In appreciation of Marillion’s Kayleigh

viz

I just think that modulation from chorus 1 to verse 2 is really bloody clever and very very organic and natural. Almost imperceptible, if you haven’t actually played the song or if you don’t have perfect pitch. 

https://youtu.be/NumChJYENJk

John_P

Brilliant.   
One of the clever aspects of Marillions songwriting is the smooth ways they throw in key changes and interesting time signatures without being obvious or awkward.  For a proggy type band they make the songs sound simpler than they often are.  Having a song lift by a tone later in the tune is a common technique but it is rarely so subtle. 

phil_b

bluechargeboy

That's amazing, I've been clicking back and forth in the video listening to the transition from verse to chorus in both cases. Both work so well; I'd never have noticed the verse key change. Music is weird/great!

Danny1969

It's very clever, similar trick to Kate's "Don't push your foot on the hearbrake 

Van_Hayden

One of the first solos I learnt that.

mart

That key change is very slick, but what about the change from the 2nd verse into the chorus - to my mind, that's the bit they shouldn't have been able to pull off. It feels like that 2nd chorus shouldn't work in D and ought to be in E. And yet it does work!

Jalapeno

Not surprising that Steve Rothery now plays in Steve Hackett's band !

axisus

Jalapeno said:

Not surprising that Steve Rothery now plays in Steve Hackett's band !

er.... no he doesn't???

axisus

I loved those first 4 Marillion albums, and I love Fish's lyrics. 

sev112

I just play it in one key, otherwise my voice struggles
my next door neighbours haven’t complained yet

Jalapeno

axisus said:

Jalapeno said:

Not surprising that Steve Rothery now plays in Steve Hackett's band !

er.... no he doesn't???

Sorry - old age - confused him with Steve Wilson (who is an occasional SH band member) - Steve Rothery did play on Hackett's Genesis Revisted albums though

viz

mart said:

That key change is very slick, but what about the change from the 2nd verse into the chorus - to my mind, that's the bit they shouldn't have been able to pull off. It feels like that 2nd chorus shouldn't work in D and ought to be in E. And yet it does work!

Well exactly! 

First verse is Bm, then it goes to the relative major (D) for the chorus, which is perfectly normal;

Then it’s the instrumental verse and chorus in Bm and D; so far, so good.

Then it has that clever invisible modulation to C# minor (which is achieved by the fact that the guitar solo in Bm started so strongly on that ii of B (the C#) anyway, so we’re already primed for it and don’t notice the key change)

Then yes, the 2nd chorus “should” be E, but they return to the original key of D, which is why it’s so difficult to sing that Kayleigh note accurately if you haven’t clocked the earlier key change!

koneguitarist

One of the very few solos I ever worked out note for note from a guitarist feature on them. 

Finally got it all sorted, then band decided not to play it! Great solo. 

Stratavarious

Van_Hayden said:

One of the first solos I learnt that.

Snap

axisus

It's one of those solos that just works beautifully within the song. Rothery has written and played some superb guitar solos over the years (Although I MUCH prefer those first 4 albums to everything since with the band).

Easter was another killer solo

Del_Preston

Same here, one of the first songs I learned as a nipper!  That whole album is great.

Fuengi

Anyone got a good tab they can share? 

octatonic

Fuengi said:

Anyone got a good tab they can share? 

Not a tab but if you read notation then I can link you.

Bellycaster

Great Band and great song and yes, I remember thinking I'd learned this song and the WTF moment when I went into the 2nd verse with the first verse chord.........................and then after the solo

digitalkettle

octatonic said:

Fuengi said:

Anyone got a good tab they can share? 

Not a tab but if you read notation then I can link you.

I got around to transcribing this a couple of years ago:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1up1iia4ZPk47-ipTfx4RbzN3_E-iczvU/view?usp=sharing
Should be close enough to get you started