2. GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
OF ROCK
1. Use of guitars as the primary backing
2. Tendency to harshness (in guitars and
vocals)
3. Use of acoustic drums
4. Harmonic and tonal variety – i.e. use of
natural minor scales and complex chords
5. Use of some studio recording effects
6. Lyrics frequently containing political or
social commentary
3. STUDIO RECORDING
EFFECTS
An ‘effect’ is the
modification of an audio
signal to make it sound
more interesting.
These ‘effects’ can change
the timbre, pitch and volume
as well as its echoing quality.
4. RECORDING EFFECTS
1. Stereo – a pair of matched signals heard together that
may contain identical or entirely different information.
2. Equalisation (EQs) – alters the timbre of sounds,
boosting the treble or bass frequencies to make them
brighter or darker
3. Reverb – one of the most used effects in pop music,
creates a variable spatial effect that can simulate the
resonance of performance venues of different sizes, from
small rooms to large halls. Without it, recorded sounds
can be dry and unappealing
4. Delay – Provides distinct echoes of an almost infinite
number of repeats
5. GUITAR EFFECTS
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pg6QaQpSoUc
2. Chorus - pedals mimic the effect choirs and string
orchestras produce naturally by mixing sounds with slight
differences in timbre and pitch
3. A phaser or "phase shifter" - creates a slight rippling effect -
amplifying some aspects of the tone while diminishing
others
4. A flanger creates a "jet plane" or "spaceship" sound
5. A tremolo effect produces a slight, rapid variation in the
volume of a note or chord
6. Vibrato effects produce slight, rapid variations in pitch
which mimicks the sound of opera singers and violinists
6. 5. Wah-wah: Wah is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the
tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking
the human voice.
6. Delay/Echo: Delay/Echo units produce an echo effect
by adding a duplicate instrument-to-amplifier electrical
signal to the original signal at a slight time-delay
7. Reverb - units simulate sounds produced in an echo
chamber by creating a large number of echoes that
gradually fade or "decay“
8. Overdrive/Distortion - Over/Dist effects are sometimes
called "gain" effects. Distortion effects create "warm",
"gritty" and "fuzzy" sounds by "clipping" an instrument's
audio signal, which distorts the shape of its wave form and
adds overtones.
9. Noise gate: Noise gates eliminate "hum", "hiss" and "static“
by greatly diminishing the volume of sounds that fall below
a set threshold.
7. CHARACTERISTICS OF
HEAVY ROCK
1. Use of distorted guitars
2. Prominence given to the lead guitar for riffs, improvised
solos and melodic fillers
3. Importance of riffs as a structural element
4. Heavy drumming techniques with strong, driving rhythms
5. Extremely loud volume
6. Harsh vocals
7. Improvised and extended guitar solos that seek to push
the boundaries of technical possibility
8. Lyrics that are frequently anti-social or controversial
8. SMOKE ON THE
WATER
1. How many times is the riff heard at the start before vocals?
2. Name the instruments in order at the start
3. Which instrument plays the riff?
4. What is the bass guitar doing when it enters?
5. Which part of the drum kit is the loudest?
6. On which beats does it play?
7. How would you describe the beat?
1. Gentle 2. Jazzy3. Strong and heavy
8. Why is the riff so important?
9. Which word best describes the speed?
1. Allegro fast 2. Andante (Walking pace) 3. Slow
9. CHARACTERISTICS OF
INDIE-ROCK
1. Defined by not being “mainstream”
2. Includes a large host of musical styles including; soft,
melodic rock to heavy metal
3. Change in instrumentation including acoustic bass and
orchestral strings
4. Some examples of Indie-Rock bands include;
• Nirvana
• Oasis
• Midnight Oil
• U2
• Smashing Pumpkins
5. Lyrics often contained provocative political and social
messages
10. CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOFT ROCK
1. Emphasis on lyrical melody
2. Use of acoustic instruments
3. Intricate vocal harmonies
4. Softer volume than heavy rock
5. A gentle, romantic mood
6. Relaxed tempos
7. Extended chord progressions
8. Often romantic lyrics
11. COOL CHANGE –
LITTLE RIVER BAND
1. Describe the speed of the song.
2. Describe the mood. Aggressive? Relaxed? Explain.
3. How many voices can you hear in the chorus?
4. Name the instruments you can hear.
5. Do you like the song? Why/why not?
6. Little River Band was very successful overseas. Why do
you think they were so successful away from Australia?
