Folk Rock

Question 1

what is folk rock music a fusion of?

Answer 1

folk music and rock music

Question 2

where and when did folk music develop?

Answer 2

in the UK in the 60s

Question 3

how was folk rock music traditionally passed down?

Answer 3

oral tradition

Question 4

what instruments does folk rock music use?

Answer 4

acoustic instruments like the acoustic guitar but they amplify and distort them

Question 5

instrumentation in folk music:

Answer 5

• harp
• flute
• fiddle(violin)
• double bass
• accordion
• bluegrass instruments e.g. banjo and mandolin

Question 6

structure of folk music:

Answer 6

-repeated lines incorporated musically and lyrically which is called a refrain (at the end of the verse)

Question 7

melody of folk music:

Answer 7

• scotch snap rhythm/strathespy rhythm = semiquaver followed by a dotted quaver
• improvised ornamentation(bending notes)
• short and regular phrases

Question 8

purpose of folk music:

Answer 8

• Celtic nation in Wales, Northern Ireland. Folk music is used on St David’s day in Wales
• jigs
• weddings
• to celebrate social events
• to tell a story

Question 9

instrumentation in rock music:

Answer 9

• drum kit
• electric bass
• electric guitar
• synthesiser
• amplification
• distortion

Question 10

structure in rock music:

Answer 10

• verse chorus structure

- lead guitarist

Question 11

melody in rock music:

Answer 11

• counter melody (like in bhangra)

- lead guitarist plays the counter melody

Question 12

bodhran

Answer 12

• widely used in Irish folk music
• also found in Scotland and other areas with Celtic traditions
• has a single skin stretched over a frame, the other side of the instrument is open
• sometimes the instruments is played with fingers but usually with a small wooden beater called a tipper
• tippers are double headed so both sides can be used to make sound
• the other hand is placed inside the drum against the skin and is used to alter the note in various ways
• thought to be based on tambourine, but without the metal jingles
• varying the pressure of the left hand on the skin alters the pitch of the note
• usual for bodhran players to stressing their instrument on their thigh

Question 13

timbre of bodhran:

Answer 13

rich, deep, percussive

Question 14

accordion:

Answer 14

• sometimes called squeeze-box, because you open and squeeze the bellows of the instrument to make the sound
• right hand plays tune on keyboard
• left hand presses the round buttons which add lower buttons and chords to go with the tune
• in an Irish folk band
• many professional players prefer a button accordion where there are five rows of buttons and the black buttons are like the black notes on a keyboard
• pitch of a piano accordion is higher than the pitch of button accordion

Question 15

timbre of accordion:

Answer 15

rich, reedy, organ-like

Question 16

banjo

Answer 16

• one of the most important American folk music instruments
• strings don’t go from low to high like on a guitar
• on five string instruments there is a short fifth string where the guitar wold have its lowest string, highest pitch
• the turning peg for the fifth string is attached to the side of the neck
• four turning pegs for standard length strings
• player uses plastics spectrums attached to his thumb and first finger
• strings pass over a bridge resting on the skin
• skin attached to frame
• instead of a wooden body like guitar or mandolin, the banjo always used to have a circular piece of animal skin, like the head of a drum. nowadays often replaced with plastic

Question 17

timbre of banjo:

Answer 17

bright, metallic, twangy

Question 18

double bass

Answer 18

• largest and lowest sounding string instrument
• cant sit down on an ordinary chair to play it
• some jazz players stand up but most players have a special stool
• adjustable spike at the bottom of the instrument
• spike helps stop bass sliding across the floor
• dont have tuning pegs found on other string instruments, instead use metal ‘machine heads’ like the ones on a bass guitar
• they help stop strings sliding and make it easier to tune the instrument

Question 19

timbre of double bass:

Answer 19

rich, resonant, deep

Question 20

synthesiser:

Answer 20

• an electronic keyboard designed to produce electronic sounds rather than imitate acoustic instruments
• users can select from basic wave forms: sine, square, triangle and sawtooth
• sound can be altered by filters
• attack, delay, sustains and release (ADSR) of the south can also be edited
• vibration effects can be made by manipulating oscillators
• many modern synth have preset sounds
• the recording feature ‘sync bass’, ‘science lead’, ‘dirty bass’, ‘synth harp’ and ‘future per’ on Micro Korg synths
• synths often have a short keyboard
• though many synths are polyphonic(can play several notes at once), players tend to use a monophonic style (one at a time)
• synths can include controls for Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO), Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO), Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) and envelop generator (ADSR - Attack, Delay, Sustain, Release)

Question 21

timbre of sythesiser:

Answer 21

electronic