mus 1240 week 1 fall14 notes
TRANSCRIPT
What are we going to do?
Music
Read
Discuss
Listen
Write
Syllabus Overview
• Syllabus is on Blackboard
Rock Music!
• Born out of controversy, rebelliousness– 1950s – Elvis’ blues based singing shocked older
people used to Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra
– 1960s – Beatles’ mop-top haircuts upset parents, but caused a fashion trend among youngsters
– Jim Morrison, Alice Cooper, David Bowie all challenged cultural values in the 1960s and 1970s, Madonna and Prince did the same in the 1980s, etc.
– -Payola and obscenity in lyrics have been the subject of congressional hearings
– Nonconformity – central to the spirit of rock music
Defining Rock
• Not easy…
• Some scholars use “rock and roll” to describe the first wave of rock from 1954-1959
• Some call all music after 1964 as “rock”.
• We will use the term to describe music produced specifically for a youth audience.– But, what does that even mean? Is all pop music
rock? Is all rock music pop? What about soul, of folk music? Does that constitute rock as well?
Popular Music—Definitions
• Music created with commercial success in mind • Popularity measured in numbers—how many albums sold, how many
Number One hits
• Can be compared with other styles that differ in intent as well as musical result– Popular
– Classical
– Folk
• This definition is problematic because some music crosses the boundaries of genre.
• “Garage bands,” which are similar to folk music
• Piano rags by Scott Joplin: “art” or “popular” music?
• The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Popular Music—Definitions
• In broad terms, popular music can be used to indicate
– music that is mass-produced and disseminated via the mass media,
– at various times has been listened to by large numbers of Americans, and
– typically draws on a variety of preexisting musical traditions.
Elements to Consider when studying Rock
• Rock History in the Media
• The “Fan Mentality”
• Ups and Downs of Chart Positions
• Themes– Social/political/cultural issues
– Issues of race/class/gender
– Development of the music business
– Development of technology
• Tracking the Popularity Arc
Rock History in the Media
• Many of you have some exposure to artists that you enjoy, and may even know a good bit about their history.
• Much of this comes from general-interest publications (ex. Rolling Stone), the internet, TV, radio, etc.
• A scholarly approach is going to be much more deeply rooted in the artist and the music that they created, instead of the more sensational aspects of their biography
• Therefore, this type of information is good for entertainment purposes.
“Fan Mentality”
• We listen to what we like.
• We often ignore what we don’t.
• As new scholars studying rock, we cannot simply ignore music that we don’t enjoy. Strive to be balanced.
– American history? Would you only study the presidents that shared your political persuasion?
Ups and Downs of Chart Positions
• We will talk about chart positions a good bit.• Most people are at least familiar with the term “#1 hit”,
even if they aren’t aware of Billboard magazine.• Charts can give us a general sense of how popular a song or
album was at the time it was released, and can keep us honest (the fan mentality)
• Charts are flawed instruments, because we do not know exactly how they were put together in the past, etc.
• Ideally, we would have access to radio playlists from the time period, and record sales. Unfortunately, playlists are hard to find and record companies routinely manipulate sales figures, especially in the early days of rock.
Four Themes
• Each theme plays a large part in the development of rock music
• Music business changed dramatically since the 1950s (small upstarts to huge corporations)
• Technologically, the business had gone from the radio days of the 1920s and 30s through the advent of television and as far as today’s current internet and cloud-based landscape
• Race/class/gender issues are essential for learning about rock. Constant challenge of stereotypes and search for authenticity.
Tracking the Popularity Arc
• A specific style may go from being relatively unknown save for a small geographic region, eventually break out and become part of the mainstream, then retreat back underground. This is a popularity arc.– Ex. punk/new wave scene in the 1970s/early 80s
• This pattern is exhibited over and over in pop music. As we study different genres, we don’t always get to examine the pre-mainstream roots or the aftermath.
What to listen for in Rock
• Certain musical elements will be more helpful to your studies than others.– Form
– Rhythm
– Instrumentation
– Recording Techniques
• Study of other musical elements can also be useful– Melody
– Harmony
Rocket ‘88
• Jackie Brenson and his Delta Cats – 1951
– #1 on R&B charts in 1951
– Produced by Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis
• Simple Verse Form
– Repeats a single section of music x times, in this case 8.
Rhythm
• Generally, rhythm is the overall organization of time within a piece of music. – “The pattern of movement within time” – New
Harvard Dictionary of Music
• Beat or Pulse – the underlying pulse of the music which dictates the speed or tempo. – Regular? Irregular?
– Grouped into patterns? (2 vs. 3?)
– Accented?
Rhythm cont.
• Meter - The organization of musical notes in a song, with respect to time, that a regular pulse can be perceived and the duration of the notes can be measured.
• Tempo – The “time” of a song, or the speed. It can be measured in metrical units, such as with a metronome or other means.
• Riff – repeated pattern designed to generate rhythmic movement
• Groove – term that evokes the channeled flow of “swinging” or “funky” or ”phat” rhythms.
