What is in it?

• Elements of Music

• History of Rock n Roll and how it relates to instrumentation.

• Cultural influences on the music market in the early 1950s

• Pop Music market and how it contributed to Rock n Roll forming.

• How subculture music market also helped with the forming of Rock n Roll

Rhythm: The definition of it is; The interrelationship between music and time, created through a sequence of notes with varying temporal durations. (Go look up the words you don’t understand cause I won’t) It’s the most basic fundamental to almost all music. Kinda like when you try to mix up different time periods together but you can’t since each one has its own moments. (Now we are in the orange thingy) Composers have to figure out the rhythmic nature of their songs since if it doesn’t rhyme then it could be a shitty song. (My opinion though) “All of this effort determines how the music exists in time—its rhythm” - From the book. Before this line, it talks about how a composer must be precise with the length of each note, how it goes along with other notes, etc. But when we usually talk about rhythm people talk about patterns produced. (There are more but the book has the examples. Also, we left the orange thingy.) Real-life examples of rhythm are you clapping, dancing, or even tapping your foot to a song. (This connects later on with earlier styles of Rock n Roll.)

Tempo: The relative speed of the musical beat; may be described subjectively (e.g., fast, slow, moderate) or objectively (e.g., 120 beats per minute).

(God why did I decided to go to GECHS I would’ve been in pTECH living my best life not learning shit that music kids actually gotta learn.)

Melody: When something can vibrate (a guitar string, etc) is set to motion we get to perceive a pitch/tone (go look it up.) If it goes faster (Vibration) the higher of pitch we can hear and it goes the same for low pitch. When those two go together (two pitches) we start to hear a melody.

Harmony and Tonality: When melody is done correctly it causes harmony. If three or more notes are used then that is considered a cord.

• Range: Distance between highest and lowest notes.

• Conjunct: Whether a melody moves gradually from the lowest pitches to it’s higher pitches smoothly.

• Disjunct: One moes down smoothly (conjunct) and the other one is more jagged and sharper (disjunct)

• Motive: A short melodic pattern that is repeated over and over again.

Tonality: Closely related to harmony is the concept of tonality.

Timbre: It is the tone quality of sound.

Texture: One of the factors that make a piece of music sound the way it does.

• Monophony: When there is only ONE music line nothing more nothing less.

• Homophony: One music line predominates and the other is subservient.

• Polyphony: Where there are two or more independent lines but someone joins in later on.

(If I could I would go back in time and smack this fucker in the face since WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS. Keep in mind we are only on page five.)

Loudness: If you strike a cord softly or hard it makes a sound that is either loud or not that loud.

Form: The organizational structure of a piece of music.

A Word about Words: Suppose saying lyrics aren’t important to music your wrong dumbass. (He goes on with extra stuff. Sorry author but IDGF.) People will remember lyrics even if they stop. When students write about the folk music in the 1960s they only write about protest songs and forget the rest of the songs like dumbasses. Music is a language in its own way.

An example of illustrating musical form: Musical form is considered one of the most difficult elements of music to identify since it flows in time and doesn’t wait for an audience to catch up.

(FINALLY WE ARE AT PAGE 8)

Guitars: Two basic varieties are acoustic and electric.

History of Instrumentation of Rock:

• 1950s: The average band would have 4 to 6 players which had drums, bass, two electric guitars, piano, and a saxophone. Bill Haley would use a steel guitar instead of a piano. Buddy Holly’s Crickets only used drums, acoustic bass, and 2 guitars. Little Richard would use a variety of instrumental lineups which usually had a piano, bass, drums, guitar, and serval saxophone.

• 1960s: There was more diversity in instrumentation. (I won’t go over the beetles.) The folk movement went to the basics of using an acoustic guitar, harmonica, banjo, acoustic base, and maybe bongo drums.

• 1970s-1980s: They got to see new electronic instruments. How they would get replaced every couple of months. A family of this these electronic instruments would be the synthesier and how they would be controlled with piano like keyboards.

Important Developments for the Electric Guitar: It represents the world of Rock n Roll. Leo Fender introduced the base of the guitar. Wireless guitar would become a thing. Bass became electric. Synthesizers of technology became available later on.

Voice: It’s the essential instrument to a song.

• The crooners would see soft slow love songs.

• The Shouters/Screamers: It’s in their name.

• The Mainstream Singers: They had a stronger/powerful vocal quality than the crooners.

Drums: The central ingredient in the rock band. Would be played by only one person.

Keyboard: People that played it had to suck it up because they only could play what the venue provided. That;s why people aimed for the electric keyboard.

Synthesizers: They became smaller and more easily transported to live performances. Easier, advanced models popped out into te market.

Saxophone: Five basic saxophones, highest to lowest pitch range, etc. They come and go to the Rock n Roll.

The Early 1950s: They were serene and comfortable. The late 1920s to mid-1930s were the great depression. Early 1940s were WW2. 1950-1952 were in war. Another war came which was Vietnam.

The General Society: There was a ton of changes cause of issues like communism and other shit since it was the 50s.

Subcultures: We gotta look at the two different ones which are black culture and the white culture.

Pop Music Market: Three markets helped with the formation of Rock n Roll. Pop, R&B and C&W.

Tin Pan Alley: Pop music

The Majors: Record Companies: RCA Victor, Columbia, Captial, Mercuty, and Decca.

Subculture Music Market: C&W, R&B, and Pop.

Country and Western: Had a small audience. South, Southwest, and Midwest were “real” centers. Made from Small companies. Mostly white adults.

Characteristics of C&W in the early 50s: Melodies and lyrics were often love-oriented, Timbre was a singer and steel guitar(YODELING AND IF THEY CRACK THEIR VOICE IT BECOMES FALSETTO). Instruments were often a vocalist, a vocal backup group, electric pedal guitar, piano, violin, and acoustic/electric guitars.

Rhythm and Blues: The majority were black. Around the same area as C&W. Changed more to NYC and etc. Formed in the Mississippi Delta, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida for some reason?

Characteristics of R&B Music: 12 bar blues. Instruments were usually guitars, bass, piano, drums, saxophone, and harmonica. Melody were 12 bar blues and three basic cords.

12 Bar Blues: Had many variations of it. Three or four common patterns.