Inside Black Analisis

"The intro of the song starts out with a riff in 5/4, this riff is done by the guitar and the bass (and maybe on the synth too with the lower notes on a lead patch), this riff is based in doing descending fourths, this all are perfect intervals but this section evokes a G minor sound (maybe phrygian in this case). As the riff goes, some chords/voicing’s are putted on top of all this; these chords are simple suspended triads (sus2 chords), and as a whole it evokes a complicate harmonic embellishment b/c of the bass line. (the exact chords of the entire song will me pointed out later).

Moving forward in the song, Tony enters with a soaring melody on the guitar, a very cool melody moving through the chord changes. Now the B section comes along, is based on a F# phrygian-like riff in 7/8, this riff have a very interesting phrasing mixing 8th and 16th notes, the 8th notes work like the accented notes while the others “fill” the whole riff and make a groove happen, this riff is also very interesting b/c is based only on 3 notes! (F#, G and E), Virgil follows this riff with the bass drum.

On top of all this the synth throw some suspended chords again, the chords are diatonic and non-diatonic making it modulate in almost every chord change, again this section has a very unique and rich harmonic embellishment, that Tony again play a melody on top.

Now the C section comes along, is based on a melody in F#m, this is played on lead synth and lead guitar, the bass just play and static-groove like thing in D, evoking a D major harmony, now the arrangement goes and repeats sections A, B and the comes a new section, the D section which is based on a simple 8th note pattern with a progression of power chords on the guitar, Virgil does this kind of things in some of the tunes, is just a simple 8th note pattern in 4/4 time, this makes things tighter and simple, he apply this concept in Alien Hip-Hop too. The progression is based on Bm, the chords are: B5, D5, E5, G5, C5, E5, D5, this is all played on a 7th string guitar, while the progression is done, on top the synth comes with a simple melody on the a lead patch, based in Bm, the interesting thing about all this is when the C5 comes in the progression, is a non-diatonic chord, and evoke a C lydian type of sound which is interesting b/c the synth stay with the same melody sounding like a modulation, but b/c of the chords, this evokes now a Bm Dorian sound in the harmony (talking modally), Derek just play perfect intervals and maybe the minor 3rd in this melody which doesn’t affect the whole harmony.

Moving forward it comes the E section which I call “the space planetary section” this section just sound from outer space, all in 4/4 time (the final bar of the section is in 5/4) it contains a lot of synth sounds making it on that type of atmosphere while the chords play the other part. This section is based on just arpeggiated chords from these voicings: Bbsus2, F#7/11 (the lifeson chord) and Fsus2 this section just sound outer space which is one of the coolest thing that PX music have.

Going with the arrangement the song repeats here the first section or intro section just that intro riff. Then a new little section comes up, F section, is a little section based on A5 and C5, maybe based on Am, and the lead synth play some crazy setups here, same with the guitar, all is in 4/4 time here.
Then after this is repeated it comes which I call the transition to the solo, is based of a decending setup of notes in a strange and interesting phrasing, all this G section (transition) is based also in 4/4 time, Virgil mix 32th notes with 16th notes on a very fast bass drum pattern, and at the very end a fill phrasing groups of 5 and triplets in 16th notes and 8th notes respectively.
The H section now, the awesome guitar solo, the chords will be: C#maj7, Bbm7add11, C#/A (Amaj7), F#m6, repeat, then Gmaj7, E and Bmaj7 to end the section, note that I had taken these chords by ear by hearing at the synth, this could not be exactly accurate, but I have learn a trick from Ando, and is hearing just the important notes.

The solo end and the B section comes along, then C, then E and now the crazy outro of the song, the most hardest to take out...but I have a transcription by Virgil himself of these section just the notes on the treble and bass clef. I haven’t figure out the harmonic analysis of this section yet b/c is a whole world just in that little section there".

by Iros Rodriguez


Inside Black 2do track del album "Live From Oz" de Planet X

mas info. aqui
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_from_Oz


PD.: sorry que esté en ingles para aquellos english haters, pero asi fue que los postee en el foro de planetx asi que no taba en traducir nada :D jeje enjoy

coming up "The Count Of Tuscany" as recorded in "Black Clouds and Silver Linings" the latest Dream Theater studio album...

stay tuned!!!