Prof. Songer’s Music 100

Important Announcement

04 - Harmony

Session 3 allowed us to learn about the time-keeping aspects of music; rhythm, beat, meter and tempo. In that session I also got into talking about melody. Now we consider harmony. As we do we’ll cover more terms. Those terms include:
   1. Harmony
   2. Chords
   3. Major and minor
   4. Consonance and dissonance
   5. Cadence
   6. Texture

When you hear two sounds (pitches) at the same time, it is called harmony. When a couple of crickets of different sizes are “doing their thing” at the same time you hear harmony. It may not be the best harmony but it is, no less, harmony. In fact, when the harmony sounds stable or pleasing to our ears it is called “consonant”. When the sounds tend to be harsh or clash it is called “dissonant”.

When there are three or more pitches heard together it is defined as a chord. You could say that a chord is a more robust type of harmony because chords can be either consonant or dissonant. When structured correctly, a set of chords provides the basis for the “key” of a song or musical work. Most pieces begin and end in the same key.

Here’s a graphic example of pitch (one note at a time), harmony (two notes at a time) and chord (three or more notes sounding at a time). This illustration also shows how printed music looks. Keep in mind that the flow of the music is horizontal and that distinct points in time are views in a vertical relationship. You’ll also see what a time signature looks like in this image as well as how quarter notes and half notes appear (a quarter note will be heard for one beat and a half note for two beats).

Now answer these questions. When is a single line of a melody heard? In what measure is harmony first heard? What is the measure where the sounding of chords are heard or played?

Without trying to get too confusing it’s now time to build on this set of knowledge.

A  pair of chords, when played one after the other, can create a cadence. Cadences come at the end of phrases (sections of a song that seem to go together) or at the end of the piece. A cadence is used to help bring the harmony to a point of rest so the song can end or the performer take a breath between phrases. A cadence in music is like punctuation in language. Just as the commas in a sentence help in making sense of the text, cadences help in understanding the different phrases of a song (a series of notes that are logically organized by some means).

Scales are the skeleton around which melodies and/or harmonies are built. The most common type of scale is one that is made up of eight (8) notes. Other cultures use scales that use five or six notes.

In class I talked about other aspects of melody and harmony. This included a demonstration of major and minor in addition to presenting concepts about counterpoint in music. (As I reminded you in class, the content of these blogs is meant to augment what is covered in class and is, in no way, a complete substitute.)

Putting It All Together

In the class session I gave examples of everything presented above. I also covered how all these facets of music merge to form texture.

Basically, there are three varieties of texture as they relate to melody and harmony.

• Monophonic - A single line with no accompaniment
• Homophonic -  A melody with accompanying chords or other harmonious elements
• Polyphonic - Two or more lines of melody sounding at the same time (the melodies can be similar or contrasting)

In wrapping things up view a performance of a composition by George Bizet. Farandole is from Bizet's music for the play L'Arlésienne (The Woman from Arles), which is set in southern France. Two contrasting themes are heard in this exciting orchestral piece. The first, in minor, is a march theme adapted from a southern French folk song. The lively second theme, in a major key, has the character of the farandole, a southern French dance. Over the course of the work, three types of musical textures are presented, i.e., homophonic, polyphonic, and monophonic.

First, the march theme is presented by the full orchestra. Note the homophonic texture (accompaniment in same rhythm as melody) and the sound of the minor key. This helps give it a serious or heavy sound.

Second, the march theme is repeated in the strings. Note the violins are imitated by the violas resulting in an exciting polyphonic texture.

Third, a dance-like melody is presented in the high woodwinds. The chords in the accompaniment result in a homophonic texture. It is played in a major key. This helps give it a lighter and more playful sound.

Fourth, the accompaniment (strings) becomes louder and changes in character as the dance them is develops through imitation and variation.

