midterm 1 Flashcards
pitch
relative highness or lowness of given note
register
relative lowness or highness of group of pitches
lower= heavier, threatening
higher= delicate, less threatening
melody
- succession of pitches organized in coherent design such that it is understandable and accessible
- recognized as ‘the sound’
- one pitch unfolds at a time (horizontal element)
harmony
multiple pitches at once (vertical)
gives sense of depth
primary harmonies
=I, IV, V
most common harmonies in western music
Ex. Twist and shout, wild thing
major vs minor
TONALITIES
major= positive, upbeat, light, happy state
minor= sad, dreary, melancholic state
Tempo
how fast or slow a song is
most songs have an identifiable pulse/ pace of pulse
metre
how we organize the pulse
duple metre (quadruple)
pulse organized in twos or groups of twos (2/4, 4/4)
Ex. sweet dreams
triple metre
pulse organized in groups of three (3/4)
Ex. only love can break your heart
rhythm
- how individual notes relate to pulse and metre
- straight (square)= conform to pulse and reinforce, sense of rigidness Ex. sweet dreams
- syncopated)= rhythm often accents off the pulse (space in-between), looser feel Ex. brick house
AABA form
coherent form, repetition(A) and contrast (B)
A is the hook
Ex. Spiderman theme song
verse-chorus form
versus= different (similar melody each time)
chorus= same lyrics every time (hook of song)
Ex. I love rock and roll
blues form/ 12 bar blues
I, IV, V harmony progression
A,A,B lyric arrangement (B is response to A)
timbre
tone quality/ color of given sound/ instrument
Ex. makes a piano sound like a piano
What is ‘the teenager’ and how did it emerge?
-baby boomers
-large youth market with disposable income
=social group against generation of their parents
-conservative time and teens felt pressure, rebellious tendency (led to rock and roll)
3 main pieces of technology in 1950s
- radio in homes
- juke box was new and in most public places
- tv provided visuals of performances
what caused the rise of independent labels?
- 4 major record labels that concentrated their efforts into small handful of artists they knew would sell due to rations during WWII
- opened doors for small independent labels that could cater to other artists
rhythm and blues
- cultivated by African American musicians (12-bar blues form with rhythm section
- white artists would cover recordings by black rhythm and blues singers
Alan Freed
- disc jockey that popularized rock and roll
- integrated airways by playing black and white artists
- public enemy; was targeted and eventually lost his job
Bill Haley (song)
-first identified rock and roll hit; with mega-label
=”Shake, rattle and roll” (cover of big joe turner)
-words were more family friendly, hook appeared sooner
Big Joe Tuner (song)
“Shake, rattle and roll”
- recorded with Atlantic records (indie label)
- hybrid/ multi form used, suggestive back beat (rhythm for sex)
Who was Elvis Presley?
- discovered and signed to Sun Records (Memphis)
- breathy voice
- launched rock and roll
Sam Phillips
knew that Elvis would be popular because he was a white man with a black mans voice
“Hound Dog”
- written by Lieber and Stroller
- Originally sung by Big Mama Thornton
- covered by Elvis (white artists cover songs=slower, more polite, less threatening)
Brown Vs. Board of Education
1954
Little Rock nine
1957- wanted to go to new high school but segregation was in effect; proved this wasn’t okay
Chuck Berry
- made electric guitar iconic
- signed with Chess records (Chicago)
“Brown eyed Handsome man”
- sung by Chuck Berry
- issues of racism and racial pride
“Roll over Beethoven”
- sung by Chuck Berry
- issues of racism and racial pride
Muddy Waters
-signed to Chess records (Chicago)
“Mannish Boy”
- by Muddy Waters
- riff based song; built around repeating tone
- boy= demeaning way of referring to African American man
Little Richard
- kicked out of home for homosexual tendencies
- high screams; coming from gospel music
- sang at Dew drop Inn
- pushed boundaries of performance masculinity
“Tuttie Fruttie”
- by Little Richard
- lyrics slightly changed for original
Dew Drop Inn
- New Orleans
- broke segregation laws by allowing white and black performers, drag queens performed also
- Little Richard performed regularly
Tin Pan Alley
- publishers selling sheet music
- recording threatened this as rock and roll didn’t need sheet music
How did the music industry fight back against rock and rolls success?
