How Hamilton Works: The Aaron Burr Chord Progression

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WHY 10 DUEL COMMANDMENTS IS AMAZING: goo.gl/7esGbQ
MY SHOT EXPLAINED: goo.gl/iBbjdA
ELIZA'S CHORD PROGRESSION: goo.gl/NPqhMr
STAY ALIVE EXPLAINED: goo.gl/j85hCO
What is the Aaron Burr Chord Progression and why is it important in HAMILTON?
This is the first in a series of videos about how HAMILTON works musically. In these videos, I will talk about why all the songs in HAMILTON make sense together and contribute to a greater whole. This is for fans of the show.
I do plan to talk about almost every song in the show, but if there's a topic you'd love to hear about, let me know in the comments. Thanks for watching!
Twitter: / ho_howard
Instagram: / howardwho
Web: howardhomusic.com/
SoundCloud: / howardwho-1 #HowHamiltonWorks #Hamilton

Пікірлер: 285

@lindseysquire8417 4 жыл бұрын

The worst part of "The World Was Wide Enough" is that Hamilton decides to throw away his shot and wait for it, and Burr decides to just act with passion. They reverse roles, and it results in death.

@helenaperez4343 4 жыл бұрын

Bonus: “I am not throwing away my shot ‘till the world turns upside down.” The roles switched, the world turned upside down, and Hamilton threw away his shot.

@origamibrick3421 4 жыл бұрын

And it reflects their character themes as well. Burr followed his idealism of "Talk less, smile more... Fools who run their mouths off wind up dead" and lived. And Hamilton took his shot in life, made a bigger difference but died.

@sarahwright1629 3 жыл бұрын

Its such a good song, I didn't even realize that as the countdown happens, you actually hear the notes of "My Shot" happening as Burr is explaining the start of the duel. It was only months after that I realized this! 😭

@johndevadhas4787 3 жыл бұрын

results in 2 deaths, 1 for Ham (actual death, the other concerning the death of Burr's political career

@applejuice8271 3 жыл бұрын

@@sarahwright1629 OMG I just replayed the songs and you're right! SO cool!

@hollyxhawkes 8 жыл бұрын

I always am fascinated by connections through the songs themselves. Burr's progression totally conveys the character on a whole other level

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

The connections that MY SHOT make are also pretty mind-blowing. Check out my video about them here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdRiZ62ktKi-cXU.html

@mkon29 7 жыл бұрын

oh my god! i get it now! the burr's chord progression never really "finishes" itself, just like him - it's indecisive and uncertain. i think i got that right? and thank you for this video, i never actually thought about all these meaning behind chords progressions. lin really is a musical genius.

@sunnydasheep 4 жыл бұрын

I mean, I say you're right

@jessicachen9416 7 жыл бұрын

I have a very, *very* limited knowledge of music theory and I'm already finding so many musical quips in the soundtrack. I can only imagine that it's a whole new treasure trove for you!

@andioop1618 8 жыл бұрын

The song only in the show is called "Tomorrow There'll Be More of Us"

@gabbyhulin1357 7 жыл бұрын

Or "John Laurens' Interlude"

@andioop1618 7 жыл бұрын

Gabby Hulin Or the "Lin Wants Us All To Cry Ourselves To Sleep At Night" Song

@gabbyhulin1357 7 жыл бұрын

Cleo De Nile Or "When Your Gay Ship Dies Because IT JUST HAS TO DANGIT" Song.

@alexaliona 7 жыл бұрын

yep. I cry every time.

@andioop1618 7 жыл бұрын

Samara Duffie It could really just be called "Act 2 Preview And Temporary Depression In Less Than 2 Minutes, Thank You Lin Manuel Miranda"

@katiekawaii 7 жыл бұрын

I didn't think I would find more genius in Hamilton, and then I learn about this. Absolute genius. I can see why Miranda related to Hamilton.

@RiaxaraCo 6 жыл бұрын

katie kawaii wait Lin Manuel-Miranda the creator of the Hamilton musical is related to Alexander Hamilton himself?

@ericbowers18 6 жыл бұрын

candiedscroll 30 i think they meant that lin resonated with hamilton rather than physically being related but im not actually sure

@greyson5843 7 жыл бұрын

Please do Angelica's! She's so important to the story and I find her melody sassy yet soft. It's unique and I would feel honored if you did hers!

@user-gj2zp8nm6z 6 жыл бұрын

this is not exist sorry :(

@hsmacaraig 4 жыл бұрын

sam1370 because he would’ve listened to their request.

