Understanding Black Hole Sun

[@12tone]

Hey, folks! These analysis videos are based on suggestions from our Patreon patrons, so if you have a song you'd like to suggest, just head on over to www.patreon.com/12tonevideos and pledge at any level!

[@keeelane]

Great video thanks. :) However, I have couple of minor constructive criticisms: especially my small laptop the actual note markings are very difficult to see and I also found the other drawings a bit distracting. I think zooming in on your score writing would be enough to make it visually interesting so you don't need the other scribbles. Anyway, a great video and keep at it!

[@williansuarez9522]

The Eb is a sus4 with the G#/Ab

[@viralvideomaker5159]

It's crazy how all of this came to him while he was driving , he was definitely tapping into something divine

[@VoidPaul97]

@@j.pslaym0666 As someone who has written one or two songs, I can confirm that this is how it usually works. But in this case it was AMAZING!!!

[@joealexander9548]

After reading some of these comments, it's incredible to me how many people don't understand that this isn't a video of HOW the song was written, but the musical concepts in play AFTER the song was created. Personally, I love these music theory breakdowns. Here's some recommendations for you: Achilles' Last Stand by Led Zeppelin, Roundabout by Yes, and 21st Century Schizoid Man by King Crimson.

[@12tone]

Yeah, whether Cornell did this on purpose or not isn't really the point, and it's been a bit weird seeing so many people act like it is. I kinda get where it's coming from, but still. Strange.

[@browncoat697]

Yep, I'm pretty sure very few musicians, even ones who know theory well, set out with a particular set of theory ideas they want to apply to their music. That sounds like homework. What theory is, is a way for us to look at how stuff works. It's less like a how to guide for making good music (because there is some music that is damned interesting from a theoretical perspective but boring as hell to listen to), and more of taking apart what already exists and figuring out how it works. Less prescriptive, more descriptive.

[@keykrazy]

You know, i had a similar thought this morning -- that some of our best art is "like a finger pointing at the moon" as the Buddhists say. By way of explanation, i listened to The Police's "Spirits in the World", then this song, followed by "Fell On Black Days". Figured someone else might find these quotes interesting: Sting explained the song's meaning in Lyrics By Sting: "I thought that while political progress is clearly important in resolving conflict around the world, there are spiritual aspects of our recovery that also need to be addressed. I suppose by 'spiritual' I mean the ability to see the bigger picture, to be able to step outside the narrow box of our conditioning and access those higher modes of thinking that Koestler talked about. Without this, politics is just the rhetoric of failure."" "A black hole is a billion times larger than a sun, it's a void, a giant circle of nothing, and then you have the sun, the giver of all life. It was this combination of bright and dark, this sense of hope and underlying moodiness." "I even liked the way the words looked written down," Cornell added. (Also of note: Black Sun is a 1969 sculpture by Isamu Noguchi located in Seattle, Washington's Volunteer Park. Chris had said elsewhere he'd visited the sculpture.) "'Fell On Black Days' was like this ongoing fear I've had for years. It took me a long time to write that song. We've tried to do three different versions with that title, and none of them have ever worked," he said. "It's a feeling that everyone gets. You're happy with your life, everything's going well, things are exciting - when all of a sudden you realize you're unhappy in the extreme, to the point of being really, really scared. There's no particular event you can pin the feeling down to, it's just that you realize one day that everything in your life is f--ked!"

[@mattg2123]

I once read that the dudes in Soundgarden had no idea what time signature they played in, it all happened by chance. When you jam with friends and you hit the zone you know your there and that's when you make real music.

[@PmrGuitar]

I mean unless you write or play music yourself it porobably really easxy to not realized that i want say 98% no one put this much thought in what their music is doing while writing it.

[@CrazyStarr_]

Yes... mhmm... I know some of these words

[@jackanderson6664]

Blander Alexander Is having a stroke is it because I’m black?

[@aarongaytan9977]

Good Burger

[@AnAmericanComposer]

If you are going to talk about Soundgarden in the future you should really talk about Limo Wreck. That sound has incredibly intense harmonies in it, as well as its very non-standard guitar tuning, CGDGBE

[@12tone]

I'll add it to the list, thanks!

[@kuko6]

my head just explode

[@12tone]

^_^

[@dallimamma]

He's left-handed, think like a mirror, and let the genius awaken!

[@markgarcia1851]

dallimamma im left handed except on certain cameras.

[@rolandoriley]

Couldn't avoid laughing.. .haha

[@LaTortuePGM]

unexpected, have a nice day.

[@harrycallahan9143]

Theres something really haunting about this song, very moody chords but the chords that Kim plays over the top reminds me of an ice cream van for some reason which gives the song a creepy but uplifting feeling, Chris said he wrote the lyrics to whatever he thought sounded good with the mood of the song, like painting a picture and went with the flow, maybe this why he mentions "Boiling heat, Summer stench" thinking of the ice cream van you always get in the summertime, who knows. A lot of people get tired of it and say its nowhere near Soundgarden's best song, I think its a masterpiece, that dreamy intro gets me every time, beautiful chords, its baptising ending, the songs like looking through a keyhole into Cornell's dark, disturbing thoughts like Alice in Wonderland, "Hang my head, drown my fear, till you all just disappear" R.I.P

[@mariahmueller579]

The melody in the beginning reminds me of something from a Spyro level. Particularly from Spyro 1 or 2 on PS1. Such a beautiful song. And a good nostalgic video game!

