Rick Beato has something to tell you.

[@andylong7759]

The best thing about Rick is that he REALLY listens to people talking and to the music itself. He's not in his own world. He's engaged and active in the conversation and music at such a visceral level. Brilliant musician!!

[@robertakerman3570]

He did finish Her sentence, But 2 greats on stage...Y not?

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

He’s a great teacher. That’s got to be a great quality for a producer. Like George Martin was for the Beatles.

[@donmackie6086]

He's mastered the art of being present and in the moment. He's old enough and smart enough to know that it's not all about him. That's an excellent quality to possess as a person.

[@ryanklavans7256]

@@robertakerman3570 She finished his thoughts a few times too! I think the point was that it's a very collaborative conversation. Everyone interrupts each other sometimes, and it can even be a helpful/natural part of communication.

[@fredfloyd68]

Rick really knows .....Hendrix did this as well as all the greats.

[@jeffthackston9572]

The happiest life is one of collaboration. Whether it’s friends, family, or fellow musicians it is still individuals who bring out the best qualities of the other whilst working together. Two of my favorite individual channels joining together is a dream. Much love to both! Thank you.

[@MrWolfriver]

Couldn't agree with you more. Their channels are amazing! I hope they do many more of these in the future.

[@gilmourrules1]

@@MrWolfriver Agreed

[@eldergeektromeo9868]

These are two of the most thoughtful, helpful, and giving people on any channel!

[@DavidHBurkart]

Indeed

[@bytorsnowdog5885]

Love, Love Rick and Mary together!! I am a mechanic by trade and a musician by hobby. Rick's series "What makes this song great", is like a mechanic taking something apart to see how it works: What makes it tick. And Mary's honesty, sincerity ,and love of music is always out front. Hope to see more videos of you two!

[@battlejitney2197]

Well said! (Fellow wrencher here)

[@hummerchine]

Could not agree more! I’m a dentist btw…a tooth mechanic=D

[@connormack]

The first ten seconds hit on something that takes most songwriters a lifetime to discover. I'm truly blessed to be growing up with KZbinrs like these two as mentors.

[@clayz1]

I feel like I’m right there. Big Spender fan. She is just as dynamic as Rick in her own way. Thank you.

[@johnfoster7823]

The friendship and mutual admiration on display here is heartwarming. Whenever I see the two of them together on the thumbnail I always click. Life is fleeting and true friendships should be treasured and well kept.

[@tracyblair3064]

The challenge is being able to find the balance between under-thinking and over-thinking your composition and/or lyrics. Finding that point is where the magic lies. This is a great video! Thanks!

[@spacemissing]

"Beauty and the Beato." Super advice from Rick.

[@michaeldempsey3281]

It makes me so happy to see the two of you together

[@LuciensMusic]

I've had no lessons(or theory) or any real songwriting help at all except for videos like this and wonder how much better my songs could be with some help from a pro

[@stevenwilliams1805]

Awesome, Mary and Rick in studio. 👍

[@dougsmith8430]

It is truly a delight to listen to Mary and Rick together… I think my music comprehension goes up I just listening to these videos! Thank you both!

[@jamiechouinard3340]

I could listen to you and Rick all day. You have such a great presence together. Your operator video is one of the best I have ever seen. I love that format where you break down a song with your insight. Mary, thank you for what you do. Your videos are amongst the first I look to when I want a companion in my day.

[@ekoilmusic]

I think purpose is also a very important factor when writing songs. Overthinking things is as risky and potentially harmful to the music as not taking enough time to develop it. So, being clear about what motivates you to write a given song can help you keep that balance. Thanks for the video!

[@x189player4]

Discussion of the process and decisions of songwriting is absolute gold. You're both great to begin with but this is exceptional. I would love to see future episodes about the writing of a song from start to finish, with clips as new ideas and edits arise. Bravo bravo!

[@leepat]

hey, great idea! I'm actually doing something like that in a FB group, if you're interested in a grassroots connection :) obviously, not as cool as these guys, but would love to meet you there!

[@fuglsnef]

Check out the podcast Sodajerker on Songwriting, lots of interviews with well known songwriters, focused on the creative process

[@anthonywallace3830]

@@fuglsnef so glad to see another listener here!

