AOS 1 - And the Glory of the Lord from The Messiah by Handel Background This is a chorus from the oratorio The Messiah written in the Baroque period(1600-1750) in 1741 and first performed in 1742. 'And the Glory of the Lord' is the 4th movement and 1st chorus. It uses a four-part SATB choir (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) with orchestral accompaniment. The chorus comments on the action/drama. Baroque period Exploration of ideas & innovations in arts, literature & philosophy - Italy led the way The word 'baroque' is from the Portugese for 'pearl' and describe a style of ornate architecture. Baroque music often has a very ornamented melody. Apart from Handel, other important composers include J.S.Bach (1685-1750), Purcell (1659-95) and Vivaldi (1678-1741). A little history 1600 - First Operas performed in Florence 1600-1 Shakespeare writes Hamlet 1618 - Thirty Years War engulfs Europe 1637-1st public opera house opens Venice 1640 - English Civil War begins 1659 - Henry Purcell (English composer) born Baroque period features 1666 Stradivari signs the label of his 1st violin 1685 J S Bach and G F Handel born 1688 William of Orange ascends English throne 1750 -J S Bach dies Basso Continuo The harpsichord accompanied the orchestra, filling in the harmonies. The harpsichord player directed the orchestra. A bassoon or cello would play the basic bass line along with the harpsichord and this formed the basso continuo or continuo. An organ could be used for the continuo instead of the harpsichord, especially if the piece was being performed in a church. Mood stays the same throughout a piece or movement (unlike in classical) Terraced dynamics - sudden changes popular rather than crescendos & diminuendos Melodies are long and flowing, with lots of ornaments Harmony - uses major and minor scales (not the old modes)
Songs types in oratorio Recitative - solo song that tells the story quickly; minimal music allows freedom of rhythm. Aria - solo song expressing mood/emotion. It s elaborate so the singer can show off. Chorus - sums up the action and is sung by the whole ensemble (chorus) hence the name! Instruments Tonality & harmony Rhythm Texture Dynamics Mood String orchestra with basso continuo played by organ and cello 4-part choir (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) Major throughout, giving a bright, joyous mood Modulations are to the dominant (e.g. b21-22) and the dominant of the dominant) which adds further to the bright feel of the piece. Frequent cadences reinforce the key, ending with a plagal cadence ( amen ) Tonic key = A major 4 main melodies, each used for a different part of the text. And the glory = triadic, strong, syllabic Shall be revealed = melismatic, smooth, descending, imitation And all flesh = melismatic, repetitive, repeated motif based on 5th interval For the mouth = syllabic & declamatory, with tonic pedal and long notes to reinforce the meaning of the words. - Each melodic idea is contrasting Tempo = allegro (start), changing to adagio (b135 to the end) Metre = 3/4 giving a dance-like feel Hemiola - rhythmic device used at the end of some sections, creating syncopation. E.g. b9-10 in the orchestra and b100 in the voices. Uses range of textures and is constantly changing Imitation - used often, like a crowd talking to each other. Homophonic - when the whole choir sings together, in block harmony with the same rhythm & words. It s used for emphasis e.g. b33 And the glory... Polyphonic - independent melodies at the same time Monophonic - single melody (sop+violins doubling) is used once in bar 108-109 (The specimen paper also said the first vocal entry was monophonic, but this is dodgy as it has accompaniment!) Terraced dynamics (as common in the baroque period) Dynamics are often determined by the number of parts playing Starts quietly with orchestral intro Loud final cadence One prevailing mood called an affection (as typical in Baroque) Joyful - reinforced by major tonality and sprightly tempo and 3/4 metre
AOS 1-1st Movement of Symphony No.40 in G minor by Mozart Background Classical and classic come from the Latin word classicus meaning citizen of the highest class. Today these words refer to anything top class, first rate or of lasting value. We often divide music into two categories: pop and classical. Classical with a capital C refers specifically to music composed between 1750 and 1820. Graceful, beautiful melodies, a clear structure, and the principles of proportion and balance characterize Classical music. Orchestra The strings were still the backbone of the orchestra, but woodwind became more important and formed it s own section in the orchestra. There were usually 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons and later 2 clarinets. Brass also became more prominent, with trumpets and French horns initially, joined by trombone later in the classical period. Percussion remained the same with just timpani. The continuo player (harpsichord) is no longer needed and replaced with a conductor. Mozart - Mozart