10 Reasons 10 Duel Commandments Is Amazing (How Hamilton Works)

0:00 Hip-Hop Influences
1:17 Form Follows Function
3:39 Crafting a Rule-Bound Melody
4:16 Duality (or is it Duel-ity?)
5:26 Cabinet Battle No. 1
6:58 Take a Break
9:04 Washington on Your Side & Election of 1800
10:03 Blow Us All Away
11:28 Stay Alive (Reprise)
12:11 The World Was Wide Enough

The 10 Duel Commandments is one of the most important melodies in Hamilton, but what does it mean? Why does it sound the way it sounds? And how is this musical thread weaved into in the amazing tapestry that is Hamilton? Let dive right in!

The West Wing Cabinet Battle Full Video:

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[yourmidnights]

"A beat without a melody" OH MY GOD WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO ME??!?!?

[rebel]

no wonder this took Lin 6 years to write

[catlove]

"Even in take a break, Eliza and Philip can't agree how to end the melodic phrase..." Maybe that why Lin wrote the lyrics in Stay Alive Reprise "You changed the melody every time..."

[bluecheeseaa]

1 reason why 10 duel commandments is the best song;
1. Because Lin made it

[AetaCapella]

maybe in "Washington on Your Side" you only get 1/2 of the melody because only 1/2 of the "duel" participants are present. It isn't a duel. The Democratic Republicans are gonna shoot Hamilton in the back without giving him a pistol.

[borkborkdoggo]

I know nothing about music theory why am I watching this

[epicnaenaetime]

Title: Why Ten Duel Commandments is the best

Thimbnail: *Shows Thomas Jefferson*

[njw]

i wonder if lin actually meant for half of these theories to be true or if he just hears them and is like lol"

[thecurtains]

"Philip wants his 'seven, eight, nine' to rise to the D where he can shine"

[mrmonster]

The heartbreaking thing about the unfinished count is that by duelling, Philip snuffs out both his chance to "rise up", AND his mother's desire that he should keep himself safe. The divergence, widening gulf and final dissonance between their full melodies hint at the disastrous, unforeseen third possibility.

[eleanorburnham]

Also can we talk about how in the very end song, Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story, the progression of harmonies reverses and they go from four-part, to three-part, to two-part, and back to a single melody again?

[jacobgriffeth]

The "stuttering gunshot" is also historically accurate as a flintlock would set off the flash pan prior to the ignition if the powder in the chamber, resulting in two distinct pops.

[xamified]

I didn't imagine that Blow Us All Away can ever get more painful but number 9 just proved that it can. My heart. :'(

[Paris-hjfv]

aka 14 minutes and 33 seconds of explaining how lin manuel-miranda is a fucking genius

[Yumixfan]

I also saw the fact that Philip counting to 9 was a bit of him “having trouble” with counting to 9. The 9th rule is “look him in the eyes Aim no higher”. Which, both Philip and Hamilton shot at the sky, ie. they both didn’t follow rule 9.

So Philip counting up to 9, and changing the tune at 7 and trying to be extra for the last two, of course those last two rules got left out in his duel. And then Hamilton takes the same path after his son does.

[huddlespith]

I am a Hamilton fan but know very little about musical theory, but the way you explained everything was so clear, seriously impressed! Thanks for making a great video!!!

[kheilahv]

I teared up at how genius the music in Hamilton is....I knew it was smart, but not this smart. Props to you for analysing this

[yustaboy]

Here's 52 reasons why this song is great








1. Lin wrote it
HAMILTON WROTE THE OTHER 51!

[Tealstarz]

*watches video*
DANG IT I LEARNED SOMETHING BEFORE SCHOOL BEGAN

[ohhi]

This is like the game theory of the musical world