[@jonathanj-g-yyelle6144]

Thank you, Mary, for showing this conversation with Rick. A _very_ important suggestion that he brought up was: "Play the melody and the bass line together and it should sound complete." That is one of the techniques I was taught in composition (and analysis also). Whether it be a string quartet, a chorale, a concerto or symphony. A song can also benefit from this very technique. Why not! Cheers!

[@radfury23g32]

ikr I seriously could not believe he said it so blunt like that... it would be the ultimate joke but I'm convinced it's real

[@BentbrooksRambles]

Tommy Immanuel is so gifted in choosing great songs to cover and in how he approaches the covers to express their melodies as the human voice might (another great Beato interview). Then add his improvisational genius… 🤯

[@tonymaddox4081]

He's the best! Great to have him here in Atlanta!!

[@nokillnina]

my 2 favorite music youtubers together .... what a great day, what a great video (can't wait to see it in full length)

[@Hexalbeore]

ditto!!!!!

[@psa110]

Love seeing you with one of your favorite people. Just watching you take it all in is great for us to be there with you. Thanks for inviting us in.

[@bryantcochran5065]

This has to be the best song writing/ music writing advice I've ever heard. I'm writing this down and putting it on the wall of my music room. Thank you Mary and Rick for the enlightenment.

[@neidermyer]

So awesome to see you two together. After the kind words you had for each other, it's great to see you both together and collaborating. Two of my favorite KZbinrs.

[@mjblane]

Way back in my youth, I played bass in a garage band. I'm not a great player, but I've always thought that I was an adequate bass player. When I was learning a new song that I was going to sing, I always practiced the vocal part alone with just me on bass. Vocal melody and bass line. I still hear bass and voice when I listen.

[@ludtube84]

I could easily watch/ listen to you two talk about this for hours and hours and never get bored, great video, thanks!

[@johnbhend8565]

Love you Mary and love Rick. Great conversation.

[@Funderstruck55]

As a songwriter, this was very illuminating! Esp. the section on being different, making the song interesting and unique, like "Taking it to the Streets"

[@clarkmillis1929]

After Rick mention using only bass and melody I went in to the studio and played the recorded bass of a song with no melody yet. Instantly a melody came to mind. Very helpful. Thanks.

[@3landii]

Glenn Frey talks in an interview about living upstairs over Jackson Browne before either of them were known as songwriters, listening to him play the first verse of a new song twenty times, then the chorus twenty times, etc. It was instructive to me as to how these songs that we sing along to as we drive down the highway of life take work. LOTS of work... Really enjoyed this video!

[@JerryBaiden-G]

Wonderfully talented musicians from two different generations!

[@zippitydoodah5693]

*_E X C E L L E N T_* conversation, Mary. You two work well together. You willingly listen to Rick and lead him to teach what he's sharing here, rather than just sharing here what he teaches . . . not to put too fine a point on it. I loved this video. Bookmarked it. Learned from it.

[@jeffpayne663]

Just saw your collaboration with Rick on "Operator (That's Not the Way It Feels)", I love both of your work and you're awesome together, keep it coming!

[@1thomson]

The only song I ever sang as I walked out of the theater, after hearing it for the first time, was "Let's do the Time Warp again". An absolute classic, that.

[@uppercreekstudios3669]

Here’s my take. The simple stuff in music holds the emotion (for example the I IV V chords in country music). The complex stuff holds the interest. Great music is made from the dance between the two.

[@mattdelany6799]

Tory Slusher

[@lynnohl2526]

I’m thrilled to see that you’re in Atlanta, while regretting that I’m no longer in the area. If you’re performing or doing meet-and-greets while in the States please put a link to your schedule. I’m learning all I can about guitar and music theory after subscribing to your and Rick’s channels.

[@mrspiderman519]

two of my favorites!. Rick, your explanation of this is brilliant.

[@thinman8621]

Fascinating to listen to your "shop talk" with the always good Mr. Beato. Thanks

[@markjjnstradling]

So interesting to hear you both chat. A great double act....

[@alexanderbreeding1830]

Love to listen to the 2 of you discuss playing, writing, anything really. Listening to the discussion of the various songs and compositions made me long to hear you consider the music of Colin Hay. My wife and I recently had the opportunity to attend a concert he played, just him, 4 acoustic guitars and a microphone. He played, spoke and sang for over 2 hours and was extraordinarily entertaining. His musicianship is phenomenal and I never fail to come away from listening to him without experiencing something new each time. Thanks again!

