What makes a song sound like Christmas?

[@ArielKennethAmpol]

Nobody: Adam Neely: Why I season my chords, not my... Oops, wrong Adam

[@vloput]

That's a good one))

[@earfdae]

as a fan of both... lol, nicely done.

[@erpmo3326]

I don't get it

[@ArielKennethAmpol]

@@erpmo3326 not a big fan of explaining jokes, but here we go.... Adam Ragusea, the guy in the Vox video, actually has an excellent cooking KZbin channel. One of the memes that's come out of his channel is "Why I season X, not Y". Ex. Why I season my cutting board, not my steak. God it feels weird to dissect a joke. Lol

[@erpmo3326]

@@ArielKennethAmpol sorry and thank you

[@insaneintherainmusic]

I'm so glad you debunked this Vox thing. Sleigh bells and subject matter make something christmassy... not some Aeolian modal interchange

[@elizah9408]

Sure, but you can listen to something that has nothing to do with christmas (i.e. no sleigh bells or christmas lyrics) and hear a christmassy vibe.

[@insaneintherainmusic]

I think that's possible! However, there's still no single "secret chord" that automatically makes something Christmassy. Could you refer to a specific tune?

[@AdamNeely]

+Thomas H like what?

[@haniii3]

insaneintherainmusic love your stuff man

[@RaffaeleSansone]

check out Mount Fuji Christmas by Paul Gilbert, it has no lyrics or sleigh bells (I think there's a tambourine every now and then) and it still feels like Christmas to me

[@seamless1464]

Adam Ragusea made a video on this whole situation, but In short he misspoke a few times during the interview, and vox twisted some of what he said around to make it seem like he was saying there was a single chord that makes things sound like christmas kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKm4n6qpqdmllZo

[@leafletleaflet]

Yeah I wish there was an explanation that actually is aware of what he talks about in the article, rather than the video. Because it's clear that he doesn't make those mistakes in the article, and also because I'd be interested in learning more . . . *if* people weren't covering stuff that was already covered in the original article and repeats stuff that he covered himself originally. It doesn't really make me feel like the hot air about Professional Music was worth all the indignity, because no one has actually disproven it, and worse: it hasn't given me the a good impression of the humility of professional music folks. Piling on some guy for being wrong on the internet isn't super mature :/

[@penguindrum264]

@@leafletleaflet When you learn the context of the story and Adam's past, it makes you see how toxic sensationalist pop journalism (eg. pop science) and the music community is.

[@MusicSounds]

It would be great if now, a few years later, we got both Adams together to talk about this and end all the confusion

[@juliusbernotas]

Adam actually regrets participating in that Vox video (just posted a lengthy video about that today). Apparently he gets tweets calling him dumb every Christmas ever since

[@MCXL1140]

I don't even know if he regrets it so much as regrets being less than adequately prepared to do the demonstration he wanted to do. his commentary is very clear that he doesn't think that vox shouldn't exist or that that article is fundamentally flawed just that it's a vox article, they distill things down to such a reduced nature that you're never ever ever going to actually portray any level of nuance or expertise accurately. That's just what vox generally does.

[@wanderingwonder111]

@@MCXL1140 Ye it's not fair to judge any party with 4+ hindsight, but the takeaway from both vids is pretty much the same. Just one had maybe a minute of screentime to explain to a general audience, while one had 4 minutes to speak to music nerds

[@Joker-qy2fv]

I think the point that Adam Ragusea was trying to get across was that it isn’t the dm7b5 itself but the use of that jazzy harmony/chords. And I think they mentioned in the video that he studied music composition. So I think he is legit but Vox made him look kinda like an idiot with the whole clickbaity thing.

[@cameronschyuder9034]

He posted a video later in 2020 basically saying what you said, in a lot more detail/context: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKm4n6qpqdmllZo

[@greenpeppermint7518]

true

[@conradzxy]

Fun Fact: Adam Ragusea has a cooking channel on KZbin, he’s got some good stuff. He’s also a classically trained composer, but he’s a full-time Foodtuber now.

[@coolcat3404]

Who is here after Adam Raegusea video?

[@D3ND]

Glad I'm not the only one

[@8BitBrody]

Glad he was able to respond after all these years!

[@truedarklander]

@@8BitBrody he be cooking now

[@CouchEconomyTX]

Me, lmao

[@barbutahelmet8966]

@@8BitBrody hello Brody, how are you? The Ant Olympics coming along well?

