New electronic pop song written using basic music theory

Hi all,

in my latest song, I'll Meet You There, I have taken into consideration some of the feedback that I received on some of my earlier songs on this forum. 

For example, I have tried to move beyond my previous 4 chord structures. I did this by trying to understand ideas about "movement" of chord progressions within a key – what they are inclined to progress and return to – dominant, predominant etc. I also tried to make use of a key changes between the verses and the choruses, changing between C and G. I chose this key change based on the circle of fifths, as (which you probably know) G is the closest one after C, as it has basically the same notes except for one. As I understood it, this would make it feel like a fairly smooth change, as I would only have to introduce one new note in the new key. I'm especially proud of the crescendo in the second part of the first chorus, where a lower octave base comes into the song. 

As my scores don't make sense (yet) there is no point in me attaching it, but I can answer more specific questions about the song you might have right here.

Any feedback is much appreciated. It can be on the arrangement, the lyrics, the singing, the instrumentation, the production or what have you.

Hope you like!

Best,

Markus

F - Am - G(with 13) - Em; C major is not a chord in this song.
The transition to the second half of the song was quite inventive and changed things up a lot; I wish it happened more often with different kinds of changes. You clearly know how to make good chord changes, I think it may be to sparse a change. For example, the times you do it in the end are better.
Whenever you go from the second progression of the song back to the first you do this really awkward transition from D major (the dominant of G) to F (which has no F# in it like G does). It sounds forced.
 

Great feedback! Thanks. I will look into this right away.

I love the chord progression.. it starts out very strong, upbeat.. poppy..  around measure 25   I feel  like I want to hear something different..  When you go into the 2nd section.  you lose me..  too much movement everywhere..  same with the 3rd section..it doesn't seem to 'gel' with the original part..  Also perhaps too many bright instruments..  

So I love the 'verse' section..  The second part, might benefit from not everybody playing all the changes..  The ending is cute.... 

I didn't hear your previous piece.. (I've been away for quite a while)..  But I think over all, this is a good a very good start. .. You have a grasp of some of the important concepts..  The chord progression itself, is a great hook.. The song comes on like gangbusters..  I think also it's might be kind of a 'groove' piece (not tempo)..  But once you get that nice chord progression going.. you want to stick more of less with it.. and modify parts to get that 'hypnotic movement going'..  

I had a mentor may years ago..  I was always writing pop type songs.. He told me to finish a piece.  Then just keep the best 10  - 20%. Jettison the rest..  Do that three times... and then you have something..  

It's a great practice, you may not always end up with something that you love..  But it helps in being desicive about what you're doing..  I at first had a very hard time 'throwing away parts and riffs..  They were special, they were 'special'..  ..... horse feathers..  There are many approaches to writing depending a lot on your goals of course..  Pick an angle to go far.. and ruthlessly jettison any notes or parts, that make you stray from that goal...  At the beginning of 'The Contemporary Arranger'.. it states, every note should have a purpose, if it doesn't get rid of it. You can't always hold to that...  but you want to think of the 'cohesiveness' of the different sections.. do they flow into each other well, do they shift your attention somewhat, do they keep you interested..  Normally the Chorus should be the strongest part of the song.. Not always..  but it's a good tool..  Pat Patterson, an incredible songwriting teacher at Berkeley Music, states, there are no rules, only tools.. You use the the tools that suit you..  Be aware of the rules, and know when you break them, you are doing so for specific purpose.. 

Of course..  the vast majority of us, start doing music our own way..  We find our own quidelines, what works and what doesn't..  Did you know that Reggae was kind of a mistake.. They had such  poor equipment many years ago..  When they were playing some old scratched up records. They put the beat on two, instead of one, and presto..  a rule was broken, and it was golden.. Many years ago, I used to work in analog tape recording studios..  This one was a 16 track..  I had written this piece.. and had a brilliant guitar player friend of mine come in, and he laid down his usual brilliant guitar solo..  I decided to splice two takes of the 16 track tape, to lengthen the song..    I 'flew' his guitar solo off the 16 track, onto a 2 track, and then recorded it back into the song, in a different place..  I decided to make his beat 3 of his solo, beat 1 in the extended guitar solo..  People would totally freak when they heard this..  This was the most brilliant guitar player in the world..  It was weird, and kooky but it worked..  You just had to keep listening to the song to figure out what was going on..  Not one person got it, until, I told them what I did.. then they heard it.

So the short of it is.... I'm saying  experiment, experiment, experiment..  The song has a really solid verse idea..  If you can bring the the other sections up to what you started with,, it will be a knockout.. 

Of course I could also just be a deluded old musician..  Hope this gives you some food for thought.. 

Mark Styles

Yes of course you can maneuver around,  you have to - to keep it interesting..  

I loved the beginning,  but as you got into it like I said, I wanted to hear some forward development.. 

Check out the old tune "just be good to me' by the SOS band..  The magic in this song is the hypnotic undertow of it.. it moves you forward but pulls you back in.. and you're hypnotized in slow  motion.. Of course your piece has a lot more energy.. but you can use the same technique.. 

Hey Ya by Outkast has some similar technique..  They instantly hit you with the high intensity energy, and the happy quality of it..  

I do want to say.. I like the idea very much..  and of course this is only my opinion..