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ARR's song making style

Topic started by kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on Tue Oct 3 18:56:17 EDT 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

I'd appreciate if knowledgeable people can contribute to this thread, hopefully explaining musical techniques in a form that everybody can understand

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Mon Oct 9 14:04:59 EDT 2000
  
  Kiru
  
  I dont understand what you mean by replacing
  traditional perc with synth drums? I see a heavy
  use of traditional perc instruments in Rahman's
  music. Can you give a song so that I can see what
  you mean?
  
  
  
• From: fan (@ 63.225.172.43) on: Mon Oct 9 15:05:45 EDT 2000
  
  Missed out:
  One of the main feature of arr song is, he places a simple sound pattern, like a piano/bells sound playing a fixed set of notes ( C G C), then melody etc are composed based on this basic cycle.
  Many songs were done using this technique.
  This has a name and I dont remember it off hand.
  (eg; nilakaigirathe, thoda thoda many many more)
  
  I have observed this in Phil colins, he also adoptes similar kind of style, instead of sounds he uses percussion, he does a basic beat pattern (using clicks or claps or bongoes) and then composes a song for it.
  
  Kiru:
  If you want to maintain the melody flow, then just add few rythm grooves, it becomes a remix.
  
  synth sounds: Majority of his song are with real percussions. He samples them and adds more effect to the real instruments, thats why it sounds different.
  
  We are trying to construct a circle from a Square.
  This will change the shape of the song.
  
  IMHO; Arr style is unique to arr only.It is hard to reproduce.
  
  
  Imho; In the link you gave, i think proper acknowlegements should be given to newtfmpage.com
  or you can send page to RR or BB, I am sure they will add this to newtfmpage.com itself.
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Mon Oct 9 16:50:06 EDT 2000
  
  Re: synth drum. On second thoughts I might be mistaken. Maybe it is just the kick drum (eg. kAtrE en vAsal vanthAi).
  Fan, I will add the point about piano/bell playing some fixed set of notes in a cycle.
  I will add more examples and add the foll. people to the list of contributors to the ideas in the doc - fan, udhaya, rjay, vijay, rajaG & kiru. (I dont mean to take credit for all it is there. But I had to gather those points patiently from you guys :-) Actually, some of my friends will not like it if they come to know I am the author :-) ).
  
  RJAY, Re: ennai thalAtta and vandE mAtaram. Can you explain more ?
  I found so many songs - pre-ARR where the rhythm or atleast its 'texture' is maintained throughout the song, including interludes. But somehow rhythm in ARR's song seems to stick in my mind.
  
  
  
  
• From: Music fan (@ 208.154.130.13) on: Mon Oct 9 17:21:42 EDT 2000
  
  Guys
  
  As an addendum to the ongoing discussion, why not analyze Deva's or SAR's style also? They are also contemporary and popular musicians like ARR. Why leave them unaddressed? I don't think their music is anyway lesser to ARR's and of course, they would also have a unique style like ARR, isn't it? :-).
  
  Now, now, guys - Kiru, Udhaya, rjay, and fan, please do not jump on me and say I should talk or write anything there. I do have freedom of speech and since this is a public forum I have a right to say whatever I feel like. BTW, I am not saying anything that is not relating to this topic :-), I am just suggesting that when you can analyze about ARR's so-called style which is supposed to exist, we laymen in music will be enlightened to hear about SAR and Deva's styles also.
  
  Note: BTW, On a personal note, in this forum, there is a Goliath of a composer in the Tamil Film Industry who has been sidelined and given less recognition purposefully and his music shunned. Admit it musically technical guys - It is very difficult to analyze IR's music, such is his genius. He is a genius composer and does not have any style/pattern and his music has no boundaries!!!
  
  
  
• From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Mon Oct 9 17:54:45 EDT 2000
  
  Music fan..talking about all composers in one thread could lead to comparisons and eventually be fruitless because of passionate attachments to one composer or other. I suggest that you can start threads for other composers, yourself. I am sure others and I will contribute there as well.
  
  
• From: rjay (@ 208.51.40.112) on: Mon Oct 9 18:03:46 EDT 2000
  
  Music Fan,
  
  There is no doubt about he genius of Raja.
  He stands tall in our minds.
  
  RJAY
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 63.89.188.210) on: Mon Oct 9 18:04:46 EDT 2000
  
  I do have freedom of speech and since this is a public forum I have a right to say whatever I feel like.
  
  Even in a public restroom people aren't supposed to relieve themselves all over the floors and walls. They are supposed to aim at the hole and be courteous to others.
  
  
• From: sabesan (@ 63.203.255.254) on: Mon Oct 9 18:17:08 EDT 2000
  
  yackeee..... udhaya, compare panradhukku vera edhuvum kidaikalayaaa ungallukku.....
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 63.89.188.210) on: Mon Oct 9 18:22:53 EDT 2000
  
  sabesan,
  That's how much premeditated digressions disgust me. It's this kind of, "like whom I like or else I won't let you discuss anything" attitude that's stinking up the discussion forum.
  
  
• From: Music fan (@ 208.154.130.13) on: Mon Oct 9 18:39:17 EDT 2000
  
  Kiru
  
  I have been browsing this forum for a while now and I understand you are an ardent IR fan. Why not start a thread yourself to discuss the great composer's music? I think that will do more justice to MUSIC in general. I am a novice as regards music and all I can say is that I enjoy IR's music to the greatest extent. For many of us IR fans, we feel that Raaja paints a rainbow with his music with all facets of music rightly placed, colorful, sensible, elegant and brilliant. His music is perfect. I feel that his music has not been analyzed/discussed enough in this forum. IMO, if the works of this genius is discussed, some unknown aspects of music which has not been attempted by many of the contemporary musicians around the world can be brought out. I have read that Raaja is the only composer to have used about 80% of the total 72 Melakarta ragas in carnatic music in tamil film music than compared to any senior or junior MDs. This is an info I got from raaja.com. Besides, I think there is no end to analyzing the Maestro's music.
  
