Riff Analysis 026 - The Mars Volta "Tetragrammaton"

[@boarderking133]

Cedric and omar best musical duo ever? Also love playing this opening riff. And then the fun panning effect where you realize the center guitar is 2 guitars and slowly splits into left and right and then they converge again and switch places. By far my favorite production trick ever.

[@petethomas1765]

The mars volta reminds me so much of king crimson. Definitely the best rock band of their generation imo.

[@nikelodeon6852]

Someone had too much fun editing this video👀

[@alexanderscott353]

I can't stop falling in love with The Mars Volta every time I hear someone else talking about The Mars Volta!

[@drifter61]

It's fuckin stellar to see so many Cedric and Omar fans here. Very rare where I live.

[@mr.steinhaus6014]

This is one of the best songs to surprise the hell out of people playing as an intermediate player. Not hard, sounds frickin fabulous on an acoustic.

[@raynerdandot9673]

"...best to treat them like adjective where you can have less or more of them in a given situation rather than simple binary on/off label..." will always remember this

[@nuke97]

An articulate music theory analysis of The Mars Voltas approach to dissonance? Hell yeah!!

[@Nac0589]

"very long video" nope... NEVER ENOUGH!!! gimme more! GIMME MORE!!!

[@hangmanspark]

The Mars Volta is so interesting. I love how they combine techy, psychedelic, and fun vibes all into a mix of awesomeness

[@thegooddoctor5573]

Deloused in The Comatorium was my intro to Cedric and Omar's work. I listened to the album at a strange point in my life and would listen to it half-asleep. No other album can captivate me and take me to the places that this album can. Thanks for digging deeper in Omar's war on the guitar.

[@michelehendricks9124]

I don’t play guitar but the riffs TMV come up with are like 🤯🤯🤯 & nothing makes me feel more alive!

[@robertsolem9234]

Seriously bravo. This is mindblowing. Can't believe you didn't discuss the chromatic open string thing that starts at around 8.15 and repeats throughout the rest of the track though! It is that single riff that got me into TMV and I've been chasing that high ever since.

[@matoussverak5320]

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! Thank you, there is a shortage of mars volta analysies so THANK YOU!

[@snak3oiltank3r]

This was dope. This helped my limited understanding of theory

[@sair338]

Amputechture has always been my favourite TMV album, the busy drumming and chromatic solo bits in Viscera eyes blew my mind when I first heard them. Exciting to see a 20 minute video from you on this particular track from this album, these videos are so good whether it's going into music I love or introducing me to new bands

[@redacted1402]

tmv has recently become my favorite band within the last year, i grew up listening to atdi and through atdi i found tmv and oh my god every song they make is a MASTERPIECE in production and creativity

[@marshallpaliga322]

Oh man. Nice video. I'm a complete music amateur. Is great to see an analysis of a song I love so much made by a real musician. Love TMV and Amputechture is one of my favorite albums ever.

[@dan.j.boydzkreationz]

A really eye-opening exposé on a favourite of mine, since the release of Amputechture

[@chiquita_dave]

I've been trying to get my friends into the mars volta since I was, like, 16, and it was so cool to see one of my favorite songs get analyzed musically! I know virtually nothing about music theory but it's cool to see things I've been listening to for over a decade articulated in that way.

[@mattamos9824]

Thank you for making this! I'm a novice guitar player, and this video inspired me to try learning the arpeggio riff from this song. It's so fun because each arpeggio is its own little puzzle. They all require a different combination of sweeping and alternate picking to play effectively. And, after you learn how to play them alone, you have to figure out what you need to change to chain them together. At first, I thought you had to mute every single string after it was played. I found this incredibly difficult, so I was relieved when I listened back to the track and realized how much of it rings out. However, that was such a fun challenge I want to go back and learn the riff that way too once I've nailed it the way it's actually played. It's also great training for dynamics. As a metalhead, I have zero practice with this aspect of guitar playing. I like playing the first two arpeggios at a medium velocity, and then trying my best to slowly crescendo through the rest of the riff. I had actually just bought these super slippery dunlop picks that I hated, but they're perfect for arpeggios like this because you just slide right past the strings. Finally, my family is grateful that I've taken a break from my normal practice routine (playing the same 3 notes for hours as fast as possible). I'm still about 40 BPM away, but I'm having a blast!

