Sample/practice exam 2019, questions PDF

Preview

Summary

lecture notes, with added notes from student ...

Description

HISTORY OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL 1948-69 Introduction Ø The decades: o 1920s – everyone recovering from the great depression, stock market crash o 1930s – Great Depression, beginning of WW2 o 1940s – Employment opportunities ramp up because of the war, bloodiest war in history, Ø The Music Ø “Pop” (popular) Music o Crooners and swing bands o Upper to middle class was a white demographic o This demographic controlled o Polished, somewhat European-flavored; Tin Pan Alley tradition o National Distribution Ø Hillbilly Music and Race Music o Collectively referred to as Minority Music o Popular in the more economically depressed places o More indigent musical styles –Hillbilly Music was based primarily Folk and country music o Race Music arose from a mixture of old slave songs and upbeat black songs a little fro blues and rag time o Hillbilly music will come to be known as country and western o Race music will come to be known as rhythm and blues o Regional Ø The three forerunners of rock ‘n’ roll are as follows: o Pop o Country and western o Rhythm and blues Typical Formal Types in American Popular Music Chordal Progressions Ø The 12-bar blues o A pattern that is defined by its measure length o Used to build larger forms like verse course form or simple verse form o Some examples: Shake Rattle n’ Roll– Joe Turner – 12 bar blues in simple versechorus; o Rocket 88 – Jackie Brenston – 12 bar blues in simple verse form; Ø The doo-wop progression (C-Am-Dm(f)-G ) o Pattern that first became popular with every doo-wop groups in the 1500s o Again, this is used to build larger forms o Some examples: o Come go with me– The Dell Vikings; o Earth Angel – The Penguins – both are in AABA with a reprise

Musical Forms Ø Simple verse-chorus form o A single pattern is used as Verses and the Chorus o Can the Circle be broken – The Carter Family Ø Simple verse form o Song consists of only verses- no contrasting material that would suggest a chorus o That’s Alright and _____?________ - Elvis Ø Contrasting verse-chorus o Verse section is distinctly different from the chorus o Rock and roll Music – Chuck Berry; o That’ll be the Day – Buddy Holly Ø AABA form o Consists of verses (A) and contrasting bridge (B)- can employ a full or partial reprise o Hey Good Lookin – Hank Williams; o Blueberry Hill– Fats Domino; o ______?________ – The Everly Brothers The Evolution of Media Radio Ø Radio is Regional (small reach) Ø First important broadcasts were from KDKA (Pittsburgh) and WWF (Detroit) Ø 1920s – Super stations Ø Because the U.S. put a limit on the power of the transmitters, many radio stations were set up at the Mexico bored Ø 1928 – the first coast to coast using AT&T phone lines Ø Up until the mid-40s, Records were not put on the radio (mostly live music) Ø Radio expanded to include radio plays and soap operas Ø The concept of National network was defined by pop culture Ø This becomes the main forum for Motion Pictures Motion Pictures Ø The 30s and 40s were the golden age from movies Ø Motion pictures played across the nation, which allowed people to become more familiar with the songs Television Ø In the late 1940s, there was a corporate money and intrest shift from the radio to tv Ø TV was thought to be more appealing because of visual stimulation Ø As television grew, radio audience left Ø These three entertainment concepts combined to establish a national pop culture: o Radio o Motion Pictures o Television Pop Music Ø Directed mainly at the white audience Ø Aimed primarily at older generation and people with money