@teresa6387 3 жыл бұрын

It’s on the video about one shot I asked him in a comment and he answered me, I checked the video and it’s actually there, so take a look at it, Angelica is there :)

@4dultw1thj0b 7 жыл бұрын

Woah dude, I just listened to Wait For It again but pitch-shifted and the underlying notes in the chorus have the exact same melody as the pentatonic runs in Burn!

@4dultw1thj0b 7 жыл бұрын

Actually, I think Burr and Eliza are musically linked similar to how Hamilton and Angelica are! After all, the Alexander Hamilton theme always starts with Burr's narration until it comes to Eliza in Burn and is then remade in Who Lives Who Dies.

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Yeah, it's almost like a baton is being passed around. Burr loses control of the narrative and then Eliza gains it. And between them is Hamilton's legacy being retold.

@4dultw1thj0b 7 жыл бұрын

Howard Ho And since the pentatonic runs symbolize family duty, that's fitting since Burr sings about his upholding his family's legacy in Wait For It, as well as extending the forbidden love element from Satisfied with Theodosia.

@elsieschomp9355 7 жыл бұрын

AlwaysGonnaSing I guess you could call it *burr* n

@emmaprice1830 6 жыл бұрын

The lyrics in the “Wait for It” refrain that accompany that musical theme are “love,” “death,” and “life.” That musical theme probably serves as an aural association for those ideas. “Burn” hits on those lyrical ideas too. The treatment of the theme in the two songs serves to contrast Burr and Hamilton in regards to their relationships with their loved ones. Both songs contain the characters’ respective themes, and this “love, death, life” theme.

@inbach 7 жыл бұрын

I know that you only speak of chord progression, but it is worth notice that some of the time the Burr motive appear on the strings in pizzicato (plucking the string instead of playing with the bow), which traditionally follows cautious or sneaky characters...

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Pizz strings are an orchestration choice, which was made by the orchestrator Alex Lacamoire, a great artist in his own right and whose contributions to Hamilton are probably greater than we could ever know.

@onjimsaladpie7476 2 жыл бұрын

Like in his tiny meltdown in The Room Where It Happens after that big “what do you want Burr?”

@emileefryat6704 7 жыл бұрын

never thought your life and whole entire way of thinking could be in 3 notes? wELL NOW IT CAN damn, what a time to be alive

@wakawakatakeover 5 жыл бұрын

Your edit is the alternate universe where Burr doesn't kill Hamilton and instead just goes home to hang with Theodosia who doesn't get blown away in a storm and here he does not try to establish a country in the west.

@hannah4669 7 жыл бұрын

I know nothing about how music works but I thoroughly enjoyed this. It's so incredible that you could interpret the music and what it meant. I never realized how every single tiny aspect of the music helps tell the story like this

@TheJulianBassShow 8 жыл бұрын

i'm confused and delighted

@tori2dles 7 жыл бұрын

Listening to the soundtrack, one picks up on the way themes are used for characters, but you peel back the layers till we see the inner workings. Love this. And THANK YOU!

@crowboy7351 7 жыл бұрын

I love this series. I'm defiantly not musically smart, I just don't understand chords and such, so I'm more the type to look into the lyrics and dig around for double meanings, references, etc. This really helps me understand how genius the musical is on a whole other level, so thank you for that!

@LaurelAlyson 8 жыл бұрын

This was the best Hamilton video I have ever seen. I was literally taking notes, pausing the video, and running to the piano XD Thank you for this! I can't wait to check out your other Hamilton videos!

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! The second video about MY SHOT is now online! kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdRiZ62ktKi-cXU.html

@booksbyleynes 8 жыл бұрын

You are a true Genius!!! I'm enjoying your Hamilton input so much!

@HowardHoMusic 8 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Guess I should keep going then..

@carlosalejandroalvarenga4913 7 жыл бұрын

Howard Ho yeah man. You're a genius. I just love Music Symbolism. You should do this with Wicked

@gillianb2352 8 жыл бұрын

wow this is fantastic, so interesting to have it explained, honeslty im pretty musically iliterate and yet this is so fascinating and your piano examples are so clear even i can understand everything thats been put into this beautiful score in a way i never knew before. cant wait for more of these!

@evang.6771 7 жыл бұрын

Gillian Bakker I guess you'll have to wait for it

@jestle 7 жыл бұрын

Say no to this has the same chords as the Reynolds pamphlet... wow

@stevenbobbybills 4 жыл бұрын

Welp, it makes sense.

