Cover: 艾怡良(Eve Ai) - 無數個我(The Unrecognized)

這次要cover的是艾怡良的無數個我。

這首歌的和弦進行有滿多事情可以聊的，但這個部分就留到下次再說，這次就先彈吧！演奏的部分，歌曲是F小調，所以夾移調夾在第一個會比較好彈，但還是躲不掉封閉的！此外仍需要對E型Minor和弦以及一些可能的變化有一定的認識，不然可以能會有點辛苦！

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This time I'm going to cover The Unrecognized by Eve Ai.

There are may things could be discussed in the chord progression of this song, but let’s save it for the next time.

For playing-wise, it’s a song in F minor, so capo on the first fret would make it easier, but you still have to play some barre chords. Also, you have to be familiar to the variations of the E shape minor chord.

不推薦5000元以下吉他的3個 (The 3 Reasons Why Not to Recommend Acoustic Guitars under $150)

這次要聊「不推薦5000元以下木吉他的3個理由」！

第一個理由是手感！

價位較低的木吉他因為種種理由，會讓吉他彈起來、按起來、握起來的感覺不太好。而這會導出第二個理由：音色。

當吉他不好掌握的時候，對於新手來說，要演奏出理想、不要有太大的瑕疵的聲音相對困難，就算成功發出來，音色往往也不怎麼好聽。而這最終就導致了第三個理由：學習熱誠。

由於要發出理想的聲音需要耗費相當大的心力，往往導致在學習熱誠上受到挫折，而進一步讓人停止繼續演奏的熱誠，與吉他的緣份也就到此為止。

5000元是一個大概的標準，畢竟吉他價格也是會隨著物價波動的，畢竟我最近也有是到4000多元，但品質ok的木吉他。但就以這個標準來說，我想會想要選擇這個標準以下的吉他的人，多半都是初學者，我真心覺得避開這樣的選擇，應該能讓你在與吉他相處的這條路上過得比較愉快！至於5000元以下的吉他，個人相當推薦拿來種花，應該會滿好看。

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This time we are going to talk about “the 3 reasons why not to recommend acoustic guitars under $150”

The first reason is the feel.

Cheap guitars usually don’t feel that good playing-wise, pressing-wise, holding-wise. 

And this leads to the second reason: Tone. 

When you are not so comfortable with your guitar, for beginners, it’s not that easy to produce solid, ideal sound. Even you do, it’s not likely that you will like the tone. 

This brings to the last reason: Passion. 

When it takes that much efforts to produce a solid sound, people might feel really frustrated and even give up playing guitar. 

$150 is just a general standard, since the price of guitar fluctuates and I personally have just found a decent acoustic guitar in $140. But deem it a general standard, most people who choose guitars under $150 are beginners. I do think you should avoid those guitars to have a happier journey with guitar. For those guitars under $150, I personally recommend to use them as flowerpot, that should look good.

Listen: Nilüfer Yanya - Thanks 4 Nothing

這首歌一開始以偏電子的鼓組與吉他帶出有著Bossa Nova感的節奏，好像該令人感到輕鬆，但整體的聲響卻都偏冰冷。副歌前半段先把節奏收掉，後半段再把節奏帶回來，但這次是真實鼓組的聲響，充滿空間感，但應該沒有太多壓縮，演奏的節奏是常用於準備推砌出較高情緒的慣用打法，但最後卻是收回原狀。

有趣的編曲，符合歌詞，也充分表達出那種處理與前任之間的情感糾結的情緒。有種將要被遠遠的直拳正中，卻在眼前消失了的感覺，空剩故作輕盈的姿態與一身冷汗。

但其實我最喜歡的歌詞“‘Cause I don’t want to make things better. Thanks for nothing lasts forever ”，雖然在歌中可以理解成一種與前任的認真訣別，但是單看這句話真是厭世的相當有剩，好想用這句話寫一首歌啊。

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This song starts with electronic drum and guitar to bring out a rhythm with bossa nova feel, which (maybe) should make me feel relax, but the whole sound make me feels cold. The chorus begins with lower energy without the drum, but brings it back in the later part with spacious, acoustic, barely compressed sounding drum. The rhythm used in this part often used when the music is trying to build up the energy, but it just lets the energy go and goes back to verse.

Really interesting arrangement, which aligned with the lyrics and also delivered the emotion trying to deal with one’s ex. It feels like you are going to be fitted by a far far straight punch, but it just disappears in front of your eyes, leaving you ,who tried to be calm, in a cold sweat. 

Actually, I like the lyric”Cause I don’t want to make things better. Thanks for nothing lasts forever ” most. Although it can be interpret as a serious abandon to their relationship, it is so misanthropic to look alone. Hope someday I can use these words to write a song.

