Jacob Collier Answers Music Theory Questions From Twitter | Tech Support | WIRED

[@jacobcollier]

Thanks so much for having me, you wonderful people!!

[@Wisdomsaves]

Yo wassup

[@2muchnrg268]

Hi Jacob, love your music :)

[@sebastianschoeler599]

Awwww

[@mikehunt1933]

Legend!

[@treyoneandonly]

Such a great guy 😁

[@JuanXM]

Nooooo when he was talking about "Hey Jude" he said "take that melody and think how else could we harmonize this melody". What he actually meant is that you take a sad song and make it better

[@alexandrecarbonel5908]

best one ahahah

[@hishutishu]

Underrated!

[@cotenero]

He had that one chance and he let it away

[@Finn-xc5ni]

Remember Jacob, don't let these comments under your skin, before you begin...to make it better

[@JonahHorner]

Iol

[@stevecarter8810]

"is it too late to learn piano?" It depends on your deadline. If you're booked to play the rach 3 at Carnegie Hall Wednesday then yes, it's too late.

[@bigdumbidiot5357]

Not too late for me. I’m just built different like that

[@NotIshowSpeed]

Its never to late

[@grahamatter]

Lol

[@richardjohnson4955]

@@kimotaum lol i like this comment

[@benedictcarter8095]

Hate when this happens.

[@BreakerBeat]

"There are 12 notes on the piano, here they all are" - smash the piano. Prime teaching right there.

[@im3ga525]

5:49

[@barcelomrozovic1625]

The most music moment of all music

[@sauusa6294]

He’s not wrong tho. That’s probably all 12 notes on the piano

[@mistershaf9648]

@BreakerBeat ur right.

[@seetheworld9951]

​@sauusa6294 Those are definitely all 12 notes😂

[@aaronsimon5527]

"There are 12 notes on the piano, here they all are" Genius

[@peasant502]

That was the funniest thing I've ever seen. I laughed a lil too hard, im not gonna lie to you

[@noelwalterso2]

My piano had 88 notes.

[@voidinheritant]

@@noelwalterso2 that doesn’t exist

[@flyingmonkeydude2]

I had to back the video up just so I could chuckle at that twice

[@mapnam67808]

i don’t get it

[@karlhungus1965]

He’s a great instructor. He answers the not so technical questions with the same enthusiasm as the highly technical questions. He always seems to be having so much fun.

[@MarcWijesuriya]

Ikr his enthusiasm is infectious

[@biazacha]

He have a certain chaotic feel to his delivery that is very inviting.

[@mastershifu8151]

The word is passionate

[@sergeirachmaninoff3299]

5:59 What a clever guy, he’s explaining the circle of fifth Anticlockwise in front of himself so that it can be easy for us to look at it.

[@99teteu1]

In my head, thats's a really strong signal of empathy or(and) being a great teacher

[@pliar-lanejavaboom405]

@@99teteu1 yea, and the top music universities invite him to teach for them

[@PrabhaviArushika]

One of th russian fives!

[@bonkers4226]

Counterclockwise is so much easier but whatever Sergei Rachmaninoff

[@lucilliastreusvogel]

probably also a good liar lol

[@greenteadude8958]

Jacob Collier saying "Devil devil devil" while playing jazz is the kind of energy that I like

[@supreme_xenon]

Praising Devil through Jazz music

[@jakobjakob7189]

What's the song he's playing, do you/someone know?

[@cinnomix]

@@jakobjakob7189 oh i could be wrong but i thought he was just improvising? i didn't realize it was an existing song

[@jakobjakob7189]

@@cinnomix ye might be. with the melody he sings i thought its maybe not made up on the spot...

[@stephanie0lima]

@@jakobjakob7189 maybe he uses this example a lot, so he'd memorized it

[@JamesJones-ts5fl]

“Now there are three pedals on the piano, don’t let that confuse you. The pedal in the middle is there to separate the two other pedals.”-Victor Borge.

[@spamhere1123]

"I only have two feet! What exactly do they think I am, giving me three pedals?"

[@Ethan-ib5hk]

“The left pedal is for my left leg, the right pedal is for my right leg, and the middle pedal...”

[@a.w_.]

@@Ethan-ib5hk it's for your third leg 😏

[@Arctic_silverstreak]

@@Ethan-ib5hk but what if women is playing it😐😐

[@Truevitz]

@@Arctic_silverstreak woman can have a third leg 😏

[@jacobduggan8550]

The homie really just explained the circle of fifths without showing the actual graphic, he’s too dangerous

[@StophD]

Yeah cos it's a basic concept

[@aarondavies1070]

jacob collier: *exists FBI: stay right where you are

[@DAYDAYBEATZ]

@@StophDit’s really not that simple

[@vincentcrest88]

the proof of being highly proficient at something is your ability to teach it to others in an easy way.

[@Jennboi]

@@StophD Sorry Professor Music

[@Dexter26958]

Him just pitch-perfectly singing the Circle of Fifths is insane enough but it's only a small fraction of the incredible genius that is Jacob Collier.

[@dandischinosvarietyhour1655]

Jacob "I can clap 21 against 22 like its nothing" Collier

[@RedCnMn]

Yeah not only having perfect pitch but also having the muscle memory in his vocal chords to hit each note perfectly and he doesn´t even focus on that. He is able to listen to himself sing and that´s the insane part O.o

[@benniethejanitor7159]

@@RedCnMn hitting the right note shouldnt be a problem for any vocalist or musician, esspecially after having pich-reference

[@RedCnMn]

@@benniethejanitor7159 Believe me, it's harder than you think even after doing music for a long time.