[@DeeEfSea]

Brilliant analysis my guy. Especially the last part on the void sections - it really helped me describe something about TMV that I've never been able to put my finger on but really gave me the reoccurring feeling that their music was deeply entwined into different dimensions..

[@schillinger7814]

The Mars Volta are absolutely amazing, loved them since Amputechture and it was Tetragrammaton and Viscera Eyes that snared me. The Bedlam in Goliath is immense too. I've spent a large part of my life listening to this song. Your music taste is bang on!!

[@metalmusictheory5401]

Thanks so much! Bedlam is my favorite of their albums!

[@tr33hous3]

I'll skip the geeking except for: just the album title alone nails it so incredibly blows me away listening to this LP for about 20 years o.O great video love your approach no beating about the bush & you love music that seeps out everywhere. very helpful thx

[@nonyabuzznus2017]

TMV has been my favorite band for a long time and this year, I am proud to say I made it into TMV's top 0.01% of listeners this year! I am the true stan!

[@TheR00ler]

Awesome video as always. TMV is my probably my favorite band ever, my favorite moment is probably whatever is happening at 4:00 in Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt (shoutout as well to John Theodore's insane drumming) .

[@TheAbominationprime]

Every video is better than the last! Keep up the good work bud

[@lossprevails]

that The Walk reference had me so excited for a second

[@theoppositeistrue]

One of my favorite bands of all time, if not forever taking the spot of favorite band. Hella video when? ;)

[@Blackerer]

You know, first time Ive heard Mars Volta was with the Inertiatic ESP video clip on VH1 about 15 years ago. I immediately got excited and got De-Loused and Frances. Then somehow Ive slept on it and forgot about it. Then a couple of years ago Ive remembered and realized how incredibly good they are. I love the ecstatic feeling and conviction behind the expression (yes, think metal or I would add bebop). It is just a crazy trip every time I listen to them now. For a band that I would label a prog rock without hesitation, they are probably my favourite band of this kind. Coming to think of it, since that is another venture outside of metal for this channel. I think it may be interesting to do a bit more. Some "classical" or jazz music that you feel should speak to a metal listener. I would have couple of tips, but hey, its your channel and your taste.

[@metalmusictheory5401]

For sure! I love what you said about the "ecstatic feeling and conviction," I think that hits the nail on the head for me. Love them so much. And I'll definitely be sprinkling some more non-metal in now and again-got a few ideas but always open to hearing more!

[@Blackerer]

@Metal Music Theory Well, you have "classics" like Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps or Petrushka, you cant go wrong there. All metalheads should know those. Or Ligety's Atmospheres, which is very close in feeling to something like Deathspell Omega. And yes, for really crazy people, there is Penderecki or Boulez. From jazz you have bebop legends like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. Blue Train and Bitches Brew are the obvious absolute classics for a reason. They are just pushing so hard. It is softer than metal, yes, but pushes about as hard as good thrash metal. Just raise the volume enough to get a really audible bass, and let it envelop you. Not unlike much of good metal, Id have to say. All music has a right volume in order to be listened to after all. From more modern jazz musicians, something I really enjoy Brad Mehldau's interpretations of many classics. His performance at the jazz festival in Lugano is one of my absolute favorites. The beginning of All the Things You Are is so spicy in how it never lets you easily settle rhythmically, but still flows amazingly well. And we can even sidestep to his "drum'n'bass" project Mehliana with jazz drummer Mark Guiliana, which adds a lot of ambient sections and allows for cool experimentation in drums. Definitely something a metalhead can get behind. And then there is the "dreaded" (for many metalheads) electronic music. So why not just pull Aphex Twin? Let's say something more recent, T69 Collapse, which kinda makes me think of Meshuggah, especially Shed at some points. I bet you already know Aphex Twin through The Dillinger Escape Plan and wouldn't be surprised if you have already heard Chris Pennie's cover of Come to Daddy.

