Bass guitar – MuseScore

Why David Bowie’s ‘Life On Mars?’ Doesn’t Resolve to B-Flat Major Until 25 Bars In

Justin Beckner — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 11:55:37 +0000

Bowie opens the verse on F and sits there for eight bars, then walks the bass down by half step through a chain of augmented and diminished chords, none of it resolving. The tonic doesn't land until "Sailors fighting in the dance hall," a quarter of the way into the song.

The Mamas & The Papas ‘California Dreamin” Chord Analysis

Justin Beckner — Fri, 24 Jul 2026 13:59:32 +0000

Before it became a hit for The Mamas & The Papas, "California Dreamin'" was recorded as someone else's backing track, then stripped down and rebuilt.

‘Eye of the Tiger’ by Survivor: The Story of the Rocky III Anthem

Justin Beckner — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 11:24:38 +0000

Sylvester Stallone almost scored Rocky III's most famous scene with a Queen song, until publishing rights got in the way. But "Eye of the Tiger" is almost synonymous with the franchise now.

It’s Not the Disco Groove: ABBA’s ‘Dancing Queen’ Greatness Is in a Melody That Refuses to Resolve

Justin Beckner — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Fifty years on, ABBA's only U.S. #1 still hovers without ever quite resolving. The half-step tension that Björn and Benny built into the melody helps the chorus feel more alive. It refuses to sit on the tonic.

Olivia Rodrigo’s “The Cure”: The Stripped-Back Verse That Makes the Bridge Hit Harder

Anna Stoll — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 12:02:42 +0000

"The Cure" is still a heartbreak song. But Rodrigo's twist is that she knows the love she's reaching for won't fix her, and she's reaching for it anyway.

How Schifrin’s Bass Line Makes 5/4 Flow in ‘Mission: Impossible’

Justin Beckner — Wed, 27 May 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Back in 1966, Lalo Schifrin handed CBS a theme written in 5/4, and somehow nobody at the network asked him to fix it. Six decades later, almost every composer who has touched the franchise has kept the meter intact.

‘The Less I Know the Better’ by Tame Impala: No Traditional Chorus, 2.4 Billion Streams

Kevin Johnson — Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Parker mixed the vocals low, skipped harmonies entirely, and built the song around a bass line that functions almost independently from the chords above it. Understanding those choices explains why "The Less I Know the Better" has remained so popular for over a decade.

Paul McCartney and The Beatles’ ‘Hello Goodbye’ on Colbert’s Final Late Show: Song That Never Ends

Kevin Johnson — Tue, 26 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The Beatles built "Hello Goodbye" to avoid resolution. Its harmony keeps promising an ending it never delivers, using plagal and deceptive cadences to sidestep closure at every turn.

Charlie Daniels’ ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’: The Fiddle Duel Explained

Kevin Johnson — Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:00 +0000

In 1979, Charlie Daniels built a fiddle duel with a deliberate imbalance, with the Devil's solo designed to lose. The musicianship behind one of country music's most iconic moments is now preserved in the National Recording Registry.

Missioned Souls Cover Boston’s ‘Foreplay/Long Time’: Kids Steal the Show

Kevin Johnson — Thu, 21 May 2026 12:32:10 +0000

These young musicians from the Philippines, called Missioned Souls, tackle one of rock's most technically demanding tracks. In this note-perfect run of the Boston's piece, they were joined by their parents.