[@soro3973]

This is the first time I've seen one of your clips. I hardly understood anything you mentioned, however, your explanation has reminded me that most beauty is surrounded with a marvel of complications. thank you

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@RobiticDuck]

This too is my first viewing of your video. Reminds me of Vihart but for music instead of math.

[@NinjaPirate239]

Ditto! I'm a new subscriber noe

[@TheOutZZ]

Vihart talked about music topics too.

[@joshajcip]

Its amazing how Chris Cornell thought about this all in his head, not knowing the terms or words for what he was writing, but it just sounded good to him. Love this breakdowns!

[@Raddrizz]

He knew music theory

[@elmaroosthuizen397]

This is like minutephysics but about music. I love it.

[@12tone]

Thanks, I love minutephysics!

[@__-bm4ej]

The difference is that I actually understand most of the things minutephysics says

[@dylc413]

The guitar is tuned "a little flat", the bass has the E tuned 1 step down to D and then the rest tuned half a step up It's the most scary tuning I've played in because there's so much tension, you feel like the strings are gonna snap

[@infinitenumeric7235]

Wouldn't be a little sharp

[@L33M_0]

i think it’s tuned to 433hz? around there i think

[@slipstream4572]

Just tune the low E to D, don’t need to change any other strings (this is a common tuning, drop D)... when you play in this tuning, it is the simplest to play, like smoke on the water, mostly bar chords but sometimes without any other fingers other than your first

[@jonahlouque9621]

It’s a half step down/D# not D.

[@smoothluke6151]

*Laughs in DAEAC**#e*

[@timcwalker]

Soundgarden didn't think about this song as much as this video did.

[@12tone]

I suspect they thought about it quite a lot, although probably not in the same terms!

[@UnexistingChannel]

timwalkersings you're wrong tho

[@Xanomodu]

this song was written in 15 minutes

[@yunggrimbo]

most rock musicians write music mostly by playing first and then writing it down instead of the other way around, i believe. its a less "technical" way of writing than what is used for example in classical music, i would say.

[@chanchaokiitos1184]

Alex Gray Many of them don't even write it down (they are not approaching songwriting theoretically).

[@PaulMcMinotaur]

This song has always baffled me, and even after watching this video and grokking everything you've said about it, I have to admit that I "get mystified" over it. I think Cornell invented his own music theory rules for this one.

[@MagiConch28]

Just shows the true genius to his work, RIP Chris Cornell

[@12tone]

Totally agree. He was a master.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

Jeeeesus man, I did the Royal Academy Jazz Course and completely forgot all this theory for the last 25 years. Its like being hit over the head with a music encyclopedia and just what I needed! LOL Thanks man! :D

[@12tone]

Thanks, that's really great to hear!

[@tobiasgilsenan]

that's so awesome mate, one of the best songs ever made. Cornell is so sorely missed and I never got to see him. Ok another song for you, break down Epic from Faith No More. that would make my life.

[@12tone]

Thanks, I'll add it to the list!

[@morriganos]

12tone legit subbing to see you analyze Epic, such an amazing song, FNM had some amazing shit

[@anonb4632]

Epic would be a good choice.

[@ROOKTABULA]

Tobias Gilsenan I did in 94 and in 2015, solo. 2015 was 1 of 2 concert situation in my life that have been the only "religious experiences" I've had.

[@chrisbassartist4344]

Tobias Gilsenan great song but not really complex

[@tomiyu2297]

The entire song was always very unnerving for me, but i loved every second of it. And now that he's gone, as cliche as it sounds, it's even more haunting now. Kinda like Black Sabbath' s Black Sabbath. And honestly, before I started guitar, i always felt like maybe it was something supernatural

[@12tone]

Yeah, I get that. It's a really weird, disorienting song, and the bizarre harmony really helps accentuate the lyrics.

[@rvprsd8299]

Kakyoin Noriaki Man fuck black sabbath. Tired of that overhyped band.

[@Shokan-mm8sj]

RVPRSD yeah the band that influenced every metal band and some very good rock bands is overhyped.......

[@rvprsd8299]

Jose D They are overhyped. So they were the first to do metal big deal. I dont hear people giving the first car props for being the first to do it. lol

[@Shokan-mm8sj]

RVPRSD if it weren't for them metal wouldn't be the same that's the big deal, if you don't like them that's fine, but you can't say they are overhyped.

[@drali]

LOVE this video! Thanks so much for making it. This was the first song I heard as a kid that felt uniquely mine and not my parents' music. A great tribute to Chris Cornell.

[@12tone]

Thanks! I know the feeling: For me that artist is Rob Zombie, and I'm hoping he lives forever 'cause I am not prepared to deal with that.

[@mrimpossible4353]

this is so over my head

[@ZeranZeran]

You are not alone. Also, 95% of what he's talking about here is completely not necessary to create music. Play every day and you will get better.