@rachelcrimm5763 3 жыл бұрын

There’s a strong connection there

@chiquitin_o 6 жыл бұрын

I watched all the explanations last night and my tired brain could not interpret what was going on. I knew some of it already, but not most of it. I never cried during Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story, but in Eliza's chord progression when you explained how Eliza rearranged Hamilton's chords, I teared up a bit. THAT'S WHY I LOVE LIN MANUEL MIRANDA

@KuiperHaumea 7 жыл бұрын

This video is fantastic! One small note: the bassline you mention first with non-stop actually appears in the verse in "Wait for it", separate from the piano. It's a lot more obvious and consistent in non-stop, though.

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, you're right!

@hrowens33 4 жыл бұрын

Rewatching all of these before Hamilton comes out on Disney+ tomorrow. Great videos mate.

@dianaparadise2048 7 жыл бұрын

omg i noticed this chord progression in all the songs you talked about but i really dont know anything about music theory or anything like that so i could never put a name to it i just recognized it whenever it showed up in a song u kno???? this video was really helpful in explaining that to me thank u

@alkat322 8 жыл бұрын

I love this! My friend and I working through the easy version of the piano sheet music book and we keep finding cool things like this! One of our favorites that we have found is how the intro to It's Quiet Uptown shows up in at least two other places (the end of That Would Be Enough and the Best of Wives and Best of Women- though it is played to a different rhythm there) I can't wait to see the rest of the series!

@HowardHoMusic 8 жыл бұрын

Yes, good catch! I will definitely talk about how those songs are related in a future video. Thanks for watching!

@4dultw1thj0b 7 жыл бұрын

Hearing the 'fixed' versions of the chord progression is very interesting, and actually sounds vaguely pop-ish.

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

How Hamilton Works continues with a video essay about MY SHOT! If you liked this video, be sure to check out that video too: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdRiZ62ktKi-cXU.html

@lizmitchell4647 7 жыл бұрын

so I'm in a music theory class and I can make a lot of sense of this and its amazing and I love this stuff thanks

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Excellent!

@lane2go 7 жыл бұрын

these videos are actually amazing?? just the way the theory of the songs resembles the characters is so creative and crazy! thank u!!

@Humanwall123 4 жыл бұрын

Just discovered your videos after watching the Hamilfilm all weekend. Now I need to watch it even more times with this new information in mind!

@isabellanebs22 7 жыл бұрын

I'm obsessed with your Hamilton analyzation and symbolism, it's amazing what you've picked up on. great job, dude!

@rubiksist 5 жыл бұрын

I love this! Wait for it is my favourite song because of that feeling of stoping for a second almost like catching your breath. It is so intense and brings up many emotions. Now i know why. Thank you!

@skierz1363 3 жыл бұрын

When you spoke at 1:09, "Alright, there are...", I immediately thought of " There are ten things you need to know!"

@xiolinorchdork 7 жыл бұрын

MY MIND IS SO BLOWN AFTER WATCHING THIS. Thanks so much!

@orangefanta6567 7 жыл бұрын

the effort you put into your videos does not go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much

@rebeccazoetewey7041 7 жыл бұрын

These are honestly so cool, you should really make even more than the ones you have out.

@boxfish863 7 жыл бұрын

I really hope you make a video about the "Say no to this" chord progressions.

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Seriously, this will be covered in my next video. Stay tuned!

@boxfish863 7 жыл бұрын

Howard Ho I can't wait!

@lole2827 7 жыл бұрын

omigosh this is amazing all of them are so amazinnnnggg

@Redstomp 8 жыл бұрын

I loved everything about this, thank you!

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

If you love this, then check out my video on MY SHOT: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdRiZ62ktKi-cXU.html

@eringoblah 8 жыл бұрын

I love the Hamilton tutorial and this explanation! You're a good teacher. Continue please.

@julesk2629 8 жыл бұрын

This is so cool! Please do more, I love it!!!

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

For sure!

@iddee05 8 жыл бұрын

Your obedient servant!!!

@HowardHoMusic 8 жыл бұрын

Yes, I'll definitely talk about that in a future video!

@bethstone5095 7 жыл бұрын

that. is related with Farmer Refuted.

@xamified4432 7 жыл бұрын

Aaron Burr's songs are my favorite songs from Hamilton and now I know why, my ears really like 3 chord songs.