Fifth, the full orchestra enters. It has a monophonic presentation of the main theme in the strings. The woodwinds enter supported by strings (playing pizzicato instead of bowing). The strings divide to provide homophonic accompaniment followed by the woodwinds and strings (pizzicato). The music becomes more intensive and leads to the final section.

Finally, the dance and march themes are played together in full orchestra. Note the resulting polyphonic texture before we hear the cadence announcing the end of the piece with its homophonic texture.

To watch a performance of the Bizet composition, go to You Tube and do a search on "farandole" and choose one of the selections there. The URL for You Tube, if you don't know it, is www.youtube.com.

Now, review this material and the previous session in preparation for a quiz on Monday.

Professor Songer

03 - The Music of Our World: Rhythm and Melody in music

Rhythm, is essential element of music. In Monday's session we observed how it’s measured and used in music.

Rhythm is the term musicians use to talk about the flow of music through time. Since all music moves through time it contains rhythm. The rhythm may be regular or irregular but we tend to enjoy it best when it’s regular.

Though rhythm is the term to denote the flow (movement) of music through time, it is composed of several aspects. Let’s look at those aspects now.

Beat

Beat is the basic pulse of the music that we hear and sense. Normally it is regular (steady) though it can become irregular as a performer slows the music when coming to the end or speeds it up to build to a point of excitement. Beat is what we feel when we want to dance or march to the music. Beat is also the way the music is measured. For instance, we talk about the number of beats in a measure.

Meter

In one sense, meter is the pattern of the beats. It isn’t the notes themselves but the pattern we create with them. A pattern is created when certain beats are emphasized consistently. For instance, look at the following pattern and see if it makes sense.

| X X X O | X X X O | X X X O | X X X O |

Do you see a pattern? Absolutely! If “X” represented when to clap and “O” represented when to be silent you would create a rhythmic pattern. Most patterns of beats occur in groups of twos, threes, or fours.

Here’s another simple rhythmic pattern.

| X O X O | X X X O | X O X O | X X X O |

This pattern may be said to be a variation of the first or it could be said that it’s totally different. Regardless of the attitude toward it, it is somewhat different from the first and could be used in a different way depending on how a performer or composer would use it.

The point is this: The pattern created by the beats makes for a certain element of music we call “meter”.

Notation of Rhythm in Music

• Notes last for a certain number or portion of beats
• The length of notes follows a 2:1 ratio
• Meter is indicated in notation by vertical lines that create units called measures
• The meter signature is two numbers aligned vertically at the beginning of a printed piece of music
• The signature tells the number of beats in a measure (upper) and the type of note that equals one beat (lower)

The “Rhythm Tree” (illustrated below) shows the progression from whole note to thirty-second notes. The notes have the 2:1 ratio. A whole note can be divided into two half notes. Two half notes would be played for the same duration in time as a whole note. This method of relationship continues on through the chart. Also indicated on this chart is the corresponding look of a rest that indicates to the player to be silent for a given number of beats.

Tempo

 

Tempo is the term used to describe the relative speed of music as it passes through time. Most music, at the beginning of the printed piece, indicates how quickly or slowly to perform the music. Usually this is done through the use of a term in the Italian language. Tempo can also be indicated by a metronome marking the number of beats per minute. A metronome, by the way, is a device that “ticks” out the time in a regular and steady manner.

 

Syncopation

Syncopation happens when the rhythmic emphasis occurs where it is not expected or is absent where it is expected. Syncopation is an essential part of jazz and adds interest to a musical piece of performed effectively and well.

Polyrhythm

Polyrhythm occurs when two or more rhythmic patterns are performed at the same time. They are heard in some twentieth-century music and are a feature of African music. By illustration, I demonstrated the pattern of beating 3 against 2.

Basic Types of Meter

All music meter is based on the feel of either two beats or three beats as the basic pattern. The two-beat pattern is called duple meter and the three-beat pattern is referred to as triple meter.