[@deew_knird_reeb_ekomS]

⁠@@ZeranZeranAll of what he said is necessary to write or perform music. If you don’t know at least basic music theory then you’re gonna have a hard time writing a song. I speak from experience.

[@ZeranZeran]

@@deew_knird_reeb_ekomS Music theory is important. Following this video as a guide is not, and would hold people back

[@joerodriguez5036]

you failed to mention the unintended reverberation of physics, which undoubtedly shapes all the directions that Soundgarden was using to describe time travel. Through a Black Hole Sun, of course.

[@12tone]

I suppose I'll have to reach out to one of my physicist friends for a collab, then!

[@TheGizzle85]

Joe Rodriguez how do I get to the hole? Astral, dnt, or _?? To get to the father, have to go through the son!

[@no-relic]

@@TheGizzle85 you uhh... You might be on to something there as far as the lyrical content of the song goes

[@Random-ul2gv]

And that the first chord is a lil sus

[@cristafollowerofchrist8176]

@@TheGizzle85 Yes!

[@DancingCurrently]

Brilliant theory break down! I studied music theory and I still don't know what to call some chordal harmonies I hear. Steely Dan stumps me frequently, but I can theoretically explain what Donald Fagen does most of the time. This song seemed like a mysterious structure I would never figure out and I decided not to analyze it and hurt my head. You explained it so very well and included the ambiguous nature of some of your choices as to what "name" to give some of the chords. Excellent job... fun little doodles, too. Now... Chris Cornell's passing was very traumatic for me. I have never cried so hard and so long for a stranger. I can't bear to see any of the press or pics about his funeral... not yet. Thank you for this tribute to him. We can't let his passing be just another day. We can't let his soulful, vulnerable, heart-wrenchingly beautiful works of art be forgotten.

[@12tone]

Thanks! I think Chris's passing was pretty traumatic for a lot of people. He touched a lot of lives. We still have his music, though, so at least there's that.

[@BogdanEchoMilosevic]

Wow, this is an excellent video! Reminded me of an essay I wrote back in college on all the production and mixing approaches and techniques used while recording Black Hole Sun. Brilliance in every way!

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@dennisrusde]

wow, what a masterpiece! The video is just insane! Both the author of the song and the author of this video breakdown are very talented!

[@pellelindbergh7483]

Fantastic break-down, sir! I feel like I'm back in music theory class!

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@crowsoaa4802]

The amount of work you put into this one video it to say the least impressive. Well done ! Subbed:)

[@hypnovia]

Analyze a Beatles song... I am fascinated by their ability to make complicated harmony sound familiar.

[@12tone]

Thanks for the suggestion! At this point, though, we receive so many song requests that we can really only focus on the ones from our Patreon patrons. We just don't have the time to look at every song that comes in, unfortunately. There's a link to our Patreon in the description if you're interested in checking it out, though! There's definitely a lot of amazing harmony in Beatles music, though. We've already examined McCartney's Blackbird (kzbin.info/www/bejne/rWLJgGmbpruXfbM ) but there's definitely plenty of other ones worth looking at!

[@aliciau86]

I studied musicology in Germany and your videos help me internalize english vocabulary concerning that word field. Apart from your interesting content, you have a good way of describing!

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@Dlabanec64]

How does tuning everything 1/4 note charp make it feel unnerving? Shouldn't only people with perfect pitch notice this? Or is only meldoy line tuned up?

[@Dlabanec64]

*melody

[@Dlabanec64]

Wasn't it proved that as long as you use 12-tone equal temperament you can't tell difference in Hz (like A=440 and A=432) of the pitches as long as whole melody is shifted the same?

[@12tone]

I think there's a difference between conscious identification and subconscious comfort. I certainly don't think that, listening to it, most people will notice that it's out of tune, because everything's out of tune by the same amount, but it still stimulates a different set of hair cells than we're used to having stimulated. I could be wrong, though: I'm not a neuroscientist, and it's kind of hard to separate the tuning thing from everything else that's going on, but it's a thing I've noticed in a lot of songs that are trying to sound dark and uncomfortable (Pantera, for instance, used it a lot.) so I feel like there's something there. If nothing else, it will certainly seem strange if you've recently been listening to other music that's tuned normally, because then your brain has something external to compare it to.

[@Dlabanec64]

Okay, thanks for super-fast answer! :)

[@recoveringsoul755]

+12tone Does it have something to do with the "standard" of tuning the A note to 440 Hz even though it used to be 432 Hz because 432 is more in tune with human anatomy and brain waves? I heard John Lennon took great pains to have his piano tuned for "Imagine" so that the D would be at 528 Hz because 528 is supposed to be "healing to the heart or brain" ...or something like that. I'm not a musician, but I find this fascinating how everything ties in together. I read that 440 was made standard around Hitlers time, and you can see videos about how sand and water react to the sound here on YT. At 432 Hz the sand makes beautiful patterns, but at 440 not so much, water seems more "at peace" at 432, where 440 seems to disrupt it. Since our bodies are mostly water, I think having standard tuning set to 440 is purposely designed to make people more aggressive and violent. Everything is vibration, I heard the word Cymatics, but not sure what it means I haven't researched it yet. too many irons in the fire. I still have my old violin and my dad's guitar. I wonder if I could learn it better the second time around?