@bingbong4061 5 жыл бұрын

You and Lin are literally musical geniuses. I play instruments and I couldn’t even began to figure out these progressions

@gillianmuspic2337 7 жыл бұрын

so interesting. I always feel that i am taking a music class when I watch these explanations/lessons. It really makes the show fat better than i had thought. It's not just a bunch of song's that tell a story but a cohesive unit. Wonderful to learn this. Thanks so much.

@XiaoAndyPugMan 7 жыл бұрын

This is the kind of analysis I like to see. Very very good work.

@mayra3277 6 жыл бұрын

Such an impressing video!

@jenns8452 7 жыл бұрын

This was a fascinating video. Thank you for breaking down the complexities!! I love musical theater, but I don't know all the technicalities and nuances of writing music. Learned a lot!!

@ColleenMarble 2 жыл бұрын

I found your channel yesterday and have spent quite a bit of time binging videos. I have just enough musical training/experience to recognize the genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda's work, beyond just 'that sounds nice.' But I don't have enough to really explain it or understand why some musical moments in Hamilton are just SO GREAT. Your analyses are positively brilliant and so much fun to watch for a nerd like me. Thanks! New subscriber.

@Regenschirmtier 7 жыл бұрын

Wow, this is so great! As a person who enjoyed a special musical training in school I always tried to sound out the main themes in other songs. THANK YOU for doing this, I enjoyed the video very much and I'm dying to watch the other ones. (:

@TuckerTheMandolinist Жыл бұрын

While learning this chord progression on my mandolin, while watching the video, while sitting on my porch, I realized two things: You have a great explanation for this musical and I have a lot in common with Aaron Burr.

@destinyleak9099 7 жыл бұрын

it doesn't feel right to have it go somewhere, it just sounds off to complete it (like in The World Was Wide Enough)

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Yes, exactly!

@destinyleak9099 7 жыл бұрын

Howard Ho o sweet, you replied! these videos are really thought provoking, good job dude

@ntlespino 7 жыл бұрын

Currently listening to The Instrumentals, and my mind sings "Aaaaaaron Burrrrrrr, dun dun dun dun" during "Aaron Burr, Sir"

@frank1393 3 жыл бұрын

I love this I’m geeking out

@latenightcashews 7 жыл бұрын

*WATCHES ALL OF YOUR HAMILTON VIDEOS OVER AGAIN TO PREPARE FOR THE NEW ONE*

@CarlieMae 7 жыл бұрын

I noticed this while listening and I just thought Lin and Alex are geniuses for doing this.

@freddieb9238 7 жыл бұрын

Fascinating. Definitely leaving a like and a sub. Thrilled for the rest!

@GamerRetriever 8 жыл бұрын

This deserves more views!

@HowardHoMusic 8 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@shadowblitz7184 7 жыл бұрын

3:59 The Story of Tonight (Reprise) Is when he admits the fact that he has a little someone on the side.

@jimwilliamson9893 5 жыл бұрын

Excellent analysis! The Burr chord progression reminds me of the verse chords in XTC's Making Plans for Nigel (where the I iv iii progression is G Em Bm).

@tashp 3 жыл бұрын

You can also hear the violin part that's in Wait For It at around 1:00 in Dear Theodosia when Burr is singing to his daughter

@ellakaale 7 жыл бұрын

I gasped when you said that Burn had the same chord progression as Alexander Hamilton and then you demonstrated it and I actually got tears in my eyes. This show is so musically brilliant. Thank you for making these videos. Everyone needs to see these.

@QuikVidGuy 4 жыл бұрын

I'm revisiting these videos. They helped me understand the concepts I needed to so I could go back and process the technical stuff. Now I have more technical knowledge, so I can understand the analysis EVEN BETTER. So like going III - III7 - I takes advantage of the ambiguity of a III chord by treating it as tonic and then immediately as dominant without changing much about it, and it makes for a really smooth, if daunting resolution. I'm not sure if that's a thing with minor in general, like if we recognize the III as the "proper Major root" or w/e, but it IS useful!

@brittanythompson580 7 жыл бұрын

Also, the burn chord progression is the chorus for wait for it

@MystearicaClaws 5 жыл бұрын

I thought I would share a few of these with my friend. While je is not exactly musically inclined, he is inquisitive and enjoys watching me geek out lol. Plus any excuse to share the awesomeness of Hamilton. Thank you, good sir, for creating this series.

@tapiocapearl0304 6 жыл бұрын

Trust me when I say this, my life changed after I watched this video six months ago.