Melody and Harmony

We’ve looked at one of the elements already — rhythm. Now we consider melody and harmony. As we do we’ll cover more terms. Those terms are:

   1. Pitch
   2. Melody
   3. Harmony
   4. Chords
   5. Major and minor
   6. Consonance and dissonance
   7. Cadence
   8. Texture

Pitch can best be described as the actual, identifiable tone that you hear. It can be measured, as mentioned before, in cycles per second. This is the basic rate at which the object causing the sound vibrates. It is also referred to in terms of highness or lowness. As you know, the sound that a cricket creates is made by rubbing the legs together. This creates friction that, as a result, vibrates the air around the legs and cause the sound to be produced. When those vibrations are picked up by your eardrum it goes through your nerves and your brain perceives it as a specific sound.

Melody is a logically arranged series of pitches. Sometimes we speak of the melody as “the tune”. Melody is important because it the main characteristic we remember about a musical work. Melody is also important because the other elements of music support or supplement the melody. A melody also supplies the theme for a song. Melodies have length, range, contour and, at times, decorative aspects.

Melodies can move in an upward or downward manner by intervals. Examples of the space of intervals are given in the following illustration.

02 - Listening to the Music of Our World - the Rules

01 - Overview of the Class and Rule 1

This is the Posterous site for class members of Music 100 at Jefferson Community and Technical College as taught by Byron Songer. Classes for the Fall 20011 semester should mark this page and follow it at least twice weekly and more frequently if necessary. The date range for the semester is August 15, 2011 - December 10, 2011. The fall classes taught under my direction are as follows:

MUS 100-5505 • LEC 37101 • Intro to Music (Lecture) • M/W 12:00PM - 1:15PM
MUS 100-5507 • LEC 37103 • Intro to Music (Lecture) • M/W 1:25PM - 2:40PM
MUS 100-5508 • LEC 37104 • Intro to Music (Lecture) • M/W 2:50PM - 4:05PM

I hope the format in which I approach the class will prove to be a good experience for you in your exploration of music. I can guarantee you this--we'll cover a broad range of music that's been developed over the last 1400 years in Western civilization and also explore the music of a few Eastern cultures and other cultures on our small planet. The experience you're about to have will be of benefit to you the rest of your life. This is my guarantee.

As your instructor I'll make posts on this site regularly. These posts will include material covered in class such as outlines or notes notes as well as links to other information on the web. You, the student, will be expected to read and become familiar with this material. This will, in fact, be one of three main sources of information for the class. The other sources will be lectures and discussion held in class as well as some extra-class musical opportunities.

While I do not require that you purchase a textbook, one will be of great assistance to the serious student. By not purchasing a text you will save money. However, you will still be expected to read material I present on this site and will be held accountable for all assignments. After all, this is the traditional part of the educational process -- you learn stuff and you demonstrate that you've learned it by passing exams and participating in discussion and/or class presentations.

Elements of the Plan

As mentioned above, I'll be blogging notes of material covered in class. These notes will be made available the next morning after the class session is held. I'll be posting them to help you in reviewing the notes I expect you to take in class (yes, good students take notes; poor ones don't). Each Monday the class will begin with a short quiz. If you miss the quiz the grade will be a “0”. I use these grades to help in determining the 25% grade for personal initiative. The quizzes will also be useful in preparing for the four, unit exams as well as for the final exam. The quizzes will cover the previous week's material. This "looking back" approach means that all material covered in class will be new and lecture-oriented. However, not all of the class time will be spent with a lecture. We'll also have class discussion and do a fair amount of listening because, after all, it is a music course. For each lecture I do use corresponding computer-oriented presentations.

Course Description - Music 100

Music 100 is a study of the elements of music as they apply to the listening experience; designed for the non-music major with little or no prior knowledge of music. Emphasis will be placed upon developing an awareness and understanding of musical styles from the Renaissance to the present. The course also introduces students to the many styles of popular music currently enjoyed by people in the United States and helps them to appreciate the diverse roots of these styles. In addition, students will be encouraged to develop an understanding of music in other cultures from around the world through an encounter with their music.