- decided to produce mainstream, safer versions
- sold cover versions of rock and roll hits; sold better than original
- created teen idols with safe image to take attention away from rock and roll stars like Elvis
Pat Boone
-recorded cover version of ‘tuttie fruttie’
Payola scandal
- radio disc jockeys took bribes from record companies to play their record
- legal way to go after rock and roll
The mann act
- stated that couldn’t transport a minor across state lines
- Chuck Berry was arrested for violating
Brill building
- New York city
- where ‘clean’ rock and roll was recorded
- songwriters, performers, producers
- populated with young people who knew youth culture
Carole King & Gerry Goffin
- teenage songwriters for the Brill building
- wrote songs for the Shirelles (1st time girl groups were popular), and other girl groups
“Will you still love me tomorrow”
- By the Shirelles
- issues young people can relate to
Introduction of the Pill
1960
-idea of premarital sex now a reality without repercussions
Phil Spector
- redefined role of producer into artist
- one of 1st to use multi-track recording (layering sound)
- Wall of sound production style
- worked in Brill building, made records in LA
- produced The Ronnettes and the crystals
“be my baby”
- By the Ronnettes
- baiaon beat (one, two, and three and four)
- wall of sound style
The wrecking crew
Originally hired by Phil Spector to create Wall of sound in studio
Girl groups
- females come to forefront
- challenge prescribed gender roles for women
- -fun teen pop that addressed serious issues
Dick Dale
- the king of surf guitar
- unconventional guitar player, left -handed, played upside down
- connected surfing with music
Leo Fender
- made electric guitar
- worked with Dick Dale and experimented with amplification
reverb
- created by Dick Dale and Leo Fender
- electronic effect that created reverberation with petals
- hallmark of surf music sound
“Miserlou”
- by Dick Dale (surf music)
- guitar riff
“Wipe out”
- By the Surfaris (surf music)
- instrumental indie hit with reverb
- intro= sound of surf board breaking, 12-bar blues
- ‘splashy’ cymbals
The Beach Boys
- from middle class family in Hawthorn, Calfironia
- family group
Brian Wilson
- primary force behind the beach boys, wrote their songs
- incorporated others into his sound (ex. Phil Spector) and used studio as creative tool
“Don’t worry baby”
- Beach Boys (surf music)
- Brian Wilson’s attempt to mimic feel of “be my baby” by the Ronnettes (produced by Phil Spector)
- hired wrecking crew that Spector used
Pet Sounds (1965)
- Album by The Beach Boys
- first concept album
- experimenting with variety of sounds
- influenced by the Beatles
- tried to create alternative paradise from real life
“Good Vibrations”
- Single by the Beach Boys (surf music)
- Theremin sound= vibration/ wave sound
Woody Guthrie
- homeless, travelled West writing songs
- folk music: traditional, simple, communal
Bob Dylan
- modelled self off Woody Guthrie
- travelled to New York (Greenwich Village)
- protest singer with attitude, charisma (a lot to protest about)
- poetic content influenced by Beat poets
- performed in March on Washington led by MLK
- noisily voice and guitar used to focus on lyrics
Greenwich Village
- New York
- centre for thriving folk music scene
Beat Poets
- located in San Francisco, influenced by African American culture
- advocated use of drugs for creativity
“Oxford Town”
- By Bob Dylan (folk music)
- about how segregation still a problem in town where Mississippi University located
- folk style, acoustic guitar
- lyrics point at social problem
“Like a rolling stone”
- By Bob Dylan (folk music)
- 6min song, previously songs only 3min for radio
- shifted FM radio to be more artistic
- not just 1 interpretation of song (attacking those in power)
- gets attention from serious adult news outlets
The Byrds
- led by Roger McQuinn
- inspired by Bob Dylan; folk music and rock and roll
“Mr. Tambourine Man”
- covered by the Byrds (originally by Bob Dylan)
- hired wrecking crew to emulate the beach boys
- inspired by Carnival; lowly thumbing noses at powerful and those who mindlessly conform
- Folk music
Buffy St. Marie
- Toronto (Yorkville)
- social protest confronting real issues
- affiliated with American Indian Movement (AIM), reputation for being troubled
Newport Folk Festival
1965
-Bob Dylan performed and booed off stage for performing folk-rock song
“Universal Soldier”
- By Buffy St. Marie (folk music)
- addresses Vietnam war, calling out irrationality of war
Soul music
- way to distance self from blues
- mainstream friendly way to market black music
Ray Charles
- soul music
- first hit based on church song, converted to be about a women
Sam Cook
- Falsetto (high, thinner range)
- Started as part of the ‘Soul stirrers’ but later recorded under name Dale cook so wouldn’t be associated
- Melismas= express something beyond words
- soul music
Martin Luther King Junior
-integrationist strategy to equal rights (Motown followed)
Malcom X
-black nationalist; believed must establish own institutions
Motown
- Northern soul
- Detroit (Hitsville, USA)= main destination for great migration
- founded by Berry Gordy
- black company that became one of biggest independent labels
Berry Gordy
- Founded Motown
- automotive assembly line applied to record production
- strict idea of what would sell (hook upfront, strong beat, present tense lyrics, etc.)