[@niklaspilot]

I clicked on the video waiting for you to say "SLEIGH BELLS".... :D

[@NonsenseTreasure]

Yeah, remember that from the stream.

[@simongregory9453]

Sleigh bass

[@Momsemann]

Who’s here after Adam Ragusea’s new video?

[@clevername15]

adam ragusea shouldn’t be to blame though, guy’s a legend

[@dragongamer2317]

This is old

[@Flamingwindjutsu]

Anyone else coming here after seeing Adam Ragusea's video about this whole debacle?

[@FowlerAskew]

WOAH WAIT The first time I watched this video was before I started watching Adam Ragusea's videos so I didn't recognize him, but he has a cooking channel that's really good

[@Seethi_C]

Same!

[@davidscott3125]

his explanation in the vox video isnt great but he DOES actually have a music degree so he tried haha

[@wafflehouseco]

@@davidscott3125 he just made a video about it

[@xander1052]

@@wafflehouseco yup, where he points out his actual article which is wayyy better than the vox video.

[@calebstory3519]

That Adam Ragusea just uploaded a video regarding this situation and I think it's interesting to hear it from his perspective.

[@MCXL1140]

It's also funny how flawed neelys conclusion is. this cord appears in many Christmas songs but it doesn't inherently make it christmasy. Sleigh bells appear in some Christmas songs but that makes them inherently Christmassy.

[@MCXL1140]

@John the point is there's nothing inherently christmasy about either of them, saying that the sound of one is inherently christmasy because it appears in Christmas music is obviously undercut by the fact that he spends a significant portion of time saying that the other one doesn't sound christmasy just because it appears in Christmas music it's a pretty basic logical issue. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that there is a " secret chord" that's just the sort of pandering that vox does. However talking about a cord that shows up in a lot of Christmas music by no means is inaccurate. And I won't even address your pathetic appeal to authority.

[@Naurwal]

@John in adams video (the adam this video is about, not by) he says that he didn't mean anything is inherently own thing in all contexts, ever. He meant it's more of a common staple in music. Vox did most of the word play with that. So I think everyone agrees on that .

[@Elgeneralsimo69]

A song without Gsus (Asus if in Mexico) cannot be a Christmas song.

[@Roescoe]

That is such a good pun.

[@jacksonp2397]

thank you

[@blazejecar]

And to top it off, Gsus notes are G A D. OH MY GAD, IT'S Gsus!

[@rzeka]

Jesus is pronounced like "heysoos" /xeˈsus/ in spanish, if you read Asus in a spanish accent it would kinda sound like that

[@rzeka]

ernieIzdebski oh good catch. lemme fix the transcription

[@kurth6595]

Vox is basically Spinal Tap saying D minor is the "saddest" key

[@kurth6595]

Hey this would be a great idea for a video :0

[@MisterAppleEsq]

Well, long story short, different keys don't intrinsically have different feels to each other, but they mean that instruments will play in different ranges, which can have an effect. But no key is the saddest. Spinal Tap is a good movie.

[@kjmusic99]

it's like they've never heard of crab rave by noisetorm

[@chrisofnottingham]

Apart from sleigh bells, the way to turn a regular song into a Christmas song is have it sung by a children's choir and add in a brass band.

[@Butts666]

Using 6/8 also helps significantly. I still feel like the chorus of "Now we just slowly circle the draining fish bowl" by The Paper Chase is very christmassy even though the song really isn't.

[@FujiAppul]

If you’re talking about that band that used Canon In D as a Christmas song, then not always, for I usually connect Canon In D with weddings and that one “suck a dick” vine.

[@Markle2k]

Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone! Merry Christmas from Roger Waters' childhood demons.

[@MalarkeyMan]

No. White Christmas is the most Christmas song and it contains no bells or kids

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

@@FujiAppul I typically connect Canon in D with cellists having either suicidal thoughts or anger issues.

[@BlankRev]

Damn you really had to do adam ragusea like that

[@themodernshoe2466]

I love all the comments coming back to this video after seeing Adam ragusea's side like it was obvious the whole time. 4 years ago, everyone saw him as the devil, turns out they were wrong and the world isn't as simple as "dumb journalist can't spell chords"

[@overthinking8067]

I kinda hoped you'd make a video one-upping vox. You seem much more equipped to do this type of video than them.