[@mrtoastey]

Wow, I've just witnessed the single greatest thing the internet ever made. Thank you, I grinned stupidly through all of it, grasped 1/2 of it, and was inspired to grasp more. Five stars, will return.

[@ricardosiahaan5287]

Kim Thayil is one of the best guitarist from 90s

[@MustObeyTheRules]

Ricardo Siahaan Chris actually came up with most of their best riffs including this one.

[@mainsmain]

Jerry Cantrell

[@Foxikaze]

@@mainsmain Billy Corgan too

[@sasukesarutobi3862]

Watch this video twice in a row. That's about as much time as it took Cornell to write the music AND lyrics. The man was a sheer musical genius, and the world is that bit emptier for the loss of his talent, and for the loss of a great man.

[@TheSquareOnes]

There's a disturbing amount of ignorance worship here. Look, it's fine if you can make something awesome without knowing how but that doesn't mean knowing how to do the thing suddenly takes away that creativity. Not knowing theory is totally fine but it's bizarre to be actively proud of it or to try to lecture those who do as to how they aren't "real artists man."

[@timbeaton5045]

Yep. Have to agree. As someone who has been playing music on and off for decades, now. (Jeez! Am i really THAT old??) i DID study classically on the violin as a child, but sort of dropped out of that world, but then got into other stuff, like guitars, and bass, and have gone through my musical life with some, but pretty sketchy at best, knowledge of theory. And boy do i regret it, now. I find a disturbing rejection of theory, especially amongst guitarists who equate musical knowledge with a block to creativity. Which i simply don't understand, It seems that for every guitarist who proclaims they have no need for theory, they will site a favourite player (Steve Vai, John Petrucci and the like) who you know are pretty good on their theory. This is a big and divisive subject, and i guess there will be no convincing the players who claim they don't need it. Shame to limit yourself so much, but there you go.

[@happysaffa8871]

Dave Grohl is a good example. Self taught, doesnt read music.

[@notyetskeletal4809]

I don't know these people you speak of but will treat them gently if i ever come across them. i dont have the same coloured pool of knowledge as before and know there are many approaches one can take to create music.

[@AceBambam]

Cyan Light but is it not their right? Unless they shovin it down your throat that's a different story, as a music lover not knowing theory, i had fun watching this vid

[@1SquidBoy]

tim, they learn just enough to get confused and not enough to see the depth of knowledge and utility that can come with being fluent in this kind of stuff. I'm a classical horn player and I play keyboards in a rock band. I can't fluently read sheet music for piano. I mostly use my ear/asking band members what the changes are. It seriously makes things so nice. It's infinitely easier to understand why certain styles work the way they do, how effects are achieved, etc etc. These things work together with each other. theory is descriptive, not prescriptive, and I guess these guys don't learn that.

[@Mathemusician97]

In the greater context of this comments section, the ignorance worship is amazing. So many comments saying "Just enjoy it" or "you're overanalyzing it". Just because Cornell had no direct music theory training, does that preclude the song from music theory analysis? Does analysis somehow ruin your emotions when listening to a song? Does it somehow devalue the fact that Chris Cornell didn't actually do any of this, he was just fucking around and made a masterpiece? I can feel emotions when listening to a song and wonder what is being done to evoke those emotions afterward. I actually enjoy it more afterwards because I actually feel like I understand the song on a deeper level.

[@xxa411xx]

While your dissection is phenomenal, Cornell himself said that he didn't know music theory and never had formal training on guitar. He played what came to his mind, and Soundgarden's unique sound was mostly from Chris's abstract approach at music. He played what he felt, and sang with the music. Simple as that. He was a musical genius. Rest In Peace.

[@12tone]

Yeah, it's really phenomenal the level of complexity he was able to reach purely by instinct. Absolutely a genius.

[@MustObeyTheRules]

Damian yep he didn't know theory. he couldn't shred an awesome guitar solo but damn could he come up with some neat riffs and melodies.

[@ZeranZeran]

That only makes this more impressive.

[@ValveSpecial]

It doesn't matter whether he knows what the building blocks of music theory are called: those blocks can be discovered by anyone who really listens and experiments with music. For example he knew that a dominant or a secondary dominant could be used to lead back into the start of a chorus in the relevant key but he didn't know the technical term, in fact anyone who has played guitar and written songs knows this relationship on the fretboard by feel because it is obvious.

[@browncoat697]

It's also fitting when you consider the rhythmic elements (I'm a drummer so this is the stuff we think about) of Soundgarden, and how they fucked with rhythm and time signature (for good examples of that, see this song's solo and the entirety of Spoonman). They did it unintentionally, but it ends up being really cool.

[@0rnami]

Here I was thinking that you were going to talk about the themes of the lyrics instead of talking over my head with all this music lingo.

[@yeezybreezy9350]

GUYS GUYS GUYS DONT GO TO 1:04, WORST MISTAKE OF MY LIFE!

[@michaelpadan6375]

thank you for drawing pretty pictures that was very helpful, like knowing about music theory is as helpful

[@theonlymeian]

1:05 don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it don't say it

[@namelessLesbian]

the mon

[@RadityoPramAdi]

This video made me love the song even more...