Ø Enjoyed national distribution and major labels Ø Followed the tin pan alley style Characteristics of a Typical Pop (Tin Pan Alley) Song Ø Lyrics were typically non-offensive, non-controversial and most often delt with simple emotions Ø Songs had a very straight, uncomplicated rhythm that emphasized the downbeat Ø Rhythm was kept in the background of the musical texture Ø Melodies were important Ø Tempos were moderate to slow Ø Written by professional songwriters, recorded by professional singers accompanied by professional orchestra and/or chorus Song: Music, Music, Music* Artist: Teresa Brewer Ø Beat is definitely on the downbeat and beat 3 Ø Instrumental intro – piano and percussion; brass and winds enter near the end of the intro Ø Straight-ahead rhythm; non-offensive lyrics; melody is most important Ø Instrumental break is written out not improvised Ø Instrumentation includes: piano, percussion, brass and winds Song: Cry* Artist: Johnny Ray Ø Begins with harmonized backup vocals – use of falsetto Ø Piano, bells, guitar and drums in the background Ø Melodic Solo vocals enter – much more declamatory and emotional vocal style Ø Backup vocals and instruments sit in the back of the texture – vocals are most important Ø Lyrics speak of heartbreak Song: Too Young* Artist: Nat King Cole Ø One of the first songs directed to a new and upcoming demographic – the teenager Ø Begins with strings followed by a piano solo; strings take the end of the intro Ø Crooning melodic vocal style – they take the forefront of the musical texture Ø Piano and strings play fills – between vocal entrances Ø Instrumental break closely follows the melody line Ø Instruments include: piano, strings, and orchestra Ø Lyrics about a relationship Song: Blue Tango* Artist: Leroy Anderson Ø A hit instrumental (no vocals) and an example of the fascinations with exotic rhythms and dances Ø Melody goes between strings and winds; drums provide an ostinato (highly repetitive riff), setting a tango rhythm in motion Ø Melody is taken by strings; winds play fills; rhythm remains constant Ø Even here, melody is most important

Ø Instruments include guitar strings, winds, drums, use of all (orchestra) Song: You Belong to Me Artist: Jo Stafford Ø Begins with orchestral instruments – horns, marimba, drums Ø Vocals are scatting – imitating the instrumental line Ø Once vocals begin, they become the most important thing – instrumentation falls to the background Ø Marimba is very evident at the beginning of each line Song: I’m Sittin’ On Top of the World Artist: Les Paul and Mary Ford Ø Begins with sped-up guitar line and bass Ø Harmonized vocals enter – fast electric guitar licks plays fills Ø While focus remains on the vocals, more emphasis is placed on the instrumentation – there is an extended guitar solo, showing off the new solid body electric guitar Song: Doggie in the Window* Artist: Patti Page Ø Example of a “novelty song” – very cutesy; designed for laughs Ø Piece is in 3/4 time – like a waltz Ø Starts with strings and winds Ø Harmonized vocals enter with the chorus Ø Verses are sung solo; winds play fills Ø Vocals are clear and in the forefront In a melodic style; instruments are relegated to an accompanying role Ø Lyrics are innocent and cute Ø Instruments include strings and winds COUNTRY AND WESTERN (C&W) Ø Called hill-billy music until the mid 30’s Ø Had a relatively small audience Ø Produced largely by small companies referred to as Indies Ø Distribution performer/producer very small scale Ø Catered primarily to less rich white people Ø Instrumentation included fiddle, banjo, mandolin, steel guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass – NO DRUMS Characteristics of a Typical C&W Song Ø The beat is steady steady Ø In a four-beat pattern, boom-chick feel, and two-beat Ø Harmonically, songs were simpler than pop bass Ø Songs were generally not written by songwriters but passed down through generation and subjected to improvisation

Ø Lyrics often tell as story and are intended to express emotion of some kind Ø Vocals have nasal tone quality, and are delivered in either a deadpan style and delivered as if they were on the verge of tears Country Music Ø Found in the southeasat and appalachia Ø Derived from folk music of the british isles Song: Can the Circle Be Unbroken* Artist: The Carter Family Ø Begins with guitar – boom-chick rhythm Ø Vocals enter – nasal vocal sound Ø Harmonized vocals in the chorus Ø Lyrics are rooted in white gospel music Song: The Great Speckled Bird Artist: Roy Acuff and His Crazy Tennesseans Ø Begins with slide guitar soloing accompanied by acoustic guitar playing a boom-chick rhythm Ø Nasal vocals enter – lyrics are gospel-based Ø Slide guitar provides short fills between vocal entrances Western Music and Western Swing Ø Found in Cali and the southwest Ø Connections with Hollywood movies about cowboys Ø Western swing is Big band with a cowboy twist- big band instrumentation with typical western lyrics Song: Back in the Saddle Again* Artist: Gene Autry Ø Begins with fiddle, accordion, slide guitar and mandolin Ø Nasal vocals enter – slide guitar supplies fills Ø Fiddle takes the solo over accordion and slide guitar Ø Lyrics tell a story Song: New San Antonio Rose* Artist: Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys Ø Begins with mariachi-style trumpets – rounded out by saxes, piano and fiddles Ø Boom-chick feel supplied by bass and guitar Ø Vocal interjections state the song title Ø Extended instrumental opening Ø Solo vocals enter Ø Few lyrics mostly nasal solo, mostly about woman Ø Instrumentation incudes: brass, sax, piano, guitar, bass, fiddle Country & Western Ø In the 40’s, Nashville becomes the centre for country and western business enterprises