[@davidgoode1427]

OverThinking I know! I watched the vox vid and i'm thinking huh!?! there are a variety of christmas songs in other keys than All I Want For Christmas Is You, and plenty don't use diminished chords, let alone a Dm7b5

[@kanderson5555]

0:13 You can actually pin point the second when Adam Ragusea's heart rips in half

[@yateswebb]

An Adam and Adam collab would be hilarious lol. I think Adam R. did make the same point Adam N restates here. In contemporary times we don’t hear those early 20th century vibes much. So there is a contextual association to Christmas. And for people who don’t know theory, that’s a cool thing to learn! Adam Neely here basically just makes the exact same point that Adam R was making, but after the fact. LOL.

[@kempo10]

You've quickly become one of my favourite channels on KZbin. I'm not a musician, I've never taken any classes; frankly you could likely find fish more adept at playing an instrument than me. In spite of that, what I can still enjoy about your videos is your clear enthusiasm for your subject. The way in which you delve deeply into the theoretical aspects of music, and so coherently contextualise your thoughts through contemporary examples makes these videos so interesting, and genuinely makes me want to find out more for myself, even if at first I don't fully understand the concepts you're discussing. This video's just another excellent example. I don't usually leave comments of this type, but felt that it really was justified here. It's rare to find somebody on this website who is so knowledgeable, passionate, and articulate about the topic they're talking about. Keep it up.

[@AdamNeely]

Thanks man, I appreciate it! It always kinda blows my mind when non-musicians dig my videos, because I feel like I'm going full-on jargony egghead for a lot of them, but I'm glad you enjoy them so much!

[@sunsetworms]

Adam Neely I *have enjoyed a music education and I was blown out of the water by watching just one of your videos. You are really something else, Adam.

[@druzybear]

kempo10 Same here! Plus his videos are so well done, in terms of quality, timing, editing, and humor, you kind of can't help but to enjoy them.

[@613steven]

Well, you're fundamentally a superb teacher. so it works!!! I love music and play a little guitar for fun, but am no musician by any stretch -- still I really enjoy your material and learn a lot from it, even though many details are above my head. I'm looking forward to doing some teaching myself next year (not music), and am trying to watch carefully and learn from your example of how to convey sophisticated concepts in such an engaging way.

[@Nic33rd]

Solid counterpoint

[@jonathanzilk6089]

heh.

[@devon-crain]

Hahaha thanks for the laugh, mate.

[@lorenzogiovannibotti]

The trick for christmassy christmas songa is white wine, according to current day Adam Ragusea

[@aghost2585]

Why he seasons his instruments, NOT his chords

[@dougiemasterfilms]

Yo Mama I agree with the point about the music, but the guys channel has some incredible cooking videos. His “shortcuts” are for home cooks to facilitate easier and simpler cooking.

[@matthewparker9276]

The effect is amplified if the white wine is drunk in the sun.

[@dankerbooper]

@@svenman1996 can you actually point out what was wrong?

[@yomaaa2345]

@@svenman1996 as an indian, I would honestly say Adam raguseas methods,while non traditional are really easy for home cooks and work very well. My mom herself agreed with his methods. When cooking for ourselves, we don't really splurge all that much and take so much care to develop flavours. We just put everything in and mix. What you're describing is mostly only done by restaurants and maybe some caterers and only done at home for really important events. I would argue a foreigner making butter chicken is not really an important event.

[@RCAvhstape]

Vox makes a lot of stupid videos. The other Vox makes some nice amplifiers, though.

[@pablocous1312]

Helium Road exactly 😂

[@jessekirk9146]

The problem with Vox is that they portray themselves as experts of everything, that everything they show in their well-edited videos are 100% correct, even if they are not.

[@onofre4390]

And the other Vox is a fascist party in Spain :) xd (with no institutional representation whatsoever)

[@Scoaster86]

You're right there, but I think they should stop bragging so much about their modeling technology. It is pretty good, one of the best out there apparently, and their hybrid modeling amps come really close to what they try to emulate. But still, they don't exactly sound and react the same, and that's what they actually claim. Oh wait, this video is about an entirely different topic...

[@forgetful9845]

Onofre tfw fascism is still popular.

[@jacemeldrum5052]

To be fair The professor did study music in college

[@themodernshoe2466]

Can't tell if this is sarcastic, but if it wasn't, congrats for being ahead of the curve 4 years ago and not taking the whole story at face value

[@ncpolley]

@@themodernshoe2466 Yeah, if he figured this out that far ahead, damn.