Forms in American Popular Music
• 12-bar blues
• Simple Verse Form
• AABA form
• Simple Verse – Chorus
• Contrasting Verse - Chorus
12 bar blues
• 12-bar blues and doo-wop progression 12-bar blues – Song repeats a pattern that is 12 bars long
• 4-bar phrase• During the next four bars, the lyrics are often repeated• Idea is completed in the last four bars
– Chords are played in a typical order or progression
• Doo-wop chord progression– I - vi - IV – V– Famous songs – “In the Still of the Night” – Five Satins,
“Sh-Boom” – The Chords
Simple Verse Form
• A verse is defined as a section with repeating music and nonrepeating lyrics.
– As opposed to a Chorus…
• A form that employs only verses is said to be in Simple Verse Form.
• Rocket ‘88 as well as Heartbreak Hotel employ this form.
AABA form
• Form most associated with pop music before the birth of rock and roll.
• Tin Pan Alley songs• 32-measure form combines 4 8-bar phrases• AABA refers to the fact that the first two phrases are very similar,
the third contrasts, and the fourth is very similar to the first two.• “Over the Rainbow” – Judy Garland, “Hey Good Lookin’” –• Hank Williams, “Blueberry Hill” – Fats Domino• Many songs using this form would be too short if at least some of
the song didn’t repeat, so:– Full Reprise – when entire form comes back– Partial Reprise – when part of the form comes back
• Some AABA forms also may expand certain sections– “Great Balls of Fire” –Jerry Lee Lewis B section is 12 bars
Simple Verse-Chorus
• Chorus – section that repeats the same music AND the same lyrics
• When a single musical pattern is used for the basis of both the verses and the choruses, it it said to be in Simple Verse – Chorus form.
• Mostly refers to harmony…the melody can change from verse to chorus
• “Can the Circle Be Unbroken” – Carter Family
Contrasting Verse - Chorus
• When verses and choruses employ different music, then the song is in Contrasting Verse –Chorus form.
• May also include a bridge
• “That’ll Be the Day” – Buddy Holly
Instrumentation in Rock
• Drums and Percussion
• Electric Bass
• Rhythm Guitar/Keyboards
• Lead Singers and Backup Vocals
• Instrumental Solos
• Horns and Strings
Drums and Percussion
• Part of the rhythm section (along with the electric bass and rhythm guitar/keyboards)– Provide a strong foundation for the other members of the
band that focus on melody (singers, lead guitars, etc.)
• Drummer establishes tempo and meter, but also the “feel” of each song.
• Set usually includes a snare drum, bass drum, high-hat cymbal, tom-tom drums, several other cymbals (ride, crash)
• The different instruments of a drum kit work like gears, all having a different role. High hat – faster notes, Bass/snare – slower, in conjunction with one another.
Electric Bass
• Bass Player locks in with the drummer rhythmically, and provides the important bass tones that are crucial to the song’s harmonic structure.
• Early rock music used acoustic upright bass amplified, but by 1960s the electric bass was king except for jazz and country.
• Bass has four strings that are an octave below the bottom four strings on the guitar.
Rhythm Guitar/Keyboards
• Fleshes out the rest of the songs harmonic progression
• Locks in with the bass and drums to fill in the rest of the rhythmic drive of a song
Lead Singers and Backup Vocals
• Focus on melody, can be as free as they wish rhythmically with how they place notes
• Sometimes, there are no backup vocals (That’s All Right – Elvis), sometimes the backup vocals follow the lead singers lyrics (Surfer Girl –Beach Boys)
Instrumental Solos
• Early rock used a lot of saxophone solos, but guitar and piano used as well, guitar and piano became more common, then mostly guitar
Horns and Strings
• Can add finishing touches to a track
• Horn sections – trumpets, trombones, saxophones ( Chicago)
• Strings – can make an arrangement sound bigger and more majestic (Beatles)
– “Long and Winding Road” – difference between original version and edited version w/added orchestra
Recording Techniques
• Live or Studio?
• Reverb and Echo
• Equalization
• Mono vs. Stereo
• Mixing
• Put it together: “Josie” – Steely Dan
Live or Studio
• “Audio Snapshot”
– Many early rock records fit this description. An audio representation in a studio of a live performance
• Exploit the studio
– Les Paul’s records are early examples of this, and of course bands like the Beatles and Pink Floyd took this to new levels in the 60s and 70s.
Reverb/Echo
• Reverb – electronic recreation of acoustic spaces
• Echo – used on certain rock recordings (Phil Spector recordings, certain Beach Boys recordings, early Motown, etc.
– Elvis’ slap back echo at Sun Records
Equalization
• EQs can manipulate the timbre of any sound recorded.
• Can also help to highlight certain instruments
• Also can help to create a crisper, clearer, more defined sound
Stereo vs. Mono
• Early rock and roll was recorded in mono – all sounds were designed to come through one speaker. Phil Spector, original Beatles recordings, Beach Boys, Motown, Elvis, etc.
• Stereo gave engineers the ability to assign certain sounds, instruments, etc. to either of a set of two speakers, thereby changing the entire experience and creating “sonic landscapes”
Mixing
• Until 1960s, pop music was recorded using a single performance.
• With the advances in technology, multiple tracks could be stored on tape, and bands took advantage of that.
• In recent times, DAWs (digital audio workstations) have become the standard in most studios, like Logic Studio (Garageband) or Pro-Tools.
• After all the tracks are recorded, the audio engineers then “mix down” the recording, adjusting reverb, EQ, stereo placement, volume, etc. to create the polished recordings we are used to today
• Most bands since the 1960s have spent more time mixing down songs than they did recording the tracks.