History of Rock & Roll Chapter 2 Vocabulary

Chord

Consists of three or more notes sounded at the same time.

Chord Progression

A specific series or pattern of chords.

Key

A way of organizing the notes of a song so that there seems to be a gravitational pull toward a central note.

Scale

All the basic pitches of a particular key, arranged in ascending or descending order.

12-bar blues

One of the most important and common types of chord progressions in early rock and roll

Slapback Echo

A delayed sound often heard in rockabilly music, particularly from Sun Records.

Reverb/Reverberation

A mass of delayed sounds that are not perceived individually as echoes. Instead, they create a mass of sound that lingers for a time and helps create the feel of space.

Distortion

When an audio signal exceeds the maximum level that can be handled. The loudest parts are cut off, and what is left sounds buzzy. Some guitarists create distortion with their amplifiers in order to change the tone.