Recently added

Style marker

The Dylan cadenceBob Dylan

Bob Dylan adds a tender, vulnerable quality to many of his phrases by ending on 4 over a I chord with which it does not agree; this [...] is so frequently heard [...] that it might be referred to as the Dylan cadence.

— Walter Everett, The Foundations of Rock (2009), p. 186

Like a Rolling Stone (1965)

Bob Dylan

5

4

3

2

1

7

V

I

oh

1

how

4

does

3

it

1

feel

4

Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues (1965)

Bob Dylan

1

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

V

IV

I

they

3

got

3

some

4

hun

5

gry

7

wom

5

en

4

there

5

and

4

they

4

real

4

ly

3

make

4

a

3

mess

4

out

1

ta

1

you

4

Visions of Johanna (1966)

Bob Dylan

2

1

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

IV

I

V

I

and

5

these

6

vis

1

ions

1

of

5

Jo

6

han

1

na

1

that

4

co

4

o

1

on

2

quer

1

my

4

mind

4

Absolutely Sweet Marie (1966)

Bob Dylan

2

1

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

IV

V

I

but

5

where

6

are

5

you

1

to

1

night

1

sweet

6

Ma

1

rie

4

If You See Her, Say Hello (1975)

Bob Dylan

5

4

3

2

1

7

V

I

kiss

3

her

2

once

1

for

1

me

4

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Where am I?

SongPatterns.com is an encyclopedia of

• the musicological devices that contribute to the distinctive sounds of various artists, genres, and time periods
  Style marker

  

  3̂-7̂-1̂ cadenceTaylor Swift

  Taylor Swift often ends vocal phrases by singing 3̂, dropping to 7̂, then rising to 1̂.

  

  Change (2008)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Back to December (2010)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  All Too Well (2012)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  The Last Time (2012)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Blank Space (2014)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Clean (2014)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince (2019)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  The Man (2019)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Exile (2020)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Seven (2020)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  This Is Me Trying (2020)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  'tis the damn season (2020)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Champagne Problems (2020)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Ivy (2020)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Long Story Short (2020)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Maroon (2022)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Midnight Rain (2022)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Bejeweled (2022)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Karma (2022)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Labyrinth (2022)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Mastermind (2022)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  But Daddy I Love Him (2024)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  I Can Do It With a Broken Heart (2024)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived (2024)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  imgonnagetyouback (2024)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  So High School (2024)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Elizabeth Taylor (2025)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Ruin The Friendship (2025)

  Taylor Swift

  

  

  Wi$h Li$t (2025)

  Taylor Swift

  

  • More on Taylor Swift
• the elements that songwriters draw from preexisting songs
  Connection

  

  Hungry Like the Wolf (1982)

  Duran Duran

  

  

  Black Or White (1991)

  Michael Jackson

  

Why?

• to enrich your listening
• to empower your writing
• to promote awareness of the nature, prevalence, and legitimacy of musical borrowing

[...] the production and perception of music—like language—relies on knowledge that is not easily articulated and, to some extent, unconscious. Anyone who can speak and understand English has some kind of knowledge of the rules of English grammar, but few such people are able to state exactly what those rules are. Similarly, [...] creators and listeners of rock music have knowledge about the norms and regularities of rock, but largely at an unconscious level. In large part, my goal [...] is to articulate this tacit knowledge, to uncover the mental processes and representations involved in musical creation and perception.

— David Temperley, The Musical Language of Rock

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.

— Ecclesiastes 1:9