Music 101 Exam 3 - Contemporary Era (1960s - Present)

Minimalism

Short motives, simple melodies, simple harmonic progressions over and over again

• Holy minimalism → repetitiveness is intended to be meditative or holy

• Postminimalism → more abstraction of rhythm

Phasing

A minimalist technique in which at least two simultaneous performances of a melody, rhythm, or recorded sound gradually get out of sync with each other

• phasing out of sync

Popular Music

Pop music → rock & roll, musical theater, film music, jazz

Musical Theater

• revues → mainly showcases for songs; no storyline

• book musical → clearly outlined narrative

• operatic musical → no spoken dialogue; entirely sung

• jukebox musical → storylines constructed using existing pop / rock songs

Improvisation

• cadenzas, basso continuo, da capo arias

• frequently shows up in jazz

Scat Singing

when a singer improvises nonsense syllables instead of singing actual words

• jazz music

Syncopation

when accented notes occur on unaccented beats or at unexpected times

Jazz

• New Orleans jazz → small group clarinet, trumpet, & trombone soloists + rhythm section

• swing/big band → row of trombones, row of trumpets, row of saxophones + rhythm section

• bebop → trumpet or sax solo supported by small group

• cool jazz → small ensemble, subdued compared ot bebop, long & composed

• fusion → jazz music combined with pop or rock elements such electric guitar

Cover

When one pop artist records or performs another pop artist’s song

Sampling

A form of musique concrète, borrowing clips from other artists

Rock & Roll / Pop

Rock & Roll

• developed out of the blues, more driving rhythm & heavier drums

Pop → popular music, so much falls under it

Film Music

The soundtrack → can change the entire effect of a movie on the audience

• silent films → talkies → having a pianist just play whatever they knew during the show

• Orchestral soundtracks → pop/rock soundracks → orchestral

• Diagetic music → music both characters and audience can hear

• Underscoring → music the characters cannot hear, but we can