What if you counted this in half time? Well, try then instead of counting one, two, three, four, count the verses of Heartbeat City as one, two, three, four. The phrases start on the third beat of the one, two, three, four, the halftime, so that really weak bar phrasing, starting your phrases in the weak bar, even on the downbeat is the same thing, as back-heavy phrasing, except on a different level of analysis. So that weak bar phrasing is back-heavy phrasing and, therefore, is equally unstable. That's true not only for four four time, so take a look at Tim Hardin's "How Can We Hang on to a Dream" and listen to this in three four time. And note again, that the phrases are starting on the weak bar. Strong, 2, 3, weak, 2, 3, strong, 2, 3, weak, 2, 3. And note also, that if you count this in 6/8, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. That it's back heavy. So that weak bar phrasing, which is an amazing tool to have in your in your phrasing vocabulary, will give you both downbeat and instability at the same time. >> And, I realized that this was the answer to my quandary about, I guess that's just the way love lets go. I thought that it ought to be then and tried it, weak bar phrasing, and tried it and I loved it. So I called Scarlet again, and said, hi. Listen, we've got to take Liz back into the studio again. She said, I said, yeah, I know but, we've got do weak bar phrasing here, and there's a couple of setting issues that I want to deal with also Note that in the line, in the chorus If I could lose you all at once. We're setting it, if I could lose you all at once. And there's I right on the downbeat. And the juice of the line is in lose. So probably, it should be, if I could lose you all at once. And, she said, okay. I'll set up another session. And so she did and called me and said it's next Monday. You gotta be there this time. I said I'm going to be in L.A., but it'll be okay and so they went in and they recorded it and here's what they got. [MUSIC] I had just caught my breath. I was starting to smile. I had just gotten hold of my mood. Then I brought the mail in, went in to a tail spin when I saw the letter, addressed to you. [MUSIC] Just like that, I broke in half. Funny what you're name can do. Pieces, little reminders that take me back. [MUSIC] Me back, whenever I find them. Letting go would be so much easier if I could lose you all at once, instead of in pieces. I'll be out with some friends. I'll be doing just fine. Till somebody laughs just like you. Or I'll reach into a pocket and find an old[MUSIC]. Ticket to some crazy movie you took me to. And just like that, it all comes back. I feel myself coming unglued. Pieces little reminders that take me back whenever I find them Letting go would be so much easier. [MUSIC] If I could lose you all at once instead of in little flashes I keep on having. I guess that's just the way love lets go. [MUSIC] In pieces little reminders that take me back whenever I find them. Letting go would be so much easier[MUSIC][MUSIC]. >> The weak bar phrasing in the branch was absolutely mind-blowing for me. it both gave me the semi-stability of, yeah, we're starting on the downbeat. And therefore, starting pieces back heavy in the strong bar, still feels like something new. And it also gave that sense of, I guess that's just the way love let's go. So I loved it. Just so we're clear on strong bar, weak bar, remember that the odd numbered bars, bar one, bar three are strong, bar two, bar four are weak in any four, four bar sequence. So let's take a list in here. we'll pick up [MUSIC] right at the chorus, two, three, four. Strong bar, weak bar, strong bar, weak bar, strong bar Be >> Weak bar. >> So much easier. >> Strong bar. >> If I could lose you all at once. >> Weak bar. >> Instead of in. >> Strong bar. >> Little flashes I. >> Weak bar. >> Keep on having. >> Strong bar. Weak bar. >> I guess that's just the way love lets go. >> Strong bar. >> [MUSIC]. In pieces. >> So there it is, The, the last line comes in on the downbeat. But comes in on the downbeat of the weak bar. And therefore feels unstable. And in feeling unstable. It sets up pieces as still being unstable but pieces, remember, is back heavy in the strong bar. And the last line, I guess that's just the way love lets go, is in the weak bar. Creating a wonderful contrast and at the same time. Supporting the prosidy allowing you to say, I guess that's just the way love love lets go. and say it on the downbeat of a bar. As an end to this story, I played this in one of my advanced lyric-writing class at Berklee And one of my students David Bawiec came up to me and said, wow, I really like that song. I said, well thank you David. And he said, well, listen, do you have a recording of that without that cheesy string patch? And I said, well yeah we recorded it in Pro Tools but. But why? He said well I have three sessions with a full string orchestra and if it's okay with you, I'd like to for free do an orchestration of this song and use all of my sessions with the string orchestra for, for pieces. It, would that be okay with you? And I thought, is this a trick question? [LAUGH]. So I said yes. And he went into the studio and did this to it. And, I just want you to listen, and realize, first of all, the power of phrasing. Whether you love this song. Or you're indiferent to the song, there is not question that the first version that you heard and this last version that you hear are completely different in the emotional platform that they creaate and that has to do with phrasing, with the body language of the song. Having done this, I now am able to look again at how we constructed the bridge on Hobo Wind.
