theory about the star spangled banner song

The dominant 7th chord in this version of the National Anthem is heard as the word “…free” is sung. A chord is when you play different notes at the same time, like when you press 4 different notes on the piano at once and all together. So I’m going to use some very familiar songs you should know to help you hear (in your head) what a dominant chord sounds like. If you listen the the songs I’m getting ready to mention it will help you understand all the following descriptions. If you’re not a musician the musical definition of a dominant 7th chord would still be confusing. Hear 46 Versions of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring in 3 Minutes: A Classic Mashup Watch 82-Year-Old Igor Stravinsky Conduct The Firebird, the Ballet Masterpiece That First Made Him Famous (1965) Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Visualized in a Computer Animation for Its 100th Anniversary The Night When Charlie Parker Played for Igor Stravinsky (1951) You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, Venmo and Crypto. It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere.

If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here. Despite the mythology created around this event, Stravinsky was never arrested. The Youtube video features an apocryphal mugshot of Stravinsky. You can hear Stravinsky’s “Star-Spangled Banner” above, apparently performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, and conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. (They were misreading the statute.) Grudgingly, Stravinsky pulled it from the bill.

And the Boston police, not exactly an organization with avant-garde sensibilities, issued Stravinsky a warning, claiming there was a law against tampering with the national anthem.

As you might expect, Stravinsky’s version on “The Star-Spangled Banner” wasn’t entirely conventional, seeing that it added a dominant seventh chord to the arrangement.

Theory about the star spangled banner song