was born in Salzburg 27 Jan 1756 and died in Vienna on 5 Dec 1791. He studied keyboard and composition with his Father and travelled Europe performing to royalty. His first job was in Salzburg as Konzertmeister to the archbishop. He produced a huge number of pieces in a relatively short time, including: 21 piano concertos, 5 violin concertos, 41 symphonies, 27 string quartets and seventeen masses. Classical period features Texture - Light & clear texture, mostly homophonic (melody + chords) but some counterpoint. - regular balanced phrasing, often question and answer Harmony - Chords I and V dominate the music. Frequent and clearly defined cadences Rhythm - greater variety of rhythm than the Baroque Dynamics - crescendo invented with the Manheim Rocket at the start of the classical period Mood - Frequent changes of mood. For example, sonata form uses 2 subjects [masculine & feminine] which helps create contrast What is a symphony? A symphony is a sonata written for orchestra. So to understand a symphony, we first need to know what a sonata is. A sonata is a piece written for a solo instrument, usually with piano
accompaniment. There are usually four movements (sections), with at least one movement in Sonata Form (normally the first). A string quartet is just a sonata for a String Quartet! Overview of Symphony No.40 Exposition Development Recapitulation 1st subject Bridge 2nd Subject Codetta 1st subject developed 1st subject Bridge (extended) 2nd subject Coda G minor (tonic) Modulates Bb major (relative major) Explores various keys G minor (tonic) Eb major F minor G minor (tonic) First subject Second Subject Structure Tonality Harmony Texture Instruments Sonata form with exposition, development & recapitulation (see above) Exposition is normally repeated. Bridge section between 1st & 2nd subjects (for modulation) Development is unusual as it focuses entirely on the ideas/motifs from the 1st subject (it was normally more of a battle between the 2 subjects!). Ends with a coda See table above Notice the 2nd subject is repeated in the tonic key near the end, helping the piece sound finished. [It s like the rebellious feminine subject stopped arguing with the dominant male, and finally agreed to do things his way!] Diatonic - most chords stick to notes of the key/scale Chromaticism - some chromatic notes (outside the scale) Functional - uses chords and cadences used to establish keys Diminished 7th chord used as a chromatic chord Dominant pedal - pedal is a held note, e.g. horn and cellos at b241 Balanced, regular phrasing with graceful melodic lines Contrasting melodies in the first and second subjects Motif in the 1st subject is developed in the development section Mainly homophonic. Some dialogue between strings and woodwind. Oboes and bassoons provide harmonic filling. Some parts are doubled, or play in 8ves. Classical orchestra - strings plus 7 woodwind (1 flute, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons) and just 2 French horns for brass. NO TIMPANI OR TRUMPETS (unusual in the Classical period)
AOS 1 - Raindrop Prelude No.15 in Db major by Chopin (Raindrop) Romantic period (1820-1910) Intensely emotional, with a wider range of emotions Melodies are often long, lyrical and expressive Orchestral textures much thicker (expansion of orchestra) Harmonies and melodies increasingly chromatic and discordant Special chords e.g.: Diminished 7th, Neopolitan 6th and Augmented 6th. Chords often had extra notes (7,9,11 and 13!) Instruments continued to develop and evolve and composers wanted to exploit their new capabilities. The piano developed an internal iron frame that meant thicker strings could be used and under greater tension. Woodwind instruments adopted keyed mechanisms - giving a wider range of pitch and greater dexterity. Brass instruments developed valve systems enabling more chromatic playing. Dynamics more varied with much larger range (pppp-ffff) Rise of the virtuoso performer and trend for very technically demanding music! Chopin Born in Poland to a French father and Polish mother He lived and worked abroad in many European cities, including Paris and London. He quickly became an excellent pianist ("virtuoso") and composer. He mostly composed for piano, with over 150 pieces for solo piano and 2 concertos He was more of an introvert and miniaturist than Liszt and his music feels quite intimate Chopin was quite experimental and exploited recent developments in the piano (7 octave range, felt hammers with more refined tone etc) Chopin's music was never programmatic, unlike much other romantic music He was admired for the "singing quality" of his right hand (think "cantabile") He performed 30x as a soloist, mostly in private salons of the aristocracy (posh people!) He had an affair (1938-47) with the novelist Aurore Dudevant (better known as George Sand) He suffered from Tuberculosis and went to Majorca to try and improve it. However, he was forced to stay in an isolated monastery and this is where he composed his "Raindrop" prelude. He eventually died of TB in Paris.
