6997 / 18210 · Workshop 52 — “Moanin’”: Gospel-Blues Harmony, Call-and-Response, Block Chords, Locked Hands, Riff Construction, and Building a Shout Chorus← prev⊞ allnext →
52.91The deeper lesson: power versus complexity
Compare two arrangements.
Arrangement A
18 sophisticated chord substitutions.
Weak rhythm.
No clear phrase architecture.
Arrangement B
three chords.
One killer riff.
Strong call-and-response.
Perfectly placed silence.
Controlled buildup.
Arrangement B may sound far more sophisticated.
Because sophistication is not synonymous with information density.