Your Grade

Your grade will be based on several elements. Those are:

Review Quizzes
Unit Exams (4 in all)
Final Exam (1 exam)
Class Attendance
Personal Initiative

Grading Scale

Grading Scale: Exams, quizzes and other work will be graded using the following scale to assign grades.

100-90 = A
89-80 = B
79-70 = C
69-60 = D
59-00 = E

Course Requirements

Students are expected to attend each class session, be prepared to respond to questions and enter into meaningful discussion with regard to the session topics listed in the Syllabus. Assignments will also be given in which students submit papers based on individual research. Class will not be held two session to allow you time to do library-based and online research in addition to preparing the paper. It will be necessary you have your paper checked by a consultant at the Writing Center prior to submitting the paper.

Each student is to be present and on time for exam days. As mentioned in class, exams will be distributed a few days in advance of when they are due. They are to be handed in at the beginning of the class day on the day due. If an absence is pending, please make arrangements in advance with respect to the exam. If an absence is unscheduled, please contact me via email as soon as possible in order to avoid receiving a zero (0) for that exam.

Printed copies of the syllabus were made available in class. A PDF of the syllabus will be made available later for downloading in the event you need a copy on your computer.

In Closing

All of this sounds rather involved. However, if you work with me I'll work with you so that we can all have a successful experience together.

Rule 1

Music is the movement of sounds and silences through time.

Prof. Songer

Additional Content - World Music: Music of the Americas

Elements to Listen for in the Music of the Americas

1. Pitch patterns, particularly pentatonic.
2. Styles in which harmony isn’t valued.
3. Non-Western rhythms or sense of meter.
4. Musical instruments and vocal styles.
5. Functional and ceremonial music not designed to entertain.
6. Music that mixes American styles with cultural styles.
   

Native American Music

1. Non-European
2. Unique
   
   1. Instruments
   2. Functions
   3. Aesthetics
      
3. Oral Tradition - no literacy
4. Great variety between Tribes
5. Ignored by Colonist and Early Americans
   
   1. Therefore, much is unknown – even today
   2. Has had little (or no) influence on popular music
      
6. No recorded history
   
   1. Knowledge of music from anthropology and archeology – two, scientific disciplines
   2. Cultures were isolated; very little acculturation
   3. Little is know of their original music
      

Styles and Context

1. Music served a function in daily life
2. Not used as a means of entertainment separate from its function
3. Some words (vocal sounds) carried no meaning – vocables
4. Melody instruments were rare
5. Vocal melodies were ornamented with no concern for harmony
   

Assimilation and Preservation

1. Originally, there was pressure to enter the “mainstream” and segregate the culture
2. Some indigenous American music exists though much has been lost
3. Native Americans tend to be multi-cultural today
   

Note that the following example is not “pure”. It has had contemporary rhythms and instruments overlaid on the original chanting style of Native American music.

Ethnic Music in the US

The Nineteenth Century

1. England
2. Ireland, Germany and Scandanavia
3. Italy, Poland, Greece, and other Eastern European countries
4. China and Japan (on the west coast)
5. Asia and former states of USSR
6. Rural Europeans became urban, (concentrated) ethnic Americans
7. Immigrants – a strong market for recordings of music of their homeland
8. Tastes  often modified by experiences in the new world