Summary Structure Tonality & harmony Instruments Texture Ternary form with short codetta Tonic key (section A) = Db major Modulates in section B to the tonic minor C# minor (enharmonically same as Db minor) Harmony is diatonic and mainly uses chords I and V7 Keyboard techniques include: Legato touch Expressive use of the sustain pedal Ornaments e.g. turn, trill Lyrical, graceful, sustained Swaps hands - in treble/right hand in section A, and bass/left hand in section B Regular phrasing (2+2, 4+4 etc) Mostly Homophonic (melody with chordal accompaniment) Becomes thicker in section B where both hands play in octaves. Brief monophonic passages, e.g. b43 and b82-83 Dynamics Wide range, from sotto voce (in a whisper) at b28 to ff in b40. Rhythm Mood Rubato - flexible tempo, used expressivly [literally robbed time ] Section A - graceful, soft, sustained playing in a major key = relaxed, elegant Section B - dense, homophonic/chordal in a minor key = dark stormy mood
Ar ea 2 - Peripetie by Schoenberg Wri tten for the famous composer Strauss, who didn't like it -"it would be better for him to shovel snow than to scrawl on music paper"! The music is atonal and is based on a group of 6 notes called a hexachord (C Bb E F C# A). Peri patie is in rondo form: A B A C A, though the repeats of the A section are not exact, more a repeat of mood than a melody/theme. Summary Background Peripetie means a sudden change of fortune. It is part of a larger work called Five Orchestral Pieces. The style is expressionism.expressionist composers tried to write music characterised by extreme emotional expression. Harmony became so chromatic that the music was said to be atonal. This was particularly suitable for the often negative emotions composers were trying to express. Features of expressionist music include dissonant harmonies, disjointed melodies with wide leaps, explosive contrasts and instruments playing at the extremes of their range Tonality Harmony Atonal. Pitches and harmonies are used for effect rather than for their relationship to one another. Use of hexachords: a group of 6 notes selected from the 12 available in the chromatic scale. Use of compliment the 6 notes of the chromatic scale not used in the hexachord. Principal Voice: the main melodic line H Secondary voice: the next most important voice N (see symbols used) Angular ( disjunct ) with octave displacements Contrary chromatic chromatic scale in b3 Principal melody weaves in and out of instruments Secondary melody only appears once in section B Use of short motifs *Fragmented melody (broken up) Atonal, with wide range & chromatic movement
AOS 2 - Peripetie by Schoenberg (cont.) Tempo Rhythm Starts Sehr rasch (very fast) Alternates ruhiger (calmer) and heftig (passionate) At the end A tempo (same speed as the beginning) *expressive use of tempo used to mark sections of the piece Diminution (opening fanfares) b1 and b3 Triplets, sextuplets Structure A B A1 C A2 (Very free rondo form) Timbre Texture This was most important to Schoenberg. 90 players using full extreme pitch ranges of instruments Instruments play loud with mutes horns tremolo, strings pizz, trombone glissando instruments include piccolo, cor anglais, contra bassoon, tam tam, 6 horns Section A: presents main ideas/motifs/ hexachords. Moves between different orchestral sections Section B: New and old ideas in counterpoint, imitation, repetition Section A1: Ideas of section A return in reverse order. Calmer more sustained notes, different sections of the orchestra come in after each other. Section C New and old ideas. Sparse then altogether fff before dropping out substantially. Section A2: Starts thin but quickly builds up to full orchestra. Instruments fade away at the end leaving just double basses playing a tremolo chord. Dynamics Extreme ranges used e.g. ppp to fff Frequent and sudden changes Expressive use of crescendo/diminuendo Bar 64 climax fff quickly fades to pp to finish A1 much calmer largely p moves to f
AOS 2 - Something s Coming by Bernstein From the musical West Side Story GCSE Music Set Works by Mr Boichat Musical Influences Musical influences include Bebop Jazz (popular in the 1950s), the Blues and Latin American dance rhythms Bebop often uses dissonance (clashy harmony) and fast driving rhythms Blues uses syncopation & blue notes About the Musical - overview of West Side Story Composed in 1958 (according to EDEXCEL, actually 1957!) Different to other Broadway musicals in terms of subject. It deals with serious social themes e.g. racial tension and conflict and involves a tragic element. American version of Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" [original in Italy] Choreographer Jerome Robbins had the idea, Arthur Laurents wrote the book, while Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics. Capulets and Montagues become the Jets (white Americans) and the Sharks (Puerto Ricans) Riff leads the Jets and Bernado leads the Sharks and they fight over their "territory" Tony and Maria fall in love at a dance on neutral territory (the gym) - Tony is Riff's best friend and Maria is Bernado's sister, which causes a few problems... About the song: Something's Comin' Tony wants to leave the gang. He's found a job working for Doc and senses something good is just around the corner. Just before, Riff asks Tony to help him set up a fight with Bernado Shortly after, Tony meets Maria and falls in love