[@mojoefelix]

One can view it all as a burden of "so much hard work to do" or embrace the pluspoint of endless possibilities of creation offered in musical endeavor. Also, I love Mary's validation of the accessibility of a song. To me that is a key aspect to embrace. Art is the quality of communication. An accessible song may even be considered to be too simple, but it will likely communicate and be memorable.

[@rksnj6797]

I just finished watching you and Rick Beato breaking down Jim Croce's song "Operator". Wonderful video! I love when you and Rick get together to discuss music. I was very interested to hear your views on the lyrics. I hope you collaborate with him on future videos.

[@quailstudios]

Great wisdom. We're always looking for pearls of wisdom to elevate our work. Thanks Rick and Mary, cheers to both of you.

[@theyetirulrs]

He is a true teacher at heart. He is constantly imparting his knowledge and finds joy when that knowledge is reflected back to him through the insights and music of others. That feeling is a drug in and of itself.

[@GaryMeadowsMusic]

Great advise. I just try to write what I like, if I like it I'm happy.

[@sgholt]

Thanks, Rick and Mary! :)

[@mikedr1549]

Rick is so intelligent. It's easy to overlook that as he's talking about music stuff which we don't usually associate with smarts!

[@xmateosx]

I am so glad to see you 2 chatting. Love it

[@tsriftsal3581]

All aboard the peace train listening to the beauty of humanity. Thank you.

[@LukeMaynard]

I am so, so envious that you managed to sit down with this incredible producer. I greedily absorb his listening experiences and his breakdowns. I adore just what a joyous listener he is, and how much he hears in music I've listened to for 30 years and never heard as deeply as he has. I vainly wish that he would listen to my music the same way-not because I'm anywhere near as great as the names dropped in this conversation, but just because he would be such a GENEROUS listener, and teach me so much about my own sound and the things I'm doing. Do I want to sell a million albums? Sure, it'd be nice. But if I sell even 10 copies out of my backpack, if I could give one copy to Rick, that would be like half a million sales all unto itself.

[@BDUBZ49]

Two brilliant, passionate, likable musicians discussing their craft. 🤘

[@iancurry]

A really interesting conversation. Very relaxed, informative and inspiring discussion . Thanks.

[@krislong9338]

I'm already subscribed to you, Mary, but it's really cool to see you with Rick Beato. Love collabs between talented folks.

[@Freedum_Fries]

you two should do a Podcast! I would listen to every Episode. the way you both talk about music really does inspire me

[@titustiger27]

I have watched a couple of Ms. Spender's videos, but this one stands out because actually talking to someone makes her videos better

[@stevegroves]

This is an awesome vid, really informative and helpful info in here. Sometimes we just need to sit back and listen to advice, especially these two! Rick has so much experience and great knowledge in music, Mary has developed her own great style of playing and is fast developing into a really great musician. yep this vid made me smile, and most importantly listen to the advice! :)

[@rosewoodsteel6656]

Wonderful video and great information!

[@talenwaver]

I've always written with just a bass line and a melody but found it hard to produce around it because it already stood on it's own. There's production and there's composition - being able to make the right call in putting them together (all by yourself) is a rare gift... super rare.

[@codacreator6162]

Which is why collaboration is so empowering. As talented as John Lennon was, he was just one part of a once in a lifetime quartet. I’ve never met a musician who writes in a vacuum. Mozart was an anomaly the rest of us mere mortals can only gawk at. 😎

[@oklahomahank2378]

Mozart played viola in an after hours quartet in which Haydn was first violin. This allowed them to try out concepts.

[@Stallagmite]

Experimentation is also a beautiful thing that might not sound so beautiful to begin with but can settle to new spaces.

[@crispycat4852]

When a song is a pure expression from the human heart or soul , when you connect via the silver cord if you like to ne metaphysical and the energy flows through you then it doesn`t matter what combination of unique chords or alternate tunings , or key changes you use or don`t use None of this matters because a song written from the heart or soul will always connect and touch people over a clever collection of "unique" chord progressions, key changes and alternate tunings Great songs are from the soul and heart You want to write one you need to learn to listen and connect Some people are simply better at this than others A great song writer is simply a conduit for this energy , the song comes to them from making this connection not how many unique chord combinations they know or if they can surprise Sting within 8 bars

[@ayobamidele]

Yes agree with alot of what Rick says, but I'm not sure Bob Dylan writes like that. I heard he was amazed at how long Leonard Cohen took to write his songs

[@nunnayabiz7911]

Nah, it's not really that mystical. It's science. Humans respond to strong Rhythm, Melody, and harmonies containing combinations of predictability and unpredictability. Music is a craft. Inspiration comes but it rarely gives you the whole thing every time. It gives you enough to start. Then you have to finish. On top of that, you have to work even to feed the raw materials which your subconscious can then rework and furnish back to you as " magical inspiration," and then after the inspiration you must work to be able to get your hands / voice to perform it and record it. Again, it is a craft. If you're doing it right.