[@Kaemshot]

Impressive for us normies but like Charles Cornell said: for the perfect pitch people it's like distinguishing colours for us. Here's the video for reference kzbin.info/www/bejne/fIjZgJisitisbK8

[@dillongage]

he's so clearly passionate that its contagious. Reminds me why I used to play. I put down my saxophone 10 years ago but after watching this I'm very seriously considering getting back on a practice schedule.

[@JoeMilneEnglish]

Did you pick up the sax yet? You should, if you haven't yet. 🫂

[@treylorswift]

What?? You know how to play sax but never do?

[@charleythefarmer5008]

You definitely should if you can!

[@johnlavender2875]

you should look up "Leo P", I think you'd dig it. perhaps will inspire you to wet your reed.

[@arghydoodles1921]

dude saxophone of all things lol wtf man if it was guitar i'd understand but SAXOPHOONEEEEE?

[@m3rcuryslaboratory322]

The "Hey, Jude" breakdown is beautiful. You can tell he is about to let himself go and get lost in it for just a quick second but comes back. A real musician.

[@jaywiay]

That part blew my mind

[@fern4031]

Cringe

[@sahalahmed8263]

@@fern4031 L take

[@THROW_ME_AWAY]

Haha I think he did get lost, there's a camera cut

[@cossiedrifter]

What is jazz? Jacob: "-Devil, devil, devil, devil, devil, devil, devil, devil."

[@floridasoldat]

W

[@tearzotaku5084]

Devil

[@linmochi1850]

Double U Dobel yu Devil you

[@kiwa1117]

😂😂😂😂

[@poyam615]

😂

[@buckwild9168]

I have no idea who this person is.... And I enjoy his personality immensely

[@Cinnamarollin]

u have been blessed

[@juicy-fruit]

-

[@juicy-fruit]

Z

[@juicy-fruit]

,z

[@McMan12345671]

this guy is absolutely insane enjoy your rabbit hole

[@Zultchy]

This guy is clearly a genius with his art. The way he expresses the points he's trying to make, such as a cradle rocking. Very inspiring.

[@johnb4593]

@Kevin P. Do you even know who he is? He is definitely a genius if you compare him to 99 percent of all musicians.

[@ccolson4072]

@@KevinP.-tb9kvdefinitely is a musical genius with zero exaggeration

[@rogerp.4489]

​@@ccolson4072he's definitely a virgin 😂

[@lukeshoo]

He's a good teacher, his actual albums aren't very good at all compared to other artists

[@televisiondown]

Proving that you deeply understands something and not explaining or simplifying in any way is not the sign of a good teacher. He’s a brilliant musician. Not a teacher.

[@TaylorMoore4K]

His singing the circle of fifths shattered my brain completely.

[@monkeymuncher2]

He's got prefect pitch

[@TaylorMoore4K]

@@monkeymuncher2 yep

[@ryo-kai8587]

Yeah, I mean he _leads the piano with his voice_ at 11:57

[@bjornardahl]

But it is still giberich what the circle of fifth actually are and how to use it...

[@pada443]

@@bjornardahl I thought it was pretty clear.

[@Howitchewstofeel5gum]

"upright piano" *sits totally upright* Never change, Jacob.

[@arnavyadav8486]

When was this?

[@SlashCampable]

@@arnavyadav8486 late 1997, Malta

[@anamerkury8881]

@@arnavyadav8486 10:43

[@banana7558]

@@anamerkury8881 no, SlashCamp was right.

[@Raeswizzy]

I was gonna say that lol love him

[@clutch5737]

My man really hummed out the circle of fifths..as a music major, that is the most impressive thing ever.

[@DungTran-to4vm]

Perfect pitch!

[@hansguckindieair]

Trew

[@Jackmille20]

I mean- if you know your intervals and have a reference note it’s not very hard at all.

[@luukipuuk3537]

@@Jackmille20 it is because he went up and down in octaves

[@Nooticus]

Its pretty hard trust me

[@trans-forming]

Jacob Collier is such a fantastic musician and teacher. It's possible to be a great musician and not be able to communicate about music well. He not only creates beautiful music, he communicates about music in a way that engages and inspires. Every time I hear him talking about music it makes me want to noodle around on the nearest instrument to hand, or just with my voice if nothing else is close by.

[@codeP08]

Dude is 100% fluent in music, it has to be his native language. It's soooo interesting to see and hear him talk about music and explain stuff

[@mellotom]

I would absolutely watch a whole music theory course done by Jacob. His teaching style is amazing

[@alexinphx1411]

I’d pay and spend hours!

[@iPlayDotaReligiously]

Watch him explaining harmony to 5 levels

[@Hobbitbot3000]

It’s because his mum is a music teacher. She taught my friend

[@liviemillie6455]

yes yesss

[@blue-cs3fk]

It would be worth a fortune and I'd pay without regrets

[@kingog1881]

This man makes me want to drop everything and start playing the piano

[@jarvis1508]

Do it. Honestly it’s an incredible world. You won’t regret it!

[@sugarqbs]

This is why musicians love Collier; his music has a very similar quality for us, full of wonderful new ideas that just make you want to play along and see how you can learn and grow further (it's quite rewarding once you start to get the hang of it).

[@almed23]

Plus he's a great teacher

[@bemjabravo2530]

Be careful with that mate, he is way too good, he makes me want to quit music

[@qnicks23434]

/keyboard

[@CamD9203]

I can’t even imagine what goes through Jacob’s head when he makes music

[@thewarriorcat121]

Probably the notes he's playing

[@michaelkrog256]

@@thewarriorcat121 whoa really? 🤯

[@_rstcm]

Maybe how Picasso sees the world............but in music form.

