# What are the itty-bitty bits you love in certain songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [March 19, 2019, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368 "2019-03-19T14:23:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2019, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/61 "2019-03-23T17:12:43Z")
In the song [I’m the Slime](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-sREpqDiUo) by **Frank Zappa** , a single chord on a keyboard is played at the exact moment Frank says the word “destined.” It is just so _perfect_. It occurs at exactly 1:10 in the link. In [Whole Lotta Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaSk5vnAVJ8) by **Led Zeppelin** , there is a very brief “sigh” by Robert Plant before the song starts. It is difficult to hear, and I would estimate it lasts less than 0.2 seconds. I also love how you can hear very faint echos of Plant’s voice between 4:08 to 4:12 in the background. (Not sure if that was intentional or tape “bleed through.”) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/62 "2019-03-23T20:00:10Z")
In the Greatful Dead’s “Uncle John’s Band,” the group sings the chorus a capella. But there’s a one measure where they stop singing and all you can hear is a very faint tapping of the beat before they resume. I love that. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/63 "2019-03-24T06:13:55Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > The two mini bass solos in the Beatles’ “I’ll Cry Instead” make that song for me. Without those two little bits, the song would be largely forgettable, imo. If he’s singing over the bass line, is it really a ‘solo’? ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/64 "2019-03-24T07:45:36Z")
The guitar riff in Boston’s “More Than A Feeling.” It really should be illegal to play in the car because when I look down I am doing 87mph. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/65 "2019-03-24T10:05:04Z")
A few … David Gilmour’s pick-squeal leading into the second solo on _Comfortably Numb_. Gives me goose-bumps. [At about 4:31 but I gave you some of the buildup.](https://youtu.be/x-xTttimcNk?t=267) In The Simple Minds’ _Don’t You Forget About Me_, there’s a bass-drumish breakdown in the middle of the song that ramps up with a rolling snare/high-hat drum fill before busting back into the song. In the middle of the drum fill there’s a lonely high-hat hit that always makes my day. [The breakdown starts at about 3:13 and the high-hat hit is at about 3:43](https://youtu.be/8kmE_vZgU08?t=210) And one that’s hard to link to the examples but go listen to the tune and you’ll dig my jive. In [Elvis Costello’s _Brilliant Mistake_](https://youtu.be/rfTZl3eRW_g) there is a simple drum fill leading into each chorus that is subtly different at each instance and it absolutely makes the song for me. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 10:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/66 "2019-03-24T10:30:25Z")
I thought of another slightly open high-hat hit that grabs me every time. Eric Clapton’s version of _I Shot the Sheriff_. Leading into the third chorus the is a break where the drums drop out and it’s just the Hammond ringing out. Then the drum fill comes in, a simple four beat hit, that fourth beat being the high-hat I love so much (there is a snare hit too so it’s not lone, but still). [Break starts at about 2:35, high-hat at about 2:40.](https://youtu.be/tRgcwT9X2J8?t=153) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/67 "2019-03-24T10:45:35Z")
Edits to above (I’m sloppy when it’s early): It’s a bass drum hit not a snare hit in _I Shot the Sheriff_ The breakdown in\* Don’t You Forget About Me\* starts at 3:30 not 3:13. Again, apologies for the sloppy posting. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/68 "2019-03-24T10:57:33Z")
> [@Labtrash](#): > > I listen for “squeaks” from the re-positioning of the guitarist’s fingers. Is there a musical term for this? > > Notable squeaky songs would be Wish You Were Here, and Every Breath You Take. Lots more, but those are two of my favorites. Yep, I generally enjoy that. Other examples: [ul] [li]\*Rock’n Me \*by **Steve Miller** - right from the beginning of the track[/li][li]\*Burnin’ for You \*by **Blue Oyster Cult** - in the chorus while they’re singing “Burning for you…”[/li][/ul] Another example I’m almost reluctant to mention: in “By Your Side” by **Sade** , there are some very jarring squeaks, which I somehow never noticed until someone pointed them out. Now I can’t unhear them, and they’ve ruined the mood of the song for me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/69 "2019-03-24T11:07:03Z")
