Incorporating Everyday Life Sounds into Music an Analysis with Pink Floyd

      In the song On The Run by Pink Floyd we visit some of the aspects of incorporating sounds that often are not considered music into music. On the first listen it can be unclear on how these sounds come together to create music. In this post I will explore what elements are musical, what elements are not musical and how they come together to create an innovative piece of music.
      In order to understand this piece we must first look at the elements that make up the music. Throughout this piece there is a continuous high-hat rhythm of two eighth notes followed by one quarter note. The piece has four beats per measure. It is split into two sections. The first section is 0-3:03 seconds. It starts out with a chord and then is followed by the rhythmic motif that is repeated throughout the section. There is an upward trill on an electronic instrument that is often like a minimalist piece in that it takes a long time to change. These two elements are the foundation for section one. On top of the foundation a variation of sounds occur including running, breathing, airplane type sounds, laughter, indistinguishable dramatic words and a sweep noise. The second section the high-hat rhythms stops. This section is connected though a continuous drone that is similar to the plane noises. They could also be described as thundery drones. There is running, breathing, laughter and other odd noises on top of the drone.
      What makes this piece musical? There is a pattern that it follows. The trill movement resembles serialism by creating a pattern that changes gradually. There is also a continuous flow throughout the piece. The sounds are similar in mood and remain throughout the piece. There is also an arch of excitement and flow that is created throughout the piece.
      What makes this piece not musical? There is no melody in this piece. Many of the sounds are not an instrument or singing. There is speaking, breathing, a strange thundery or airplane like noise. Many of these sounds don't coordinate in harmony or pitch or create any sense of melodic themes or motifs.
       In the end what makes this piece music is the intent for it to be music. The repetition and methodical thinking in composing create a continuous feeling. There is a structure to the sound. This piece almost continues the modernist thinking of finding original and unique new ways of looking at composition. Pink Floyd mixes modernist thinking and rock music together to influence a change in rock music.

On The Run by Pink Floyd:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im7w1JPZrwU

Floyd Impressions by Alyssa Robinson
https://www.reverbnation.com/alrobinson/song/24811644-floyd-impressions

      The best way for me to understand what is happening in music for me as an individual is recreating something similar using the same ideas. For this part of the project I have created a short song that reflects many of the same compositional components as On The Run by Pink Floyd.
       In writing this song I had a basic rhythm on the bottom as the foundation. I then added a electronic scale like sounding part. After that I added different sounds varying on top of the scales and percussion.