My Color Music

When we say the primary chords (I, IV, V) are popular, we ain’t kidding. They show up all the time in music. And while a lot of simple folk and pop songs use these triads, the most common example of a primary chord progression is what musicians call the “12-bar blues.” Without a doubt, you’ve heard of this, right? It’s played by repeating the same three chords over 12 measures. In a nutshell, it looks like this:

People call this “the blues” because it goes really well with the “blues scale.” And by adding a seventh chord here and there, we can create a tense, “bluesy” sound that feels like warm gravy poured directly onto the brain. In the key of C, for example, a blues progression and melody sound something like this:

Just like usual, we start at the tonic (I) chord. Then we make a short visit to our friend, the subdominant (IV) chord. After a couple of measures, we return to the tonic (I) … before passing through the dominant (V), again to the subdominant (IV), and finally home to the tonic (I) chord. Like a pleasant walk through the neighborhood, we eventually end up at home where we began.

The blues progression is so popular because it just sounds good. And it can be repeated as many times as you want. Once you make it through the first 12 measures, feel free to keep going … looping back through the same cycle over and over again.

By mixing it up a little—occasionally playing a seventh chord or tweaking the melody a bit—this progression makes for hours of fun. Using only those basic primary chords, we can play some very cool music. But of course, we have many more options, too. All we have to do is add a few chords to a song….

The moon is fairly well-known. You’ve probably seen it most nights—it’s hard to miss.

Why is the moon so interesting? Is it because it’s so big? Maybe people like it because it’s really bright. Or maybe it’s just because it is a GIANT stone floating in the sky.

Anyway, in my opinion, the moon is nice. And I’m not alone … it’s been featured in a lot of great songs. Some of the best include:

• “Mi Amore” (Dean Martin)
• “Moon River” (Henry Mancini)
• “Tonight” (The Smashing Pumpkins)
• “Dark Side of the Moon” (Pink Floyd)
• “Thriller” (Michael Jackson—who even invented the “moonwalk”… )

And the list goes on. But what can I say? People really like the moon. My only question is, “What kind of song would you write about the moon? If you stop and think about it, what would your song sound like?”

In the world of cinema, Alfred Hitchcock is still known as one of the greatest directors of all time. He was a master of suspense, scaring the [living daylights] out of audiences around the world. Some of his best movies include “Psycho” (1960), “Vertigo” (1958), “Dial M for Murder” (1954), and “Rear Window” (1954). In fact, I still have nightmares just thinking about him.

But like any of this man’s great plotlines, today’s quiz has a slight twist. And that is, which movie is known as the best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made? In other words, what famous movie is commonly mistaken as a Hitchcock classic—even though it was directed by someone else? Is it:

a) “To Catch a Thief”
b) “The Birds”
c) “Charade”
d) “The Man Who Knew Too Much”

If you answered “Option C,” you are correct. Each one of these films is by Alfred Hitchcock—except the thriller “Charade.” Directed by Stanley Donen in 1963, it was an instant cinematic hit.

Everything about this movie feels like an Alfred Hitchcock film. The suspense, the dark lighting, the plot twists, and even the leading man. (Cary Grant starred in multiple Hitchcock masterpieces.)

But a big reason “Charade” feels like the “real thing” is because of its music. Every note of this film’s haunting melody—composed by Henry Mancini—is brilliant. Like it was written for one of Alfred Hitchcock’s own stories. As far as theme songs go, “Charade” has one of the very best. But watch out—this song is so catchy, it might actually kill you.