Song Analysis: Black Dog - Led Zepplin - Melody

Black Dog – Led Zeppelin – Melody

Minor Blues Melody

This is the perfect example of a rock song using the minor blues melody, which is a minor pentatonic melody with a sharp 4 added, as in:

Minor pentatonic: 1 b3 4 5 b7

Minor blues: 1 b3 4 #4 5 b7

In the key of A...

A minor pentatonic: A C D E G

A minor blues: A C D D# E G

It’s worth noting that the highest note of the melody (which he sings frequently) is the “blues note”...the #4...the D#. This is one of the reasons the melody has so much bite.

I hate to do such a short blog post today, but that kind of sums up the melody. :) Rock on big-legged, soul stealing women!

Go write something with bite.

~Shane

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Black Dog – Led Zeppelin

(verse)

Hey, hey, mama said the way you move, gon’ make you sweat, gon’ make you groove

A-ha child, way you shake that thing, gon’ make you burn, gon’ make you sting

Hey, hey, baby when you walk that way, watch your heartache drip, can’t keep away

Oh yeah...ah, ah...

I gotta roll, can’t stand still, got a flaming heart, can’t get my fill

Eyes that shine, burning red, dreams of you all through my head

Ah, ah...

(bridge)

Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby

Darling give it to me now

Hey baby, whoa baby, pretty baby

Move the way you’re doing now

(verse)

Didn’t take too long ‘fore I found out what people mean by down and out

Spent my money, took my car, started telling her friends she gon’ be a star

I don’t know, but I’ve been told a big-legged woman ain’t go no soul

Oh yeah, ah, ah...

All I ask for, all I pray, steady rolling woman gonna come my way

Need a woman gonna hold my hand, won’t tell me no lies, make me a happy man

Ah, ah...