[@PhiladelphiaChurchIL]

When that one part comes back the second time with the face melter - Omg

[@TheSquareOnes]

Favorite theory channel covering my favorite band? What a way to start the day! I particularly appreciate that you gave time to the noise sections and the role they play in the bigger picture of the arrangement, that's such an important part of their sound that usually gets overshadowed by all the shredding and cool chord choices.

[@superking208]

I think it took the quiet middle section of "Cicatriz ESP" for me to actually click with the sound manipulation stuff

[@Superdudeawesome135]

That periphery plug got me good, hats off to you

[@Theguitarmansam]

such a wonderful deep dive. i learned this track by ear a couple years ago and this helped contextualize all the wacky shit omar is doing throughout the tune.

[@Im_alex_h]

This was awesome dude! I’ve been trying to really study Omar’s style of playing lately and unfortunately there just isn’t much analysis out there. As someone who only knows relatively basic theory stuff, this was super enlightening. I would love to see you analyze some other stuff of his like Take the Veil, Cassandra Gemini, or even some of his solo stuff - like the incredibly cool and unique chord progressions found in the song Through Wires. Cheers man! You definitely earned a sub!

[@grocheo1]

I was waiting for something like this already for a long time. Thank you very very much - great content

[@georgechiligiris2083]

This has been my favorite song of all time since I heard it. Thank’s for doing a detailed analysis. I honestly think you could do a whole other video on the second half of the song. I’d watch the hell outta that.

[@Bullseye4hire]

Thank you for this! Been looking all over for TMV music theory primer and this was it! Such an amazing video!

[@A_G_H_A_N_I_M]

I really enjoyed this. There's not enough theory analysis on TMV out there, please do more songs!

[@thekellykellestine]

I remember learning the first 5 minutes of this song on guitar, took a lot longer than that, but that second section is one of my favorite sections in all of recorded music. Amazing breakdown as always, also loved that bit of advice you shared with using music theory concepts as adjectives and less like binaries, binary thinking is a bane on creativity imo.

[@nocakewalk]

Love seeing harmonic and form analysis from you!

[@BTBAM819]

I love how they went metal in some parts with Amputechture, specially with Day of the Baphoments. Omar is such an excellent guitarist and songwriter. Nice video man! I see you have BTBAM videos as well and that's exactly what I need

[@franciscoluna1910]

man... highly appreciate you putting this video together for us N3RDZ

[@weirdozoidtheta]

I've listened to this album way too many times, if that's possible. Excellent video, as usual. My suggestion for a next video project would be ZU - Carbon. Wicked band.

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

14:42 Please someone tell me I'm tripping, but I've always played this as 7 - 7 - 7 - 6 - 7 - 7 I want to add one last thing too, a lot of the time they don't just have static effects set to specific positions, Omar will strum a chord at the same time he stomps the delay pedal to turn it on with either maximum or VERY high feedback, then he will start to move the time knob which creates this dragging effect. It's REALLY fun to play with, and you can achieve some really interesting phrases if you combine it with a loop pedal, and have even more fun if you're using a DAW because you can play the way you normally would and plan out sections for the effect to go wild on.

[@timpeterson175]

This is amazing please more mars Volta ❤

[@xXthetadeltaXx]

would be super cool to see a video on day of the baphomets

[@ldmdesign5610]

Wow this was really insightful, Omar always says he doesn't know much about music theory, he just knows shapes. He's a bloody genius tho clearly, how do you come up with such a mad hodgepodge of scales that just works so amazingly? ps- and yes Jon Theodore's drumming is also a work of genius

[@CM-if5zy]

Was waiting for a TMV analysis 🤘🏽🤘🏽🤘🏽sick work, amigo

[@a.j.gregory673]

Would love to see a lot more Mars Volta analysis. They are my favorite band as well and I got A LOT out of this video.