[@blubase06]

I was hoping that you would make your own Christmas song.

[@AdamNeely]

Aw man, that would have been fun! I was super pressed for time with this one - the Vox video came out, and I was traveling, so I had to whip this whole thing up very last minute. Next Christmas, I swear!

[@patlina59]

Don't swear, just say Merry Christmas!! & all the very best to you and your loved ones in the New Year.

[@mattclough1737]

Adam Neely love the coincidence that I commented about this on your last vid and you made this video... I can subliminally influence you to make anything now

[@alvin_row]

Adam Neely what? But we'll have to wait like... A hundred days D:

[@brianbjur4796]

I kinda made an instrumental one. Sadly no Dm7 soundcloud.com/brianbjur/winter

[@ScotHarkins]

Fascinating to come here after the Vox video after Ragusea's Dec 2020 video of a 2018 easy he wrote about the while experience of the Vox video in the context of how Vox does so many "the one thing that" videos, and how the subsequent experience including this one take on that Vox-specific messaging really spun out into so much more than it really was. It sounds, too, like Ragusea and Nealy actually met up at the 2018 conference where Ragusea presented his essay. Also fascinating to see that two channels/people I follow actually crossed paths on something so interesting on so many fronts. Cool! Thanks to both of y'all (Adams Neely and Ragusea) for such interesting content and some good stories with it!

[@MondeSerenaWilliams]

Just wanna point out, it's actually Cory from 12tone whom Adam met on the conference.

[@ScotHarkins]

@@MondeSerenaWilliams well dang...I shall have to correct the post, after I rewatch Ragusea's video to make sure I get the context. Dunno why I took that in as meeting Neely. Split attention most likely.

[@ChristopherMurtagh]

Why is this video still up? At the very least it should open with a correction and an apology to Adam Ragusea.

[@Xkiller668]

Saw your Q+A where you answered the question about christmas music and then saw Vox's. Have been waiting for this video since

[@shermanthompson871]

they totally missed that it's really going from the major IV chord to a minor iv chord. The highlighting of the A to the Ab is what makes the two chords 'melt' together. (whatever that means) It's a super common progression in Beatles songs.

[@MisterAppleEsq]

The guy who wrote the song even said that he was thinking of it as a minor subdominant when he wrote it!

[@tramquangpho]

That called minor plagal cadence , a little late

[@ljwester]

that's what i always thought. i think the I-IV-iv chord progression could be explained so much easier if you see it in terms of voice leading. in your example, the cadence has two chromatic lines that make it so strong: the A of the F chord going to an Ab in the F minor and dropping to the G of the C chord; and the F going to an E. saying that it's modal interchange just seems an easy way to justify it without actually telling you why the ear likes that sound.

[@F22Raptor723]

Adam, your videos have really made me appreciate jazz music a lot more. I've always appreciated it, but now I'm actually enjoying listening to it

[@frederikhertz5668]

As a musicologist writing a thesis on christmas music, I have to say that I love all your points, but don't follow the premise of your conclusion. Basically, what you're saying is that because there is a sociohistorical background that makes us associate this particular chord with christmas, is it not true that it is a christmas chord. Then you bring forth sleigh bells, which is also associated with christmas music because of a sociohistorical background (it's just one that is much less negotiable) and state: "that is the sound of christmas!" Truth be told: that is how genre and musical associativity works. Wagner new it. Film composers know it. And Ariana Grande knows it. Music gets extra layers of meaning through association, and that's why your video is a great argumentation of, why IT IS INDEED A CHRISTMAS CHORD (not universally speaking, but if things have to be universal to be true, we don't have much left to say about culture and a lot of the fun and meaning of peoples lives would have to be deemed 'false consciousness', as an orthodox marxist would put it.) Happpy X-mas!

[@maxwuup2152]

Thanks for that, that's what was on my mind, but explained much more clearly.

[@Blackoutwhiteout23]

Exactly what I wanted to say.

[@HamishGarland]

Seems Adam just rehashed here what the other Adam wrote in his original article, and explained to vox.

[@tissuepaper9962]

The point is that there's no "secret sauce" to Christmas music, contrary to what the original Vox video *very heavily* implies.

[@HamishGarland]

That's what Vox does. It's clickbait. Adam Neely got sucked down the rabbit hole. Adam Ragusea got thrown under a bus.

