Calypso

Question 1

Where does this music originate from?

Answer 1

Trinidad (the most southern island of the Caribbean)

Question 2

What countries influenced Calypso music and why?

Answer 2

Spain, France and Britain ruled the Caribbean so they influenced the music, as well as African music as it originated from the African slaves making songs with clever lyrics to communicate to each other in the sugar and cotton plantations

Question 3

Name the main instrument in Calypso, and how they originally made

Answer 3

Steel pans, made from oil drums

Question 4

Calypso uses what type of rhythms?
What pattern do they mostly follow?
What does this mean?

Answer 4

Syncopated Rhythms
3-3-2
This gives each bar 3 beats, but the final beat is shorter than the other.

Question 5

Give a suitable time signature for a Calypso song

Answer 5

2, 4

2, 4

Question 6

Show 2 examples of the syncopated rhythms used (4/4)

Answer 6

ppp ppp pp
LLl LLl Ll

p p p p p
l/ l l/ l l

Question 7

What does a strophic structure mean?

Answer 7

The music is the same in every verse. Only the lyrics change. Calypso music has either this structure or a verse-chorus structure

Question 8

Which of these are the main textures of Calypso music?

a) homophonic
b) monophonic
c) heterophonic
d) polyphonic

Answer 8

a) homphonic - main melody and accompaniment

d) polyphonic - melodies with countermelodies

Question 9

Name some instruments in Latin percussion

Answer 9

Bongos
Conga drums - tall, narrow, barrel shaped drums
Claves - pair of wooden sticks 
Bamboo sticks
Wood blocks
Maracas

Question 10

Complete the sentence:

Calypso music is all about…

Answer 10

syncopation

Question 11

Here’s a long list of instruments that can be in Calypso, not counting the Latin percussion section

Answer 11

Acoustic, electric and bass guitars
Brass - such as trumpets and trombones
Woodwind - such as clarinets, flutes and saxophones
A modern drum kit sometimes
I have ukelele and violin written down but who knows?
STEEL PANS

Question 12

Give the book definition of steel pans

Answer 12

They are tuned percussion instruments. They have a concave surface with a dented appearance, made from sheet metal.
The players are called pannists

Question 13

A steel bands always only consist of pannists. True or false?

Answer 13

False - Latin percussion and a drum kit is usually used too, and sometimes even a bass guitar

Question 14

The deeper the pan, the lower the notes produced. Which are the highest - lowest pan sizes?

Answer 14

Soprano (sometimes called tenors or ping-pongs)
Alto
Baritone
Bass

Question 15

What is unique about a soprano pan?

Answer 15

It can be tuned to create all the chromatic notes within range (but a set of pans is needed to get the full range of the bass notes etc)

Question 16

In order to cover the full range, how many pans does the bass pannist need?

Answer 16

Between 4 and 6

Question 17

Sets of pans have special names and are used for different purposes. What is a set of 2 baritone drums known as and why?

Answer 17

“Double guitar” because it’s used for strumming (playing chords) and also can provide the harmony and countermelody

Question 18

What do pannists play instead of a sustained note?

Answer 18

DRUM ROLL PLEASE

dundundundundudundnudndudndunduddun
hdhdjndundudndundndnundhnduhdjnddnnjj

They roll notes or using tremolo

Question 19

How can pannists play chords with up to 4 notes?

Answer 19

Sometimes they hold two mallets with each hand

Question 20

What is the timbre (sound) that the mallets make and how?

Answer 20

They produce a warm, echoing metallic tmbre due to the special mallets having rubber heads

Question 21

Name an ornamentation that steel pans can effectively produce

Answer 21

Trills (by alternating between different notes)

Question 22

Which intervals are most commonly used by steel pans to create that awesome harmony they have?

a) 2nds
b) 3rds
c) 4ths
d) 5ths
e) 6ths

Answer 22

b) 3rds

d) 5ths

Question 23

Fill the blanks:
Steel pans produce music with complex ________, harmonies and _______. They’re very versatile - usually playing __________ calypso rhythms, but they can play music of other genres too such as ____ and ____

Answer 23

Melodies
Rhythms
Syncopated
Folk
Jazz

Question 24

Name 2 styles which are evolved versions of calypso with new styles

Answer 24

Rapso - first in the 60s, which focuses on the lyrics (often about political & social issues). The style developed to use synthesised instruments and modern production techniques
Soca - developed in 70s, a faster beat than traditional calypso, popular as dance music (particularly at carnivals) Calypso artists began using electronic drums, synthesizers and studio effects in their recordings

Question 25

The song “Hot Hot Hot” is a god example of what type of modern Calypso genre?

Answer 25

Soca