Ø This was due largely to the huge impact of The Grand Ole Opry show Song: Hey, Good Lookin’ (FORMAL ANALYSIS discussed in the text) Artist: Hank Williams Ø Begins with slide guitar solo over guitar and acoustic bass playing a boom-chick rhythm Ø Other instruments include fiddle and acoustic bass Ø Vocals enter – nasal vocal sound Ø Slide guitar and fiddle are the featured solo instruments Ø AABA song form, 4/4 time signature Ø Instruments include, acoustic guitars, bass, steel guitars, violin, lead vocals Song: Hillbilly Fever* Artist: Little Jimmy Dickens Ø Prototype for an upcoming style called rockabilly Ø Starts with steel guitar solo accompanied by bass, fiddle and guitars Ø Nasal Solo vocals enter and take precedence over the instrumentation Ø Steel guitar plays fill at the end of the verse Ø Chorus features harmonized vocals Ø Lyrics speak of hillbilly style of music Bluegrass Ø Virtuosic instrumental aspects of the music overshadow the vocals Ø This music was often used as theme music of TV and movies Song: Blue Moon of Kentucky* Artist: Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys Ø Begins with fiddle soloing over mandolin and guitar Ø Song is in 3/4 – a country waltz Ø Vocals are nasal – lyrics are of heartbreak and melodic Ø Mandolin takes the solo Song: Foggy Mountain Breakdown Artist: Flatt and Scruggs Ø Instrumental piece – focus lies in the virtuosic playing Ø Begins with a banjo solo – classic “chase” music Ø Fiddle enters and solos over boom-chick rhythm of the guitar Ø Solos are shared by fiddle and banjo Ø Harmonica enters later in the piece and solos RHYTHM AND BLUES (R&B) Ø Rhythm and blues emerged out of blues played by mostly, focused on more of a black audience Rural Blues Song: Crossroads* Artist: Robert Johnson Ø Early example of the style that will influence later rhythm & blues

Ø Ø Ø Ø

Based on a slightly altered 12-bar blues Consists of just guitar and vocals – yet a driving rhythm is present Technique of call and response occurs between the vocals and guitar Lyrics tell a story

Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø Ø

R&B was called race music until the end of the 40s Originated in African American ghettos Market was targeted towards African American audience The market was served almost exclusively by major music labels Small, well-defined audience that Instrumentation included acoustic and electric guitar, acoustic stand-up bass, drums, sax, piano, harmonica

Characteristics of a Typical R&B Song Ø Very rhythmic, emphasizing the second and fourth beat of each four beat pattern this is called a back beat(drums play a large role) Ø Quite frequently patterned around a musical scheme called a twelve-bar blues (or some variation of the pattern) Ø Characterized by A very energetic stage show- vocals are shouted, forming the basis of the vocal style found in the much Ø Lyrics contained certain amount of sexual suggestiveness Ø Songs were often improvised-rarely written down Ø Vocals and instruments were equally weighted Gospel-Based Blues Ø Church Ø Sacred song lyrics – changed to secular Ø Caused controversy – selling out and going for a church sound and taking the sound away from where it belongs Ø Performer wasn’t focused on music, they were just changing the lyrics Ray Charles Ø Ray Charles Robinson was blinded by glaucoma at the age of 6 Ø Orphaned at 15 and began playing pianos in clubs Ø Dropped his last name to avoid confusion with boxer (sugar ray) Ø Hit the charts for the first time in 1954 with I got a women Ø Song combines heavy chords of /strings r&b oriented band Song: I’ve Got a Woman* Ø Starts with vocals (semi-shouting) – drums, piano, sax and horns enter Ø Horns play fills at the end of the vocal line Ø Strong emphasis on backbeat Ø Vocals improvise over the instrumental accompaniment Ø Instruments include: drums, piano, sax and horns Ø Lyrics about a woman Ø Charles based a number of his tunes on gospel songs