[@scotttroyer]

If we're being pedantic, you mispronounced Adam Ragusea's last name.

[@TheHeatguru]

Anyone here after Adam’s video?

[@Seltyk]

I wonder how your thoughts have been changed in response to today's Adam Ragusea video, retelling the story from his angle

[@tissuepaper9962]

He wasn't even responding to Ragusea's portion of the video. In fact, the argument put forth in this video is quite similar to the argument laid out in Ragusea's original article. I'm sure Neely's opinion hasn't changed. This video is a response to Vox's complete butchery of the subject matter, not Ragusea's minor mistakes.

[@Seltyk]

@@tissuepaper9962 sure, but I have a hunch that something Ragusea says in his video will spark an interesting reaction from Neely, and I'm curious to see if that plays out.

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@Seltyk I have a feeling I know what you're talking about, but I don't want to spill the beans and ruin your question, should Neely deign to answer it. I'll just say that Neely made the remark you may or may not be referring to in passing and, again, as a criticism of Vox's journalistic methods, not Ragusea.

[@NickersonGeneral]

@@tissuepaper9962 To be fair, Neely DOES comment on the fact that Adam isn't a professor of music, but rather journalism, as if to imply they should have consulted someone else, when Adam laid out pretty well that it probably wouldn't have mattered who they interviewed, it wouldn't have changed Vox's premise.

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@NickersonGeneral d'oh, beans have been spilled. see my previous comment.

[@thefakedeal]

When I watched Vox video I was thinking about your answer in your Q&A

[@johnaayyy3424]

Samir Shrestha same

[@doopsnogg7251]

When I first saw that Vox vid I left pretty dissatisfied with their conclusion. With your vid, it really was the opposite feeling! Loved it, good work

[@whiterottenrabbit]

That's because channels like Vox don't give a shit, if they are explaining things clearly or if they're actually factually correct. All they cre about is clicks, just to earn a quick buck. Fuck them!

[@cheesyquokka]

Same

[@MongerOfStrings8222]

love your username

[@bearfoxwolf]

The Vox video distorted what Ragusea, who IS a musician, tried to say. It was edited etc.

[@fudgesauce]

One Irving Berlin trivia note: he played piano only in one key (F#) and had a transposing piano to get it to the key he wanted. A transposing piano mechanically moves the keyboard relative to the strings. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transposing_piano

[@AdamNeely]

+fudgesauce ooo cool didn't know that, thanks for that trivia!

[@Lazyguy22]

All Star is in F#. Coincidence? I don't think so.

[@himynameisben95]

Hey I do that on keyboard but with C! Now I can tell people I'm a jazz master and not a lazy git who can't be bothered learning other keys!

[@mykolas3587]

fudgesauce this is cool.

[@joethwaites6750]

love how comprehensive all your videos are, so satisfying as a fellow musician

[@martingaray14]

ADAM'S NEW VIDEO GANG Ragusea I mean

[@blarghblargh]

por que no los dos

[@marlenedietrich2468]

I think what's honestly more important is the lyrics bwing christmas themed, and then the nostalgia. If a song is played around Christmas every year, you're gonna associate it with christmas

[@jeonginkim2352]

I'm gonna listen to metropolis pt 1 during christmas

[@richardlozano4399]

Thank you so much for making this video. I watched the Vox video yesterday and was so put off by the idea that they'd unearthed the "Christmas chord". Certainly clickbait. Been really enjoying your videos. Thanks a lot.

[@Mezurashii5]

I'd like to hear a death metal song with sleigh bells instead of a hihat and see if it feels christmasy. Has anyone found one?

[@PeripheralPurity]

Santas pissed by motionless in white.

[@stanniesvb]

Hells Bells has got bells...

[@haralabospap7091]

@@stanniesvb acdc is not death metal, acdc is not even metal.

[@tobiassiagian2562]

Honestly my first time hearing For Whom The Bell Tolls it had a bit if christmasy vibe but idk

[@frederikhertz5668]

Death metal is tricky. Italian power metal, though: everynoise.com/everynoise1d.cgi?root=italian%20power%20metal&scope=all&xmas=true :D

[@sibannaC1992]

I saw your comment under andrew huangs christmas video and searched for "vox christmas", this is were I ended. It's always nice to see music youtubers interacting with each other. Thanks for this video, amusing delivery of information.

