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Paul Simon

Paul Simon

Style marker

Double descent to 1̂

Paul Simon achieves a folky quality in his melodies by descending stepwise from 2 to 1, then leaping up to 3 and descending stepwise to 1 again: 2-1-3-2-1.

Often, but not always, this pattern is preceded by an additional 3: altogether, 3-2-1-3-2-1.

Transcript of a line from Paul Simon's 1972 song Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard.
Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard (1972)
Transcript of a line from Paul Simon's 1973 song Kodachrome.
Kodachrome (1973)
Transcript of a line from Paul Simon's 1973 song Learn How to Fall.
Learn How to Fall (1973)
Transcript of a line from Paul Simon's 1973 song Was a Sunny Day.
Was a Sunny Day (1973)
Transcript of a line from Paul Simon's 1975 song You're Kind.
You're Kind (1975)
The Obvious Child (1990)Paul Simon
Transcript of a line from Paul Simon's 1990 song The Obvious Child.
Girl Almighty (2014)One Direction/John Ryan
Transcript of a line from One Direction's 2014 song Girl Almighty.
Transposed from A.

These songs share

  • Phonetically similar words ("had"/"have", "money"/"mighty", "son"/"young") occur in the same rhythmic locations (underlined)
  • Two measures of unaccompanied lyrics alternate with two measures of rhythmically and harmonically similar guitar chord stabs
  • The highlighted sections of melody are identical

Related

  • John Ryan, who wrote Girl Almighty, has expressed his admiration for Paul Simon in numerous interviews.

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