Music Appreciation: The History of Rock Chapter 1: Elements of Music
Music is... The art of combining tones or sounds Organizing sound (melody, harmony, words, rhythms, and beat) to please the human ear.
Listening types: Active listening: Listening to music while directly paying attention to it. Passive listening: Listening to music while doing other things.
Why the Study of Music is Important: 1) Part of our daily lives (know more about everyday things) 2) Soothes and Relaxes the soul (music therapy philosophies) 3) Allows us to communicate better with our fellow man
The Six Major Elements of Music 1) Sound 2) Harmony 3) Melody 4) Rhythm 5) Form 6) Text (Words)
1) Sound Includes source/instrumentation, timbre (tone color), texture and volume
The Four areas used to identify SOUND in Rock Music are: 1) Source (instrumentation)- what is being played, what is used to contribute to the types of sounds 2) Timbre (tone color)- think of the adjectives you would use to describe a voice.
Sound continued. 3) Texture Monophonic- single voice or instrument Unison- same melody, same notes and pitch Homophonic- principal line with one or more instruments/voices as backup to that line. Polyphonic- several melodies occurring all at once in different parts or instruments. 4) Volume- dynamic level (soft or loud). Crescendo- gradually louder Decrescendo or diminuendo- gradually softer Volume Change: Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit https://youtu.be/htwkbfoikeg
2) Harmony The way that sounds are combined to create a piece of music. The use of intervals (scales) and chords that add depth to the musical line. Chord progression- the combination of sounds (notes like F, A, C create a major chord, etc.)
Scales- from scala in Italian, meaning ladder Provides the basic harmonic and melodic material for a given piece of music. A selection of pitches within the interval of an octave. Major scales (diatonic): specific pattern Tonic- the home key, original note.
Chords Harmony occurs when two different notes are played simultaneously. Three or more pitches at the same time produce a chord. The first, third and fifth notes of a scale form a chord. Same for the 2 nd, 4 th, 6 th, etc. Tonic chord- based on the first scale degree. SubDominant chord- based on fourth scale degree Dominant chord- based on the fifth scale degree.
Chord progressions Most rock progressions follow the progression of: I, IV, V, I Many country songs use the same. I-IV-V chord progression: The White Stripes Hotel Yorba https://youtu.be/dzpeuyincja
3) Melody A musical line that has a succession of single notes that have a beginning, middle and an end. In melodies, look for: Range (wide or narrow) Motion (conjunct or disjunct) Shape (ascending, descending or static)
Wide Range: Beach Boys Good Vibrations https://youtu.be/eab_beh07hu
Static shape: Bob Dylan Subterranean Homesick Blues https://youtu.be/mgxjibezvx0
4) Rhythm Relationship between music and time- the heartbeat of music. Tempo is known as the musical pace. Meter is the way in which pulses are organized. Beats are organized into measures. Changing Meter: Pink Floyd Money https://youtu.be/cpbbuaia3ds
5) Form Design and structure of a musical work. It helps the listener keep track of the units of music that are used to make a song. Standard form: most often AABA, ABAB, or ABAC Strophic form: Verses set to the same music, but the words change verse to verse. (Think about Blues and Folk Songs) Through-Composed form: Follows the form of the text or words. There is no repetition of previouslyheard material.
6) Text (words) Convey an idea which the listener can relate to his or her life. Two things we look for in song text are: The sentiment (emotions or feelings) and the mode (the way the song is presented- as a narrator, 3 rd person) of the text. The verb tense informs the listener as to when the action of the song takes place.
Five families of musical instruments: 1) Woodwind 2) Brass 3) Percussion (keyboards also) 4) Stringed 5) Electronic
Musical Advancements by Technology 1) Recording Industry- Invention of the grammaphone, records, radio, tape/8 tracks, CD and.mp3 files 2) Use of synthesizers and electronics in performance and recording. 3) Computers (creating, writing, producing and playback)
Scientific classifications of Musical Instruments: 1) Idiophones- vibrating mass of material (most percussion instruments). Usually struck, shaken, plucked or scraped. 2) Membranophones- sound produced by vibrating skin (drums) 3) Aerophones- movement of air causes vibrations 1. Brass- vibration of lips/air in a mouthpiece 2. Reed- vibration of reed by air 3. Flutes/Whistles- air column vibrates, splits.
Scientific classifications of Musical Instruments (continued). 4) Chordophones- string vibrates to produce a sound 1) Guitars/banjos 2) Violins/cellos/string bass 3) Harps 4) Piano (sometimes classified as a keyboard)
Scientific classifications of Musical Instruments (continued). 5) Electrophones- sound is produced by electric means 1) Amplification (when it alters sound) 2) Synthesizers 3) Digital means- assigned to a frequency (MIDI)
Generational Continuity Music that we hear in our youth can shape our musical tastes later in our lives Musical concepts/ideas can be passed and utilized by later generations
Musical Influences Bo Diddley and the Bo Diddley Beat http://www.prx.org/pieces/26446-the-bo-diddley-beatthe-music-of-bo-diddley-and-h#description
Tony Iomme and the Heavy Metal Sound His sound influenced hard rock and metal players including bands Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Kyuss, Soundgarden, Rage Against The Machine, Alice In Chains, Queens of The Stone Age, Tool, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Guns N' Roses, the Smashing Pumpkins, the Foo Fighters, Godsmack, Anthrax and Slipknot. Django Reinhardt https://youtu.be/pqhtpgicdx4
https://youtu.be/3umwsgfgdec
Generational Opposition Every generation has to differentiate itself from the past Artists draw from the past but reflect their own times and experiences in their music
Artist Influence on Other Artists Certain artists made contributions that altered the direction of rock music, while others inspired future generations to incorporate similar styles into their performance.
Carole King Songwriter / Singer
Aretha Franklin Gospel / Soul Styles into R & B https://youtu.be/1pime_s5gh8
Chuck Berry Guitar Style / Harmony Eric Clapton speaks about Chuck Berry s guitar playing and the unusual techniques he used. Clapton says If you play all this double string stuff, it sounds full. If you play single string it sounds thin or fiddly. Chuck Berry utilized double stops and chords normally used in piano playing rather than the bending and sliding structures typical of blues guitar. He tended to mute certain strings which changed the sound of the chords and added a unique texture to his playing.
Music and Your Brain Music has been shown to lower stress and anxiety, boost memory, and to boost reasoning skills. Again, the effects are not based on a person s familiarity with or opinion about the quality of the music. Research shows how music stimulates brain function Bobby McFerrin: Wired for music https://youtu.be/ne6tb2kizuk
Music Therapy Music with brain disease/injury patients Music Makes Henry Come Alive: Alzheimer's Research https://youtu.be/8hler-zp3fc
Music Listening and Hearing Loss Volume Duration Protection
Listening versus Watching Engaged listening with focus on content Videos with divided focus on listening/imagery
Easy Access to Music Creation Electronic creation of sound versus traditional acoustic approach Ability to produce on computer versus studio Marketing/distribution Devaluation of quality based on ease of production?
College Radio Traditionally home to new and noncommercial music Experience for those wishing to pursue career in radio
Listening Template Analyzing the sounds you hear in a song -Instruments -Mood -Tempo/speed -Lyrics -Style
Timeline -When was song created/popular -Cultural events -Historic Happenings -Societal Trends
Visual Culture -Film -TV -Fashion
Rock and Roll as Performance -Live Shows -Theater -Dance
Rock and Roll as Literature -Storytelling/narrative -Imagery -Form/poetry -Language/word usage
Industry and Technology -Instruments -Recording -Production/Distribution -Performance Enhancement