Ø Another example is This little Girl of Mine ( gospel song This little light of mine) Song: This Little Girl of Mine Ø Starts with a sort of call and response between sax/horns and vocals Ø Instrumentation: piano, drums, bass, horns and sax Ø Use of stop time Ø Harmonized backup vocals enter Ø Solo features piano and sax Ø Charles absorbed styles like a sponge: big band, country, pop Ø He built up a huge musical empire that kept him at the forefront of r&b Chess Records – Chicago Blues Ø Founded in 1947 by white blues fans Phil and Leonard Chess Ø Specialized in solo singers backed by small electric bands Ø Rough-edged emotion, Ø Instrumental ability Ø Not meant to appeal to the middle white class

Song: Hard Day Blues* Artist: Muddy Waters Ø Instrumentation includes electric guitar, bass, piano and drums Ø This is a typical twelve-bar blues Ø Semi-shouting vocal style – lyrics are clear about losing a women Ø Instrumental features the piano – there is a pronounced backbeat and a walking bass Ø Instruments include: guitars, bass, piano, drums Song: I’m a Man* Artist: Bo Diddley Ø Song is based on one chord – called a one-chord boogie Ø Starts with a lick (riff) that is referred to as a “Bo Diddley” Ø Instrumentation starts with guitar; harmonica and piano interject; drums and maracas maintain a constant beat Ø Semi-shouting Vocals enter over drums; instruments provide fills – this is a call and response Ø Lyrics are suggestive and egocentric Song: Boom Boom Artist: Johnny Lee Hooker Ø This is a classic 12-bar blues Ø Begins with guitar – use of stop time – piano, bass, sax and drums supply the fills between entrances of the guitar – this becomes the fill for the vocal entrances, too Ø Vocals enter – short phrases that are interspersed with instrumental fills Ø Guitar is the main soloist in the instrumental section Atlantic Records – Black Pop

Ø Founded in 1948 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson Ø Songs were more Ø Singers were more polished, arrangements were more structured, less emphasis on instrumental solos Song: Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean)* Artist: Ruth Brown Ø Begins with drum riff Ø Sax, guitar, piano and bass enter with a riff Ø Lead vocals enter in a semi-shouting style – note the vocal upswing at the end of the first two lines of the verse Ø Lyrics deal with a woman who is fed up with the actions of her man Ø Instruments include: drums, sax, guitar, piano, bass Song: Honey Love Artist: Clyde McPhatter Ø Begins with harmonized vocals, piano and percussion Ø Lead melodic vocals in front of harmonized vocals and instrumentation – piano, bass, sax, and percussion Ø Vocals are the most important – though there is a instrumental section featuring the sax Song: Shake, Rattle and Roll (FORMAL ANALYSIS discussed in the text) Artist: Joe Turner Ø Also referred to as “hokum blues” because of its blatantly sexual lyrics Ø Starts with boogie-woogie piano, acoustic bass and drums Ø Strong backbeat; classic 12-bar blues Ø Vocals enter – handclaps join drums on the backbeat Ø Sexual innuendo in the lyrics, semi-shouting style Ø Never hit the pop charts at all – Top 5 on the R&B charts Ø Form is the simple verse-chorus Ø Tie signature is 12/8 (shuffle in 4) Doo-Wop Ø This was Urban vocal music Ø Vocal style was mostly a capella Ø Doo-wop refers to the vocal style and the use of nonsense syllables Ø Greatly influenced gospel music Ø Characterized by a lead singer backed by a group of people behind them Ø Most are in an AABA form and uses what is called compound meter– triple division of the beat Song: Sh-Boom* Artist: The Chords Ø Went to #5 on the pop charts Ø Begins with a cappella harmonized vocals Ø Drums, acoustic bass, guitar enter; strong emphasis on backbeat

Ø Clear lead singer w/ backup harmonized vocals singing a mixture of nonsense syllables and lyrics Ø Bass sings the bridge (about teenage love) Ø Instruments include: drums, guitar, bass Song: In the Still of the Night Artist: The Five Satins Ø Begins with piano lead-in Ø Harmonized vocals enter with nonsense syllables over drums, bass and piano – triple division of beat in the piano Ø Lead, melodic vocals emerge over top of this opening section Ø The B section shows a much more active vocal background, now singing actual words (“I remember”) The Controversy of R&B Ø As blacks moved to more urban areas, a market for radio stations supporting black music sprang up Ø Because the music was now on the air, enterprising (white) teens culd tune in and become familiar with there styles of music Ø White middle class parents disapproved of this largely due to the neg racial stereotypes Ø Lyrics were considered overly sexual and contains double utondras Ø This music gained greater respectability when a lot of white teen artist started to cover black artists...