Technique from Songs: 刷弦的動態（Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here(Intro)）

刷弦的動態是一個重要的音色控制角色。刷弦時，透過位置、範圍、輕重的改變，可以影響音色非常多。一段演奏若是一直維持同樣的演奏動態，聽起來其實會有點枯燥乏味。我在這裡會演奏Wish You Were的前奏片段，請參考原曲，並觀察我的演奏，再用附上的譜例試著演奏看看。也試著將這樣的概念，放到平日的演奏中喔！

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The dynamic of strumming hand is a key role for controlling the tone. The position, range and power of your strumming influences the sound a lot. It is insipid when you keep the same strumming dynamic all the way through. I will play through the rhythm part of the intro of Wish You Were Here. Listen to the original song and take a look at my playing before you try out! Also, put this concept in your own songs!

Cover: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Intro Solo)

這首歌前奏的獨奏大體上都是用E小調五聲音階在演奏，結合了E跟D指型，還可以順便練習開放弦應用，很實用。推弦的部分，我雖然有打出音高，但其實他的音準有點微妙，要自己多多揣摩！

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The intro solo of this song is based on E minor pentatonic. It combines shape E, D and open string. A really practical solo to learn. The pitch of the bending part, although I write out the pitch, is a little subtle, so take some more time on that part.

Listen: Rex Orange County - Sunflower

這次Listen要聊的是Rex Orange County的Sunflower。

一開始帶有一些黑膠底噪的三拍子莫名地讓我想到King Krule…之類的。完全沒有想到後來會轉成那麼鮮明的節奏，歌曲雖然明亮但卻透著淡淡的憂鬱質地，相當喜歡這種感覺。副歌前管樂的連續八分音符吹奏也是相當有趣的安排。橋段的念詞相較於現在常見的饒舌形式，比較接近口白，而其中的”I honestly don’t even know why“的念法，相當讓我喜歡，確實地表示出了不解與困惑。

MV的畫面，讓我想到當時在美國的感覺相當懷面的南加州景色，還有那台Beach Cruiser腳踏車當時覺得太貴完全買不下手呢。

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In the beginning of this song, the Vinyl sound and triplet makes me think about King Krule… I don’t really know why,

It turns into a bright groovy song unexpectedly, although there a little melancholy feeling behind the scene, which makes me fascinated. The horn section in chorus is also pretty interesting. But what I like the most is the bridge. It’s like narration rather than prevailing rap. Especially the way he spells out “I honestly don’t even know why.” conveys the confusion feeling so well.

The music video reminds me those days in the south California and the beach cruiser that’’s too expensive that I couldn’t afford.

Techniques From Songs: The Way Back to One (Plagal Cadence) (Sufjan Stevens - Tonya Harding)

This time in Techniques from Songs, I am going to use Sufjan Stevens’ Tonya Harding to talk about the way back to one chord.

I don’t want to make it too complicate, so I will try not to use musical terms to explain this. You might feel that there are certain orders in the chord progressions from playing lots of songs, like in the key of C, it usually start from C and after G it goes back to C. If you try to analyze it by writing out all the triads in C and give them a roman numeral in order, you will find out that it’s like a song usually start from the I chord and after V chord, it usually goes back to I chord.

In the key of D it will be D and after A it will goes back to D. But in the end of the intro of this song, it goes back to D after G.

That means you can also go back to I chord after IV chord. It’s actually called “Plagal Cadence” and “the way back to one” can be called “Cadence”. Like I said in the beginning, I don’t want to talk too much about these terms, so you can try to google it be yourself, if you are interested!

Next time when you are writing a song, try to use IV chord to go back to I chord, instead of V chord.

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這次的Techniques from Songs將要用Sufjan Stevens的Tonya Harding，來聊聊如何回到一級和弦。

我不想解釋得太複雜，所以會儘量避免使用音樂術語。你可能在練習歌曲的過程中，隱約覺得和弦進行好像有某種規律。像是C大調的歌中，總是從C開始，而G和弦後面總是接著C和弦。倘若你試著寫出C大調的所有三和弦，並依序寫上羅馬數字，會發現這可以解釋成一首歌總是從第一級和弦開始，而第五級和弦後總是會接上第一級和弦。

在D大調時，就是從D和弦開始，在A和弦後面總是會接著D和弦。但是在這首歌的前奏結束接到A段時，卻是從G接到A。

這就表示著，你其實也可以用第四級和弦，接回到第一級和弦。這樣的做法其實稱為「變格終止」，而回到第一級的方法，其實可以被稱為「終止式」。但如同頭開頭所提的，我不想對名詞做太多解釋，所以有興趣的人可以自己去查查這些名詞。

下一次，你在寫歌時，記得也試試第四級回到第一級的作法喔！