[@drpibisback7680]

I'd imagine very little. This all sounds very complex, but he knows it well enough to explain clearly - so for him it's probably pretty subconscious, it'll all just flow out. What he consciously thinks about is probably more what he's trying to do with the song - Do I want it to be funky? Do I want it to be sad? What musical convention do I want to put a twist on, and how? Those sort of thoughts, because actualizing the concepts isn't very hard for him. Whereas a guy like myself is likely to have a fairly limited musical palette and thinking more like "what am I capable of playing that will sound like what I want?" or "how do I complete this idea?"

[@ginafrancesca808]

@@drpibisback7680 just takes practice

[@kondirecs]

Jacob is the definition of reharmonization! Never heard a person use this so actively when playing. It's amazing.

[@exavier5342]

Yess

[@themandownstairs4765]

"what is the saddest key in music?" "there is no objectively saddest key" Hans Zimmer: *cries in D minor*

[@artvid-1915]

I was gonna say 😂

[@goldhillproductions]

I reckon Nigel Tufnel might have something to say about that too...

[@gunwantiramchandani5431]

That's a spinal tap reference right?

[@goldhillproductions]

@@gunwantiramchandani5431 Yep :)

[@hamzailarzeg]

C# Harmonic minor

[@shammerHammer]

"This guy is obnoxiously good at music" - Adam Neely

[@zebanon5]

Yet, really humble and just earnestly enjoys music. I used to be irked by how good he is, but then I see him in videos like this, geeking out over music or instruments just like I do, but with a gajillion times the knowledge.

[@urcurlydawg932]

@@zebanon5 it makes me inspired and motivated

[@ConoscienzaWiFi]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH i love this

[@radicallybean]

Facts

[@alexangeloallen]

1000th like

[@samidtaek_]

Remember girls, don't look for riches. Marry a dude who can sing the Circle of Fifths perfectly.

[@alfonruiz329]

THIS COMMENT IS AMAZING HAHAHAHAHA, MY GF CHEAT ON ME WITH SOMEONE THAT CAN DO THAT AND I WOULDN'T EVEN GET MAD

[@stephanieberenthald]

@@alfonruiz329 Could u prove that in a court of law?

[@alexrtsimpson]

I guess if you find a guy with that accent there's a huge chance they have riches In their family. There's about 5 schools in the UK that that guy could have possibly developed that accent

[@benedictcucumberbitch9352]

@@alexrtsimpson it’s just a formal, southern accent

[@mayarosco1280]

Thank you

[@pikasfed]

About the last question I think it matters a lot which key a song is in also because of how our instruments are physically played and built. Each key has the unique sound that the instruments used to play the song have in that register. This frequently happens when moving songs around for example on the piano, as its tone and feel can be completely different just a few notes higher and lower. Yes, this is technically part of being "just higher and lower", but it's not something to underlook, in my opinion EDIT: Also, if it's a song with lyrics, involving a singer, then depending of who the singer is moving the notes around their register also affects deeply the final feel of the song

[@insaneintherainmusic]

Thank you Jacob, very nice. How tragic not to have said Hey to Jude.

[@benvinke6141]

yooooo insane intherain!

[@adamushu]

This guy really kicked off my interest in jazz. Crazy what happens with more relatable music.

[@abcdef-ms9mb]

Hello mr. Cover

[@EraserDino]

I’ll say hey to Jude next time I see em

[@andrewblawson]

My co-workers loved your Megalovania cover.

[@onzkicg]

For him to answer the question“ what is middle C” is proof enough of how patient and how dedicated he is in sharing his knowledge in music 😂

[@clotho5437]

That was the hardest question for him to answer because he was trying to not make the one who asked seem like a dumbass, or too lazy to search it up.

[@1235tristan]

I wish he said explosives

[@danielm-k7393]

like when he explained kindly that flattening the third is how c major becomes c minor. Like just look it up! but he answered it well

[@irokosalei5133]

It's only obvious because you play the piano or had it explained to you, there is no "middle C" on the other instruments. If you're going to be a teacher you're not getting away with answering "search it up".

[@AgentChiliFri]

@@1235tristan C4 ?

[@jonathange5498]

he's like the bob ross of music. so talented, yet so humble and encouraging :)

[@izzyh.3581]

I've watched a lot of Bob Ross and I can say, in this video and others I've watched of Jacob, yes, indeed he has similar qualities.

[@m_zelda95]

I like that these questions are very easily googlable but he's making a great job giving interesting answers. I hate when people mock the lazy questions and reply with a lazier answer they totally miss the point

[@Steven_Costanza]

I wanna be his friend now because of his amazing personality

[@kedonsiemen]

I'm personally fine with the way things are, him doing his thing and me observing his creations at a distance. It's a good relationship. Maybe one day he comes across something I created and feels the same way.

[@Steven_Costanza]

@@kedonsiemen That's a beautiful way to say it ~

[@OldestHouse]

like basically every other friend.

[@DanielBoonelight]

@@SkyBooFast because it's best to be oneself.

[@darrentomlyn6853]

I'd love to play with him, but I mainly play (and write) celtic music with a bit of country and bluegrass thrown in, which probably isn't his sort of thing, and my level of talent is nowhere near his, but...? (Writing music is really easy - producing it, not so much :P )

[@snappy_.]

This guy needs to have his own show, he’s like the Bill Nye of music theory.

[@EleanorNicBhatair]

He's got a fab KZbin channel!