[@12tone]

Thanks! Me too, if I'm being honest...

[@redwolverine5496]

You know looking at some of these comments, I have no idea what they are talking about. I didn't understand what an ok amount of what you said meant 5 seconds later, but I liked the video a lot still. Mainly because now I know why the song sounded the way it did.

[@12tone]

Thanks! By the way, if you'd like to understand more, we have a series called Building Blocks that looks at music theory from the bottom up: kzbin.info/aero/PLMvVESrbjBWplAcg3pG0TesncGT7qvO06

[@intuitive3444]

I can only imagine the mindpower required of Chris Cornell to have total recall of every note of every song he ever composed. Now, add the same for every song he ever played-coupled with-every song he ever heard. I think he just ran out of space for rational thought. A momentary lapse of reason. His soul has sailed beyond Earthly confines, but is still within reach of receiving the many blessings sent to him each day. Peace and Love Always

[@lucaschacon8362]

I think that Chris didn't wanted to write such a complex chord progression, but it just sounded good enough for the feeling that he wanted to put into the song. Thanks for making this video, seems like another example of a creative leftie haha! Greetings from 🇨🇱 🎸, I really like the content of your channel.

[@12tone]

Yeah, probably! Or rather, I think he probably just didn't care how complex it was, he just wanted a specific feeling.

[@Hello-hello-hello456]

That’s how the greatest music is created. Not with overthinking and theoretical analysis.

[@elgus1147]

This song is out of this world .......no explanations needed ......

[@tasfa10]

Great! Still a bit confused by it tho! And I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable with the fact that all your elephants have amputated trunks...

[@12tone]

Heh, true... It's just so much cuter and easier to draw that way, though!

[@MuzikBike]

I thought they were mice. I must be some sort of idiot.

[@insederec]

Their trunks are truncated.

[@coralaisly]

I just assumed it was all the same one or two elephants, just doing different things...

[@Asentro76]

I honestly thought they were mice...

[@templariclegion2826]

Not being a music artist, I used to think about how many variations of music there are and how a day may come where music will start to repeat itself but after watching this I think that day may not come as soon as I anticipated it too. There's a lot more that goes into music than I could have imagined. I'm subscribing.

[@12tone]

Thanks! VSauce actually did a really good video a while back about the possibility of running out of music, if you're still interested in that topic: kzbin.info/www/bejne/enLGm4lsZbehiNk

[@DANKKrish]

1:05 GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD GET OUT OF MY HEAD

[@matthewervvin]

It's incredible the layers of dynamic complexity that was probably written one drunk afternoon. It's definitely one the the top ten songs of the nineties. Thanks.

[@SpiritedSpy]

1:04 *shivers*

[@mazda9624]

I had absolutely no idea of his passing until I watched this video. Man there were some really great songs to come out of that man's brain...

[@12tone]

Yeah, he was a genius. At least we still have his music...

[@pomax1464]

1:05 i hate the fact i couldnt hear this without smiling

[@phillipsantana2633]

Wow Big Thanks for that as a listener to that track alone your realy blown away but when the whole process of the composure of it is explained it heightens my appreciation of this peice Soundgarden Rocks.Chris Cornel You are Forever Missed!

[@12tone]

Aw, thanks!

[@music-theory-practice4131]

I had to teach this song the other day in a class and we ended up watching this video halfway through -- very nice work! My analysis differed somewhat: I called the Eb chord in the chorus a version of an augmented 6th chord (not any of the common varieties, but just a basic triad), or, a tritone sub of the V/V of V, i.e. treating Dsus as the V, and the Eb chord as a tritone sub for A (V/V in G). I also think the Ab chord at the end of the chorus is better thought of as a tritone sub of the tonic's dominant, D, not as a predominant or subdominant, especially since the next chord is G.

[@texasnewt]

Incisive, interesting analysis ...

[@pahoynaas]

You just melted my brain, man. I thought I loved/“understood” music....until I watched this. Thank you.

[@skel_i_tn3643]

the guitar sound you decided to use in combination with the intro reminds me of the dire dire docks theme form super mario

[@sleven8013]

Hey man, really great video and channel! It's so fun to use music theory and I'm having a blast watching your vids and learning a lot. Black Hole Sun was a really great song to analyze, I've always wondered about the chord progression in it. :) Love Soundgarden. RIP Chris Would be really cool if you continued analyzing specific songs like you did with this one! It's awesome! A suggestion, if you're taking any, I've always thought many of Nirvanas songs to be ambiguous. The excessive use of power chords confuse me. In Bloom would be a great subject to break down.

[@12tone]

Thanks, and thanks for the suggestion! At this point, though, we receive so many song requests that we can really only focus on the ones from our Patreon patrons. We just don't have the time to look at every song that comes in, unfortunately. There's a link to our Patreon in the video description if you're interested, though!

[@syondas6203]

Spoon man and black hole sun are some of the best songs in history. Great video and explanation! Chris had a unique and uncanny knack for making simple but really catchy and dark melodies

[@GuardianNoodle]

I never realized that without the lyrics black hole sun sounds like the theme from a legend of Zelda water temple

[@Berbs73]

This is very cool. Thank you for your efforts. I sure do miss Chris as well.