AOS 2 - Something s Coming by Bernstein Summary Intro (1-3), Section A (4-39), Section B (40-105), Section B1 (106-140) Section A1 (141-157) Outro (158) Structure This song does not follow conventional verse-chorus structure A1 and B1 are shortened versions of A and B respectively. The outro is just 1 bar repeated and slowly fades out Tonality Harmony D Major (at start/end) Modulates to C major (32-69) twice - these 2 keys are not closely related Tonal (it has a strong sense of key/scale, though there s some chromaticism) Triads often extended with extra notes (e.g. 6th, 7th, 9th or 11th) These extended chords are an influence of Jazz. Frequent use sharpened 4th (G# in D major, F# in C major) creates tritone interval, which hints at the unstable and ill-fated love he is about to discover. The tritone appears frequently in other songs from West Side Story and is a unifying feature. Try listening to Maria. Flattened 7th = blues influence Short vocal phrases based on 3 main themes: Quiet, syncopated opening theme Loud, strident theme in 2/4 (bar 21) Lyrical, slow-moving theme (bar 73) Disjunct (moves by leap) e.g. leap of tritone who knows Blues notes (flattened 3 rd, 5 th, 7 th eg C natural b17) Rhythm, Metre, Tempo Texture Orchestration Dynamics Metre changes between 3/4 and 2/4 3/4 sections are fast triple dance metre with a one in a bar feel Syncopated rhythm of RH riff Voice enters on off beat (push rhythm) 3 note riff in the bass Use of triplets (81-88) Homophonic (more precisely 'melody and accompaniment') 3 ideas in accompaniment: repeated orchestral riff from start, syncopated chords (bar 21) and the fast um-cha accompaniment (e.g. bar 32) Solo tenor [voice] accompanied by a band comprising: 5 woodwind players (clarinet/sax) 2 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones 7 violins, 4 cellos, 2 double basses drum kit, 2 percussion, piano, electric & acoustic Guitar Soft dynamics in the accompaniment so band doesn't drown out the singer. Also, soft timbres e.g. muted trumpets, pizzicato strings, wire brushes on drum kit (nb radio mics for singers not available in the 1950s)
AOS 2 - Electric Counterpoint by Steve Reich Tonality Key = E minor (really Aeolian mode transposed to E, so 'modal') Frequent changes of key in section B between E minor and C minor These keys are not closely related, so this modulation doesn t sound very natural (Aeolian mode = A to A using white notes) Structure A (bars 1-73) B (74-113) Coda (114-140) Effects Panning moving sound in the stereo field. Bass 1 is panned fully one way and Bass 2 the other [bass seems to jump from one speaker to the other like a kind of stereo echo] Reverb subtle reverb can be heard on the acoustic guitars One-bar motif/cell repeated as ostinato gradually builds using additive melody and layered to create a canon (think Pachelbel!) Additive melody (note addition): Live guitar, Guitar 3, & bass guitars Resultant melody (on Live Guitar, from bar 20) Rhythm Metre Tempo Frequent changes of metre between 3/2 and 12/8 (both have 12 quavers) Polymetre (later, 12/8 and 3/2 at same time!) Tempo = very fast (crotchet =192) Syncopation Rhythmic displacement (NOT Phase shifting) Texture Monophonic (bar 1) but quickly becomes polyphonic (bar 2) Gradually builds up layers/parts to 10 guitars/parts Gradually reduced to a 5 part texture by the start of the Coda (b114) Parts fade out. Dynamics Fairly constant and loud throughout Some parts fade out
AOS 3 - All Blues by Miles Davis Background Jazz is an Amercian style of music characterized by improvisations, syncopations (offbeat accents) and swung rhythms. Kind of Blue is one of the most widely acclaimed jazz albums recorded in 1959, and includes the set work All Blues. The album was a reaction to the bebop style of jazz and it led to a new modal jazz style. Timbre/ Instruments Playing techniques Structure Harmony & Tonality Sextet - played by six players Frontline: trumpet (Miles Davis), alto saxophone (Julian Cannonball Adderley) and tenor saxophone (John COltrane) Rhythm section: piano (Bill Evans), drum kit (Jimmy Cobb), bass (Paul Chambers) Trumpet - Harmon mute (wah wah) & Ghost notes Drum kit - uses brushes at start then sticks, also ghost notes on snare Bass (acoustic) - plays pizzicato as you d expect for Jazz Piano: uses tremolo at start, pianist is comping (improvising a chordal accompaniment) under solos. Ghost notes - on snare & trumpet (played softly between the main notes ) Built around 12 bar blues sequence, repeated 19 times. The sequences are joined by a 4 bar link / riff played in parallel 3rds, which provides breathing space. Overall there are 5 main sections: Intro - Head 1 - Solos - Head 2 - Coda Modal - Mixolydian mode (same as G major scale except 7th note is flattened, so it has an F natural is used instead of F#) Texture Main melodies are improvised There is only ever one soloist playing at a time. The head melody is simple, based on a rising 6th motif (D to B) and stepwise (conjunct) movement. The head is also played on trumpet Homophonic (melody & chordal accompaniment)