[@altair7001]

Oh please! Don't compare Jacob to a fake science idiot!

[@snappy_.]

@@altair7001 Woah there I just meant by the way he engages you into these educational topics with such a passionate conveyance lol

[@altair7001]

@@snappy_. Ah OK, thanks for pointing that out. I sounded too harsh towards you.

[@snappy_.]

@@altair7001 Lol no worries I know Bill Nye is an actor however he is actually well versed in mechanical engineering and has 6 college Doctorate degrees. He is also a regularly visiting professor at Cornell!

[@TubsNSkins]

I have insane respect for someone who treats every question with such dignity. He explained how to change a C Major to C minor with the same passion and patience as he did explaining Swing Percentage. What a legend.

[@TheDrumanchu]

he mentions nothing of how a major chord consists of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th, tones in a scale. To make the minor you take the 3rd tone and flat it a half step. To keep it simple, C major is C, E, and G. C minor is C, Eb, and G.

[@understandmeplease1757]

I have no idea who this dude is but I love him. So much positive and excited energy. I dont really like music theory, but this video makes me want to learn more about it.

[@AyeshaShaSha]

I could honestly listen to Jacob talk about music for HOURS and not get bored. Absolutely love this genius man right here. Some of these questions were super simple to him and he still answered them perfectly, didn't condescend, but added so much subtle humour each time. Absolutely loved this video!! Even the way he read out the tweets was funny!

[@bigheadrhino]

Watching Jacob talk about music makes me realize I don’t even know much about my own profession.

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

Me too

[@alexcouret]

Same, I think it's the difference between a passion and a job. I'm pretty sure I can talk longer about climbing (passion) than programming (job), just because one is just a mean to do what I really strive to do. Some people like this guy are able to make a living with their passion without losing the passion and this results in actual geniuses.

[@marz6770]

Me too, and m'y job had nothing to do with music.

[@estebandido4988]

@@alexcouret programming Is cool, sad to hear that you don't like it that much :(

[@significanceofbreath]

PLEASE 🤚🏾

[@ststst981]

"There are 12 notes on the piano and here they are" *SMASH*

[@RobertMichael]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@ibear2554]

I loved it.

[@HeathenHammer80]

I’ve been playing guitar all my life and drums for about ten years, but I didn’t understand why I was doing what I was doing until I got a piano about a year ago and learned music theory. That is also when I discovered Jacob. What a genius!!

[@Codycjhh]

I wonder how many people with this guys level of genius there are who didn't get quite his upbringing, busking on the streets, losing their minds in the wrong places.

[@zoeskinner2871]

I think about this all the time

[@voidinheritant]

and that’s why i’m a communist

[@chiptune4097]

probably the majority, were probably all gifted at something but most of us don't get a chance to find out what

[@biazacha]

Most genius probably go underdeveloped cause life happens and you have to eat. Most success histories have as much luck and insane coincidences as they have talent in the mix.

[@BeeBeeCJr]

Too many. Especially in a world with enough resources for everyone. Capitalism is killing us.

[@BenjiQ575]

IDK if it's been mentioned yet, but in Avatar The Last Airbender, whenever Azula appeared, a tritone played. It gives the scene that unerring strangeness and sense of tension and foreboding that Azula embodies.

[@ifeelverygood]

great fun fact!

[@joeym6658]

wait, that's so cool, how did i never notice that?

[@Maqalx]

same goes for the Danse Macabre by Camille Saint Saens which is just amazing!

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

Yeah that leitmotif was noticeable right away. What I didn’t know until a little after watching the show was that it wasn’t always the same tritone, since I don’t have perfect pitch.

[@asad210]

“This is the sound of it, so that’s what it’s called” ~Cacob Jollier

[@lucastornado9496]

Galaxy brain

[@RohanDX]

To name something by the series of tones it refers to? While it might be difficult for us to vocalize that name the same way as our natural language, it does make me think about what kind of alien language could theoretically do this.

[@joshburns1777]

@@RohanDX how about human? We call it the pentatonic scale because it is a scale of five (“penta”) notes (“tonic” or tone). Obviously the problem is that this definition alone doesn’t specify which particular notes of any key these should be, but we use the term “pentatonic scale” alongside hundreds and even thousands of years of historical context and musical precedence which inform us that when we say “the pentatonic scale” we are referring to a scale which uses the black keys of a keyboard (or any enharmonic equivalent). So, we take generalised language and use deeply learned, ancient historical and musical context to apply specificity to that language. Now, your point is still valid, because a language which can name a scale and with that name specify every note within that scale purely by the name alone (i.e. without applying contextual, learned understanding) does sound like quite an alien language. Scientific language sort of does this: the longest words we have tend to be the formal names for complex composite molecular structures. Imagine “carbon dioxide”, but instead of being a very simple structure of 1 carbon + 2 oxygen, it’s a much more complicated combination of molecules resulting in a proportionately more convoluted name. It’s proportionately more convoluted because as “stuff” is added to the molecular structure, the name grows longer to incorporate that “stuff”. In other words, the name reflects every part of what’s in it. That sounds a lot like the kind of alien language you were referring to - and I think the language of complex molecule structure nomenclature does sound quite alien to lots of us!

[@lanzibangli1259]

@@joshburns1777 So simplify, like an agglutinative language like German, Innuktitut, Finnish, etc.

[@blakecurry3461]

His genius is that he can simply explain what he’s great at. I learn over and over how rare that really is.

[@michelleshaheen767]

“Music theory sounds like parchment.” - Jacob Collier 2021

[@kartech6938]

Why does this comment have 1.2 thousand likes and zero replies?

