(Pop) - Rock ‘n’ Roll 1950/60s

Question 1

how would you describe the lyrics as?

Answer 1

Simple, repetitive and easily
memorable – teenage concerns:
love, relationships, cars, school life
and holidays.

Question 2

what is the tempo?

Answer 2

Fast (Allegro) – ideal for dancing.

165-185 bpm

Question 3

what is the metre?

Answer 3

4/4 Time Signature

Question 4

what is the tonality?

Answer 4

Major tonality using mainly simple
and repetitive Primary Chords – I,
IV & V

Question 5

what is the harmony?

Answer 5

slow Harmonic Rhythm (often a chord lasting the whole bar)
often in the 12-Bar Blues Structure:
I, I, I, I, IV, IV, I, I, V, IV, I, I. Close
Harmonies used in the vocals.

Question 6

what is the melody? 3 things:

Answer 6

1)Often uses ‘blue notes’ which are “outside” the ‘normal’ notes of the scale and consist of the first, fourth and fifth notes of the “normal” scale along with the : flattened 3rd, 5th and 7th against a major chord

2)“Catchy” Melodies have a
narrow vocal range.

3)Vocal and
guitar melodies use repeated
phrases, riffs and hooks.

Question 7

what are the dynamics like?

Answer 7

Consistent loud volume – Forte (f)
often louder in the choruses –
Fortissimo (ff) achieved through
amplification.

Question 8

what sort of bassline does it have?

Answer 8

Often features a Walking

Bass Line.

Question 9

what sort of rhythms are used?

Answer 9

1) Backbeat (accenting 2nd and 4th
beats of the bar on the snare
drum).

2) Syncopation, Swung
Rhythms (developed from jazz) and Boogie-Woogie (separate flashcard)
rhythms also used

Question 10

what texture does it have?

Answer 10

1) Homophonic (Melody &
Accompaniment) Texture – a solo
singer accompanied by
instruments.

2) Some textural variety
within songs e.g. instruments
‘dropping out’ for a line or two,

3) backing vocal ‘aahs’ added to fill in the chords and
thicken the texture and sometimes the accompaniment stops completely before crashing back in

Question 11

what is the articulation like?

Answer 11

Harsh, brash and raw sound
possessing energy and drive.
Accents on the 2nd and 4th beats of
the bar provide the Backbeat.

Question 12

how do you create a backbeat?

Answer 12

accenting 2nd and 4th
beats of the bar on the snare
drum

Question 13

what is the accompaniment like?

Answer 13

1) Sometimes Call and Response
between solo voice and
accompaniment (band or backing
singers).

2) Lead singers and/or
instrumental solos backed by band.

Question 14

what is the form and structure of the music like?

Answer 14

1) Verse-Chorus Form with a short
Introduction (often instrumental
but sometimes vocal),

2) solo verses,
chorus, instrumental section
(improvised solos or shuwaddy
section featuring Scat singing)

3) ending with a Coda/Outro.

Question 15

is the lead singer mainly male of female?

Answer 15

mainly men

Question 16

what are male singers vocal performance and technique like?

Answer 16

1) high-pitch
vocals and Falsetto giving an untrained or
shouty tone/timbre with screeches, jeers
and cheers.

2) Portamentos (sliding
from one note to the next) and Scat Singing
often used - a type of
jazz singing where nonsense syllables are used e.g. “doo-wah”,
“do-wop”, “bam-boom”, “shoo-be-do”

Question 17

what venues would they perform in?

Answer 17

Dance Halls, Clubs (live), Concert Halls, Juke
Boxes, Coffee Bars, Radio and to buy on
Record/Vinyl

Question 18

how did technology affect Rock ‘n’ Roll in the 1950s + 60s? (5 things)

Answer 18

1) Amplifiers for Electric Guitars used for the
first time.

2) Basic effects such as Reverb and
Echo.

3) Clean guitar sounds (not overdriven).

4) Double-track lead and backing vocals for
richer sounds.

5) “Raw” sound of recordings,sounds like live performance

Question 19

Artists, Bands & Performers:

Answer 19

Little Richard, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Bill
Haley & The Comets, The Beach Boys,
Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly,
Chubby Checker, The Doors

Question 20

what is Rock ‘n’ Roll made up of?

Answer 20

Rock ‘n’ Roll combines elements of Rhythm and Blues and Country and Western Music

Question 21

when did Rock ‘n’ Roll emerge?

Answer 21

emerged in the mid-1950’s.

Question 22

why was it easier to learn Rock ‘n’ Roll music?

Answer 22

Repetition is an important feature of Rock ‘n’ Roll meaning untrained composers and performers could quickly and easily
learn music and then improvise over the basic structure.

Question 23

what did Rock ‘n’ Roll help establish?

Answer 23

Rock ‘n’ Roll helped establish the typical pop music instrumental combination of Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Bass Guitar
and Drum Kit.

Question 24

what were the typical instruments in early Rock ‘n’ Roll?

Answer 24

Early Rock ‘n’ Roll – lead vocalist accompanied by a small group of acoustic instruments – piano, drum kit, saxophone, trumpet, harmonica, trombone and double bass.

backing singers/vocalists are also frequently used

Question 25

when was the electric guitar introduced?

Answer 25

The Electric Guitar
soon became an essential part of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Backing Singers/Vocalists were frequently used in Rock ‘n’ Roll songs.

Question 26

how was the walking baseline formed?

Answer 26

often performed by the Double Bass using the notes of the chords, along with some extra notes called Blues Notes

Question 27

what does it mean if Rock ‘n’ Roll songs aren’t based on the 12 Bar Blues (in the harmony) ?

Answer 27

then it’s likely that the harmony will be based on a simple repeated chord sequence using primary chords

Question 28

what is a C blues scale?

Answer 28

C, E Flat, F, G Flat, G and B Flat

Question 29

what are boogie-woo how rhythm patterns?

Answer 29

BOOGIE-WOOGIE rhythm patterns are 
often played by the piano in Rock ‘n’ Roll 
songs, is based on the 12-BAR BLUES but 
uses notes of the BLUES SCALE and other 
extra notes within the pattern.