[@JaydenBeckerTV]

Let my boy Adam rock. He really be a legend.

[@jedidrummerjake]

I got the jingle bells covered! MerryChristmas, Adam! Thank you for all you do!!!

[@Immortal-ironic-fist]

Adam Ragusa just released a video talking about how that vox interview still haunts him

[@scottking8954]

Merry Christmas Adam! Your videos are always so awesomely insightful, thought-provoking, and entertaining!

[@jmhadahorse]

Hey Adam, thanks to seeing the other side of this story, finally posted by Adam Ragusea, it’s pretty obvious you didn’t consult with him or look beyond the surface. This seems to be a general motif in your work and I really hope you’ve seen that in your work and changed it moving forward through the years.

[@bradenculver7457]

This feels like a very unfair criticism. I like both Adam’s content, but are you actually faulting him that much for not having information Adam Ragusea did not fully reveal until a little under two years ago? “You didn’t consult with the articles expert” is a very, very weak criticism in my opinion. This isn’t to insult experts, if an article misrepresents or does not adequately work with the expert, that’s the articles fault. And this video seems to criticize vox moreso than Ragusea. Adam Ragusea literally links this in his video about this. I think he’s aware there are valid criticisms of his work with vox, given he literally mentions them. He does call Raguseas credentials into question, which is possible he could’ve learnt more about, but it’s also possible he couldn’t. And honestly, that seems more the fault of the vox for not adequately proving the credentials of their expert. Also, the vox video he’s responding was rather surface level, yet your criticizing the response for being surface level? Is he supposed to do some massive investigative journalism just to counter what he found as a rather inadequate answer to the question of what makes music “christmas-y”? Why can’t we just acknowledge both of them make good points, and Adam Ragusea’s more recent video gives us a lot more insight into WHY the vox video failed to represent the point that was attempted to be made?

[@thecampervandancers]

quickly becoming one of my favourite KZbin channels. thanks man, you are highly articulate, clearly passionate, and the brisk pace of your videos sits perfectly with my ad/hd tendencies. Much love, Ryan.

[@Loogaroo1]

Don't know how I feel about you making a swipe at the guy who does my favorite cooking channel. Mommy Daddy Please Don't Fight

[@melatonin8025]

Ikr

[@mykolas3587]

We might be witnessing the most interesting TV series on KZbin. Glad You did this. Merry Christmas everyone... Bass!

[@muhilan8540]

Omg Adam Ragusea! before he was famous

[@CyanKash]

I just played a cheap Christmas gig and had a grand total of 0 II chords written as m7b5's. Love yo vids by the way. They are always stimulating and well cultured, thank you.

[@duckenomics7981]

they use a lot of bells and fermattas in the beginning of All I want for Christmas is You. Not just jingle bells. Also, the lyrics are about Christmas and they say the word Christmas a lot

[@BigFatCock0]

Exactly. It's like, what makes Christian Rock 'Christian'? The lyrics.

[@m.s.35]

BigFatCock you mean the same 4-chord progressions played in the exact same way, while repeating the same chorus lyrics over and over and over?

[@annoythefish]

ultra passive aggressive post grunge makes christian music

[@SipplioChannel]

Came here from facebook. Instant sub my man! That Vox video had me scratching my head like, “that’s not quite right...”

[@nyuk6]

Returning here from the video that Adam Ragusea uploaded. Really wild to watch both sides.

[@KidHellacious]

Glad I saw this. Was actually scrolling through my feed trying to find that vox video because that was recommended to me.

[@psychtank8681]

Little did vox know they are referring to a homecook.

[@conorreedR2C]

I mean, he's also a musician. He was wrong; but let's not act like he's *completely* unqualified

[@jmp_fr]

yeah I shat myself when I heard Adam Ragusea being referred to as a journalism professor- of course that's exactly what he is as a professional- but i will always associate him with his wonderful KZbin channel.

[@MCXL1140]

@@conorreedR2C he wasn't even wrong.

[@vaughnmitchell1005]

He has a new video about it btw you guys should watch it

[@jmp_fr]

@@vaughnmitchell1005 seen it, very interesting watch.

[@jeanlucslagle]

Great stuff Adam. You have to admit that the Vox videos are pretty slick. Those animations are killer.

