Freteleven Listening Notes
Freedom - George Michael
Getting better as a guitarist and musician starts with how you listen. Recorded music is one of the best teachers we have: it holds the ideas,choices, and techniques built by countless musicians across generations. That’s where we begin to connect theory to the fretboard and hear how great parts actually work in context. Listening Notes is a practice built around that idea. Instead of passively hearing a song, you listen deeply and intentionally, studying what works, what doesn’t, and why. Over time, this habit of focused listening builds musical understanding that you can actually use when you play.
Artist: George Michael
Album: Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1
Year: 1990
Tempo: 91bpm (ish) - It’s a tiny bit faster.
Key: C
Listen: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Music
Freedom! ‘90” is one of those tracks where the first seconds already tell you the whole record has intent. The intro groove is instantly recognizable, but what makes it stick is not volume or complexity. It is detail: the hi-hat closure, the hand-clap/snare texture, and the way reverb gives the groove dimension without washing it out.
The bigger lesson is how this song handles contrast. The groove stays grounded, but each section changes the emotional temperature through subtle arrangement shifts. Bass note placement changes the body-feel of the section. Piano voicings and left-hand rhythm reshape the harmony without announcing themselves. Pre-chorus motion increases urgency, then the chorus releases.
This track rewards multiple passes. First pass, hear the song. Second pass, isolate one instrument. Third pass, listen for how parts interact. That is where the craft becomes obvious.
Intro Percussion Identity
Start at the opening groove and isolate just the percussion layer. The hi-hat behavior is subtle but defining. The closed-hat articulation and the clap/snare blend create an instantly recognizable fingerprint. Then listen past the dry attack and focus on the reverb tail. That space helps the groove feel wide while keeping it tight.
Bass Entry Against the Keys
When the first chorus material arrives, notice how keys establish one kind of pulse while the bass enters with different emphasis. That separation creates tension inside the groove. The bass is not only outlining harmony. It is shaping momentum by where it does and does not land.
Piano Left Hand vs Right Hand vs Bass
In the verse, put attention on lower piano notes first. Then add the right hand. Then add bass. The rhythmic conversation between those three layers is a major reason this track feels alive. The harmony sounds straightforward at first, but the internal motion is doing a lot of work.
Form and Phrase Awareness (4x4 Feel)
Track the verse in four-bar units. You can hear a clear 16-bar phrase architecture when you stay with the form instead of drifting through it. This is one of the most useful listening habits for memorizing songs accurately and understanding why sections feel complete.
Pre-Chorus Urgency Build
This section shifts color in a very musical way. The harmony leans from major brightness into a minor-inflected space with a descending line feel that increases tension. At the same time, the bass pushes more forward in the pocket. That push changes how the vocal sits and how the body perceives momentum.
Release Back Into Chorus
After that push, the return to chorus feels like a release, not because everything gets bigger, but because the bass feel relaxes back into the established groove language. Listen for that transition. It is arrangement psychology through timing.
Section Contrast Without Groove Collapse
In breakdown/bridge areas, several things shift together: dynamic level, bass pattern predictability, and added guitar color. The result is a new scene while the song still feels like the same song. Contrast is the point, but continuity is protected.
Human Performance Detail at the End
Near the outro, notice slight entry differences between lead and background vocal layers. Those micro-imperfections read as human and musical, not messy. It is a good reminder that precision and life are not the same thing.
Main Takeaways
A recognizable groove identity can come from tiny percussion details, not complexity.
Bass placement can reframe the emotional feel of a section even when harmony stays related.
Strong contrast can be built through dynamics, note choice, and articulation while keeping the core pocket intact.
Suggested Listening Focus
First pass, isolate intro percussion and reverb. Second pass, track bass behavior section by section. Third pass, follow form in four-bar phrases and map where tension and release happen.
Liner Notes
Lead and Backing Vocals, Keyboard Bass, Percussion: George Michael
Acoustic and Electric Guitars: Phil Palmer
Piano, Keyboards: Chris Cameron
Percussion: Danny Cummings
Backing Vocals: Shirley Lewis
Producer: George Michael
Recorded: The song appears on *Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1; album recording locations commonly listed include Sarm West Studios and Metropolis Studios in London.
Written By: George Michael
About the Musicians
George Michael drove the song as writer and producer, and the credited players around him are central to the track’s feel-first arrangement style.