[@michelleshaheen767]

@@kartech6938 idk but it’s the funniest thing I have ever heard and I want to send a clip of that sentence to my theory professor so badly. 😆

[@12Fretsteven-s3m]

@@kartech6938 All theories are written, on parchment. Ask Einstein what his theory looks like but just don’t ask for a demonstration.

[@iridescent-frog1059]

This guy is responsible for the most iconic WIRED video.

[@BD-yl5mh]

Man explains harmony to 4 increasingly educated people and then sits in a room with Herbie Hancock while they both just fiddle around with keyboards and nod and periodically say “yeah”

[@whaddup5417]

Which one? This ones not quite there yet

[@iridescent-frog1059]

@@whaddup5417 the famous one - 5 levels.

[@Ismael-kc3ry]

Jacob and Herbie just vibe together and ascend to heaven

[@stealthylunatik2823]

When he played jazz and said "Devil, devil, devil!" I laughed so hard. What a great guy!

[@this_is_not_vee]

this could be a meme 😭😭😭

[@etopr4986]

1 it is evil sounding 2 jazz sucks so its appropriate 😂

[@somgun23]

@@etopr4986 you dont hate jazz you merely fail to understand it, and you fear it’s lack of boundaries

[@irasac1]

@@etopr4986 shame on you

[@gagex6345]

Wow you laugh very easily...

[@thismustbeisaac]

I’ve wanted to get into actually learning music theory (and eventually an instrument) since I was very young but was pushed more towards art as a passion, I feel like this is a lovely and well-explained introduction for me :) Thanks!!

[@vullnetdyla]

My humble opinion: learn to play by ear first and theory second. Use basic things like learning basic major and minor chords, but don’t go too hard core on theory without your soul pulling you into it out of curiosity. Listen to music, record and listen to yourself and ENJOY it! Something difficult when learning music at an older age, especially if you tend to criticise yourself a lot, is to enjoy your own playing even when it isn’t great. It’s OK to like and be proud of your own sound even when it’s not perfect. Top priority mentality: enjoy it

[@IgiWhiteman]

People composing music for thrillers/horror movie be like: "TRITONE TRITONE TRITONE"

[@akaHarvesteR]

And yet, I think the single semitone interval is a much more ominous sound (Jaws theme creeps up in the background)

[@javierdiazsantana]

Or also minor second, that is way more dissonant than the tritone

[@vedant8002]

Listen music of "I spoke to a devil in miami"

[@FDE-fw1hd]

Minor major 2nd

[@segmentsAndCurves]

Minor 9th

[@adamprestin28]

"It's like a cradle" -- never let jacob hold your baby.

[@alvarocastillo2825]

hahahah same thoughts I have an almost 9 months old baby.

[@RamiroSuarez77]

Just tell him to hold the baby in 2/4 Lento

[@thebusylazybasist9692]

@@alvarocastillo2825 which type of baby? d inward or d outward one?

[@JakeJones19]

i love how jacob wasn't super condescending about the more beginner questions

[@SasquatchPJs]

It hard to teach people who no longer wish to listen. He gets that.

[@KristinaEmilyOfficial]

This was so insightful! Jacob is a freakin' music genius!

[@aaralyn6710]

@@deeingalaplike name anyone more musically innovative than him i’ll wait

[@aaralyn6710]

@@deeingalaplike cultists? lmao you’re so dramatic

[@aaralyn6710]

@@deeingalaplike right instead you’re calling people cultists for simply liking a musician lmao

[@dee2654]

"There's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of zoning into the things you like and trying to understand them in more detail." i needed that, jacob, thank you T-T

[@hannimodjo7962]

Now I want a movie about a Jazz musician going back to the 1500s and showing them tritone jazz lol

[@mae__]

But seriously tho!! Or Jacob Collier interviewing Bach😂

[@smeagols_smelliest_smuggler]

devil devil devil...

[@billylauwda9178]

I can smell the wood burning already

[@m3phist023]

He’s a wiiiiitch!!!

[@smeagols_smelliest_smuggler]

Sing us a song you're the devil man

[@shahrulandean9268]

That was actually the first time I've ever heard someone vocalising the circle of fifths ahaha and he did it so well. Awesome man

[@chemariz]

The last question is quite interesting, since Jacob has an absolute pitch (he can recognize any note without any reference) for him the same song played in different scales sounds completely different. But for the rest of us with a relative pitch , the song is essentialy the same. We only can feel the difference because we heard both of them one after the other.

[@mr.nazareth4501]

I don't doubt he's got perfect / absolute pitch but you're praising him for not being tone deaf lol.

[@jaquelyncaiello4569]

I mean, I don't have absolute pitch and I can def tell the difference between both.

[@Ben-zm2gm]

@@jaquelyncaiello4569 yeah, because he played them one after the other... If he didn't you would not be able to tell the difference unless you have perfect pitch.

[@samguitarguy]

@@Ben-zm2gm nah bro. When you know a song you recognise it’s key (even if you don’t know what the key is called), trust me. Like when learning relative pitch, it’s good to have a song you know they key for and the intervals it starts with because it’s an easy way to access a difficult skill.

[@mrshindler2537]

​@@samguitarguy No you can't, except if you have perfect pitch (the literal definition of perfect pitch is that you can memorize specific pitches, and by extension recognise wether a key is A major and C major for exemple, maybe you had perfect pitch all your life without realizing it...).

[@MrEliasMarques]

I am going through the five stages of grief just because this man exists.