Examples

1. Reggae
2. Salsa
3. Bossa Nova
4. Tex-Mex
5. Mariachi
6. Cajun/Zydeco
7. Klezmer
   

Reggae

1. From Jamaica 1950s
2. Connected to
3. Rastafarianism
4. Black Nationalism
5. Social Reform
6. Substyles
   
   • Ska
   • Rocksteady
     
7. DJ was integral
8. Precursor to rap
9. Merged with hip-hop
10. Artists
    
    • Jimmy Cliff
    • Bob Marley
    • Bunny Wailer
    • Peter Tosh
      

Latino

1. Salsa (Latin jazz), chachachá and mambo (Cuba)
   
   • Ruben Blades
   • Tito Puente
     
2. Bossa nova (Brazil)
   
   • Antonio Carlos Jobim
   • Joäo Gilberto
     

1. Tex-Mex (Texas and Mexico)
   
   • Little Joe Hernandez
   • Texas Tornados
     
2. Mariachi (Mexico)
   
   • Traditional (mostly local) ensembles
   • Trumpets, violins, guitars, guitaron (bass guitar), and folk harp
   • Much use of duet in instrumental and vocal parts
   • Parallel movement of parts a third apart
     

Cajun/Zydeco (Louisiana)

1. Cajun
   
   • Mostly Whites,
   • French Language
   • Instruments
     
     • Fiddle
     • Accordion
       
2. Zydeco
   
   • Mostly Blacks
   • French Language
   • Instruments
     
     • Accordion
     • Electric Guitar
     • Electric Bass
     • Drums
     • Washboard
       

Music of South America, Mexico and the Caribbean

1. Indigenous folk music
2. Spanish-language folk styles
3. Folk instruments
4. Churches/missionaries
5. Music schools
6. European art music
7. Nationalism
   

Latin American Instruments

1. Wind Instruments
2. Reed Flutes
3. Ocarinas
4. Panpipes
5. String Instruments
6. Violins
7. Guitars
8. Bass Guitars
9. Harps
10. Percussion Instruments
    
    • Maracas
    • Claves
    • Guiros
    • Castanets
    • Bongos
    • Congas
    • Xylophones (and marimbas)
    • Steel Drums
      

General Qualities of Latin Music

1. European harmonies
2. Simple and repetitive, but layered for complexity
3. Rarely chromatic
4. Melodies of limited range
5. Little improvisation (except where African-influenced)
6. Clear, regular phrases
7. Usually major and/or minor tonality
8. Syncopated, percussive rhythms

26 - 04182011 - Music Beyond the Americas (World Music)

Classical Music of India

Classical Music

1. Highly Developed
2. Improvisatory
3. Melodic (Non-Harmonic)
4. Memorized
5. Virtuosic and Sensitive
   

Genrés

1. Rasa
2. Raga
3. Tala
4. Guru
   

Hindustani Instruments

1. Sitar
2. Sarod
3. Tabla
4. Tambura
   

Karnatic Instruments

1. Vina
2. Mridangam
3. Sarangi
   

Popular Music of India

Disseminated by cassette tape and computer downloads
Music often pirated – International copyright not honored or enforced
Influenced by Western jazz and rock styles
Music often lip-synched in “Bollywood” musicals

Music in Japan

Traditional Japanese Music

1. Often theatrical
2. Regional varieties exist
3. Goal:  Maximum effect from minimum resources
   

Styles

1. Gagaku (orchestral)
2. Kabuki (royal melodrama)
3. Koto, Shakuhachi, Shamisen (Japanese instruments)
   

Western Styles Prominent Since WWII

1. Taught in Music Schools
   
   • Classical
   • Jazz
   • Latin
     
2. Performed Frequently
   

Music in Sub-Saharan Africa

Usually Found with Other Arts

1. Dancing
2. Costumes
3. Sculpture
4. Crafts
5. Drama
   

Functions

1. Religious
2. Social Activities
3. Entertainment
4. Ceremonies
   

Instruments

1. Drums
2. Rattles
3. Fiddles
4. Musical Bows
5. Xylophones
6. Mbiras (Thumb Piano)
7. Trumpets
8. Flutes
   

Popular Music in Sub-Saharan Aftica

1. Famous Styles
   
   • Highlife
   • Juju
   • Afro-Beat
     
2. Influenced by Western Popular Music
3. Famous Artists
   
   • Babatunde Olatunji
   • Youssou N’Dour
   • King Sunny Adé
   • Ladysmith Black Mambazo
     