[@julianpardo3655]

WAIT WHAT ADAM RAGUSEA? YOU MEAN THE GUY THAT HAS A KZbin COOKING CHANNEL? THATS CRAZY

[@MongerOfStrings8222]

Has he ever made ragu

[@xilovemusicx11]

yess im so happy you made this video!! i watched voxs video on this yesterday and instantly thought of you and how you could explain it better lol so thank you

[@MarvinsMusik]

Lol Adam Ragusea? He has his own KZbin Channel where he uploads cooking videos 😄 cool guy

[@vincentjohnflorio]

Very nicely articulated. You have a nice way of delivering naturally words that might otherwise sound rehearsed, coming from diction that's atypical (in my day to day experience) in general conversation.

[@Golegator]

I was really hoping that Adam would comment on Raguseas recent video explaining this situation. This video has kinda given a sour taste of Neely for me tbh.

[@Ticatsfanx351]

Thank you for making this. I watched the vox video earlier today and hoped for this exactly.

[@durianhead]

wait doesn't adam ragusea run a fuckin cooking channel now

[@ebgbees]

durianhead I was just gonna mention this! What a find

[@SergeyRomanovsky]

Thank you, Adam! I signed up for patreon to support you. Please don't stop.

[@modalmixture]

Long before I learned the term modal interchange, I knew that “Minor four brings you home”, as the jazz cats say. And that IV-iv-I is a cliché used all over the place to add poignance to a melodic line. So whenever I see a Dm7b5 like this I tend to think of it as more of an inverted Fm6, where the F and Ab voice lead down a half step to E and G. It’s not quite as strong a cadence as a V7-I but it’s close. And for yet another way of thinking about it, isn’t iv6 the negative harmony equivalent of V7 or something? Anyway... theory isn’t everything thank you for always bringing a broader musicological analysis to your videos!

[@Rome.Monroe]

Okay I'm glad I'm not the only one who sees it that way. IV-iv6.

[@jamesbaffour7065]

You are just awesome man. I hope to grow up and be half as brilliant as you.

[@Myers_Media]

What is this, a crossover episode?!

[@SamBrev]

THANK YOU i saw the vox video and i knew there was something wrong with their conclusions, i'm so glad you've posted this. this needs to be spread further

[@SteveGouldinSpain]

You are the Leonard Bernstein of the the new media age!! Merry Christmas music expert dude!!

[@NJOverclocked]

According to music theory, a song sounds like Christmas if it's in a Home Alone movie

[@gabinojesusamarfil4187]

Jeff Berlin shared one of your videos in Facebook!

[@ashleyblack3941]

No wonder you're so popular Adam , these videos are brilliant. Thanks again, gotta go there's a fat man trying to break into my house.

[@zak8953]

I was sincerely waiting for "sleigh bells".

[@RemingtonRounders]

just googles this video. Big Fan of adam. glad I stumbled upon this old video. holy moly the lighting!

[@TheMister123]

And here I am, a fan of both Adams, sad to see that there was a Clash of the Adams at all. Yes, I know I'm exaggerating. I hope they can be friends. :-)

[@ChrisChapin_chapes]

THANK YOU FOR SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT. This Vox video was really getting under my skin.

[@ChrisChapin_chapes]

9/10 video needed more slay bells

[@bhot9293]

I disagree. I was practicing my ii-V-I’s on piano and when I went to play a Dmin7 chord, I missed the A key and instead hit the Ab key by mistake. Before I could even play a G7, I was blasted away from piano and had a prolific vision of being in my grandma’s house while being able to smell gingerbread cookies . The vision went dark at the sight of family members and forced conversation. I was worried I would be stuck in this trance forever but thankfully, my cat ran across my keyboard awaking me from a trance I would have been lost in forever if not for my cat.

[@WaitingForTheHook]

There was an attempt

[@pinkajou656]

Holey crap talk about dramatic

[@Anewevisual]

No

[@Chigger]

This reminds me of that one scene in Ratatouille.

[@stanbannmusic8334]

Don't forget the trumpet "horse whinny" and temple block "horse hooves" that together bought Leroy Anderson a nice home. Keep the vids comin', Adam.

[@BigHenFor]

Here's Adam Ragusea's take on this incident: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKm4n6qpqdmllZo. For me, I love both channels. Both you guys keep Life interesting. Keep it that way, guys.

[@xander1052]

sad that Adam didn't know that Adam, like Adam, had by then composed music, but that's fine by me.

[@bidaubadeadieu]

Ahh, so much better than the Vox vid. Thanks so much, their take on the question really bugged me.