[@Goddess_Moros]

I think I've found the sixth

[@Aname550]

He really is *obnoxiously* talented

[@RobFeldkamp]

@@Aname550 indeed, even adam says so

[@Wickedheadache]

I love Jacob going down the whole tone scale and the going “aw” as he realized he’s a half step flat and it immediately cutting away.

[@Wickedheadache]

It’s because he’s really good and I’m jealous and petty

[@Kurtp314]

I am the man known as "Human Equivalent of Arson" and I think I have peaked in life

[@Zoltan1251]

did you actually understand what he said?... because i got even more confused

[@m.w.r.1408]

So does that mean you are constantly on fire or is it like king midas where every thing you touch spontaneously bursts into flames?

[@Mooshimoca]

YOURE FAMOUS

[@owenair747]

You made it

[@carlinisatnirvana8499]

@@Zoltan1251 yes im in band and I just use it to figure out key signature for scales and stuff??

[@suciumarioDIY]

Man but the passion of this dude , love it , you can sense his love and talent for music

[@haileywachtel1653]

I like how he's just slappin' keys chanting, "DeViL DEVil DevIL DeVil DEVIL dEvIl" LMFAOOOOO

[@ag4640]

Satan: U wanna summon me dude?

[@ConnorKrohnicles]

For the “why does music made using concepts of music theory sound good” question, I feel like it’s the other way around. Like maybe we crafted music theory to line up with the ways in which we most enjoy sounds.

[@zachyopchick5649]

I was actually bummed out that he didn’t explain this one. The real answer can be found in investigating the harmonic series. By taking a note and then multiplying it’s frequency by different integers, we get a series of new notes each with a specific relationship to the original note. The 7 most consonant relationships make up the 7 note scales commonly found in Western music. The chords and chord progressions used are also informed by these frequency relationships.

[@SpawnRevenge92]

That's how I feel about it.

[@alicefinardi1025]

@@zachyopchick5649 agree!but anyways it is kind of a mistery why do we enjoy sounds that way.. it is like asking why do we enjoy simmetry or certain proportions when speaking about visuals

[@zachyopchick5649]

@@alicefinardi1025 it’s also cultural. for example I know some gamelan instruments are tuned in pairs and are deliberately tuned slightly out of tune with each other because the dissonance is felt as almost spiritual/elevating (is how I believe it’s explained).

[@RobotSantaClaus]

Exactly, and that’s also why you have a lot of amazing songwriters who didn’t study music theory but still knew many of the concepts by what sounded good to them

[@shachah]

He had to focus a lot more to play the obvious chords of “Hey Jude“ the first time, before he naturally went Jacob

[@DavySolaris]

Most musicians, however good they are, have a bag of tricks they tend to fall back on, Collier is no exception- he has his "thing", McCartney has his.

[@JawJX]

if he started playing something different the first time, people who never heard the song might think it sounds like that.

[@BarnacleButtock]

@@JawJX it makes me shudder to imagine somebody not having heard this song

[@OpticIlluzhion]

Ohhh it's Hey Jude his accent made me think he said "Hey Dude"

[@JawJX]

@@BarnacleButtock that's normal, some people may have not heard Bohemian Rhapsody either , or not know what all star is, or know what's Gangnam style but it doesn't matter.

[@thechannelitrollwith1645]

Man is a genius of music, of explaining, and of humor. Love this so much.

[@reggieasplund9081]

"There are 12 notes on the piano, here they all are." 5:45 Bruh.....

[@Chris-cf2kp]

"... so this is a circle" *pause*

[@c0ppersulfate]

I feel like 15 minutes wasn't enough. Jacob could talk nonsense and I'd listen to him even if it's a 2-hour video or longer lol

[@reevaymusic]

You're in luck! He has several masterclasses on YT :)

[@sethpetersen4493]

I love how conceptual he is. He could have said just flat the third to make a major chord minor but he uses words like “weight” and “luggage” which is such a more musical answer rather than a textbook answer.

[@neilvend]

Not only are you so knowledgeable but you have an amazing talent of explaining music.

[@matthewmoore2839]

When he casually sang his way around the circle of fifths in a second or two ... oh my.

[@markcusblakc8615]

He has perfect pitch

[@bigstam1234567890]

You should watch him divide a semitone and sing it. Pretty cool. Or modulate to g half sharp major

[@OscarFaldi]

@@bigstam1234567890 you have the link?

[@Evilyoo]

at 5.15

[@MichaelfromtheGraves]

I knew he was a genius but my jaw still dropped a bit.

[@situ3940]

You have no idea how exciting this video is to amateur musicians.

[@hasamahikaru]

I've played the piano as long as I can remember and I'm still impressed 😆

[@fern6498]

You have no idea how confusing this video to non-musicians.

[@situ3940]

@@hasamahikaru Right? He explained the circle of fifth's more intuitively than an hour worth of lecturing...

[@wesleyvanos]

I’m “musician” my whole life and even I learned stuff.

[@CybertroninfiniteOfficial]

@@hasamahikaru showwww usss

[@iangc49]

This feels like getting Albert Einstein in a video where people ask him how to solve 2+2

[@MolecularMachine]

Who better to explain the fundamentals with such deep appreciation and understanding?

[@francovlla]

Yes because everyone studies music. You must be soo smart

[@V1DE0DR0ME]

@@francovlla What he's saying is that when you have the chance to meet with a genius, it would be the perfect time to ask deeper, more complex, or philosophical questions about his craft. Nothing wrong with asking him questions that you could easily google an answer for, but it does seem like a little bit of a wasted opportunity.

