13 Elements of Surprise in Music

In this episode I countdown 13 of my favorite surprises in music.

📚—The Beato Book Interactive
👂— The Beato Ear Training Program
🎸— The Quick Lessons Pro Guitar Course

Live Show!

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Sting, The Police, Genesis, Kendrick Lamar, Thundercat, Nirvana, Stevie Wonder, System of a Down, SOAD, Sarah McLaughlin, Seal, Rush, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin

[bryanhaynes]

I have cancer and on my bucket list is to be a musician. You and your channel are my inspiration every day. What a surprise.

[IrnBruNYC]

Rick, teaching music and the love of music is your true calling in life. What you have created on this channel is beautiful.

[TedToob]

Bohemian Rhapsody - obvious example of time changes, melodic variations and stylistic shifts all in one song. Rick you Rock.

[gourabpaik]

Not a lot of people do such videos these days, YT has changed now. Rick, your appreciation towards artistry and craftmanship helps a lot in understanding music in its actual form.
Peace

[latheofheaven]

Zeppelin's 'Since I've Been Loving You' has a few great surprises. What starts off sounding like a standard minor blues goes to some interesting places in the turnaround of each 'verse'. And then the introduction of the C7 in the last verse and the move to the Ab on the last turnaround. Just magical.

[MisterBoy]

I NEVER thought we'd hear Kendrick Lamar on the channel. I'd love to hear you demonstrate how rap doesn't have to mean a 2 chord loop

[theverseshed]

Just love the way Rick's head and hand movements and his facial expressions show his love of the joy of musical invention and mastery.

[MattyK-USA]

I'd want to add "Roundabout" by Yes as another great example of surprises throughout the song. Sublime, and it never gets old.

[buckbuchanan]

I like how he was incorporating these principles in the editing of the video. Hard cuts, flipped images, comedic cuts right as the song was about to give a payoff in the phrase, changing voice dynamics and then surprising us back in (the subscribe portion). The efforts are noticed and appreciated my friend.

[xaxflix]

There is no one else that can break music down so technically yet make it so simple and understandable that ANYONE who looks at your videos walks away feeling like they have a new understanding and appreciation for they own inherent love of music.... there is always an "AHA" moment in every video you do... damn, I wish I was your neighbour... I would be the peskiest student!

[acefox]

Excellent choice using Spirit of Radio. That song uses almost every item in your list!

[sabertoothedcapybara]

All of these are reasons why Between the Buried and Me are such an incredible band – they incorporate so many of these musical surprises into their songs, and they do it so naturally. One minute you're listening to high octane metal, then whirls into a few bars of jangly ragtime, a nylon-string acoustic classical section, then more metal...

[ritualofficial]

In the song 'I'm Your Captain Closer to Home' (Grand Funk Railroad), it goes from a smooth pop song to a section with waves and beautiful boat alarm noises. Definitely my pick.

[spagomat]

Here's one that I'll call the "repurposed riff". In Supertramp's Crime of the Century, the track goes silent at about 2 minutes, then a repeated piano riff starts up. Since it's coming in from silence, the listener hears the first note as the first beat of the bar. It repeats a few times, and then a drum beat pops in and reveals that the piano had started at the *2nd beat* of the bar. It completely redefines the piano element, turning it from a homely little chant to a plaintive refrain in a newly funky arrangement. It's a wonderful surprise!

[coolcat]

Gentle Giant were masters of jumping from one musical theme to another seamlessly, including full arrangement changes, and in a manner that made sense, once one got the hang of it.

[ScottfromBaltimore]

Bohemian Rhapsody is full of flat-out startling changes.

[jimScienceNerd]

The song you highlighted some time back, Never Going to Let You Go, by Sergio Mendes, truly fits in the category of constant change. Modulations all over the place and simply beautiful chord sequences. So glad you pointed that song out to me in your The Most COMPLEX Pop Song Ever Made video. Listen to it frequently.

[manimusicka]

What it tells me is that there are ultimately no limits on how we can use the musical devices to express ourselves. We can play with everything. Great video, thank you!

[diegogianoli]

John Lennon, Rush and Kendrick Lamar in the same list is a surprise too, but a welcome one

[WonderrDogg]

Rick, you are a brilliant teacher and this video perfectly demonstrates the need for examples when teaching musical ideas! Thank you🙏