[@MUN00K]

What's funny is that I can almost guarantee you Soundgarden didn't put *nearly* that much thought into it. That's the difference between a musician and a musical artist. While they probably did consider the emotional feel of the the music in great detail, this piece was likely just the result of an artistically & creatively geared mind in combination with music theory knowledge & some type of mind altering substance. Great video, though!

[@12tone]

Thanks! You're probably right, they most likely just played things that felt right to them. Still fun to look at why it all works, though!

[@johnt.campbell316]

When you write music, I don't think any thought goes into the theory behind it until you've already written it. I don't think bout it until much later; not until we've already played it a few times.

[@Spermofdog]

MUN00K like many other great songs this one was born from it's name. Chris thought that he heard that someone said "black hole sun" on TV and he liked that. It's lyrics were written intuitively, without any concrete meaning. And that's the beauty of it - their most popular song is a result of spontaneous creative blast.

[@MUN00K]

thumbs down

[@groovemachine3512]

MUN00K well thanks for explaining that to 12tone, Captain Obvious. Did you seriously think he didn't know that?

[@A-Milkdromeda-Laniakea-Hominid]

Thanks for isolating Kim Thayill's guitar parts (unless Chris wrote the stuff you analyzed?) and allowing me to see the genius; godsdamn that is beautiful and haunting. You sure know music bro

[@mwm48]

He is leaving out that much of this song seems to be written based on the guitar itself. Some chords are naturally easier to walk-down than others. In other words - He pretty much put it in drop D and walked the chord down. It's still fantastic tho. 😀

[@12tone]

True! As a theorist I tend to focus more on the structure of the notes than the instrumentation, but it's definitely a song that uses the guitar well.

[@Saber7ooth]

Jaw just fell.. Kudos to You, 12tone. Your insight and analysis blew my mind..! big thumb up for your work and presentation, this should be published all over. Gonzalo from Portugal

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@KurosakiYukigo]

Black Hole Sun is tuned .25 sharp?! No wonder the guitar on that song sounds a bit... odd.

[@agraciotti]

That was awesome, man! Thanks

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@sebastiangomez1700]

do a breakdown of "I Talk to the Wind" by King Crimson!!!!

[@sebastiangomez1700]

please!

[@12tone]

Thanks for the suggestion! At this point, though, we receive so many song requests that we can really only focus on the ones from our Patreon patrons. We just don't have the time to look at every song that comes in, unfortunately. There's a link to our Patreon in the video description if you're interested, though!

[@sebastiangomez1700]

Its okay, I get it. Once I have some money to donate I would definitely love to help out! Keep on keepin on!

[@RunToEternity]

In his eyes, undisclosed, In the black that no one knows, lies the voice of the one who sometimes speaks to all. Summer sun, Euphrates gals In the garden they once grow, lies the snake, then we shake off thee tech uptake, disregard, my lyrics they are just a snare for hysterics.

[@bloodakoos]

1:04 a WHAT chord

[@ghillieshark6437]

A mogus

[@enterprisekid]

We have all been damaged

[@crazedtimo2862]

I was looking for a comment talking aout the SUS

[@katiebarber407]

holy cow what an amazing way to break down music

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@fonzimendoza1979]

Please do Deacon blues! Steely Dan

[@12tone]

I'll add it to the list1

[@HigherGroundCC]

yeah, anything by steely dan would be amazing!

[@wiki3wiki3]

It's a good analysis for musicians to remember it by and understand it in another language. Like you responded, he probably just felt his way through it. According to an interview, he knows nothing of what he's doing but just uses his ear to find what sounds right. "I play like a chimpanzee." he said on a radio interview. He was surprised that the band gave him full support to add his guitar playing to the lineup. No brainer! His guitar playing and singing are the main driving forces in the band imo. Everyone else, very effectively, falls in beautifully. I think everyone was at their best on this one. That drum sound is off the charts in a good way. Thanks!

[@12tone]

Totally agree! He was a great talent.

[@unclecritic]

WHEN THE IMPOSTOR SUS 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂GET IT (sus) CHORD😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@swistedfilms]

Watching your videos I realize there is a lot I didn't know about music. Like, a lot a lot. But this is one of the most powerful songs written in my lifetime. It's not just a song; it's a chant, a prayer, an incantation that brings about change. In times of darkness it should be played at great volume. Though it can bring great sadness it will, by the end, bring about the energy necessary to carry on, as one feels the "black hole sun" pulling all things into it and transforming them. There's even science behind this. In a black hole all matter and energy becomes part of the infinitely dense singularity at the black hole's core. Now this may seem like an end and, from our point of view, it is. However, time is so severely dilated in a black hole that it essentially exists outside of our timeline. If we were to fall into a black hole (never mind the incredible pain of the spaghettification [and yes that's a real word] that we would be suffering) we would see the entirety of the universe passing before our eyes and ending in its eventual heat death. The black hole is, from its point of view, the beginning of all things and is capable of creating any and all matter, from hydrogen to the heavier elements that are only theoretical. This song is therefore a marriage of the spiritual and the scientific, lyrically speaking. The black hole sun is both metaphorical and literal and the song takes us into a trip into the singularity and leaves us on the precipice of the new possibilities that it will eventually create. It's truly one of the most brilliant songs ever made. Thanks for sharing your analysis with us!