Rhythm & Metre Time signature: 6/4, with 2 minim beats per bar Written in 6/4 in the anthology to show clearly the use of 12 bar blues. It could easily have been transcribed in 3/4 too, with each chorus being 24 bars, as it sounds just like a jazz waltz. Swung rhythm - quavers are swung [1st quaver longer, 2nd shorter] Syncopation Glossary Changes - the chord sequence in a jazz song Head - the main melody of a jazz song Modal jazz - a jazz style in which soloists improvise solos based on modes Chromatic - notes outside the key of the piece Altered chord - a chord where a note has been sharpened or flattened to become a chromatic note Comping - abbreviation of accompanying Frontline - solo instruments in a jazz ensemble Mordent - ornament, written note followed by note above then written note Trill - ornament, literally shake, rapidly alternates between 2 notes Voicings - different ways of arranging the notes in a chord
AOS 3 - Grace by Jeff Buckley SUMMARY GRID Tonality Structure Harmony Rhythm & Metre Texture Not clear in the intro until bar 4 when D major is established Verse 1 is in E minor (notice raised leading note D# in bar 14) It remains in this key for the rest of the song. Chromatic progressions are used in the verse and chorus and there are no conventional cadences in Em. Tonal ambiguity continues throughout (Chord IV is normally minor in a minor key, so we d expect an A minor chord but we get A major instead) 4 main sections - each divided into smaller sections: 1) Intro - Verse 1 - Pre-chorus - Chorus 2) Link - Verse 2 - Pre-chorus - Chorus 3) Middle 8 4) Link - Verse 3 - Outro Intro/Link part A = Fm6 Gm6 Em [synth = Fm7 + Gm7 instead] part B = D A7 D A7 D A7 D (tonic/dominant chords in D major) Verse combination of power chords and drone Pre-chorus 3 bar chord sequence repeated (notice faster rate of chord change or harmonic rhythm, helps build excitement) Chorus chords move down by semitone: F Em l Eb l F Em l Eb l E l Harmonic progressions are often chromatic rather than functional harmony. There are some dissonant effects, particularly in the chorus where open guitar strings clash with harmonies. Mostly vocal solo with very wide range exceeding 2 octaves. (instrumental sections are entirely chordal) Most phrases (apart from 1st in each verse) have a falling profile contributing to the melancholy mood of the song. Slides are sometimes used between notes. The verse melody is mostly stepwise (conjunct) while the pre-chorus and chorus have more leaps. The word setting is mostly syllabic, except for long melismas on key words like love and fire. Metre = 12/8 (compound quadruple) Pulse is maintained by bass drum on beats 1 and 3 and the snare on the backbeats (beats 2+4) Semiquaver figure on guitar creates urgent mood from the outset. Vocal part has a free feel using triplets, grace notes and constant syncopation, except start of bridge where vocal is more sustained. Bass is often syncopated and pairs of dotted quavers sometimes create cross rhythms against groups of 3 quavers in other parts. Intro: rippling broken chord figure then full band in bar 4 Verse 1: Homophonic (melody & chords) Verse 2: more complex with added sound effects, slides on guitar are imitated by high strings (listen at 2:05), also pizzicato Bridge: long sustained chords, homophonic Outro: short unaccompanied vocal phrase General point: parts often drop out to let the music breathe and create textural contrast. The electric guitar whisper effects happen when the texture is thin and they can be heard.
AOS 3 - Why does my heart feel so bad by Moby [from album Play released 1999] GCSE Music Set Works by Mr Boichat Moby Moby was born in 1965 and his real name is "Richard Melville Hall". He claims to be related to 'Herman Melville' who wrote the book "Moby Dick". He made a name for himself in the late 80s creating techno tracks, especially with "Go". Moby also composed film scores, including the soundtrack for the hit film "The Beach", which starred Holywood Heart-throb Lionardo de Caprio. Vocal Samples The set work is based on 2 vocal samples; the verses use a male vocal sample and the choruses use a female vocal sample. The samples came from 1953 vinyl recordings of the Shining Light Gospel Choir singing King Jesus Will Role All Burdens Away (written in 1947 by Kenneth Morris). Moby manipulated the sample to change the meaning of the words. The original lyrics were: "When I should feel so sad, why does my heart feel so glad Why does my heart feel so happy and gay?" Moby changed the words to: Structure Intro verse 1 chorus verse 2 breakdown chorus verse 3 A1 A2-A5 B1, By1 A6-A7 (1 bar silence) Bx2, By2, By3 A8 b1-8 b9-40 b41-56 b57-72 b73 b74 b98-105 Analysis A1 (intro) bars 1-8 - solo piano plays chord sequence 1, each chord lasts 2 bars: Am Em G D (m = minor, remember: Amazing Emma Goes Dancing ) A2 (verse 1 part 1) bars 9-16 1st vocal sample added (male) - deliberately untidy (echoes, traffic, background noises)