- tested songs through small car speaker to make sure sounded good through bad equipment
- used variety of means to enhance sounds of songs
Funk Brothers
-house band for Motown
“Please Mr. Postman”
- By The Marvelettes (Motown/ soul music)
- upfront beat
- Motown record label
Maxine Powell
-led Motown finishing school, taught kids how to present selves as refined and sophisticated (more white-like)
Cholly Atkins
- worked along side Maxine Powell
- choreographer (made street dance style more elegant)
“Stop, in the Name of Love”
- By the Supremes (Motown/ Soul music)
- 4 beats, gives urgency
- grittier sound (moved from south to Detroit)
- black group on white charts
“Ain’t to proud to beg”
- By the Temptations (Motown/ Soul music)
- sang in low register
- recorder multiple times before just right
Stax Records
- Memphis= Southern Soul
- grittier, unapologetically black (owned by white)
Booker T. and the MGs
- house band at Stax records
- grittier sound as apposed to polished
Jerry Wexler
- talent scout for Atlantic records
- wrote for rhythm and blues for billboard magazine
- thought a sound was needed to simulate ‘the jerk’ (dance craze)- delayed backbeat
Wilson Pickett
-signed to Stax records
delayed backbeat
- emulate the jerk
- created by Steve Cropper
- Stax records famous for
“In the Midnight hour”
- By Wilson Pickett (soul music)
- not gospel anymore, about getting together with a women
“These arms of mine”
- By Ottis Redding (soul music)
- 6/8 soul ballad/ compound meter (double and triple pulse heard)
- AABA form
- masterful vocal style
“Respect”- original
By Ottis Redding
“Respect” cover
By Arethra Franklin (soul music)
- transformed song into feminist and black person anthem
- added vocal backings, backing singer group= Sweet Inspirations”
Arethra Franklin
- gospel singer, father was preacher
- signed to Columbia Records, tried to make lounge singer but flopped
- Jerry Wexler sent her to FAME Studios where thrived
“Soul Man”
By Sam and Dave
- Stax records in Memphis
- response to riots at the time where many businesses firebombed
- not afraid to broadcast black characteristics
- important to civil rights movement and history
What was ‘the British Invasion’?
-who led?
- acts from England have major success, this puts breaks on dominance of soul and Motown music
- sound/ style rooted in African American music
- led by the Beatles
Cavern Club
-who played here?
-The Beatles, seen by Brian Epstein
Reeperbahn
- The Beatles played in red light district of Germany
- long sets with many hours of cover songs
- developed loud sound to prevent people from leaving
- took speed to sustain selves throughout set
Mach schau
-loud style of music developed by Beatles
Record label the Beatles were signed to?
Parlophone
George Martin
signed the Beatles to Parlophone records, referred to as the 5th Beatle
Brian Epstein
-Manager for the Beatles
The Beatles
-members and musical style
- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Star
- played underground black music (subversive but English made it posh
“She loves you”
- By the Beatles
- advice song (like girl groups)
- hook upfront, loose high-hat symbols
Beatlemania
female fans went crazy at shows (screaming and crowding the Beatles)
“I want to hold your hand”
- By the Beatles
- high range when sing the word hand, music tells us it is about more than jus holding hands
- girl group beat/ clap behind vocals
How did Bob Dylan influence the Beatles and their music?
- Met him in hotel in New York, turned the Beatles onto marijuana (had new outlook on life)
- challenged them to write something with an important message (serious adult themes that address social issues and problems)
“you’ve got to hide your love away”
- Song by The Beatles
- influenced by Bob Dylan/ Folk music
- acoustic guitar, tambourine, maraca, introspective lyrics
- some people have to hide who they are due to discrimination
“Son of a preacher man”
- Song by Dusty Springfield (part of English invasion)
- controversial as suggested racial mixing
- recorded in Memphis, soul/ Motown music
- sound like black women
Most successful to come out of London blues scene?