Traditional Music of Eastern Europe

Influences

1. Byzantine chants
2. Mongolian pentatonic modes
3. Islamic rhythms/textures
4. Western European musical language
   

Threats to Traditional Music

1. Shift to industrialization
2. Government control of culture
3. Changes in national/regional boundaries
4. Ethnic population shifts
   

The Music of Indonesia

Gamelan
Instruments

1. Gongs
2. Drums
3. Metal “Xylophones”
   

Often with poetry, drama or dance

1. Non-Western Scale (five-tone or seven-tone scales)
2. Found in many American Universities (percussion groups

Popular Music in Indonesia

1. Kroncong
   
   • “The Old Style”
   • From film
   • Patriotic
   • Respectable
     
2. Dangdut
   
   • Youth music
   • Mostly poor people
     
3. Influences
   
   • Indian Music
   • Kroncong
   • Western Pop
     

Jewish Music

American Jewish Composers

1. Irving Berlin
2. George Gershwin
3. Aaron Copland
4. Leonard Bernstein (Composer of "West Side Story")
   

Klezmer Music

1. Popular among those of Jewish background
2. Played by small bands - clarinet and accordion are prevalent
3. Styles played
   
   • Jewish tunes
   • Yiddish folk songs
   • Gentile music
     

Celtic Music

Artists

1. Altan
2. Clannad
3. Solas
4. The Chieftains (Best-known group in the US)
   

Roots of Bluegrass are in Celtic styles

23 - 04062011 - An Overview of Popular Music: 1950 to 2000

Popular Music Environment 1950 to 2000

1. Exponential growth
2. Dynamic changes
3. Styles were effected by other styles

How the Country Changed

1. After World War II the Industrial Age matures
2. More people working in factories than on farms
3. More people have more leisure time
4. Radio matured and TV gradually became the norm for entertainment in the home
5. More and diverse recording labels
6. Minorities were more conscious of creating an “identity”

Music of African Americans

1. Rhythm and Blues
2. Soul
3. Rap
4. Broadly accepted over time

Country Music, the Music of the Southern White Population

1. Sung in plain style “with much sincerity”
2. Accompanied by guitars and fiddles
3. Simple melodies, harmonies and rhythms
4. Texts based on real-life situations often about life in rural areas
5. “Red neck music”
6. One of the first styles widely accepted in Russia because of cultural exchange opportunities
7. Radio important in it early development
8. Several stars sold millions of recordings
9. Changed over time
10. Types
    
    1. Country-Western
    2. Rockabilly
    3. Bluegrass
    4. Heavy back beat and influence of Rock-n-Roll
       
11. Performers
    
    1. Hank Williams, Sr.
    2. Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline
    3. Carter Family
    4. Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton
    5. Jimmy Dean, Roy Clark (Country on TV)
    6. Willie Nelson & Waylon Jennings
    7. Randy Travis, Ricky Skaggs, Charlie Pride
    8. Brooks & Dunn, Garth Brooks    

Compare the difference between a country “original” and an interpretation from 30 years later

• Hank Williams Sr – Your Cheatin’ Heart
  

• Ray Charles
  

Popular Music with African-American Roots

1. Motown
   
   • Detroit in 1960’s
   • Berry Gordy, producer
     
2. Artists
   
   • Gladys Knight and the Pips
   • Diana Ross and the Supremes
   • Stevie Wonder
     
3. Black Gospel
4. Rhythm & Blues
   
   • Primarily sung by women accompanied by jazz group
   • Traditional R & B was singing to a boogie woogie piano style
   • Different from R & B of today
     
5. Soul
   
   • Replaced Motown
     
6. Artists
   
   • Ray Charles
   • Ike & Tina Turner
   • Aretha Franklin
   • James Brown
     
7. Rock
   
   • Originally a combination of R & B and Country & Western
   • Began as “antiestablishment” music
   • Black and white styles