A3 (verse 1 part 2) bars 17-24 Percussion loop added created on TR-909 drum machine Sample of Hip hop drumbeat added Synth bass - enters, very low (Moby called it sub-bass as it s notes are below the bass stave) Sustained synth pad - plays bass notes with LH piano Another synth pad (doubled by high piano notes) is the response in a 'call and response' texture with the vocal A4 (verse 1 part 3) bars 25-32 A synth bass part is introduced Another synth string pad fills out texture with long sustained chords in the mid/high pitch range A5 (verse 1 part 4) 33-40 As part 3, but piano plays a different rhythm & decorates the chord sequence with sus4 chords B1 (chorus 1 part 1) bars 41-48 Chord sequence changes - creating a dramatic lifting effect. Chords: C C Am Am C C Am Am (1 per bar, Choreography Amazing Choreography Amazing) Key = ambiguous (A minor or C major?) 2nd vocal sample introduced: These open doors (female) By1 (chorus 1 part 2) bars 49-56 2nd vocal sample continues Chord sequence changes: F C F C (each chord lasts 2 bars, Fantastic Choreography... ) Key is now clearly C major Texture = similar to B1, but sample triggered faster and answers itself in call and response A6 (verse 2 part 1) bars 57-64 Male vocal sample uses 'delay' to create ghostly echoes. The vocal sample is changed by using EQ (or maybe a high-pass filter) to remove the low frequencies and create a thin, tinny sound Quicker repeats of the echo fade into the distance A7 (verse 2 part 2) bars 65-72 - Repeats A6 Breakdown bars 73-1 bar pause/silence with fading echos. Bx2 (chorus 2 part 1) bars 74-81 Texture is thinner as piano & drums have dropped out Vocal sample 2 is used with lots of reverb and delay sounding washed out, accompanied by static string chords. Drums re-enter in bar 81 By2 (chorus 2 part 2) bars 82-89 Same as part 2 of first chorus, but less reverb on vocals which helps bring the vocals into the foreground of the mix By3 (chorus 2 part 3) - Repeats By2 - bars 90-97 A8 (verse 3) bars 98-105 - Male voice, accompanied only by static chords, functions as the 'outro' (opposite of intro)
AOS 3 - Why does my heart feel so bad by Moby [from album Play released 1999] SUMMARY GRID GCSE Music Set Works by Mr Boichat Structure Intro - V1 - Chorus - V2 - breakdown - Chorus 2 - Verse 3 (outro) Dance tracks often use sections that function like the verse, chorus, and bridge of popular songs, while others use a freer structure called a collage. Uses 2 vocal samples taken from a Gospel Choir recording in 1953 Verses - male singer Choruses - female singer Samples not cleaned up - untidy with echoes & traffic noise in background Harmony Key = A minor (or dorian on A) 3 chord sequences. Each chord lasts 2 bars. 1) Am Em G D 2) C Am C Am 3) F C F C Only uses 6 different chords in total Diatonic & simple harmony (typical of dance music) Use of sus chords (where 3rd of triad is swapped for 2nd (sus2) or 4th (sus4) Technology Instruments Moby chose to use quite old technology for his day in1999. Loops - looping is repeating midi or audio ideas, and is easy in sequencing software like Cubase (and Garageband). Reverb (reverberation) - recreates an acoustic by adding the reflections that normally occur in an enclosed space/room. Moby adds reverb to the piano and vocal tracks. EQ (equalization) - boost or cut specific frequencies to change the sound, this was used to create the Telephone effect Delay - an electronic effect that replays sounds creating echoes (similar to echo, each repeat gets softer but it doesn t deteriorate like echo) High-pass filter - an electronic effect to remove low frequencies Drum machine (TR-909) Sequencing software - Moby used Cubase running on an Apple Mac Sampler (Akai 3200) - device for recording and playing samples Sample - short segment from an existing recording Synths (synthesizers, made by Yamah and bass sounds Piano (Emu ProPerformance module) Synths (pads, strings, bass) Drum machine and Vocal samples a) - for string
Rhythm Tempo 98 BPM (beats per minute) Time Signature = 4/4 4-to-the-floor - strong, regular bass drum on every beat in the bar Texture Layers - the texture is gradually built-up, as new instruments are initially added every 8 bars. Question and answer - melodies in A6 Breakdown - the drum and bass stop and the texture is thinned out, often leaving sustained synths, before building up, with snare rolls anticipating the re-entry of the bass drum. Thins out suddenly towards the end (A8 has bare texture)
AOS 4 - Skye Walking Song by Capercaillie GCSE Music Set Works by Mr Boichat Background The song was originally a gaelic folk song The gaelic title is Chuir m athair mise dhan taigh charraideach meaning My father sent me to the house of sorrow The band is Capercaille, a celtic rock group, playing a fusion of celtic folk music and rock. Album = Nadurra (released 2000) Waulking song: work song sung by women workers processing cloth [beating newly woven tweed rhythmically against a table to make it more flexible & windproof] Summary: Timbre/ Instruments Structure Tonality Harmony Folk: vocals, fiddle, accordion, uilleann pipes, bouzouki, wurlitzer piano Western: synthesizer, bass guitar, drum kit Intro - v1 - break - v2 - v3 - v4 - v5 - v6 - instrumental - v7 - v8 - outro E minor (Aeolian on E) - pentatonic (GABDE) Harmony less important than melody in folk music Only four chords used: Em G C Am9 (ACEB) Intro: hints at Em v1-3: Em - G v4-6,8: C G Em C G Outro: C G Texture Sung in Gaelic Pentatonic Sung octave lower than written Lines 1 & 3: Nonsense syllables (vocables) Lines 2 & 4: Repeated line of verse, except in v8 (not repeated) Full band in verses 4, 5, 6 & 8 Bar 1: Homophonic Bar 3: Contrapuntal Bar 24: Monophonic Bar 37: Heterophonic (accordion, pipes & fiddle improvise around the melody in slightly different ways Interval of 3rd between melody in instrumental Rhythm & Metre 12/8 compound quadruple, with lilting feel Musical techniques Fiddle: tremolo (rapid repetition of note) trembling effect Synth: modulation (pitch fluctuates)
