The Effect of Layering and Grooves on "Playing God" by Polyphia

The song “Playing God” by Polyphia falls within the instrumental progressive rock genre, and makes use of different textures and grooves to solidify its AAB form. The chart below is an overview of the structure, which was determined by chord progressions and repeating melodies. 

    The first supersection A, specifically a section to a section (0:00 to 0:14), includes a good example of textural layering. Take note of how it starts with 1 guitar with a "muted" sound. At the end of measure 4, three notes of a higher register take on a much brighter sound. From then until the section repeats in measure 9, backing strings come in and gradually build in dynamics. In measure 9, the new section adds a second guitar and sounds much brighter. From here on, the rest of the song will generally maintain a consistent timbre. (The audio is below the transcription.)

Transcription excerpts are by Noam Wright.

    Another example of a change in layering is from the second section a to cycle 2 part 1, when bass and drums are added. The sudden introduction of the lower register adds a very rich depth to the song. The rhythm section helps to further drive the groove of the song. 

Coming back to the chart, take a look at the transition (green) into the supersection B. 

There are three big changes that help distinguish the two sections: 

1. Layering

• A whistle is introduced into the melodic layer.
• The transition (green) makes use of minimal crash symbol and hi-hat.
• In the first b section (blue) the lower register is reintroduced very prominently, and the percussive layer becomes more busy. In the 2nd b section, the bass becomes a little softer.

      2. Groove/Rhythm

• The transition (green) has straight, even eighth notes. 
• The b sections, or bossa nova section's syncopation contrasts the transition. 
• The bass plays on beats 4 and 1, which drives the section forward. 
• The drums plays offbeats leading into the 2nd b section, which is also more syncopation.
• The repeated b section has crash symbols on the downbeat of every measure, and the end of the repeat going from quarter to 32nd notes (an honorable mention), which creates more drive and feels more energetic. 

      3. Chords

• The chord progression and chord rhythms change, distinguishing the transition from the b section.

The transcription by Noam Wright shows the beginning of some of the bossa nova section. The top line is the whistle playing the melody, and bottom is the guitar's riff. Listen to the audio clip below the transcription that starts from the transition and listen to the changes in section b. 

 

The presence of bass and drums, and what types of rhythms they are playing, greatly affect the groove of the song. Here is the honorable mention of the drums where the rhythm goes from 16th notes to 32nd notes, which creates a suspenseful build-up to lead to the downbeat of the next measure. 

One more example that makes use of layering is the b' section/closing. The previous section is very rhythmically busy and includes a lot of 16th notes in the guitars' parts. However, when it reaches the closing, the rhythm returns to the b section melody consisting of mostly quarter notes. At this point, some noticeable instruments in the layering include the melody, minimal bass, and a faint backing choir. The instrumentation sounds and feels more sparse, which help signal the end of the song to the listener. 

 

 The inclusion of the rhythm section and its lower frequencies are crucial to the song's layering, and its inclusion or exclusion help to distinctly mark each section. Generally, the sections in the song that include more textures, for example the rhythm section, feel more energetic. The groove and rhythm of the song complement the textural layering to distinguish each section, as each section has a different rhythmic feel to it. It is worth mentioning that harmonics in the guitars also change the sound of the guitar (e.g. cycle 5 part 2, part of it is shown above). "Playing God" is a very technically impressive piece, and the layering and grooves are still just a few aspects of what make this song so interesting.