Musical Notes: All Things Foolish

You can listen to and purchase this song at http://undertheroseband.com/track/all-things-foolish.

Acoustic Beginnings

Like “Say the Same,” “All Things Foolish” began as a worship song back in about 2006. In my mind, this song bridges the gap between my seemingly disparate interests in heavy metal and contemporary/modern Christian worship. Its structure, which is atypical of the album, was in place from the very beginning. I feel like this song is actually two separate songs: the first minute and thirty seconds has its own verses and choruses, and then the song moves into hard rock mode, including a second “chorus” in a major key. The only piece tying the disparate sections together is the pensive outro, which harkens back to the song’s first piece. And all this happens in about three-and-a-half minutes!

Moving Pieces

In pieces with a simple chord structure, such as the first minute and thirty seconds of “All Things Foolish,” it’s tempting to have all the instruments follow the same cadence and note sequences. I wanted to create some variety in the song by not letting any instruments mimic the acoustic guitar, which is the centerpiece of the intro. The electric guitar part on the right speaker plays sparse chords, the electric guitar part on the left speaker picks out eighth-notes, and the bass guitar weaves in and out of the drum tracks. I also added a piano part to the “choruses,” and the note sequence is meant to reflect the empty, contemplative lyrics during that section. 

Make it Heavy

For the heavy riffs, I tried to insert as many palm mutes and flourishes as possible. I wanted this section to really contrast the rest of the song. Jason added the quick double-kick embellishments, which I matched with palm mutes. The “chorus” of this second section is actually very similar to numerous corporate worship songs, such as “Rain Down” by David Crowder Band. You could sing any number of these songs over the chord progression with favorable results.

It was Jason’s idea to end the final build-up in a “gun shot.” The final snare drum hit is meant to reverberate and create a dramatic contrast between the heavy section of the song and the sparse outro. This really highlights the feeling of personal “smallness” in the outro lyrics, which cite Job’s humility in God’s awesome presence.

--Aaron