[@Tsudkyk]

I love your taste in music, man. Killer videos!

[@11cylynt11]

TMV is also my favorite band. By their 4th album, they dethroned TOOL as my favorite. Tetragrammaton is my favorite song of theirs. It's such a masterpiece! The beginning sounds like being suddenly and violently sucked into a vortex wormhole to some unknown destination. Taken off guard, still trying to figure out what's going on and why the sounds engulfing you are so serious and ominous. But then the calm verse riff makes way. That is you exiting that vortex to find yourself is a strange new world full of surrealism and mystery. The lyrics cascade and conjure imagery that would only make sense to Salvador Dalí. The chorus is an energetic sonic explosion of aggressive grooves. This delicate dance between calm and explosive music gives complex dynamics throughout the song. Which then evolves and mutates for the benefit of existence. Time is mandatory to witness such majesty. When the intermission manifests, you have already been overwhelmed for over 6 earth minutes. So a calm flow is welcomed as is the natural order of emotions. You think it's over. Though, your sedated nerves are shocked back to high pressure and the heavy chorus returns to melt any face within earshot, to reveal no one behind the mask. This music so powerful it distorts even the vocals. "In the end they just gagged me to make him come out." The horns section near the end is mathematical tranquility. The guitar solo therein is a lesson in virtuosity. One can live vicariously as the whole world dies to this music. The outro is the same as the intro. So back through the vortex to whence I came. Back to the filth I once knew. Back to the earthly realm. For human ears were never meant to witness such intricate sounds.

[@metalmusictheory5401]

I love this so much

[@11cylynt11]

@@metalmusictheory5401 Thx, I do consider myself to be an amateur poet. This is one of my favorites that I've written: "INFINITE SINGULARITY" WE are the supreme being and the adversary I am the heavens that produce eternity THEY are the quantum and cosmic universe YOU are the abyss that consumes my sentience WE are the shadows that grant photons relavence I am the light that illuminates blacker THEY are the prey with predation of prey YOU are the matter annihilating anti-matter .... .... .... .... to understand dark-matter WE are the energy that hides dark-energy I am the gravity attracting anti-gravity THEY are nothing, the positive and negative YOU are everything at once .... .... .... .... the strong and weak force WE like that I like it a lot THEY like what they did YOU like what you wrote -By D. Camacho

[@donttrythisathometrythisat7429]

Love your videos! This one is no exception.

[@marcusojito4438]

This kicks ass man, this song has always fascinated me since the first time I heard it. As a freshman I probably spent a million hours trying to analyze that intro part before I got older and realized it’s useless to analyze some of Omar’s parts.

[@AndresSanchez-pp3ho]

You’re insanely talented man. I think I know…but you humbled me

[@Cuanaxhuato]

This is very interesting and helpful, thank you!

[@drifter61]

Oh my god. You totally earned my heart. You for real kept your promise to me about making a video on TMV.

[@jacobfletcher3922]

Incredible. Song. Video. Editing. Insights. Incredible.

[@websiteuser7926]

I somehow never noticed you made a video about TMV, I've been getting into them recently and i really wanted to find a video on them. Lucky cause I think you're my favorite music theory channel and this happens to be my favorite TMV song, awesome stuff.

[@Bean_ina_Beanbag]

Welcome to the fold. Enjoy your stay.

[@heyshwa5102]

This song has always been very mysterious sounding and complex to me. The Mars Volta is such a captivating band. Excellent analysis and video skills. Hope to see more! (loved the meshuggah video too btw)

[@eyeriiis]

I wish I could give this video a million likes!!!! Please keep doing more mars Volta analysis! 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@fernandozarazua4356]

Very interesting video. I fan from your work has raised!

[@wlfwrk]

Dude please break down more mars volta! this is great stuff

[@juantesino7764]

Amazing video!!! Thanks. Please more TMV analysis!

