Historical Context Flashcards
What was the vaudeville of the 1910s
Variety theatre with actors, dancers, singers and comedians. Popular entertainment from the 1880s until 1990s - American equivalent of music hall in UK.
What was Tin Pan alley and when was it relevant?
An area on west 28th street in New York City Where songwriters, ‘pluggers’ and publishers worked. Many of the songs that are now considered to be a part of the Great American Songbook were written here. It was important in the 1910s.
What was the importance of sheet music in the 1910s?
The success of a song was judged by the sales of its sheet music. Different arrangements may be published: band arrangements for professional bands, and simple piano arrangements for domestic performance. Piano rolls might also be made of a hit song so they could be played on a player piano.
What was acoustic recording in the 1910s?
Recording music onto a wax cylinder or disc by capturing sound using a large cone. At the base of the cone a sensitive membrane transferred the vibrations of the sound to the cylinder via a needle. Editing was not possible, so recordings needed to be done in one take. Bass instruments were difficult to record, and the quietest instruments needed to be nearest the cone.
What was blues and when did it emerge?
emerging in the 1920s, blues originated from spirituals, African music, work songs and the folk song of European immigrants, blues was developed by African-Americans in the southern US states. Early blues was often accompanied by guitar, and songs were often mournful or ironic. The 12-bar blues chord progression, and variants of it, became very popular. ‘Blues queens’ - female singers such as Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith - were immensely popular.
What was the dixieland jazz of the 1920s?
Instrumental Jazz style. Small bands usually led by trumpet, with clarinet and trombone, and a rhythm section featuring a drum kit, sousaphone or upright bass, and sometimes a banjo, guitar or piano. Two-beat metre with the emphasis on beats 1 and 3. Collective improvisation and call and response between front line instruments are characteristic features.
When did the radio emerge and what impact did it have?
In the 1920s, radio stations very quickly sprung up all over the USA, and the emphasis for popular music changed from sheet music to recorded songs. This changed the working lives of songwriters and performers.
What was the gramophone and the 78 of the 1920s?
Gramophones became popular for listening to music at home, and the availability of records added to the ascendancy of recorded music over printed music. Discs were made from brittle shellac, and played at 78rpm. each side of a ‘78’ could hold about three minutes of music.
How did blues develop in the 1930s and 40s?
Blues began to diversify in the 1930s, with some styles becoming more dance-oriented and instrumental. Its adoption by the big bands (orchestras) working in clubs and theatres was the bridge between vocal blues and swing.
What was the impact of microphones and electrical recording in the 1930s and 40s?
Recording progressed rapidly after microphones began to be used for commercial recording in the late 1920s. A microphone converts sound waves into an electrical signal. Electrical recording improved fidelity considerably, as a wider range of frequencies could be captured faithfully. Singing technique altered immeasurably as singers no longer had to project over the accompanying instruments. Singers such as Bing Crosby became known as ‘crooners’.
How were films relevant in the 1930s and 40s?
As soon as the technology was developed to run a sound recording in sync with a movie, the film began to incorporate songs and instrumental soundtracks. Many of the songs in this Area of Study were originally written for films. Hollywood became a lucrative source of work for composers.
What was the swing of the 1930s and 40s?
‘Big band’ music for large band comprising trumpet, saxophone and trombone sections, piano, upright bass, guitar, drumkit and sometimes strings. Most bands had a featured vocalist, and were named after their band leader, eg. The Duke Ellington orchestra. The bands often had residencies in theatres or clubs such as the Cotton Club in New York, from where their shows would be broadcast on the radio. There was an emphasis on the backbeat (beats 2 and 4), and it is likely that rhythms would be swung over a shuffle rhythm. Solo improvisation (for vocalists this was scat) and call and response were notable features. Famous bandleaders include Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller.
What were the LP records of the 1950s?
Twelve inch vinyl discs could be played at 33rpm, which allowed for 20 minutes of music to be stored on each side. This new album format opened up new possibilities for collections of songs, and added to the reputation of star singers such as Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra.
What were the singles and jukeboxes of the 1950s?
Seven-inch records playing at 45rpm could hold one song on each side. Singles soon became the format for hit songs. Singles could be played on jukeboxes in bars and diners, and were another channel for hit songs to reach the public.
What was magnetic recording and multi-tracking and when did it emerge?
In the 1950s people began using magnetic tape for recording which was developed in Germany during World War two, and became common place worldwide shortly afterwards. It allowed for editing and shortly after it became popular, multi-track recording was developed.