[@beoz658]

you should probably be saving the world you seem very intelligent

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@marydoran5390]

12tonefaphwenb

[@Cowboybrian01]

My first video to watch of yours but I can guarantee it won't be my last! Very insightful and very fun to watch I love the doodles!!

[@12tone]

Aaw, thanks!

[@Random-ul2gv]

1:05

[@tranquilcoast]

this is a way I've never seen music before, thank you for filming this it's very interesting

[@12tone]

Thanks for watching!

[@billyroberts5241]

To the people who are concerned with over thinking music - there are soooo many great composers out there that have written very deep insightful books/papers about composition. Stravinsky is one of them(www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674678569) and Arnold Schoenberg is another. It's a unfortunate myth to think that good music just falls out of your fingers somehow.

[@lazyjackass77]

Chris Kim Matt and Ben. I was fucking STUNNED the day I heard they had broken up. I could not have imagined at that time their best days were behind them. That was the day Soundgarden died for me. I had exactly the same feeling when I heard Layne Stayley was no longer with us. I went cold, numb, in mental shock. How could this be? Rest in eternal peace Chris. I still hope to meet you and Layne and Kurt and Jimi, and Keith Moon, just not too damn soon. Huge lump in my throat.

[@santiagosanz4157]

I came expecting physics, anyways i'm amused

[@12tone]

^_^

[@RichBaxter73]

I don't think I have ever music explained in such detail before. Wow!

[@12tone]

^_^

[@Whatcha_making]

1:06 sus sus sus among us sus

[@jasonodea9177]

Modal interchange between major and minor really smooths out well with the right bass line, such as something ascending or descending chromatically I've found that in general the best way to make complicated harmonies sound smooth and graceful is to keep one component of it simple. Like a simple melody (one that usually sticks to the 7 or 5 note scale) with complicated chords that borrow from various keys beneath it. Or the opposite, keeping the chords overall simple but the melody non-diatonic. There's a cover of this song on KZbin done on Sitar, and he plays the melody over a D drone and it all still works, the melody just changes the feel of it to different modes of D. Kind of a bluesy feel, I love it.

[@12tone]

Totally agree! Having something simple serves as a sort of anchor so your song has structure even if you're doing really weird stuff on top of it. I'll have to look that sitar cover up!

[@23hojojo]

please can you do more jazz??? moaning, love supreeme, afro blue impressions?? more coltrane??

[@12tone]

I'll add them to the list, thanks!

[@recoveringsoul755]

I'd love to see Green Onions if you haven't already done it. This is the first video of yours I've watched. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us!

[@joanthemad5894]

Josipa Horvat ya like jazzz?

[@texasnewt]

Ditto: Coltrane's Love Supreme.

[@iainlennon]

I was hoping you'd do Black Hole Sun! I think it's an incredible piece of songwriting and the more I analyse it and find out about it, the more I love it.

[@12tone]

Agreed! Working through it this week was challenging, but a lot of fun.

[@wolfboyyt7696]

Sus chord

[@slayr4862]

AHAHAHHAHAHA

[@herbstone7310]

G sus

[@kevinburnes3216]

That was amazing! I have ADD, but this brings it home for me, thank you!

[@12tone]

Thanks!

[@theloser8109]

A sus chord

[@philblack5936]

You sir are a musical genius. No word of lie. Mind blown....

[@ryanulmer2541]

:106 sus😳

[@marklackeymusic]

Nice analysis work, and fun video! Thanks for revealing some of what's cool about this great song. Notice also the kinship with "lament bass" (bass line descending slowly from tonic to dominant) which underpins everything from "Dido's Lament" aria in Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas to Zeppelin's "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" and "Stairway to Heaven," which contributes to that sense of timelessness and sorrow.

[@12tone]

Ooh, good catch! I always forget about the Lament Bass, thanks for pointing it out!

[@CelibateYoda]

SUS??????

[@CelibateYoda]

@eggisawesome u kinda sound like an imposter rn,,

[@ghillieshark6437]

@eggisawesome I hope your dad comes back

[@HJCF0520]

You guys are purely genius. Incredible videos!

[@ira374]

This makes me glad I didn't take IB Music

[@annoyingkid48]

Damn. I spent a good 12 years playing music, but I have no experience writing it, so this sort of thing is absolutely fascinating to me. Now I have to go listen to black hole sun again.

[@YRUACNT]

I think the Irony here is he probably didn't think it through with music theory, he wrote from feeling not maths. That is where the genius is, when you try to be clever you fail, but when you write from feeling the clever happens without knowledge of its existence.

[@12tone]

Yeah, I agree, he definitely wrote this much more from instinct than theory. I don't really agree that theory can't produce great results, but it's pretty impressive how theoretically complicated things can get when you're not thinking about theory at all!