@bryanturanganT 3 жыл бұрын

My favourite character in Hamilton is Aaron Burr because I relate so much to him.

@yenee94 7 жыл бұрын

you're so funny and informative!

@chaosung8655 6 жыл бұрын

Hey man, you rock! Thank you for all these videos!! Can you please do aseries for other musicals as well? :)

@humblebumble8192 7 жыл бұрын

this is interesting. Maybe when you finish this series you could go back over it from a lyrical expression

@morganrogue5305 5 жыл бұрын

I think it also appears in room where it happens, because at the end when he's rapping with Hamilton, wait for it kinda plays.

@themichaelconnor42 4 жыл бұрын

The bassline for the burr chord progression that you noticed in Non-Stop is also underneath the melody in Wait For It and Aaron Burr, sir, as well

@georgeofhamilton 7 жыл бұрын

Music is awesome.

@gjk-arts5855 3 жыл бұрын

George Hamilton where is Phillip Hamilton

@georgeofhamilton 3 жыл бұрын

@@gjk-arts5855 I killed him and took his family name.

@antoniocastro5901 6 жыл бұрын

That was a lot of inner music geek satisfied... Thank you

@nina9972 5 жыл бұрын

There is an instrumental song between you'll be back and right hand man. I think it's called redcoat interlude

@HowardHoMusic 5 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I didn't include the transitions in there, but you are correct.

@sirnate9065 8 жыл бұрын

This was really good tho, can't wait for more.

@HowardHoMusic 7 жыл бұрын

Here's the second video about MY SHOT: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdRiZ62ktKi-cXU.html

@SebastianLinks 7 жыл бұрын

I cry everytime i hear the version in The World Was Wide Enough

@Avram42 4 жыл бұрын

I just found your channel and love the analysis as an amateur musician (I mean I've been playing guitar for over 20 years but I still suck at it) -- my fiancee is a classically trained pianist so I'll be sure to share this with her.

@yanaygomez2560 5 жыл бұрын

I just realized that Wait For It sounds like Stay Alive Reprised when Philip says “Mum I’m so sorry for forgetting everything you taught me”

@HowardHoMusic 5 жыл бұрын

Not quite. My next video (coming soon) will discuss that musical moment and what it's actually a reference to. Hope you stay tuned!

@QRebound 4 жыл бұрын

Dear god, please put this playlist in order, I'm so baffled as to what order to watch...

@loureedpipes 7 жыл бұрын

Your videos are so insightful! Thank you for them they make me feel so many t h i n g s bless you

@reesegivens6943 7 жыл бұрын

this is great!!! Could you do other musicals too?!? maybe les mis or into the woods or maybe even in the heights? thanks!

@Sophia-hs7et 7 жыл бұрын

2:55 i started singing burn to fill in the silence at the same moment it started playing oh my god

@narwhalstreet455 5 жыл бұрын

I have no idea what your talking about but I like Watching it

@bethstone5095 7 жыл бұрын

make more of these!!!

@IncrediblyVincent 8 жыл бұрын

You just gained a new subscriber

@HowardHoMusic 8 жыл бұрын

Sweet!

@craz5634 7 жыл бұрын

Wow! I didn't realize the chord progression in burn and Alexander Halmiton was so similar!

@aaaaaa1955 5 жыл бұрын

And this is why I am and will always be impatient

@HowardHoMusic 5 жыл бұрын

LOL...valid takeaway.

@bethstone5095 7 жыл бұрын

At the introduction of Best of wives and best of women it's kinda alike to the introduction of Its quiet Uptown.

@legitnesquick 6 жыл бұрын

Average Consumer IKR

@caraziegel7652 7 жыл бұрын

I've been watching some of these and feel like you could potentially make a class or a workshop out of this. its so cool. do you post anywhere what software you use for the piano, where you can see the notes?

@AustinNebbia 8 жыл бұрын

This is utterly fascinating, well done. You've gained a sub. I'd also love to hear about the more sneaky orchestration (not lyrical) references (the Beatles in the bass line of You'll Be Back, for example.)

@dignature123 7 жыл бұрын

I'm such a noob at the piano, I've barely caught the terminology but I get the references and that helps. I think I'll take a music theory class because this is HELLA interesting!

@4dultw1thj0b 7 жыл бұрын

Man-well, not Manual. But this is really neat!

@juliadietrich3584 4 жыл бұрын

So, I watched through these and am watching them with my mom I need these for other musicals lol Like, I'm also into phantom, les mis, jekyll and hyde... it would be cool to see stuff like this for them