  The one thing I observed is that people who write here and call themselves musically sound often find faults with Maestro's music rathen than frankly express the innate goodness/greatness and quality in his music. Hence, even if I start a thread to analyze songs of Raaja, I am afraid if there could be any contributions to that topic. I am sure this opinion will be voiced by many of the disgruntled lot of IR fans who browse this page.
  
  Anyway, thanks for your response. I hoped that you being an IR fan would have started a topic on "Analyzing Raaja's songs" rather on analyzing any other musician.
  
  Udhaya:
  I think you are a senior member of this forum and I believe you should show restraint in what you are talking here.
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 63.89.188.210) on: Mon Oct 9 18:55:19 EDT 2000
  
  Music Fan, (shouldn't it be "Only-IR's-Music-Fan"?)
  We were all showing restraint in a public forum by keeping to the theme of the thread until you came in with your agenda to render this discussion pointless. Well, you are succeeding so far. Congratulations.
  
  If you spent two minutes in this forum you will know about the hundreds of threads dealing with everything about IR. Moreover, you have shown here that you know how to post, so you're e-savvy right? Why don't you go and start a thread as Kiru adviced? Where's the fun in that, right? Fun is only in breaking up a good discussion about someone whose music you hate. You can change your name and the computers you use hundreds of times. But your true, narrow mind shows you up time and again. If you honestly were a decent contributor, you would abide by the theme of each thread. Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can disrupt an organized discussion. That's called heckling. That's what you are doing here.
  
  
• From: Music fan (@ 208.154.130.13) on: Mon Oct 9 19:15:56 EDT 2000
  
  Digression:
  
  Udhaya:
  
  Your indecent posting shows your dislike toward IR fans and IR. My posting was a request to Kiru and a few others writing in this topic(who also seem to have a good knowledge of music) to analyze the great music of Raaja and Deva and SAR who are contemporary. You are not the owner of this forum and you do not have any right to stop me from writing here. I listen to all kinds of music, but find IR's the greatest. How can you say that "Only-IR's-Music-Fan"? That shows your insensitivity to other people's feelings. Writing with the name in this forum doesn't mean that you can chide anyone.
  
  End digression
  
  
• From: Udhaya (@ 63.89.188.210) on: Mon Oct 9 19:23:49 EDT 2000
  
  Heckler,
  Nobody has the right to stop anyone here, that's the problem with the likes of you. I don't own the forum, nobody does. This is a public place.
  
  Just listen to your logic: If I start a thread nobody will write there so I will go and interrupt a thread where everybody writes. Now tell me are you behaving selfishly or not? You are being insensitive to reason, focus, decency and the freedom to discuss people not named Ilayaraja. Someday I hope class will descend upon you. Until then I hope the Admin has some free time. That's the only hope.
  
  
• From: fan (@ 63.225.172.248) on: Mon Oct 9 19:29:50 EDT 2000
  
  MusicFan,
  imho:
  There are about "n" number of threads here discussing bad about arr and great about ir. this is the only thread that talks some what "good" about him. I think you are not able to take it.
  
  btw:ask deva to stop copying for atleast 2 films and give good numbers, we can surely discuss,
  also if SAR comes out of this same tune theory, i am sure we can discuss, this thread discusses on Arr, since arr has made it big. thats all.
  
  also I dont know why you got ir into the scene. .in your postings.
  
  U AND OTHERS shall we proceed.
  
  
• From: SL (@ 208.49.174.44) on: Mon Oct 9 20:11:51 EDT 2000
  
  Unpredictability of santhams in some of his classics. Noteworthy examples, 'Naan paadum santham' is wonderfully unpredicatable ,melodious and refreshing at the same time. 'Aaththangara maramE' has an anupallavi 'Oda thaNNi.....vedichchu nikkira paruththi' belonging to the same category. 'Maana Madura maamaraKKiLayilE..' has this portion 'Mazhai thuLi maNNil...' which has a novel movement in sudden spurts and the only other song with this feature (I can think of ) is 'Naam oruvarai oruvar santhippOmena..' (kumari kOttam) and 'chillallavaa....' and the way the stanza ends in 'thirakkaathaa kaatukkuLLE...'.
  
  
• From: vijay (@ 129.252.22.221) on: Mon Oct 9 23:34:41 EDT 2000
  
  SL,
  Unpredictablity.. sometimes he disappoints. Like that sudden percussion/beat after the pallavi of malargale malargale which seemed out of place. its the same piece of percussion that u hear in the prelude of akkdaanu nanga nadai potta hich has been inspired from a song of Paul Young.
  
  By the way, SL,Udhaya and others, did u read the interview of Psuseela? she has echoed some of our opinions reg. continuiy in mood etc. in a song about which we were discussing only recently.
  Its a strange coincidence. Iam reposting her words
  
  "The track system may have its advantages. Each singer need not wait for the other singers and also the orchestration can be done with each musician separately. But I still prefer the old system of all the instrumentalists and singers working for the song in unision. There is a rhythm and order. In the track system, even if there is an iota of lag, then the song loses balance. Just switch off the background music and listen to the voice alone; you find ups and downs. Loud music camouflages this. That is the reason today’s music is like fast food."
  
  
  

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