AOS 4 - Skye Walking Song by Capercaillie Analysis - section by section Metre: - 12/8 (compound quadruple) - Cross-rhythms in drums [hi-hat + shaker play every 2 beats] - Settles more clearly in 12/8 time later in verse 2 as voice becomes dominant rhythmic feature Intro Tonality: E minor. Chord in synth hints at E minor (E F# G A B contains E minor tonic triad of EGB), plus bass playing Es and Bs reinforces this). But it s a little unsettled (i.e. not very clear). Verse 1 Chuir m athair... Break Verse 2 M athair mise Verse 3 Gur truagh a Fiddle - tremolo/tremolando (rapid repetition of a note) Synthesizer - sustained cluster chord (hints at E minor) & also uses modulation and pitch bend Bass - staccato Bazouki & Wurlitzer piano - melody passed between them (counterpoint) Voice: pentatonic melody, sung in gaelic, sounding 8ve lower than written [written on vocal tenor clef]. It s mainly syllabic (so 1 note per syllable) and uses a call & response structure: - Lines 1+3 of each verse are nonsense syllables - Lines 2+4 of each verse are real words taken from the lament. Short 4 bar instrumental with prominent fiddle tremolo effect Metre: settles clearly in 12/8 as voice becomes main rhythmic feature Continues seamlessly from Verse 2 Ends a capella (unaccompanied) - N.C. = no chord
Verse 4 Man du bhrist Verse 5 Man d rinn mo Verse 6 Sheathain chridhe Instrumental Metre: completely settles into 12/8, with drums playing bass & snare on beat Tonality: New chord sequence (chords C G Em C G) which shifts to G major [relative major] and gives it an upbeat feel [bit like a chorus?!] Instrumentation: full band, and with fuller parts, especially bass & kit. Bazouki strums chords. Backing Vocals: nonsense syllables, while Lead Vocal sings the main lyrics [in call & response style] As verse 4, except: Accordion - plays countermelodies As verse 4, except: Accordion - plays countermelodies Instrumental (bars 36-43) - begins before verse 6 finishes Heterophonic texture created by Uillean pipes & fiddle solo (playing variations of the same melody, at the same time) - Interval of a 3rd between pipes & fiddle melody in bars 41-42. Syncopation: Accordion adds rhythmic interest through tied notes/ syncopation Verse 6 (continued) Verse 7 Och ma tha Verse 8 O nach robu Voice: re-enters after the instrumental with last line of verse 6: Tha do... Dynamics drop for this intimate vocal Tonality: new chord sequence for verse 7 only (Am Em9 Em C G) Instruments: Backing vocals add harmony on vocables. Almost no drums (some hi-hat, but no bass or snare), thinner texture with sustained chords Vocal melody: last line (bar 48) unaccompanied Shorter: Lyrics for lament not repeated Tonality: C G Em C G then outro alternates C to G chords, improvising as fading out Instruments: full band
AOS 4 - Rag Desh (3 versions) Indian music 2 traditions - North (Hindustani) and South (Carnatic) closely linked to Hindusim & religious philosophy: raga is often used to worship Hindu gods such as Shiva. Music is passed on by ear (oral tradition) from guru to disciple. This system of master-pupil teaching or apprenticeship is called gharana. Pupils spend time listening, imitating and memorising and performances are always given from memory. Elements of a Raga Raga is improvised music in several contrasting sections, based on a rag. Both the rhythm and the melody use improvisation. - This is the most important element and is improvised using notes from the chosen rag. It can be sung or played using instruments like sitar and sarod. Drone - 1 or 2 held notes, usually the first and 5th (tonic + dominant/sa + Pa) notes of the rag. The drone supports tuning/intonation, provides a reference point for the melody (so we don t get lost) and fills out the texture. Rhythm (tala) - repetitive, cyclic rhythm pattern played by the tabla Understanding the melody (Rag) Rag is like a cross between a melody and a scale. [Rag Desh is shown at top] It can have 5, 6 or 7 notes in an octave and the way up and the way down can be different (just like melodic minor scales in Western music). There are 72 main rags, each associated with a time of day (or night) and some even with seasons [Rag Desh is associated with the monsoon season] Understanding the rhythm (tala) Tala is the rhythmic basis of Indian music.it s a cyclic rhythm/pattern of beats (matras) which is repeated and improvised upon. The first note (sam) is the most important and usually stressed, acting as a reference point to help keep the improvisation together. The most popular talas (or tals) have 6, 7,8, 10, 12, 14 or 16 beats. There are around 300 different talas. [Tala is a bit like bars in Western music, but usually longer and more complex] Bols - indepent rhythms that go against the main beat of the cycle creating syncopations. The audience often tap along silently with the tala, using a mix of clapping and waving gestures (Tal literally means clap ).