[@vance640]

Nice to see those two together! A real treat!

[@gsmith207]

Believe it or not this is invaluable education for drummers as well. Awesome sauce right here. Mojo of generations.

[@jasonscottjenkins]

oh wow! Rick Beato and Mary Spencer together talking about music

[@BigBri550]

Rick's first comment surprised me because, as a bassist-singer, I have always crafted my bass playing as an outline of whatever song I'm singing. It's not just rhythm & tone (although it's that, too); the notes should outline the whole song. Some bass parts won't allow it as the may be only a pattern that everything else layers over, but usually a bass part will reveal an entire song especially with the vocal over it. To hear Beato validate what I had been doing for decades is very refreshing.

[@BigBri550]

@dylans voice Thank you! It's good to be appreciated.

[@Appetite4Rose]

So weird seeing you both together just because I’ve watched so much of your individual channels… looking forward as always to more content from you both

[@brucedysart6496]

As primarily a writer of the written word for most of my life and now focusing on guitar, I really relate to how difficult it often is to make things seem easy. It’s an axiom in writing that the easiest passages to read, and the most flowing , often require the most work. Also, I could listen to you and Rick Beato talking about music all day.

[@KISSGreatestFan]

Thanks!

[@kevrenshaw6177]

You can watching the interplay between you both that you really loved each others company and insight. As always Rick, If I need a music solution to my problems, I always search through your Vlogs for the answer. Please work with Mary again someday Rick. She has an inate gift in the music industry.

[@YannisFyssas]

I'm so happy to hear Rick's feedback for your songs Mary. I feel like you can take that advice and +1 it in your next batch of songs. I think your videos/marketing is exceptional, and you can improve the harmonic content of your next album. Check out some online videos on negative harmony - I think it can be really useful.. Hugs

[@geoffhubbard7815]

Thx! I luv me some Rick; cool that you guys got together to chat!

[@souletunes]

Wow, this was really interesting! Wonderful insights I haven't ever thought of 🎶

[@Lutemann]

A nice trick, I think, for song writers is to look at a set of piano reductions of the Bach chorales. When I was in music school (a half a century ago) analyzing the chorales, I decided not to look at the voice leading or use Roman numeral analysis, but to look at just the names of the chords. So after I did a few chorales, I decided to play these chord progressions on the guitar because they looked kind of interesting. The results were quite exciting. Bach's inventiveness in his choice of harmonies might be good stuff for song writers.

[@cliffdavis5244]

❤ my two favorite people together… How awesome is that❣️

[@MatthewEverettGates]

This is great! Thank you, and Rick, too- love his educational/commentary. Especially like the bass/melody advice. I've been doing it on the advice of Arnold Schoenberg's books, but I forget. And whenever I do, inevitably I find something sounds unsatisfactory, play the bass and melody and end up working there for a long time.

[@segueoyuri]

The look of admiration in her eyes! hahaha Rick's really an amazing guy, excelent musician, have a great leveled head on his shoulder... Amazing to see you two together!

[@longwelsh]

These in person videos are really great. This move was a great idea.

[@bigwillie5717]

Wow…two brilliant musical minds that dwarfs this drummer’s brain.

[@frankhoeppel2314]

The version of I Burn for You from his live album Bring on the Night may be my favorite song ever. Fantastic performance.

[@chuckbishop9630]

My brain explodes when the likes of Rick and Mary get together. I do not hold many humans in awe...but these two...damn.

[@BillyMcBride]

The best way for me to learn is not to practice by playing, but to practice by listening to my own music, and by listening as my way of practicing, I find new ways to express new melodies on my synthesizer (which I take very seriously) to perform for my next recordings.

