Chapter 8 - Popular Music in the United States Flashcards
ragtime
a musical genre developed near the turn of the twentieth century that featured syncopated rhythms. The style became nationally popular after being widely published as sheet music.
syncopation
the act of disrupting the normal pattern of accents in a piece of music by emphasizing what would normally be weak beats
bebop
a style of small group jazz developed in the late 1940s, which featured fast moving harmonies, angular melodies and highly complex rhythms
big band
large jazz ensembles (15-20 members) popular in the 1930s and 1940s. The term “Big Band” also refers to the era in which these bands were popular
bluegrass
a variation of country music featuring fiddle, guitar, mandolin, bass guitar, and the five-string banjo that developed largely in the Appalachian region
blues
a style of music that, at the turn of the twentieth century, began to form out of African American work songs, field hollers, and spirituals. Today, the word “blues” is used loosely and can refer to feeling sad or down, to any song played in a bluesy style, or more specifically, to a song that follows a blues form, which is a twelve-bar strophic song form.
country music
a term describing a broad variety of musical styles including Bluegrass, Hillbilly Music, and Contemporary Country. Generally speaking, most types of music that fall under this category originated in the American South (although it also encompasses Western Swing and cowboy songs) and features a singing style with a distinctly rural southern accent, as well as an instrumentation that favors string instruments such as the banjo, guitar, or fiddle
Dixieland jazz
an early form of jazz developed in New Orleans during the turn of the twentieth century featuring syncopated rhythms, improvised solos and harmonies, as well as a common instrumentation that included trumpet, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, tuba, banjo, piano, guitar, and drums. Also called New Orleans jazz.
hillbilly music
an early form of country music and was an alternative to the jazz and dance music of the 1920s. It was portrayed as wholesome music of the “good old days.”
minstrel show
an American form of theatre developed in the nineteenth century and featuring white performers in blackface performing in a variety show, which depicted black characters as happy participants in romanticized versions of the American slave south
music theatre
a type of dramatic performance that tells a story through dialogue, with singing and dancing added to support and move the plot along
protest song
a type of folk song written to directly, or by suggestion, voice complaints about some injustice
rap
a form of spoken word delivered over a beat. It can be improvised or written out in advance
rhythm and blues (R&B)
a term originally referring to music recorded by black musicians and intended for use by the African American community. The term has evolved throughout the years and encompasses several different musical styles including soul, funk, and now contemporary R&B.
Rock and roll
a style of music that grew out of Rhythm and Blues and came into prominence during the 1950s. The style features a strong backbeat and often features electric guitar, bass, and drums. The style is now known as “rock” and has spawned many subgenres.