The rolling stones
crawdaddy club
- focused on African American blues (specifically Chicago blues)
- breading ground for successful artists in London blues scene
members of the rolling stones and their background
-Keith Richards: went to art school
-Mick Jagger: went to economic school
-Brian Jones: loved Chicago blues
( PART OF BRITISH INVASION)
Andrew Loo Oldham
- manager of the rolling stones
- realizes money is in song-writing and that Mick Jagger should be front man
- cultivated bad boy image for the rolling stones (anti-beatles)
“satisfaction”
first major hit for the rolling stones
riff based song- like rhythm and blues horn section
“You really got me”
- song by the Kinks (BRITISH INVASION)
- riff based song
- distorted guitar tone (“fuzz”) due to slashing amplifier
- suggested 1st heavy metal song
- demonstrated power cord (2 tones rathe than 3)
The Kinks
- brothers (Ray and Dave Davies)
- kicked out of US for causing crowd to riot
power cord
2 tones instead of one
Ex. “You really got me” by the Kinks
“My generation”
- Song by the Who (British Invasion)
- song developed by Peter Townsen
what was the mod scene?
sub culture in London that loved rhythm and blues, and soul music
- specific look, did speed
- rockers would riot the mods
- influenced the who
Peter Townsen
-wrote songs for The Who
counter-culture
- subculture of youth, opposite of establishment (baby boomers now in early 20s)
- LSD popular
- society based on love instead of individual greed
- more participation from women in music
Name the bookstores in London and San Fran, what did they support?
-London= Indica
-San Fran= City lights
-promoted work by beat poets (anti-government, against sexual oppression, encouraged drug experimentation)
promoted books on eastern religion and philosophy
Timothy Leary
-did experimentations on LSD (hallucinogenic) and promoted it in San Francisco
“Tomorrow never knows”
- Song by the Beatles (psychedelic rock)
- from the revolver album
- based on Tibetan book of the dead
- tambourine, drone sound (portray trance like state)
- psychedelic lyrics
- Stockhausen influenced- experimenting with tape loops (Musique concrete)
- guitar played backwards
Musique concrete
music style made from acousmatic sound
sound often modified
Merry Prankster and Ken Kesey
turned people onto acid
what were members of the counter culture called?
- flower children
- peace and love generation
- hippies
- the now generation
Height/ Ashbury
community within San Francisco that consisted of communes, co-ops and many children
Acid tests
rent venue, hand out acid, play music, strobe lights
human be-ins
-same as acid tests but outside (back to nature)
“white rabbit”
- song by Jefferson Airplane (Grace Slick)
- based on Alice and wonderland story (psychedelic ideal)
- bass guitar and drum set alone with exotic Spanish rhythm (non-western rhythm)
“the golden road”
- song by the grateful dead
- dance orientated (commune, inclusive)
Monterey pop festival
1967
- back to nature music festival
- The grateful dead, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix played
Year of the summer of love
1967
Janis Joplin
- moved to San Fran from Texas
- deeply passionate blues singer (greatest white blues singer)
- lived in the moment
“maybe”
-song by Janis Joplin
Jimi Hendrix
- revolutionized the electric guitar
- break rules in music
- famous guitar solo at Woodstock (1969)
“Purple Haze”
Jimi Hendrix first hit
-came to him in a dream, lyrics have stream of consciousness and about imagery
“everyday people”
by Sly and the family stone
-preaching against discrimination, everyone belongs
Altamount
- event planned by Rolling Stone and seen as end of counterculture
- moved at last minute
- hired hells angels as security and paid in beer prior to show
- stabbing occurred when crowd got out of hand
“Gimme Shelter”
- By the rolling stones
- dread as hope. love and peace fading; end of counterculture
Art rock
- white male centred genre
- established rock as serious and important (rock ‘n’ roll seen as kids music/ outdated)
- written about in rolling stone and creem magazine
- FM radio becomes distinct from AM
- high art seen on album covers
The Beatles concept album
- Sargent peppers lonely hearts club
- printed lyrics on album sleeve (lyrics important and can stand on their own)
- concert like experience
“Eleanor Rigby”
- Song by The Beatles (from Revolver album) art rock
- string quartet
- words written in poetic style
“nights in white satin”
- by the moody blues (art rock)
- collaboration with London Orchestra for their concept album ‘Days of future pass’
- poetry part of song
“Fanfare for the common men”
- biggest hit by Emerson, Lake and Palmer
- bring in classical sounds (art rock)
Marvin Gaye
- singer, songwriter, record producer
- helped shape Motown, and later became solo artist
- “Prince of Motown” “Prince of Soul”
- concept album “what’s goin on”
“what’s goin on”
- concept album by Marin Gaye (art rock)
- each song dealt with social issues
- sounds form other elements (studio as creative element)
Members of Pink Floyd
-David Gilmour and Roger Waters
“The wall”
- concept album by Pink Floyd (art rock)
- Waters wrote autobiographical; built wall to protect self from outside world
“Comfortably Numb”
- Song by Pink Floyd off the wall album (art rock)
- transcendent guitar solo, dramatic shift from minor verses to major chorus
- vocal timbre changes
“Wuthering Heights”
- song by Kate Bush (art rock)
- based on classical literature, operatic voice (artsy)
- interpretive dance
- complicated song form
- odd metre used (alternate between 5/4 and 7/4)
Progressive rock
-technically advanced musician ship, odd metres, complexity, etc.