[@TheRubberStudiosASMR]

I think the same could be said with films especially those of David lynch. He never gives answers to what things mean, instead he gives vague answers like things have many meanings. It's because he is probably using ideas that just come to him/ not to do with the fucking planets aligning or satanism

[@rileywitting2961]

12tone im taking lorazepam like Cornell did and its really fucked up. Ive gotten so much help but nothing works. I went 1 year clean with literally nothing but caffeine and Im still really depressed. At this point the only thing thats keeping me alive is luck. And I'm only fucking 16, why couldn't this happen to my brain once Im at least a little older. If ur reading this go check the song "schism" but tool, the lyrics describe this perfectly, it will probably just confuse you though.

[@Stucknnmx]

Riley Witting don't give up. It can sometimes take a long time to find the right balance of meds, dose, therapy, etc. if there's one silver lining to your struggles, pain can be the purest form of inspiration for art. Find your niche and pour yourself into it. You may find it cathartic and at least slightly helpful. I've been to some pretty dark places and felt like luck alone was keeping me here, I know in your current place these words may ring false or empty, but it gets so much better (consider this a message from your 33 year old self). Best of luck, and know that you're cared about, even by a stranger from the ether of the Internet.

[@rileywitting2961]

Stucknnmx thanks so much

[@YoitsLoafOfWood]

I understood absoulutely nothing in this video but still managed to enjoy the entire thing. Now I want to learn more about composition.

[@12tone]

Thanks! If you're interested in learning more, we have a series called Building Blocks that explains music theory from the bottom up: kzbin.info/aero/PLMvVESrbjBWplAcg3pG0TesncGT7qvO06

[@joemomma8028]

originally a Frank Sinatra song

[@acarlovonsexron1994]

The producer had Chris listen to Sinatra before cutting the vocal. One amazing thing about the song is Chris heard the melody in his head while driving in his car, hummed it until he could get to a phone, and called his house to leave it on his answering machine.

[@steadyrhythms9571]

Carlo Von Sexron I come up with melodies in my head all the time, sometimes in school, which is terrible because I don't have somewhere to record it or whatever and I still have hours of thinking so I don't remember it. It's very disappointing.

[@elsoil3387]

Ever heard of a mobile phone? I record things all the time. Sometimes have to whisper so not to cause embarrassment!

[@mottahead6464]

More complex than a Frank Zappa song.

[@timbeaton5045]

Hardly. Not that complexity in itself matters, but Zappa covered such a huge range of music, from Doo Wop to pretty abstract stuff (see Jazz From Hell or the London Symphony Orchestra albums to name but two). Few people have come anywhere close to Zappa's range of styles. Don't get me wrong, i'm not denigrating Black Hole Sun, it's a great and powerful song, but i personally think there are very few people whoo can rival Zappa for sheer breadth of vision. If any???

[@Torthrodhel]

So many people saying "I don't think the actual songwriters thought about any of this" - I think that's nonsense. When you write a song with some more complicated exchanges in like that, you know how to use your chords! It comes through instinctually, and you're not having to explain it to an audience on notepaper while you do so - which is how it happens that much quicker - BUT you DO know it and you DO think about the same things. You won't even necessarily be needing to call them anything in your head, but they make sense in the exact same way. It's like if a physicist detailed a boxer's punch and then you suggested that the boxer didn't even think about it, they just simply threw a punch. Yes, but more accurately, no. That technique didn't just magically appear, you train it. You work on it and you get to know it, understand how it works. Same with chords. You get a knack, a muscle memory almost, for knowing how they interact with one another. It's more difficult when you're trying to figure out what you did afterwards, because intellectualizing it and actually noting it down involves a lot of starting and stopping, and accessing technical terms, and those sorts of things, that simply don't need to occur when you're doodling on an instrument. It's a seperate method, it has less flow to it, so it takes more concentration and inevitably, also more time. However. That doesn't mean you're not understanding or doing the same things. Just like with that boxer. The punch still lands, and it still lands because you understood how it could work in that moment. Having a deciphering of this kind of thing explained out like this is really interesting since it trains the less frequently trained side - the hard thought, the stop-and-start deliberate thinking. And though the other way might be the primary way, it always begins with that kind of rote understanding, whether achieved through experimentation or instruction. So it's all just adding layers to your craft. The ridiculous element here is people thinking of a notation type musician and an instrumental doodling type musician as two essentially seperate entities performing two completely different functions. They're not. Once it clicks in you how the chords interact with each other, it clicks in you how this all works as it's being explained over manuscript paper. Can you recite it afterwards? Probably not. But quick, the last page from that book you're reading - can you recite that afterwards? Probably not either! But did you enjoy it, and did it inform you, or entertain you, or make you think, or mean something to you? Quite possibly! And similarly, here, with this. I personally have a renewed appreciation for this song which I must admit to being a little bit disinclined to thinking about due to its status as the only Soundgarden song people tend to ever mention. When one choice overshadows all the others like that (as is pretty common in music, really), it tends to gain the feeling of being a bit of a block to the proper appreciation of the rest of the catalogue. However this is naturally all just mere feeling. Not much actual truth to it. And thinking deliberately about these chord interactions, it's a much more intricate song that it sounds like - a lot like much of the rest of their work! And just, a lovely sounding piece of music besides.

[@themusicalpickle163]

The good ol' days when people actually put thought into music.

[@heelstevenmaggle5615]

Yet you like Gorillaz.

[@lucydayLucida]

Not sure how I found this channel right now, but I loved this. Subscribed.