Popular Music Fall '24

Fall '24 semester of Popular Music by Amy Cooper

Strophic Form

A song structure where the music is repeated for multiple verses or stanzas of a song

• EX: “Barbary Allen”: Jean Ritchie

Twelve-bar Blues Form

The number of measure, or musical bars, used to express the theme of a typical blues song

• EX: “Hound Dog”: Elvis Presley

Waltz

A type of classical dance music that’s written in ¾ time and is characterized by a strong emphasis on the first beat

• Triple-meter

  • EX: “After the Ball”: Charles K. Harris

Chorus (Jazz)

The form of a tune- All cords of the tune in a predetermined (AAB, AABA, ABAC, etc.)- Will be repeated over and over; each time through

Montuno

The final up-temp section of a son, with its semi-improvisation, repetitive vocal refrain, and brash instrumental climax

• Afro-cuban

  • EX: “Nague”: Machito (Frank Grillo)

Call-and-response

A musical technique where one musician or instrument offers a phrase, and another responds with a different phrase, word, or action

• EX: “West End Blues”: Louis Armstrong

Boogie-woogie

A style of blues music that originated in African-American communities that is heavily percussive style of blues piano in which the right hand plays riffs against a driving pattern of repeating eighth notes

• Kansas City Swing

  • EX: “One O’Clock Jump”: Count Basie

Soli Scoring

Instruments play a melody together, sometimes in harmony

• EX: “Taking a Chance on Love”: Fletcher Henderson

Blue Notes

A note that is played or sung at a slightly different pitch than standard for expressive purposes

Crooning

To sing in a soft intimate manner adapted to amplifying systems- Soft, intimate, and emotional

Yodeling

A form of singing which involves repeated and rapid changes of pitch between the low-pitch chest register (or “chest voice”) and the high-pitched head register or falsetto

• EX: Blue Yodel No. 2”: Jimmie Rodgers

Duple Meter

A rhythmic pattern in music that has two beats per measure- The first beat is strong, while the second is weak

Triple Meter

A musical meter where there are three beats per measure

Syncopation

A musical technique that involves playing rhythms that emphasize off-beats, or weak beats, instead of the strong beats

Polyrhythm

A musical technique that involves playing two or more rhythms at the same time, often at different meters

Consonance

When two or more notes or chords complement each other to produce a sound that is pleasant to the ear- Notes that sound good together when played at the same time

Dissonance

When two or more tones occur at the same time and create a discordant or clashing sound

Polyphonic

A musical texture that describes a style of composing with multiple simultaneous melodies

Tone color/ Timbre

The quality of a sound that distinguishes it from other sounds, even when they have the same pitch, amplitude, and duration

Phonograph/ Edison Wax Cylinder

• Cylinders made of wax

• Sound waves physically imprinted by performing into recorder

• Machine turned imprinted sound waves back into sound

  • “Stars and Stripes Forever”: John Philip Sousa

Piano Roll

• For players who played pianos

• Holes punched in paper tells piano which notes to play

Gramophone

Invented by Emile Berliner that were Etched discs, covered with shellac

• 78 RPM

45 RPM Records

A 7-inch vinyl records that play at 45 revolutions per minute (RPM)

Electric Microphone

A device that coverts sound waves into electric signals

Commercial Radio

A radio station that plays music and airs advertisements to make money- Long, aggressive, attention-grabbing blocks, with shorter blocks of music tucked in between

Jukeboxes

A machine that plays music automatically from a list of songs stored within it

Stoptime Technique

A rhythm section of a band temporarily stops playing, creating a rhythmic pause, while a soloist continues to play

Rubato

Subtly manipulating the rhythm and tempo of a piece of music to create greater expression

Distoration

A change to an audio signal’s original wave-form, either intentional or unintentional - Fuzzy, growling, or gritty tone

Overdubbing

A recording technique that involves layering new audio tracks over4 pre-recorded tracks

Backbeat

A steady, pronounced rhythm that emphasizes the second and fourth beats of a four-beat measure

78 RPM Records

Flat disc records that play at a speed of 78 revolutions per minute

Television

A type of production music that can be used as background music for TV shows- More affordable than fully custom or commercial music

• EX: American Bandstand: Host- Dick Clark

Commercial Radio (AM vs FM)

Make money by selling advertising, so the music they play is often safe and familiar to keep listeners tuned in

33-1/3 RPM (LPs)

The speed at which long-playing (LP) vinyl records play, or rotations per minute - Slower playback speed and narrow grooves

Magnetic Tape

A long, narrow strip of plastic or metal coated with a magnetic material that’s used to record and store audio, video, and other data

Blues

A music genre that characterized by its melancholy and sadness, and is often expressed in the lyrics

• 12 measure unites

• Features guitar, harmonica, clarinet, double bass, and saxophone

Tin Pan Alley (Pop)

A nickname given for the clusters for small publishing firms in lower manhattan for the sound of many pianos simultaneously playing songs ina variety of keys and tempos

Star Singers (Pop)

• Older generation from Swing Era

• Younger generation sentimental ballads/ novelty songs

• Crooner used microphone as an instrument: Played with angles and timbre

  • EX: “Nancy With the Laughing Face”: Frank Sinatra

Spector/ Motown (Pop)

Phil Spector: Known for the innovative Wall of Sound production technique

• Layers numerous instruments to create a dense, rich audio experience

Motown: A record label that specialized in a type of soul music that was a hybrid of rhythm and blues, gospel, and vocal jazz

• Compact, danceable arrangements and was created in part by pumping tracks creating a reverb effect

Singer-Songwriters (Pop)

A style of music where a single artist writes, performs, and often plays an instrument for their song

Latin Traditions

Originates in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions of the Americas

• Mariachi

• Samba

• Cumbia

• Salsa

• Choro

• Quechua folklore

Country

A popularized American music genre that originated in the Southern US in the early 20 century

• Simple harmonies

• Repeated choruses

• Narrative lyrics

• Accompanied by stringed instruments like the guitar, fiddle, banjo, and harmonies

Rock

A popular music genre that originated in the US in the 1950s

Rap

Power Chord

A simple, two-or three-note chord, typically consisting of the root note, its perfect fifth, and sometimes the octave, commonly used in rock and metal for its bold, neutral sound that avoids major or minor tonalities

Digital looping

The process of recording and repeating a segment of sound or music, often using software or hardware devices, to create layered, continuous patterns or rhythms

Audio Cassette tapes

Are magnetic tape storage devices used to record and play back analog sound

Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs)

Software used for recording, editing, mixing, and producing audio files, often with a range of virtual instruments and effects for music production, sound design, and audio engineering

MP3

Digital audio compression format that reduces file size by removing some audio data, while retaining sound quality, making it widely used for storing and streaming music

Streaming

The process of delivering audio content over the internet in real-time, allowing users to listen to songs or albums without downloading them

Music Videos

Visual productions that accompany and enhance a song

Compact discs (CDs)

Used for storing audio, video, and other data

Auto-Tune

Processing tool used to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental recording

iPod

Purchase and download MP3s and carry them with you

YouTube

A streaming platform that promotes music without paywall and helps international artists