The Complex Chords of XTC

A look at how XTC take simple chords and transform them into complex voicings as well as stylistically unusual chord progressions in "Rook" from the album Nonsuch and "Chalkhills and Children" from Oranges and Lemons.

[@blaskode]

It's high time someone recognized the genius of XTC.

[@montysloungetv]

exactly

[@karenweber2414]

XTC has influenced so many musicians, but not a lot of people realize it.. Their music carried me through many difficult times in my life. The complexity of their music is genius, their lyrics are poetic and dense with meaning. No other band has ever come close to their talent, in my opinion. Thank you for your breakdown of these songs.

[@ConglomerationCat]

The way you break down and analyze Rook brought tears to my eyes. Just beautiful.

[@Ed-Topo-108]

Just listening to Mike Keneally today & he really bridges that XTC- Zappa vibe.

[@gianlucaficca145]

Fantastic lesson! (and God, what a band XTC were!)

[@mattmichael6792]

I’ve long believed that being so far ahead of its time, the work of XTC has yet to reach the zenith of appreciation it will eventually attain. I am a mere believer. YOU are a crucial part of the story. I salute you.

[@seventhsamuel]

This could be a series- there are so many XTC songs with incredible harmonic sensibility. Looking forward to another Complex chords video(among your other videos)!

[@DoctorOcculator]

Great analysis Chanan. I love that XTC are somewhat the underdog darlings of exquisite pop/progressive/jazzy rock stylings. I'm constantly trying to turn people on to them. Would love some more vids of other XTC tunes, could I suggest The Last Balloon off Apple Venus and Dear Madam Barnum off Nonsuch. Also as someone else mentioned an in depth look at some Steely Dan tunes would be awesome!

[@guitarnut1800]

Wow! I am an ardent Zappa and XTC fan! Loved your Zappa videos and now love these!

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks!

[@JohnLloydDavis]

Great song choices once again Chanan. The Garden of Earthly Delights is a really great opening track on Oranges & Lemons. Nonsuch has another one of my favourite XTC tunes in The Dissapointed. There's a lot of contenders for the best songs from them.

[@ChananHanspal]

Yes there are a lot of contenders, was kind of tricky getting it down to a few. Thanks for watching!

[@perromanchado]

Superb analysis. Scarecrow People is also a masterpiece.

[@victorhawkins3461]

Dude! I have loved XTC for years and years and years...not quite as long as I've loved FZ, but, hey, they weren't around "back in the day." You are a truly gifted guitar picker and presenter. Though I haven't picked up a guitar or bass in almost 20 years, I understand everything you show in your vids. Thank you for your work. Obviously, it does NOT go unnoticed.

[@ChananHanspal]

Thank you so much Victor!

[@andyaruldoss7994]

Thanks. Always love chalk hills. You're a great great musician and thanks for the lesson's I briefly had u as my tutor a long time ago. I remember you using Jason and the argonauts in a lesson. Thank you.

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks Andy!

[@koodadyed]

Thank you for this great video. XTC were brilliant.

[@Ross-ze4ny]

Awesome.,. So many gems in the explanation/exploration

[@chrissolbe5752]

I play keys and LOVE your chordal breakdowns

[@gf301]

Well played, literally. These are the chords of angels, although I'm not sure they could play them. You could do a masterclass on virtually every song XTC wrote, they put so much into them and thanks to yourself we can see just how painstaking the process was. Wonderful stuff, thank you

[@gregoryk7114]

Very interesting, thanks!

[@wasteyelo1]

Love your content Chanan.

[@ChananHanspal]

Many thanks!

[@shayneoneill1506]

It'd be interesting to see some analysis of Cardiacs stuff. If you haven't heard them, treat yourself (Theres a decent intro from Tantacrul as well, that does capture some of what makes them interesting from a music theory sense), if you like Zappa you'll probably appreciate it, but they come from a more post-punk/new-wave angle , like a weird mash between , say, xtc for the pop sensibility, split enz for the weirdness and frank zappa for the utterly bonkers chord sequences and occasional hard-prog wig-outs. There really isnt much that sounded like them.

[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

Really enjoyed that. I'll have to give XTC another listen. I'd be interested in your analysis of Steely Dan, if they are something you are interested in.

[@ChananHanspal]

I'd love to do something on Steely Dan, definitely on the radar.

[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

@@ChananHanspal Looking forward to that 🥳

[@154chairsmissing]

Andy P has said he composed Rook originally on guitar. Do you have any idea how this was played, perhaps an open tuning to enable easier chord shapes?

[@CptCoitus]

Watching these chords made my hand hurt.

[@andyokus5735]

Chanan, are you familiar with David Sancious? He's my mentor and a brilliant genius. Please listen to his indie album " Cinema ". David's high musical mind truly comes out on this. I told him to please write something orchestra but he's set in his ways. A last note: I lived for 30 years in St. Augustine Florida and just 45 minutes south was Dattona Bch. Where the LSO resided and rehearsed every winter. I could of gone there just to listen but I was buried in a totally stupid drug life. Cheers!

[@Armakk]

3:20… Not sure I agree with that notation, rhythmically. It's 4 across 3 to my ears, I don't hear a time signature change just a polyrhythm. Andy keeps singing in 3 at least in unbroken tempo. Love your chord analysis (and interviews), XTC songs are an endless cavern of elusive, mysterious songwriting gold.

[@DouglasLippi]

Not quite, but you're closer. The song is in 3/4, kind of a jazz walz. The chords and pedal note alternate, as illustrated, but over 8th-note triplets, not 16th notes. So, at the beginning of the first measure the chord is on the downbeat, but at the beginning of the second measure the pedal note is on the downbeat. These pattern then repeats. Using your methodology it'd be 7 against 6, not 4 against 3. Whoever's playing the piano you can hear them accenting the downbeats, which actually makes it sound *more* disjointed lol...

[@Armakk]

@@DouglasLippi Ahh yes, I agree. By 4 across 3 I meant basically 12/16 aka sixtuplets which fits the alternating chord vs pedal downbeat you describe. It's just so manic I'm never sure if it's actually on the grid or a polyrhythm (of course 6/8 can have both at once)… 😅 How do you get a 7 v 6? How many reps of the chord+pedal in a bar of 3 are there precisely?

[@Armakk]

@@DouglasLippi Listening to Rook every night this week, I'm now half-convinced it's 9/8 (three very quick triplets) and I was right that the piano's doing 4:3 in those passages, i.e. duplets over the triplets.

[@montysloungetv]

more

[@bruhe]

You’d be harder pressed to find a song in their later catalog that didn’t contain esoteric chords.

[@guitarnut1800]

Check out Dusan Bogdanovic! He is probably the world's leading classical guitar composer and synthesizes classical, jazz, and world/ethnic music (often within the same piece), and is very polyrhythmic and modal. You might feel inspired to do a video or interview him!

[@climatebabes]

3:06 chord sounds like a cargo train horn..

[@acjohn6995]

I can't stand pretentious bands like Radiohead and the rest of the indie crowd, whenever I want something daring yet musical and accessible, I always turn to XTC.

[@paulflynn6169]

Oh you are kidding...this is wonderful . Beautifully done ,too Chanan.

[@ChananHanspal]

👍