Other Types of Popular Music - Latin American Influence

1. Reggae
2. Salsa
3. Bossa Nova

Modern Jazz

1. Bop
2. Free jazz
3. Soft jazz

Rock-n-Roll

1. Started as a combination of country and blues, but often with message of impatience with social norms
2. Characteristics
   
   1. Strong beat, with backbeat
   2. Melody and harmony often used modes
   3. Timbre varies much with type of rock
   4. Freer lyrics and topics
   5. Performances often dazzling
      
3. Development and types
   
   1. British influence
   2. Folk rock
   3. Fusion
   4. Satire and punk
   5. Music videos
      

Rock

1. A form of popular music – further development of rock & roll
2. Prominent vocal melody accompanied by guitar and drums
3. Many styles also use keyboards such as organ, piano, or synthesizers
4. Rock music usually has a strong back beat.

Dick Clark – American Bandstand

1. Philadelphia business man and “perpetual teenager”
2. Pushed Rock to the top
3. Every major artist, regardless of race, made appearances
4. Lip-sync to maintain broadcast quality
   

Pre-British Invasion – Early Rock Era

1. Served (Mostly) Urban Whites
2. Influenced by American Rhythm & Blues
   
   • Everly Brothers
   • Buddy Holly
   • Chuck Berry
   • Little Richard

The British Invasion

1. Groups
   
   • The Beatles
   • The Rolling Stones
   • The Who
   • Pink Floyd
     
2. Strongly Influenced Future Rock Bands
3. Primarily Appealed to Whites
   

Sub-Genrés of Rock

1. 1950s
   
   • Rockabilly
     
2. 1960s
   
   • Folk rock
   • Psychedelic
   • Acid rock
   • Fusion (Jazz rock)
     
3. 1970s
   
   • Soft rock
   • Blues rock
   • Heavy metal
   • Progressive rock
   • Punk rock

Woodstock

1. 1969
2. Began as a three-day arts and music festival
3. Turned into a "happening"
4. Exemplified the counter-culture of the 1960s
5. Many of the best-known musicians of the time appeared

Since 1970 New Technologies Create New Rock Genrés

1. Sound Amplification
2. Studio Manipulations
3. Synthesizers
   
   • MIDI
   • Sampling
   • Mixing
     
4. Types
   
   • Acid rock
   • Blues Rock
   • Folk Rock
   • Gospel Rock
   • Industrial Rock
   • New Wave
   • Punk
   • Southern Rock
   • Metal

Sub-Genrés of Rock

1. 1980s
   
   • Hard rock
   • Alternative rock
     
2. 1990s
   
   • Grunge rock
   • Britpop
   • Indie rock
     
3. 2000s
   
   • Merger of pop and funk
   • Rap
   • Hip-Hop

History of Hip-Hop

1. Both a cultural movement and a genré of music developed in the Bronx in the 1970s, predominantly by African Americans.
2. The lifestyle of the culture has spread around the world.
3. Includes breakdancing, urban graffiti, and style of dress.

Rap and Hip-Hop

1. Embraced technology
2. Socially aware
3. New use of turntable (for “scratching”)
4. Led by Black males
5. From Urban Arts
   
   • Street poetry
   • Rap Music
   • Graffiti
   • Break Dancing
     
6. Stylistic Elements
   
   • Heavy beat, based on loops produced by drum machines or samples from other music
   • “Scratching” is typical as a backbeat done by the “DJ”
   • More emphasis on bass (low) sounds
   • Rhythmic style of chanting and rhyming called emceeing or “rapping” (also “MCing”)
     
7. 21st Century
   
   • Gangsta rap became a major part of American music, causing significant controversy
   • Explicit lyrics were perceived as promoting violence, promiscuity, drug use and other forms or questionable behavior
   • Hip-hop considered less harsh or violent in comparison to Rap

