Popular Music Flashcards
What are the main features of pop music?
~ simple and clear structure ~ use of riffs ~ focus on primary triads ~ catchy melodies with small range ~ mainly electric instruments ~ mainly syllabic ~ use of backing harmonies ~ simple verse-chorus structure
What are some features of the blues?
~ the walking bass ~ 12 bar blues ~ minor tonality ~ blues notes ~ steady 4 beat crotchet rhythm ~ syncopated rhythms in melodies ~ swing/swung rhythms
Describe vocal techniques used in blues
~ slide between blue note and ordinary note of scale
~ heavy vibrato
What are blues notes?
The 3rd, 5th, and 7th notes of the scales lowered
What does strophic mean?
Same music for each verse
What does Gm mean?
G minor chord
What does Gsus mean?
Suspension chord
What does G/B mean?
G chord with B in the bass (inversion chord)
What does Gm^7 mean?
G minor 7th chord - play one miss one 4 times (eg. G B D F)
What does G^5 mean?
Power chord (chord with just root and 5th - middle note removed) eg. G D
What are some features of 1970s rock?
~ standard rock instrument line up with keyboard ~ drum kit (esp. bass) forward in the mix ~ electric guitar solos ~ semi-shouted lyrics ~ use of falsetto (large vocal range) ~ verse/chorus structure ~ largely syllabic lyrics ~ use of syncopated rhythms ~ use of power chords ~ use of whammy bar in the solo
What is the order of sharps?
Father Christmas Gave Daddy An Electric Blanket
F - C - G - D - A - E - B
What is the order of flats?
Blanket Explodes And Daddy Gets Cold Feet
B - E - A - D - G - C - F
What is the rule for sharps?
Go up one from the last sharp
What key is it if there are three sharps?
Father Christmas Gave - F C G -> 3 sharps
Last sharp = G
Up one from G = A -> A major
How many sharps does E major have?
Down one from E = D
Father Christmas Gave Daddy -> F C G D = 4 sharps
What is the rule for flats?
The penultimate flat is the name of the key
What is the exception of the key signature?
F major has 1 flat
How many flats does Bb major have?
Blanket Explodes - B E -> 2 flats
What key has 3 flats?
Blanket Explodes And - B E A
Penultimate flat = E -> Eb major
Describe what palm muting is?
Placing hand on the strings to dampen/ stop the sound
Half way through the introduction of Since You’ve Been Gone, the drum joins the guitar. Describe the use of the snare drum in the first two bars.
It plays on beats 2 and 4 (back beat)
What other percussion instrument (not part of the drum kit) is used in the introduction of Since You’ve Been Gone?
Tambourine
What technique does the bass guitarist use on the first note when it joins the introduction at the same time as the drums in Since You’ve Been Gone?
Slide
What type of cadence does the introduction of Since You’ve Been Gone end?
Imperfect cadence
Describe the use of the bass guitar in the first verse of Since You’ve Been Gone
G major descending scale in minims
What are the main features of Britpop?
~ lyrics most important (melody)
~ regional dialects
~ simple accompaniments (but still electric guitar solos)
What era is Britpop and name some bands associated with it?
1990s - Pulp, Verve, Oasis, Blur
What are the main features of reggae?
~ started life as mento and ska
~ primary triads
~ use of backbeat (emphasising beats 2 and 4)
~ prominent and heavily syncopated bass guitar
~ guitars strummed up
What era is reggae associated with?
1970s
What are some features of rock n’ roll?
~ based on 12 bar blues ~ walking bass (pizzicato in double bass) ~ lines 1 and 2 repeated ~ fast upbeat tempo ~ primary triads (12 bar blues)
What are some features of punk?
~ semi-shouted lyrics, shouted/offensive lyrics
~ electric guitar, driving guitar/drum parts
~ lots of distortion
~ lots of syncopation
~ simple use of harmony
~ guitar solos
What era is rock n’ roll?
1950s
What era is punk?
1970s
What are the main features of folk music?
~ lyrics tell a story (vocals in harmonies)
~ acoustic guitar, acoustic instruments
~ one artist
~ use of modal harmonies/ modal tonality
~ voices in harmonies
~ simple structures
~ regular cadences
What era is folk associated with?
1960s onwards
What are the features of soul/Motown?
~ use of orchestral instruments (esp. strings) ~ use of piano in intros ~ extended harmonies ~ close harmonies/ backing harmonies ~ vocal gymnastics/ melismas ~ large vocal range
What era is soul/Motown?
60s/70s
What is Bhangra?
A fusion between Western pop music and Indian classical music - it started to emerge in 1970s (80s in UK)
What is the order of voice categories?
Bass - baritone - tenor - alto - mezzo soprano - soprano
What are the main features of jazz music?
~ roots in blues (12 bar blues sequence, blues notes)
~ rhythm section provides accompaniment
~ syncopated
~ swing rhythms
What is the 12 bar blues sequence?
I I I I
IV IV I I
V IV I V
What are some features of disco?
~ use of open hi-hat
~ fast tempo
~ four to the floor
What decade would you hear the Hammond organ in rock music?
60s
What would a typical middle 8 section of a rock song have?
~ a distorted electric guitar solo
~ pitch bends/sides etc
What are the prominent percussion instruments used in Bhangra?
Dhol, tabla, dhadd, chimtas
What is a dhol?
A two sided drum with one head larger than the other - it plays rhythms that sound a little like swing rhythms with a long and short pattern
What is rag/raga?
Indian scale
What is chaal?
Indian rhythm pattern
What is a tabla?
Pair of traditional Indian drums with a circle of hard black paste on the heads
What is a sitar?
Indian string instrument, a little like a guitar
What are the key features of Bhangra?
~ lively tempo that sounds upbeat
~ simple verse-chorus structure
~ repetitive melody that is limited in range and will be decorated with embellishments (similar to ornaments)
~ use of the chaal rhythm which features syncopation within a basic 4/4 time signature
~ mix of Indian instruments with western technology used as drum machines,synthesisers and samples
~ use of Punjabi language and shouts of Hoi
What is a flanger?
An electric guitar effect that makes a ‘whooshing’ sound like an aircraft
What does compression do?
Evens out variations in dynamics so the volume of the sound is even
What is panning?
The instruments sound through different speakers - separate sounds
What does ADT do?
(Automatic Double-Tracking) - copies track and plays it with a small delay - echo-like sound
What is a vocoder?
A speech synthesiser that makes a human voice sound synthetic with a robotic effect
What is DI?
Direct Input - allows electric instruments to be played into a mixing desk without a microphone - improves sound quality by reducing background noise and feedback
What is a portamento?
A slide
What is rallentando?
A gradual slowing down or decrease in tempo
How many bpm do dance-pop/ techno-pop/disco songs usually have?
126 bpm
What decade is disco associated with?
70s
Which instrument is used in 70s rock that isn’t used in current rock?
Keyboard