[@alanclayton9277]

A fascinating conversation. I was listening to Cortez the Killer last night and it's a song where, for me, great imaginative leaps happen. It is crafted but I'm not sure that this is what makes it great: almost as if taking a risk is the significant option rather than adhering to a template. One of my favourite songs is Rafferty's Steamboat Row and that's a fromtheheartdirecttotheheart kind of thing. What I would say is that there are other roads to a great song that aren't necessarily about complexity. The Sting album is excellent.

[@ClarenceCochran-ne7du]

Very interesting presentation Rick and Mary. Educational and informative. Having written a few tunes popular at the local level, but the most complex music I've written has only ever been played once in public. Those few tunes though, are the ones, looking back, I'm most proud of. Approached to write for a few weddings, trying to personalize a song for the couple, whether a hymn, a processional/recessional, or even for one couple, a song the groom sang to his bride. They'll mean nothing to the world, but for those involved, they are everything. Knowing you made a special moment even more special for someone, with the little talent you have, is a buzz, I never found in performing.

[@Hexalbeore]

what a Masterclass - wait....am i going to be charged for listening to all these insights!!! thank you both for sharing with the rest of us mortals :) Luv you both...muster ON!

[@JammastaJ23]

I love Rick. So much.

[@markchristophergarrett]

ya, you can search all day and night for new key signatures or chord progressions but in the end that does not matter as most listeners are tone deaf, but what they are not are melody deaf, nor beat deaf, . . . so focus more on melody and syncopation, as commented by Rick when discussing John Williams and his method of composing, geat vid thanx!!!

[@ReframephotoGR]

That's a great duo. Rick & Mary. Two persons whose talent and opinion I really value!

[@paistebob3163]

Another gem from two of my biggest KZbin mentors! A real wake up call about what it takes to really be a great songwriter.. it's just not about catchy lyrics but the whole musical landscape behind it as well.. awesome advice and insight! I would love you guys to do a long Think Tank Workshop and break down a lot of Jimmy pages approach and how he constructs melodies and all of that stuff. From something like Since I've Been Loving You all the way up to Achilles Last Stand and of course Stairway to Heaven would really love to get both of your insights on the Wizardry of Pagey. That would be epic! BTW happy holidays to all! Peace, Bob M.

[@meloncokemusic]

a treat to see you guys chat about songwriting! I know I'd love to run ideas by Rick just like that :) the part about the bass line and the melody together is absolute gold. And of course we should suspend and add-nine all, well, OK, most of those chords ;)

[@CharlesHess]

A thing I noticed is having either the chords or (but not both) the bass to ”preview” the next change by one beat or delay by one beat. There is one beat of dissonance that resolves immediately and is often very satisfying.

[@Hollyannreif]

So exciting to hear this!!!! Thanks for thinking about us little people ❤❤❤❤

[@HigherPlanes]

I feel like putting together a melody and baseline is one of the easiest aspects of playing guitar. That concept also solidified for me while learning hand independence on piano where you play a baseline with your right hand and a melody with your left. On guitar it's also easy to learn on an easy song like simple man, where it just goes from C to G to A, so you're strumming C,G and A with your thumb while your other fingers are tickling away the other strings.

[@RobHaccou]

By chance I just got Shania Twayne's 'You're Still The One' in my head AND IN MY HEART. The chord progressions is dead simple. Verse: I-I-IV-V, chorus I-IV-ii-V and I-IV-V. But what a beautiful GREAT melody and lyrics. So much possibilities but just the right inspiration. Great vid btw, thanks!

[@Incandescentiron]

Two of my favorite KZbinrs together. Fantastic.

[@fred993a]

What a wonderful, educational video!

[@stevecummings9703]

So cool seeing both of y'all together - y'all add so much to the world of music.

[@HaroldSchranz]

Great to listen to the wisdom of Rick and Mary ... I want to get into dabbling in Music ... not just as a listener and an admirer. Creation is hard. But so satisfying!

[@alejandroacevedo9409]

Mary is super talented but humble. Love her style. Rick beato is my golden god of music

[@March1966]

I literally could listen to you two talk music all day.

[@staceywood4369]

Two of my favorite YT creators!!❤

[@igornegovelov8854]

Just wonderful to see you guys together. Thanks a lot for your videos

[@edwardloomis887]

It's very enjoyable to be able to eavesdrop on two professionals who respect each other. I probably wouldn't know about Mary if Rick hadn't recommended her in one of his videos, so I know he respects her talent.

[@johnnycoyo]

Good stuff you two !!