Re: [Harp-L] Hook, groove, etc.



Robert Laughlin wrote:
<Just what is it, and how important, to have a "hook" in any particular piece. 

A hook is anything that grabs the listener's attention from the get-go.  A hook may be a melody; it may be a unique rhythm that's expressed by the drums (as in adam ant's 1982 hit goody two shoes," whose drums were so captivating that Quincy Jones called Ant to find out how they got that sound); it may be a unique sound in one of the ensemble parts (a role that's often played by the bass in electronica); it may be anything else that focuses the listener on the song.  John Fogerty said once that a great rock song always has a great guitar line up front.  A number of Beatles hits, such as "please please me", used harmonica for that purpose (though more often George Harrison's guitar was the vehicle for the hook--can anyone forget "paperback Writer"?), and of course Little Walter's songs almost all start with a memorable harmonica line (e.g. Juke, Backtrack (which is one of my own get-over numbers), Teenage Beat, etc.).  

The hook is pretty damn important. It sets a tune apart; whenever the listener hears the hook, they're primed for the song that follows.  Creating a memorable hook is not easy, but creating anything memorable isn't easy.  Like anything else in music, it demands both craft and emotion.  You'll know you've succeeded when every head in the room turns to the bandstand as soon as the hook sounds.

Regards, Richard Hunter



author, "Jazz Harp" (Oak Publications, NYC)
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