odd metre
alternate between 5/4 and 7/4
Rick Wakeman
- part of Yes
- projected identity of being wizard of synthesizers and organs
- wore wizard capes
- massive keyboard set up
“Roundabout”
- Song by Yes (Prog rock)
- used studio for musical experimentation
- piano played backwards, fades to acoustic guitar
- whole ensemble plays complicated lines
- instrumental interloods
- sophisticated form
“Spirit of Radio”
- Song by Rush (Prog rock)
- ensemble virtuality; all play weird instrumental passages
- celebration of radio (free music in home)
- critique of commercialization (fear of being seen as a sell out)
- song was more radio friendly
Singer-song writer genre
- intimacy, small scale, authenticity
- women have more success
- singer also wrote the song based on personal life experiences
- autobiographical genre
Laural Canyon
- In LA, retreat for hippies
- most singer-song writers were here
“fire and rain”
- Song by James Taylor (sing-song writer)
- friend from rehab passed away
- acoustic textures, personal story
- vulnerability, confessional, direct (minimal music to not get in way of lyrics)
“So far away”
- song by Carole King when moved to LA (singer-songwriter)
- album cover= intimate, inviting into home
- advanced technology to make sound pure
“A case of you”
- Song by Joni Mitchell (singer-song writer w/ folk background)
- unique sound, personal conversation, vulnerable tone, acoustic sound
- handwritten notes on record, front is her drawing
“Heart of gold”
- song by Neil Young
- intimate handwritten lyrics
- image of authenticity
- unmediated musical language (acoustic tambours, harmonica, stripped down)
- gritty voice to make more sincere
- multifaceted artist
Funk music
- pushed non-white artists off mainstream charts as different style of black music emerging (funk)
- peaceful assimilation wasn’t working
Black power movement sign
fist raised
Black panthers
- wanted to provide equal opportunities, against police violence
- uniforms: raided and made strip to humiliate leaders
- 10-point program
- Olympians and Beyoncé pay tribute to black power movement
Black power music
- unapologetically black
- wear African influenced styles, colors and afros
James Brown
- most successful artist in establishing funk
- leading voice in black community (positive influence)
- just want opportunities not handouts
- hardest working man in show business
- impressive dancing
“Papa’s got a brand new bag”
- song by James Brown
- Instrument turned into percussion instrument that normally a percussion instrument
- Scratch guitar
- rhythmic percussive vocals
- reclaim 12-bar blues as African American idiom
scratch guitar
-palm strings, rhythmically strum, hear rhythm not specific cords
“say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud”
- song by James Brown (funk )
- anthem for black pride movement and civil rights movement
- emphasize bass guitar
- heavy baseline that emphasizes The One (heavy low note on down beat)
- no cord change, all about rhythm
- notion of badness
Bootsey Collins
influential bass player
-played for James Brown
The one
-heavy low note on down beat
“super bad”
- song by James Brown (funk)
- reiteration of baaad man idea- but made funky
- claim authority, got soul and super bad
Stagerlee
- baad man myth came from
- kills man over a hat
- so bad that demands respect form white establishment
- Mississippi John Hart wrote song about
Larry Graham
bass player for sly and the family stone
-developed style that defined funk bass playing= slap bass
slap bass
- defined funk bass playing
- thumping, popping, slapping
- percussive
- developed by Larry Graham
“thank you (Falettinme be mice elf agin)” “
- song by Sly and the family stone (funk)
- new style of bass playing
- embracing stereotypes of African Americans and making it positive
- start with police harassment scenario, at end even police cant subdue the ‘bad man’
- improper grammar used to take control
Blaxploitation film
new type of film that highlighted crime, poverty, influx of drugs that government turned blind eye to in black communities
“theme from shaft”
- song by Isaac Hayes (funk)
- half sing and half speak= too cool to sing all
- long instrumental introduction to demonstrate musical genius
Isaac Hayes
- sang theme form black shaft
- album called black moses; positioned self as black leader
- performed at Wattstax 1972
Wattstax 1972
-benefit concert organized by Stax records to commemorate 1965 riots