> [@Labtrash](#): > > I listen for “squeaks” from the re-positioning of the guitarist’s fingers. Is there a musical term for this? … For some reason, this reminded me of “Don’t Look Back” (title track) by Boston. In the bridge, the guitarist is playing the song’s main riffs at a slower tempo with a bit less distortion. During little pauses between chord changes, he makes a scratching sound. (I presume he’s striking the strings but holding them down somehow to prevent them ringing.) It’s a very cool effect. Occurs a few times between about 2:37 to 2:52: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VPLOVJ0u94) ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/70 "2019-03-24T11:15:35Z")
Palm muting. You mute the strings with the meat of the palm on your strum hand, essentially (it’s a bit of an art). That’s were you get the chick-a-chicks. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/71 "2019-03-24T13:02:31Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#): > > Another example I’m almost reluctant to mention: in “By Your Side” by **Sade** , there are some very jarring squeaks, which I somehow never noticed until someone pointed them out. Now I can’t unhear them, and they’ve ruined the mood of the song for me. ☹ I think those might have been deliberate or even added later. They make an interesting counterpoint. I always notice the squeaks in the chorus of _Open Letter to a Landlord_ by Living Colour. _Unpretty_ by TLC alos has a lot of guitar squeak. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/72 "2019-03-24T14:02:30Z")
White stripes cover of “I don’t know what to do with myself” Jack has a little gasp right before the final chorus kicks in. Awesome addition to the song. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2019, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/73 "2019-03-24T18:27:07Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#): > > If he’s singing over the bass line, is it really a ‘solo’? No. And even less so when it’s John singing over Paul’s bass line. But…I agree that Paul’s bass does make _I’ll Cry Instead_ a better song. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/74 "2019-03-25T09:41:31Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Palm muting. You mute the strings with the meat of the palm on your strum hand, essentially (it’s a bit of an art). That’s were you get the chick-a-chicks. So they are strumming the strings and palming them with the same hand at the same time? Sounds difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/75 "2019-03-25T10:15:29Z")
Bowie harmonizing with himself in “Sound and Vision” in the second half of the line “Don’t you wonder sometimes… _ **’bout sound and vision** _” Every note and harmony is a perfection of musical bliss. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/76 "2019-03-25T12:11:07Z")
There are a lot of moments I love in Steely Dan’s _My Old School_, but I think my favorite is the drum fill at [2:57](https://youtu.be/Sq8OU-7JDFA?t=177). Or maybe the horns at [3:39](https://youtu.be/Sq8OU-7JDFA?t=219). Or the way the last line of the last chorus is sung differently than all the rest (at [4:27](https://youtu.be/Sq8OU-7JDFA?t=267)) Or the way the drummer switches from the tasteful, jazzy rhythms he’s been using throughout the song to a straight 1-2-3-4 beat at [5:09](https://youtu.be/Sq8OU-7JDFA?t=309) Instrumentally, I think it’s my favorite song of theirs. So much to listen for, and I swear I hear something new each time. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/77 "2019-03-25T12:38:05Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > The guitar riff in Boston’s “More Than A Feeling.” It really should be illegal to play in the car because when I look down I am doing 87mph. In high school, I had that same problem with “Synchronicity II” by the Police. I actually took the tape out of my car. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/78 "2019-03-25T12:54:25Z")
I love the part at the very end of the Talking Heads song “And She Was” where the electric guitar [takes up the chorus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl3B_FTDKD0)(around 3:28) ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/79 "2019-03-25T13:28:02Z")
_Hey Nineteen_ " . . .skate a little lower now" ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2019, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368/80 "2019-03-25T18:50:15Z")
> [@LLCoolL](#): > > So they are strumming the strings and palming them with the same hand at the same time? Sounds difficult. Actually, I jumped the gun a little on that technique. Palm-muting is a little difficult to master, but you use it more for soft strums, round notes, muted sounds, if you will. The chick-a-chicks are more of a lay your fingers lightly across your fret board to mute them all kind of thing - that way you can go to town on your strum hand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-itty-bitty-bits-you-love-in-certain-songs/831368.md?page=5)