MUS103 - Midterm Terms & Definitions

consists of musical terms, musical genres/people/places/concepts from late 1800s-1980/90s (tin pan alley, ragtime, jazz, hillbilly, blues, folk, gospel, r&b, rock n roll, surf, soul)

Rhythm

consists of beat, tempo, measure/bar & syncopation which shapes the temporal aspect of sound. additionally, backbeat would be part of the rhythm.

it’s the flow of the song.

Melody

organized succession of pitches that becomes the main tune of the song.

it’s what you’d sing along to.

Harmony

multiple notes played with a good blend that supports the melody like backing vocals.

Form

structure of a song.

ex. verse-chorus form or 12 bar blues

Riff

catchy sequence of notes repeated throughout a song, making the melody fragmented.

ex. marimba riff in shape of you by ed sheeran or opening electric guitar riff in day tripper by the beatles.

Syncopation

when the accents fall on the offbeats (1 AND 2 AND 3 etc) instead of the strong beats (1, 2, 3).

ex. uptown funk by mark ronson ft. bruno mars.

Timbre

the quality of sound that makes one’s “sound” different from another’s “sound” despite having the same note.

Improvisation

freestyling with music.

Front Line

the instrument/vocals that play melody etc.

Back Line

instruments that supports the front line via rhythm and harmony.

Sheet Music

written representation of a song/piece of magic using musical symbols, showing the melody, rhythm & harmony with notes that shows when/how long to play them.

Songsters

singers/musicians who performed songs, coined during the rise of folk and blues.

12-Bar Blues

common chord progression in blues music (post civil war origins) paired w/ soulful/emotional vocal line, simple and repeatable.

ex. crazy blues by mamie smith

Crooning

smooth, soft and emotional type of singing with a romantic/intimate tone.

ex. frank sinatra & bing crosby

Belters

singers with powerful, loud and often high pitched vocals.

ex. adele or beyonce

Melisma

singing technique of using multiple notes on a single syllable of a word, found in gospel, r&b etc.

ex. i will always love you by whitney houston

Wall of Sound

production technique in the 1960s layering multiple instruments (overdubbing to the max) creating a dramatic experience.

ex. be my baby by the ronettes

Overdubbing

process of recording additional layers of sound on an existing recording.

ex. wouldn’t it be nice by the beach boys (brian wilson layering his voice on the chorus)

Tin Pan Alley

period in american music history (nyc) where pop music, piano, middle class entertainment & sheet music were mass produced & popularized, catering to relatability, love and loss. (1890s-early 1900s)

ex. take me out to the ball game by albert von tilzer

Ragtime

syncopated (piano) music, where left hand plays “straight” and right hand plays “ragged”. midwest origin, precursor to jazz, considered immoral + racist where african americans were seen as inferior.

ex. maple leaf rag or pineapple rag by scott joplin

Jazz

“swing”, groove & improvisation, influenced by blues & african american music. uses saxophones, trumpets, piano and drums frequently.

Hillbilly Music

a blend of folk/country/bluegrass music popular in appalachia/southern regions using acoustic banjos/fiddles/guitars representing rural/traditional life. replaced by country music.

ex. wildwood flower by the carter family

Race Music

used to describe music by black artists for black audiences referring to jazz, blues, gospel and later on r&b. replaced by r&b.

Honky Tonk

working class culture music played in bars/clubs where it’s a lively, upbeat & relatable form of country music.

ex. hank williams & patsy cline

Vaudeville Blues

part of blues where female singers sang with a jazz band/piano, made enjoyable for white audiences.

ex. mamie smith or bessie smith

Downhome Blues

folk music sung by men with a guitar during blues era.

ex. spoonful blues by charley patton

Work Songs

songs sung by people doing physical labor as a way to pass time/keep steady rhythm. uses call and response, creates a sense of solidarity.

Rock n Roll

music that blended elements from gospel, r&b and country in the 1950s. shaped modern music and influenced youth, associated with rebellion and freedom.

ex. chuck berry, elvis presley etc.

Boogie Woogie

style of piano based blues music that’s strong, fast rhythm and catchy rooted in african american communities and influenced the development of rock n roll.

Rockabilly

genre of music that blends rock n roll with country and blues (1950s). considered one of the earliest forms of rock n roll. uses rock n roll instruments with country/blues melody.

Teen Pop

emerged after the rise of rock n roll, inspired by it while appealing to a younger audience where parents approve.

ex. the partridge family

Storyville

historic district in new orleans known for prostitution and nightlife, while also a key center to jazz music. this also refers to a style of jazz music setting a lively atmosphere.

Mississippi Delta

a region in the US known for its musical history in blues music, very connected to the african american experience, which is raw and emotional, tied to the struggles of the region’s history.

Appalachia

region in eastern US known for mountains/rural areas/cultural traditions like bluegrass & folk.

Ralph Peer

record producer that worked for okeh, recorded for the carter family & jimmie rogers, pioneered development of country music.

John Lomax

influential musicologist that collected american folk songs, recording them throughout southern US.

Cecil Sharp

influential musicologist that wanted to preserve traditional english folk music (reviving it).

Alan Freed

a pioneering american dj in the 1950s, popularized rock and roll music (coined by him, before was known as a mix of r&b and country music). his career dropped due to the payola scandal.

Dick Clark

an american tv personality that hosted “american bandstand”, a dance and music show in 1957. he helped launched music careers for people like elvis presley, michael jackson, madonna etc.

Brill Building

nyc building for music songwriters/producers that mass produced pop music with catchy melodies etc with a team of writers creating hit songs (where girl groups immerged).

Jazz Age

popularity boosted in 1920s, linked to “roaring twenties” showing parties, economic growth, rebellion along side louis armstrong and duke ellington.

Okeh Records

an american record label aka “race records”, founded in 1918, first to record african american artists, popularized country, blues & jazz.

ex. bessie smith

Grand Ole Opry

famous weekly american country music radio show in nashville, tennessee since 1925.

Nashville Sound

subgenre of country music that emerged in the 1950s that’s smoother/polished, a response to honky tonk.

Gospel Highway

term in gospel music describing a metaphorical “path” of faith/hope/spiritual devotion.

Payola Scandal

record labels secretly paying radio djs/stations to play their songs to gain exposure and increase sales (1950s).