[@rickc2102]

Sleigh bells, hell yes, e.g. Halftime by Nas. I always think of Christmas halfway through Illmatic. Not because of the trees we're smoking, nope.

[@simonsweehouse]

Thanks for clearing that up. The VOX video left me feeling incomplete.

[@AlessandroSistiMusic]

"The vast majority of [Tin Alley] songs that have survived and persisted in the public consciousness have been Christmas songs from this era. Because of this, the harmonic and melodic devices that were used in that particular era of American songwriting are not closely associated with Christmas." That sounds like you agreeing with the Vox video, not disagreeing with it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp6XfYJoZ5KWr7s I appreciate you making this video nonetheless, though, as it's clearer than Vox's.

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

Christmassy or not, m7b5 chords, or half-diminished chords, or Φ chords, if you like, are dope. Nothing quite like a I-V7-IMaj7-IVmaj7-viiΦ-iii7-vi7-ii7-V7-I chord progression.

[@Mr59J]

This video really let me down man. A quick google search could've clarified Adam Ragusea's credentials. Because I otherwise love the content on this channel im gonna assume/hope you've grown as people do over the last half a decade.

[@Mr59J]

@MrPipol-nm3cd Honestly dude, its a total bummer.

[@jarodnewman5535]

Good to see you with 100,000 subscribers, seems like only a few weeks ago you were just hitting 10,000

[@aryotaheri7421]

is it just me or does that Dm7b5 seem like a substitute for a fm? the theory adds up (both Fm and Dm7b5 come from the key of Cm) and you could even think of it as a different voicing for fm6, and the IV-iv progression (which in the key of C would be Fmaj-Fm) is a lot more common than a IV-iim7b5 progression.

[@stephen22890]

A year late, but I just watched the Vox video and had the exact same thought! I figured that would be one of Adam's criticisms.

[@ZackRamsey14]

Those two chords function the same, a minor IV usually being a more recognizable sound. The m7b5 ii chord is a more jazzy way of doing this.

[@yiannoscyprus]

Exactly.

[@pedrokenzo4670]

This is really, really late... But I think they have different functions, the iv has subdominant function and ii dim has dominant function... Kinda like IV 7 is the same as vi 6 in major, but one has subdominant while the other has tonic function... So yeah, they are the same notes, but they have different roles to fill in the progression

[@aryotaheri7421]

​@@pedrokenzo4670 That's an interesting idea but I'm not sure how accurate it is. As far as I've come to know it, the function of a chord depends partly on what chord comes after it. Sort of like how a V7 chord followed by the tonic has a dominant function, but you can still have dominant 7 chords that don't have a dominant function (like a bVI 7 chord which if I'm not mistaken is a subdominant). So while you are correct in that minor7b5 chords can have a dominant function, what I've read is that that only applies when they resolve a semitone up to the tonic chord, which in this instant isn't the case. So if anything it looks more to me like the Dm7b5 is an inversion of Fm6, as it is followed by Cmaj (common for iv to be followed by the tonic), not Ebmaj (which is the tonic chord in the major key where we find Dm7b5).

[@doogdoogdoogdoogdoogdoog]

I saw the Vox video and thought the same thing! Although my version lacked the method and eloquence of yours, obviously. Love your content; happy holidays from jolly old London Town!

[@mas0n25]

ADAM IS AMAZING. as a cooking youtuber of course

[@tiposxdiesel]

Excellent insight as always from Adam. Thank you!

[@punchgod]

APOLOGISE TO ADAM RAGUSEA. JUSTICE FOR RAGUSEA.

[@nisonlikethecar]

Woah! I literally sent you this video 2 days ago on FB messenger because I remembered someone asking you what makes a song sound Christmas-y in a Q&A.

[@Quonchon]

Take any song, add sleight bells. Boom, christmas song

[@badmanjones179]

metallica

[@drpibisback7680]

TheEpongeMan I'm actually working on a hardcore punk song based around Christmas. Having found that sleigh bells are bar shaped with a handle, I was debating doing a standard hardcore d-beat with the bells on the high hat.

[@danielwilla69]

naglfar - I am vengeance tried adding bells, still no christmas feel :/

[@DavidRichfield]

"sleight bells" - Penn and Teller have entered the chat.

[@christofloof]

Damn man, your channel has grown quite a bit. Your vids never cease to entertain and educate me. Good job and keep up the good work Adam!