All roads lead to Rome, all Variations from one Theme

There are many ways of doing a thing, and there are many ways that you can improve/ innovate on an existing thing. The computer which was born to simply compute things now serve us with word processing/ communication/ data transfer etc etc etc functions! You name it, it can do it.

I think all these new ways of using an existing thing are similar to how composers create new tunes (variations) based on an existing melody (theme).

The famous Canon in D written by Pachelbel, is a classic example of variations on a theme. The song starts with a simple tune, which maps out into an intricate web of fuller melody.

Check out Jerry C's version on an electric guitar:




Not sure if this is Jerry C himself but the above video provides the best sound clarity among all the videos I checked out. The song starts and ends with the theme, sandwiching the variations in between.

For those who want to know what it originally sounds like, here's a version played by classical violins:


Piano version in a different key (C major), featured in the Korean movie "My Sassy Girlfriend":


So guess what, there can be variations not just in melody, but also in style, instruments used, genre and even mood! :)

What's with Rondos?

In Rondo forms of songs, there is one main theme (tune) that constantly comes around again and again. The main tune is called A, and the others B, C, D, etc.

The plan of a rondo is A B A C A D A and so on. It can be as short or as long as you like, provided that the A or main theme keeps on coming back.

Remember "Uptown Girl"? Yeah, come to think of it, it's a short Rondo actually and can be re-written as A-B-A-C-A:

A:
Uptown girl, she's been living in her uptown world
I bet she never had a back street guy
I bet her mama never told her why
I'm gonna try for an uptown girl
She's been living in her white bread world
As long as anyone with hot blood can
And now she's looking for a downtown man
That's what I am

B:
And when she knows what she wants from her time
And when she wakes up, and makes up her mind
She'll see I'm not so tough
Just because I'm in love with an

A:
Uptown girl, you know I've seen her in her uptown world
She's getting tired of her high class toys
And all her presents from her uptown boys
She's got a choice

Uptown girl, you know I can't afford to buy her pearls
But maybe someday when my ship comes in
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been
And then I'll win

C:
And when she's walking, she's looking so fine
And when she's talking, she'll say that she's mine
She'll say I'm not so tough
Just because I'm in love wth an

A:
Uptown girl, she's been living in her white bread world
As long as anyone with hot blood can
And now she's looking for a downtown man
That's what I am
Uptown girl, she's my uptown girl
You know I'm in love with an
Uptown girl, my uptown girl
You know I'm in love with an Uptown girl...

Here are two songs, sort-of in the Rondo form:

This is "Eyes on Me" sung by Faye Wong for the Playstation game, Final Fantasy 8:


One of my personal fav rock band from yester-years, Def Leppard. Still sounding good, but the recording doesn't do justice to the band! Listen out for the A-B-A-C-A formats: