May 15, 2021 12:15 AM   Subscribe

One Note Song (Rob Moitoza, 2000). One Note Piano (Boyan Hristov, 2013). These Notes Number One (Sledg3, 2017). And, of course, One Note Song (Tenacious D, 2001). Inversely, One Chord Songs (Nate Bucklin, 1991 - starts at 19:01 on the pre-selected Hour 2 track).
posted by BiggerJ (24 comments total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
As always, in the one chord department is...

Robert Petway -- Catfish Blues
posted by y2karl at 12:31 AM on May 15, 2021 [2 favorites]


There's One Note Samba too, (though I don't know if its title is entirely accurate).
posted by misteraitch at 1:18 AM on May 15, 2021 [7 favorites]


Way back in the 1980s, at a summer camp talent show, one of the counselors sang a song called One Note Song. It included these lyrics:
Only note my daddy knew.
He taught me, now I'll teach you.
One note song!


Every once in a while, it will pop into my head and I'll try to track it down. I was hoping one of the linked songs would be it, but alas, it doesn't seem to be. Until I find it, the Rob Moitoza song is an excellent substitute. Thanks, BiggerJ!
posted by yankeefog at 2:52 AM on May 15, 2021 [1 favorite]


Would U2's Numb also count?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:06 AM on May 15, 2021


Jazz pianist and author Kenny Werner did a one chord concert last year, sadly I couldn't attend:

https://college.berklee.edu/events/kenny-werner-one-chord-concert
posted by grog at 5:32 AM on May 15, 2021


And don't forget poor Johnny One Note, sung by everyone from Judy Garland to The Odd Couple.
posted by acroyear at 7:03 AM on May 15, 2021 [1 favorite]


Neil Young's Cinnamon Girl ends with a one-note guitar solo (and a really good one, IMHO).
posted by splitpeasoup at 7:46 AM on May 15, 2021 [4 favorites]


Wakko did this with twice as many notes.
posted by xedrik at 8:04 AM on May 15, 2021 [1 favorite]


The best one note guitar solo is in Talk Talk's After the Flood at 4:00.
posted by thatwhichfalls at 9:31 AM on May 15, 2021 [1 favorite]


It's funny, I remember exactly where I was when I first heard the One Note Song.

(Ok, ok, I'll tell the story. I was sitting right here at my desk, looking at Metafilter. It was May in 2021, still during the pandemic. In a way, not much has changed since then.)
posted by anhedonic at 9:50 AM on May 15, 2021 [2 favorites]


Ligeti’s Musica Ricercata starts with one note, then each successive movement adds an additional note—

https://youtu.be/nIs3jechQ_E

Incredible piece.
posted by lewedswiver at 10:08 AM on May 15, 2021 [2 favorites]


Making the Ligeti link clickable.
posted by lewedswiver at 11:01 AM on May 15, 2021 [1 favorite]


You can find another great one-note solo in the middle of Down The Road Apiece by the very early Rolling Stones.
posted by Rash at 11:46 AM on May 15, 2021


Stoney Larue One Chord and Keith Urban One Chord.
posted by rubatan at 11:53 AM on May 15, 2021


The greatest two-note solo: The Buzzcocks' Boredom. (Although, to be fair, there's a third note at the very end)
posted by Crane Shot at 12:06 PM on May 15, 2021


And of course, there is the tragic story of Tata Boutlamine, the pianist who lost all but one finger in a coffee grinder accident. (Warning : Quebec French, but very funny if you can understand).
posted by bluefrog at 12:26 PM on May 15, 2021


I would be remiss if I did not add the Hi-Riser's epic song "One Note Joe" to this thread... you can thank me later
posted by lotusstp at 1:21 PM on May 15, 2021






The Black Angels "The Return" ...if you don't count the little 'woooOoOoooo".
posted by Gray Duck at 4:13 PM on May 15, 2021


Gang of Four Armalite Rifle is a 2 chord song with 2 brief one-note solos for each chord.
posted by ovvl at 4:47 PM on May 16, 2021


Terry Riley's In C surely fits in here?
posted by treblekicker at 5:08 AM on May 17, 2021


Oh! Ca plane pour moi!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:50 PM on May 17, 2021


Er...

Oh! Ça plane pour moi!
posted by y2karl at 12:26 PM on May 21, 2021


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