[@shredheadful]

Excellent content dude!

[@lalol10]

Please do Spawn of Possession, they are the top of the top of complex music, perhaps songs like The Evangelist/ In my Own Greed/ Spiritual Deception/ Render my Prey

[@pttrn]

Best channel on the internet rn ❤️

[@LK-dz6pb]

Absolute masterpiece

[@aaronraid282]

Amazing breakdown!

[@hvaleos666]

Omar is on another level

[@philiplair6614]

The mars volta is one of my favorite bands! I've watched a lot of people analyze them, im convinced Cedric and Omar dont know how complex their music is when broken down, they just do it lol. Also Frances the mute is my favorite album, and "day of the baphomets" on this album is insane and unbelievably groovy... just saying either way excellent video! Came up in my recommendations i subscribed!

[@frankyeichler3303]

Well, that is a pleasant surprise! Love this video

[@supermot34]

The Mars Volta are one of my favorites as well. For me the first three albums are the best, I can't really get into the later ones that much

[@TheAlibabatree]

Noctourniquet is great. Very different, but great.

[@charleslynn7420]

Holy shit this is so well done!

[@bugleaf9603]

you’re a GOD for this video.

[@_-_-_-Prof.BoskoBiathi-_-_-_]

First video of this chanal i saw,..and im shock,.really professionell,.fabulous,..looks so master like,..so easy played,..goregous,..i suscribed for this,.btw,.mars volta is one part of my religion

[@johnolmos8670]

Omar’s guitar playing is so signature and dynamic. Totally influenced by Robert Fripp but also Latin rock and punch guitar. Originally Omar was a Bass player which leads me to guess that’s why he is so good capturing grooves and rhythms in his playing. After deloused in the Comatorium he let out more of his lead guitar solo skills my personal favorite being Amputechture. I don’t think Omar knows how to read music either which I think is so incredible to be able to make such musical arrangements without knowing anything about theory

[@stevesullivan8405]

Sweet jebus how do you find the time to do this. Crazy beast Thanks for all you are doing, my friend.

[@metalmusictheory5401]

Haha some weeks I don't know lol, thanks so much for all the support!

[@stevesullivan8405]

@@metalmusictheory5401 if there is anything I can do for you from lovely Seattle please let me know.

[@bstoybox]

HEY DUDE. I TOO AM A BIG TMV FAN, WHILE LOVING THE HEAVY SHIT. I LOVE THE CONTENT.

[@Rxbandit421]

Bro I love you! But I’ve wanted you to do a Mars Volta song since I found ur channel!! And you did it on my birthday! I’m mad I missed it then glad I’m catching it now tho! I may go into settings and click the notification bell for ur videos I’m already subbed but sick video as always but this one hit me hard!

[@WildHeart7777]

THIS IS SO COOL!!!!

[@drew9092]

You did it! Goddamnit, you did it.

[@growskull]

please make a part 2

[@MrBlonde5k1]

This was awesome. I know very little music theory, but I feel and notice the things in the music that you describe - the reason the Mars Volta has been my “favorite” for a long time too. So interesting. Thanks! Could you share what effects pedals you need to get Omar’s basic sound? I know he changes it a lot.

[@youngtayne6471]

This is so fucking cool, man. Thank you.

[@QuantumMag-u1l]

17:18 Damn, this reminds me of CAN - Augmn 😂

[@MrADN89]

Please, please more Volta.

[@dexterdrifus3522]

Great vid

[@thepolaroidstudio3215]

you're the man

[@kieranraphael8094]

I don’t feel any need for further ado either !!

[@metalmusictheory5401]

Glad we're on the same page

[@LeonMar21]

The Mars Volta is one of those progressive or psychedelic bands and artists that break all the rules and define themselves as historical bands. I don't want to fall into the comparison as a band with other historical bands. But if we can buy that feeling that one has when listening to floyd, and it feels like it's from a dead time, that's what happens and will happen with THE MARS VOLTA. And we are contemporaries and that is the beautiful thing.

