Falling Fifth

Backdated, archival post

[link to original on tumblr]

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I'm going to start posting some more analytical things here too, besides just my trying to figure out how to play the songs.  Because often in learning how to play the songs, I discover other interesting things about them.

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A few months ago, I noted that "Hung up on a Dream" and "I'll Call You Mine" both start with a falling fifth (from D to G).

For whatever reason, I was thinking of this last night, and I realized that "She's Not There" also starts with a falling fifth, in the bass part.  Although that's E to A.

The falling fifth was something that Robert Schumann apparently used often and in reference to his wife Clara.  Rod Argent listened (and probably still does listen) to a lot of classical music, but I don't know if Schumann's falling fifths are where he got the idea to start those three songs with falling fifths (or if he listened to Schumann at all).  I'm sort of disposed to think not because they don't function in the same way.  Argent's falling fifths start the pieces with something of a jolt.  But I think the connection is still worth noting.