Structure Alap = very slow, meditative and improvised introduction in free time (no clear metre). It establishes the raga, explores the different pitches and sets the mood (rasa). Jhor (or Jor) = develops a steady pulse at a medium tempo. Improvisations become more rhythmic and elaborate and gradually the tempo increases. Jhalla = lively tempo, with fast strumming on drone strings, complex rhythms and virtuoso playing ( showing off ). Jhalla means a shower and features lots of scales (tans). [ When Jhalla follows the alap & jhor it has no rhythmic accompaniment, but it can also come at the end after the Gat with tabla accompaniment ] Gat (instrumental) / Bandish (song) = fixed composition (pre-composed melody) is played or sung and repeated with improvised decoration and tabla accompaniment playing the tala. There s musical dialogue between the instrumental soloist and tabla, sometimes its like their competing against each other or in a duel! A faster 2nd gat is often included as the music music gets more exciting. Rag Desh performance 1 - Anoushka Shankar (2001) Timbre/ Instruments Played by Sitar - Gat = fixed composition Alap - meend (pitch bend) Gat 1 - meend + tan (rapid scalic flourishes) and chand (triplets) decorate melody. Ends with Tihai (idea repeated 3 times, against rhythm of tala - like hemiola in Baroque!) Gat 2 - also ends with Tihai Sitar (plays solo in alap) Tabla (joins in Gat 1) Structure Alap, Gat 1, Gat 2 Rhythm Dynamics Alap = slow, no metre Gat 1 = Jhaptal tala (10 beat - 2+3+2+3) Gat 2 = Teental tala (16 beat - 4+4+4+4) Alap - quiet Gat 1 - gets louder Gat 2 - crescendos to end
Rag Desh performance 2 - Mhara Janam Maran (2004) Timbre/ Instruments Structure Rhythm Genre Vocal and instrumental Alap - short intro, sarod enters then vocalizing melody in free time based on the rag. Voice (singer = Chiranji Lal Tanwar) Sarangi (small sitar) Sarod (similar to sitar, but lower) Pakhawaj (double headed drum) Cymbals Tabla Alap (short introduction) then Bandish (fixed composition - song) Alap = slow, no metre Bandish = Keherwa Tal (8 beat - 2+2+2+2) Bhajan (devotional song) - about arrival of Hindu god Lord Krishna in the morning. Performance 3 - Steve Gorn (Bansuri) Benjy Wertheimer (esraj & Tabla) (2004) Timbre /Instruments Structure Played on flute Alap - short intro, sarod enters then vocalizing melody in free time based on the rag. Bansuri - a large bamboo flute, with finger holes but not keys. Esraj (bowed instrument with frets, 4 main strings plus drone strings - similar to sitar) Tambura (plays drone, using tonic & dominant notes) Tabla (plays tala) Alap - slow, with tambura drone then Bansuri enters Gat 1 - slow, unaccompanied Bansuri. Tabla enters with Rupuk Tal. Becomes more agitated & dramatic with improvisations. Ends with Tihai. Gat 2 - fast tempo using Ektal Tal Rhythm Gat 1 = Rupak Tal (3+2+2 = 7 beats) Gat 2 = Ektal Tal (2+2+2+2+2+2 = 12 beats)
AOS 4 - Yiri from Burkina Faso (as recorded by Koko) Tonality & harmony Tempo Rhythm Structure Instruments Texture Dynamics Key = Gb major Vocal melody = pentatonic Strong tonality established by the dominant to tonic notes used in bar 7-8 on Balafons and also by the vocals (vocal phrases begin on the tonic and end on the dominant in the first 3 phrases and begin on the dominant and end on the tonic in the 4 th and 5 th phrase) Lots of octave repetitions on the tonic eg bar 17 High balaphon solo using tremolo effect b1-7 Repetitive melody based on the hexatonic scale Vocal line based on pentatonic scale is played in octaves Free tempo at the start (bars 1-7) Moderate tempo established in bar 8 and is regular / unvaried for the rest of the piece Cross rhythms Drum ostinato (same rhythm all the way through from bar 14) Use of triplets 58-60 3 semiquaver figure bar 68-69 Dramatic rests observed by all in the coda Intro b1-7 Chorus A1 b28-41 Chorus A2 b42-51 Solo with choral response b52-95 Chorus B1 b96-107 Chorus B2 b108-127 Chorus A3 b128-153 Coda b154-158 Solo voice Chorus of voices Balafons high and low (like xylophones) Drums Bell (final ting) Intro = monophonic (solo balafon), then octaves (bars 10-11) Bars 10-13 = heterophonic (as 2nd balafon enters, playing slight variation of the melody) Chorus A1 - voices in unison Bar 52 = solo call then chorus response These are largely unvaried