[@OfficiallyMaidenless]

At first I agreed with what you said about mistaking the drums to be Thomas Pridgen, but when I actually look back and compare the two, Pridgen just has this IMPACT when he plays. It's like being peppered with buckshots, in the best way possible. With Jon's drumming you can tell it's a little more conservative, at times giving the implication of a groove rather than outright hitting you in the chest with it. Realistically I can't say which is my favourite because their totally different styles suit the music on their respective albums so well, I don't think Wax Simulacra would hit anywhere near the same if it was Theodore's take, and the softest sections in Cygnus and Cassandra might have sounded a little too purposeful if it was Pridgen. That's just my own personal take, and ironically my actual favourite drummer is Dave Elitch who took over before Deantoni Parks on the Noctourniquet album. I've only actually heard him on Daughters Of Mara's only album but the grooves and patterns on that album are god like

[@_-_-_-Prof.BoskoBiathi-_-_-_]

Btw.,..5:20 ,. Im not guitar pro,.but why the 2 guitars sounds different?? Do they play different?? And sorry,.english aint my mothertongue,.regards

[@listentoAdamTaylor]

YES 🙌

[@looloo3676]

Man, you good

[@iroveashe]

props for doing this but there's missing and wrong notes in the intro. There is a 3rd voice that is throwing you off I think. In the second chord for example, there's a pretty subtle guitar doing E E G A, but the middle guitar is just doing C# D C# he scale is just a double harmonic scale (except for the B minor part at the end of course) Sorry to be nitpicky :D

[@metalmusictheory5401]

I appreciate the fact checking! You're right, I wasn't hearing that third guitar part, so I think what I'm playing is a combination of those parts, and I guess what I play in the second measure has a note that none of the guitars play. One of those things where I learned to play it that way from someone else's tab a while ago and got stuck hearing that way. And you're right that the "triplet" guitar part is pretty much all the fourth mode of the double harmonic scale (so B "Hungarian" minor), until the end with the straightforward B harmonic minor (because of the E-naturals), which I didn't quite put together-good catch. I think I was thinking more chromatically because the bass line there still doesn't fit that scale (C-naturals, G#s and A naturals), and neither do the embellishing guitars in the first block before the triplet thing starts. I'm also pretty sure there are some A-naturals in the harmony part when it comes in the last time. But calling it "B Hungarian minor with some chromatic stuff" probably would have been simpler than what I did. I guess the other reason I thought of it as fragments from these other collections is that I don't know the double harmonic scale well enough to hear it as a single thing the way I can with diatonic and harmonic minor scales-I think I still hear it as built up of these smaller more familiar fragments, even when I know it's there. Anyway, thanks for pointing that out, good catch!

[@iroveashe]

@@metalmusictheory5401 Thanks for the response, I only brought it up because these are things that took me a while to realize, and it's why I love this band so much, they can make tunes that sound deceivingly simple on some level, and then you realize they're more complex. But then you heard it a hundred times and you hear even more new stuff! I'm making a transcription of this for piano, working on it for months, and I was near the end before I realized that I was missing that third voice in the beginning, it's very subtle. And for the scale, I agree, I wasn't very familiar with it and at first I wasn't even registering the E#, I was picking up as a natural E because my ear was expecting the classic harmonic minor. That paired with the bass/harmony not matching the scale makes things so chaotic. Love it.

[@r.c.christian1198]

mars volta is legit

[@superking208]

A theory video on Amputechture?? Pinch me, I'm dreaming EDIT: Jon Theodore really is an absolute fucking monster here

[@Casey3-P-O]

Is that long guitar run from the beginning basically just using the Hungarian minor scale? I think it's also called double harmonic minor.

[@xXthetadeltaXx]

thats what I've heard other people say about it, so probably

[@m.f.3347]

amazing video. is that a clipping t shirt?

[@metalmusictheory5401]

It is!