high starts to wash over her.

His fingers tighten in her hair, nails digging into her hip as he bottoms out. A series of grunts leave his lips as he manages a few more thrusts, washing her insides with his seed. "I love you," he whispers, y/n just managing to hear his confession.

She brings him in for a kiss, mouths lazily moving against each other. "I love you too, Benji," she reciprocates his omission, nodding her head when he pulls away to question her.

The two of them got cleaned up, y/n changing into a pair of Ben's shorts and one of his t-shirts, before they both collapsed onto his sofa. Ben slouched his arm around her shoulders, leaving a kiss against the top of her head.

"I can't believe I've just had sex on my piano," Ben laughs, shaking in his head in disbelief, "I can't believe I just had sex with my best friend."

"I know, right?" She settles on a movie for them to watch, choosing 10 Things I Hate About You. "Check that item off the bucket list."

This bit is for @blueathens who I know has been waiting for this!! 💕

#ben chilwell #ben chilwell imagine #ben chilwell blurb #ben chilwell oneshot #ben chilwell fanfic #ben chilwell smut

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