[@a1o1]

So true !!! A music savant is mr collier

[@jas_bataille]

That would blow your mind, Ian. There are a ton of different theories about why a basic calculation like this is suddenly not so basic at all within the realm of quantum physics. Don't ask a quantum physicist what 2+2 is, you gonna regret it if you're not prepared :)

[@vazquezsebastian9764]

First video of yours I've ever seen, it is truly amazing

[@Pr0f1tPr0ph3t]

The circle of fifths is the color wheel of sound. Just like how there are colors that compliment each other, same with music notes in a pattern.

[@orange7493]

I read circle of fifths as circle of filths and imagined a really cool organisation headed by francis of the filths.

[@aholder4471]

@@orange7493 I'm filthy Frank Mafk

[@alxxndram]

Ohhh that actually makes a lot of sense! Jacob's explanation was also great, but as a visual artist this comment makes a lot more sense to me

[@heyumnew1401]

"Does music theory really matter?" "No" *video ends*

[@irchriscott]

All classical musicians after reading this ......😂😂😂😂😂

[@luanlang795]

@@irchriscott pretty much

[@dbclass4075]

Music theory does provides a foundation for the basics. At the very least, you do not want a musician playing like a drunk child.

[@luanlang795]

@@dbclass4075 yeah i guess, but it isn't really taught heavily and you don't go into any of the complicated stuff

[@heyumnew1401]

@@dbclass4075 Actually..... I would like to see a drunk child play a piano

[@natashaleanne]

I’m such a fan of music but never knew anything about the theoretical side. He explains it in such a way that makes you want to pick up your instrument. I truly believe he’s the GOAT.

[@Johnwilkinsonofficial]

the greatest OF ALL TIME, of your generation ? 🤦‍♂️

[@Proghead88]

@@Johnwilkinsonofficial "GOAT" is a phrase used to compliment someone. It does mean "greatest of all time" but it isn't used literally all the time. Very often it is just a very fast way of saying "he's up there with the greats". And he is.

[@WigganNuG]

@@Proghead88 true, but when one uses the acronym is does have the veil of "fightin' words" for those who might have a difference of opinion :) But, yea Jacob is our era's Mozart-- The man plays virtually every instrument on the planet at professional levels, and has a command of the musical language at the top .05% of all humans who ever lived (I've done the math so don't bother checking ;) )

[@Proghead88]

@@WigganNuG haha for sure. Well said.

[@maxxiong]

The different key sounding different thing is actually mostly due to different notes having different timbres. It's like how playing in a different octave sounds different. Especially true with singing which is why picking the best key for you is more important than trying to hit the original key.

[@lukelittlejohn_]

“Can you explain the circle of fifths? It’s confusing” “oh yeah sure, you could also call it the circle of fourths by the way”. Great. Glad we cleared that up, and I’m definitely not just more confused that I already was

[@veg411]

A lot of these questions are answered in a way that assumes you already know the answer.

[@theaugustoexperience]

If you go clockwise you're adding fifths, whilst if you go anticlockwise you're adding fourths

[@onkelpappkov2666]

All I know is that Jar Jar Binks is the Urkel of Siths.

[@onkelpappkov2666]

@Chris Isaac Shelton (965ChrShel) 5th of G is D, 4th is C. B is G's 3rd. Beep boop.

[@aholder4471]

@@onkelpappkov2666 Bingo

[@mirzaaljic]

"One of the joys of traversing the world of music is changing keys" - This made me laugh so much. Such a brilliant response.

[@akshhat]

I think jacob sometimes forgets that not everybody has perfect pitch. For example, if taken out of context, both versions of Somewhere Over The Rainbow would sound basically the same to someone without perfect pitch.

[@tettosama]

@@akshhat dude u have to be deaf or something to not realize the difference between 2 versions literally...

[@impossibleguy5507]

@@tettosama not exactly because in music there is a thing called 12 tone equal temperament which in theory makes every key equal. but to some people, including Jacob Collier, they interpret keys differently than others. you could tell the difference between 2 versions when played side by side easily, but probably not as easily when not played side by side.

[@minerpvpgaming2160]

@@impossibleguy5507 yes it is, unless your tone deaf. You might not be able to tell which key its in but you can definitely tell that they are different and have a different feeling, Equal temperament means they have the same difference in frequencies but they are still different frequencies and inherently different

[@minerpvpgaming2160]

@@akshhat they don't, you can still hear the difference in character

[@soundfromaction5393]

Jacob has spent his whole life practicing and as a result, has never seen Spinal Tap. That itself is the saddest key.

[@daishoryujin95]

Quite exciting, this computer magic!

[@danielpeterson7974]

My brain cannot understand how perfectly transposing the key a few steps can make any difference in the feeling of a song, and yet when he did that effortlessly...to me it was a completely different song and elicited a completely different feeling. Amazing.

[@KG-jd2hx]

I think it's because the equal tempered scale is an approximation. So the relationships between the notes in C major are all slightly different than the relationships in E major, except the octave which remains a perfect octave.

[@vullnetdyla]

I think he did play it slightly differently too, but I didn’t properly analyse it so I’m sorry if I’m wrong

[@Gottenhimfella]

@@KG-jd2hx Hmm - I think that would need careful testing. There are digital keyboards which let you select what key you want the tuning to be mathematically correct in. Having fooled around on such instruments in music stores, I suspect there would still be a perceived difference in "feeling", for most people, depending on key.

[@Gottenhimfella]

I couldn't remember the proper term for mathematically correct pitch in a given key, but I think it's "just intonation"

[@galoomba5559]

@@KG-jd2hx No, the whole point of equal temperament is that the relationships between notes in any key are the exact same.