Present-day Rock

1. Rap & hip-hop:
   
   • 50 Cent
   • Snoop Dogg
   • Kanye West
   • Nelly
   • Eminem/D12
     
2. R & B (updated)
   
   • Mariah Carey
   • Usher
   • Alicia Keys

22 - 04042011 - Jazz, America's Contribution to the World

Historical Events of 1910 to 1955

1. World War I
2. Increase in Immigration from Eastern Europe
3. Women’s Suffrage
4. Prohibition - Repeal
5. Radio, access to entertainment
6. Broadway Musicals
7. Stock Market Crash and Great Depression
8. New Deal
9. Industrialization and Return of Prosperity
10. World War II on Two Fronts, Europe and Pacific
11. Peacetime Prosperity
12. Korean Conflict
13. Nuclear Arms Raise and Cold War
14. Birth of Rock-n-Roll

Ragtime

1. Sound like marches for piano
2. In 2/4 meter
3. Catchy melodies
4. Two rhythm patterns
   
   • steady beat in left hand (bass and chords)
   • syncopated rhythms in right hand
     
5. (melody and supporting harmonies)
6. Joplin: “Maple Leaf Rag”
   

Blues

1. Texts about personal hardships
2. Musical features
   
   • a a b form in 12 measures
   • Established progression of chords
   • Strophic with several verses
   • Instruments sometimes adds “breaks” in lines
     
3. Bessie Smith, Empress of Blues: “St. Louis Blues”
   

Beginnings of Jazz

1. Jazz had a variety of ancestors
2. Was not written down
3. First appeared in New Orleans funeral bands
4. Then moved “up the river” to St. Louis and Chicago and then New York

Elements of Jazz

1. Treatment of Melody
2. Interesting Harmony
3. Heavy Use of Syncopated Rhythm
4. Interesting Timber (tones)
5. Form (verse/chorus)
6. Improvisation (understanding of techniques to compose and perform at the same time)

Types of Jazz

1. Dixieland
2. Boogie-woogie (jazz for piano)
3. Swing (written and improvised for use in a large band)
   

Types of Swing

1. Sweet Swing
   1. No Improvisation
   2. Rhythms only lightly “swung”
   3. Not considered “true” jazz by many connoisseurs.
   4. Artists
      • Guy Lombardo
      • Lawrence Welk
2. Hot Swing
   1. Improvisation Featured
   2. Heavy Swing Style
   3. Sophisticated Arrangements
   4. Artists
      • Benny Goodman
      • Duke Ellington
      • Count Basie
      • Stan Kenton

Glenn Miller (King of Swing)

1. Most popular big band of the “swing era”
2. Unique sound of clarinet on melody doubled by sax and three saxes in harmony
3. Born: March 1, 1904
4. Disappeared and presumed dead: Dec 15, 1942

Post-World War II

1. Jazz begins change
2. No longer restricted to:
   
   • New Orleans
   • Chicago
   • Swing
     
3. New forms emerge, a sense of yearning for new experiences (a part of forgetting the time of war).

Bebop

1. Combo Instrumentation
2. Imaginative/clever use of chords
3. Virtuosic
   
   • Complex
   • Intense
   • Fast
     
4. Grew from Jam Sessions
5. Artists
   
   • Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet
   • Thelonious Monk, piano
   • Kenny Clark, drums
   • Charlie Parker, sax

Cool Jazz

1. Name taken from Miles Davis’ album:  The Birth of the Cool (1949)
2. Compared to Bebop
3. Softer
4. More Relaxed
5. More Accessible
6. Artists
   
   • Miles Davis (early works)
   • Modern Jazz Quartet
   • Dave Brubeck
   • Gerry Mulligan
   • Stan Getz
   • Chet Baker
     

Smooth Jazz

1. Less Intense
2. Easy Listening
3. Artists
   
   • David Sanborn
   • Kenny G
   • George Benson
   • Grover Washington Jr.
     

Assignment for 4/11 & 4/13 - Music Timeline or Popular Music Genré