Pop ballads Flashcards
What instruments usually play the melody in a pop ballad?
Lead singer, rhythm guitar
What instruments usually play chords in a pop ballad?
Rhythm guitar, piano, synthesizer, backing singers
What instruments usually play the bass line in a pop ballad?
Bass guitar
What instruments usually play the beat in a pop ballad?
Drum kit
What instruments usually play counter melodies in a pop ballad?
Lead guitar, backing singers, synth, strings
Vibrato
Where the note wobbles in pitch slightly making the sound warmer and more expressive
Portamento
A slide between notes
Flasetto
When a man sings very high
Rubato
Expressive speeding up and slowing down
A cappella
Singing with no instrumental accompaniment
Scat
When singers sing nonsense syllables like ‘doo’
Riffing
When a singer ornaments the melody with a lot of extra notes, usually at the end of a phrase
Lead guitar
Plays melodies- these might be solos, riffs or counter Melodies over the singer’s tune. Some effects such as distortion, chorus or flanger are used
Rhythm guitar
Can be acoustic of electric, plays chords. These might be strummed or picked (to make broken chords)
Bass guitar
Plays the bass line- does not play chords. Sometimes adds glissandos
Backbeat
Heavy emphasis on 2nd and 4th beats of the bar
Bridge
A section that links the verse and chorus. Sometimes called a pre-chorus
Call and response
Often used between the lead vocalist and the backing singers, who repeat or answer what the lead singer has sung
Coda
End section of a song
Distortion
An effect used on guitars which makes a dirty, fuzzy sound
Fill
At the end of a phrase, the drummer plays a more complex part to fill in
Flanger
A guitar effect that makes a whooshing sound
Glissando
A slide between two notes where separate, quick, individual notes can be heard
Harmonic pace
How often chords change ie. One chord per bar, two chords per bar etc.
Hook
The catchy part of the song, often in the chorus
Instrumental break
A section where the singing stops and there is a solo on an instrument
Looping
Technology-based method of repeating a short musical idea
Melisma
Lots of notes sung to a single syllable
Middle eight
The section of a song where there is a new, different tune
Modulation
Key change
Multitracking
Where each part is separately recording and then put together
Panning
Putting more or less sound through each speaker, so that the sound comes from the left or right
What parts is a drum kit made out of
Snare, hi-hat, bass (or kick), drum, tom-toms, ride and crash cymbals
What does the snare often do?
Emphasise the backbeat
What might the kit do at the end of a phrase
Play fills
What are drum pads or drum machines
Digital alternatives to an acoustic kit
What are th main kinds of keyboards found in pop
Pianos, synthesizers (electric organ)
What are synthesizers?
Electronic keyboards capable of playing any kind of sound
Reverb
Adds a sense of space to a sound
Riff
Repeating melodic or rhythmic idea
Sampling
When a short extract of another recording is used in a song
Strumming
Playing all the strings of a guitar at once to play chords
Syllabic
When each syllable is sung with one note
Unison
Everyone singing/playing the same notes
What are the lyrics like in pop ballads?
Sentimental, romantic theme, telling a love story, usually with a romantic twist at the end
What is the tempo like in pop ballads?
Slow, moderate: modrato, andante, adagio, lento, to emphasise the meaning of the words, 70-100bpm, 4/4 time signature, ritardandos and tempo rubato used
What is the harmony and tonality like in pop ballads?
I, V, VI, IV chord progressions, slow harmonic rhythm, chord inversions, repeating block chords, broken chords or arpeggios, modulation in final chorus, chords II, III and IV used more
What are the characteristics of the melody in a pop ballad?
Diatonic, sung by lead singer
What are the characteristics of the dynamics in a pop ballads?
Start off quite soft (mp), usually increasing towards the chorus with a crescendo often ending in a louder, fully-scored final chorus
What are characterisitics of the rhythm in pop ballads?
Snare drum features syncopated rhythms, accenting the backbeat
What are characteristics if the texture in pop ballads?
Homophonic, texture often builds towards the end becoming thicker for a big final ‘climax’ in the last chorus
What are the characteristics of articulation in pop ballad?
Legato throughout
What are characterisitcs of the accompaniment in a pop ballad?
Alway supports the lead singer
What are characterisitcs of the form and structure of a pop ballad?
Verse-chorus form, verses in strophic form, bridge/middle 8 often features new material before a modulation in the final chorus, parts of the verse and chorus can be repeated for emphasis and for effect
Characteristics of vocal performance and technique in pop ballads?
Expressive, emotional, a cappella, vibrato, falsetto, melisma, portamento, riffing, ritardandos, tempo rubato, large vocal ranges, long held notes
Features of technology in pop ballads
Heavy reverb on vocals often used to create a warm sound
Venues for pop ballads to be performed
Pop concert, radio, TV, CD, MP3, download internet sites, youtube