[@dandischinosvarietyhour1655]

I mean, if there's anyone to ask about music theory it's him.

[@palmeristo]

Or bill Bailey.

[@benediktjostingmeier4519]

Who is he what does he do?

[@SonGoku-tz9vt]

@@benediktjostingmeier4519 Jacob or Bill? Jacob is a musician/componist. He has perfect pitch and is kind of famous for doing crazy harmonies. He's also won several grammys. A few videos to see to get an idea of who he is are "Musician Explains One Concept in 5 Levels of Difficulty ft. Jacob Collier & Herbie Hancock | WIRED" and his songs "Jacob Collier - All Night Long (Official Video)" and "Jacob Collier - Moon River". He's awesome

[@thelion2751]

@@benediktjostingmeier4519 he is a musician like the other guy says,second thing you're pfp give PTSD

[@HelloHello-vk5ob]

@@thelion2751 s a m e

[@yianko2090]

When he said “nothing ever matters so don’t take it too seriously” I just like him more💙

[@konroh2]

Life matters. That was actually the craziest thing he said, that nothing matters. Incredibly stupid.

[@sarahhamdan5470]

the way he is super humble while explaining things that are 1st grade questions to him is very admirable!

[@wismtree]

14:36 the piano just after "up high" is incredibly beautiful 😯

[@MsAbbadabbadoo]

My husband lost a dear friend to cancer, but they maximized the days he had left digging on Jacob's amazing talent. Now, he has cancer and just got a keyboard to keep his spirits up. I was stunned to hear Jacob tell Ralph it is never too late to tune into the endless opportunity for creativity and expression the keyboard has to offer. That was Robert until the day he died, always amazed and excited to be alive. Way to thrive, Jacob.

[@sarahw5693]

Thank you for sharing this story. Sending you and your husband lots of love 💖

[@enchanterthetim]

He's a bit overqualified to be answering some of these questions.

[@semephor]

He's over qualified to answer any of these questions

[@TheDailyDutchman]

Thats what makes this interesting, to see him explaining it while having such tremendous understanding

[@kellywarner3748]

And humble enough to give it a go. Love this

[@iamkezzi]

This man’s lowkey flexing

[@sup9542]

This is free promotion for him. He's trying to be marketed as the music theory genius, so people will want to check out his music.

[@Dexter26958]

13:52 That's just such a typical random Jacob Collier move lol

[@liviemillie6455]

Your answer to Ralph's question was encouraging. I tried to learn piano as a child and I gave up after two years :c I'm in my 20s and was scared it would be too late.

[@Mafiapicnic]

"i don't think anyting really matters" Freddie Mercury: Yeah me too

[@woozihae]

I was gonna make the same comment dammit

[@silversky5554]

*james hetfield has entered the chat

[@NitroCrypt]

Anyone can see

[@kentuckyfriedchildren5385]

🎶 _Nothing really matters_ 🎶

[@AnGeL-xi1bs]

this is underrated

[@DJOxiz]

Bro this guy not only was blessed with the talent of playing music but with the talent of explanation too.

[@ethanschubkegel6135]

Me: *sits on the piano* Jacob: "And that's actually one of my favorite chords"

[@ZaneFowler]

I've had this in my recommended for probably a good year and some change now, and I finally watched it. Why? Well last night, I saw Jacob live. Hadn't heard anything he'd recorded, and I was utterly blown away. I can't believe I've been missing out for so long. Now I have to catch up!

[@vungk135]

Idk who he is but I already like his energy and is very informative

[@janMelantu]

He’s an absolutely insane musician. Look up his cover of Moon River

[@MrCarolinaMachado]

You're in for a treat! 🖤

[@AllegroFPS]

Go listen to some of his stuff. Easily one of the top 3 musicians on the planet right now, id say the best musician on the planet but you can make a good argument for people like wynton marsalis and yo yo ma and more

[@CarlosSantos-fs6jn]

In for a penny

[@totallyfake2852]

@@AllegroFPS Cory Henry maybe?

[@andobise]

The reason the keys are "spaced" the way they are is because if there wasn't space it'd be a lot harder to press the keys.

[@p7453-n2t]

Violinists crying

[@HerbaMachina]

@@p7453-n2t *basists and cellists

[@caitlinbrowniee]

@@HerbaMachina like literally all orchestral string instruments, it isn’t a contest

[@ekisde6302]

"Every key is a new world. The more ways you have of changing key and opening doors into new keys, the more exciting it is to be a human on planet Earth" hahah i love him

[@dawgstudioswoohoo]

It was so cool when he showed how different keys have different "vibes", because I CAN FEEL AND HEAR IT TOO!! Each individual key has these tiny little intricacies that change its mood, even if everything is all in the same mode, played with the same intervals, just in a different key! So cool that he talked about it here!

[@robjef622]

I like this guy. His way of explaining things is very intricate and detailed and he knows how to convey what keys to use for a particular emotion you want to elicit. He also has a wicked sense of humor and doesn't take himself too seriously.

[@isaacs1959]

Jacob knows, feels, and plays so much more music than I ever will, and yet is is humble enough to explain these concepts in such simple and clear, yet powerful ways. 🙏

[@cameronblanchette6687]

Jacob saying "devil devil devil" while jamming is 100% going to become a meme

[@colinvollmer]

I’d love to know if he’s just improving there or if that’s a real tune...I feel like I’ve heard that riff before for some reason

[@mug875]

@@colinvollmer improvisation, probably.

[@CrimChim]

14:11 When he starts singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow I literally kept replaying it, I want a cover of him playing the song so bad 😭😭