12. CHARACTERISTICS OF
SOUL
1. A highly emotional and dynamic delivery
2. Call-and-response between the lead singer and a female
backing group singing in harmony
3. Improvisation by the lead singer
4. Use of expressive vocal techniques such as shouting,
glissandos, melismas and vibrato
5. The use of a “vamp” – a repeated chord progression
over which the lead singer improvises on the melody and
lyrics while the backing group repeats a single phrases
13. MUSTANG SALLY –
WILSON PICKETT
1. Is this song based on the 12 bar blues?
2. What woodwind instrument can you hear?
3. Are there brass instruments?
4. Are the lyrics complicated or simple?
5. Describe the lyrics in the chorus
1. Call:
2. Response:
6. What keyboard instrument is playing?
7. Is the texture thick or thin?
14. CHARACTERISTICS OF
ART/PROGRESSIVE ROCK
1. Frequent changes of mood, tempo, dynamic levels and
styles
2. Use of added non-rock instruments for expressive
effects
3. Emphasis on expressing words rather than providing a
beat for dancing
4. Virtuoso displays of vocal and instrumental technique
5. Their use of recording techniques such as multi-tracking
and stereophonic effects
15. STRUCTURE OF
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
Section Listening Guide Story
SECTION ONE
Opening Close harmony (multitracking) Questioning reality
Middle Main melody, solo singer, piano
accompaniment
Murder committed
End Guitar improvisation ------------------------
SECTION TWO Choir vs solo singer, generally
faster, use of multi tracking
Debate
SECTION THREE Heavy metal, solo singer, guitar
riff, loud backbeat
Anger, escape
SECTION FOUR Similar to Section One, gentler
and slower, return of piano
accompaniment
Calmer, resigned
16. THE BEATLES –
PIONEERS OF ROCK
1. They presented themselves as a group, rather than band
backing up a lead singer
2. They performed their own original content
3. They didn’t worry about commercial considerations when
writing a song
4. They often used non-rock instruments such as orchestral
and brass band instruments, harpsichord and Indian sitar
5. They used elements of other cultures eg. French
6. Experimented with new sound effects, one of the first
groups to use synthesized sounds
7. Didn’t follow a particular style – each album featured
different kinds of music eg. Rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, country,
ballads, comic songs and songs of social commentary
17. THE BEATLES – COMPARISON
She Loves You Lucy in the Sky with
Diamonds
Tone Colour Clean, no effects,
traditional instruments
Vibrato and reverb
effects
Dynamics and E.T Mostly loud throughout Soft in verses, louder
in chorus
Duration Fast, constant Metre changes from
compound duple to
simple quadruple
Slow in verse, fast in
chorus
Lyrical Content Simple and coherent,
love
Noncoherent, strange
and nonsensical
Instrumentation Guitar, Male vocals,
Drums, bass
Tambura, guitar, organ,
drums, bass, vocals
Pitch Melody with harmony
throughout
Solo melody, back up
vocals in unison in
chorus
18. CHARACTERISTICS OF
REGGAE
1. Laid-back tempos
2. An ensemble of lead, rhythm an bass guitars, organ,
piano, drums and Latin percussion
3. Prominent disjointed bass lines against which the other
instruments play short ostinato pattern
4. Thin textures
5. Heavily accented second and fourth beats of the bar
6. The use of timbales usually playing a fast introductory
‘pick-up’ as well as fills
7. Lyrics with a social, political or religious message
19. CHARACTERISTICS OF
CLUB/DANCE
1. An emphasised dance beat with a heavy four-to-a-bar
bass drum beat
2. Unchanging quadruple metre
3. Emphasis on smooth and stylish production
4. Entirely created and performed in the recording studio
5. Electronic accompaniment (synthesisers, drum
machines, and so on)
6. Repetitive lyrics
7. Catchy melodies
20. CHARACTERISTICS OF
DISCO
1. A lively, hypnotic ;beat; for dancing, frequently with
incessant cymbal rhythms and throbbing bass drum with
the bass guitar emphasising every beat of the bar
2. Much use of harmony singing
3. Lavishly produced songs, often featuring strings and
horns for a refined, sophisticated sound
4. The incorporation of electronic sounds an guitar effects
21. CHARACTERISTICS OF
RAP
1. Words spoken rhythmically in time
2. A lively dance beat
3. Lyrics that deal with human relationships, the ‘gangsta’
lifestyles of urban African-American slang, different types
of rhyme and word play
4. Underlying accompaniment of bass, drums and keyboard
or guitar
5. An emphasis on rhythm and timbre rather than harmony
6. Sound effects such as scratching, quick-mixing and later,
synthesized ad computerised effects.
22. METALLICA
The creators of speed metal; fast tempos with sudden
breaks. It was droning and hypnotic and harmonically simple.
Lyrics full of the frustrations of teenage existence.
Had a basic, well-crafted style
Stage shows feature no props, few guitar solos and little
interaction with the crowd.
23. MASTER OF PUPPETS
Section One
1. Which instrument starts the song?
2. What is the speed of the song?
3. Do you think it has a riff?
4. What is the bass guitar doing?
5. Comment on the drum beat. Which part of the drum beat
is loudest?
6. Does the vocal style match the guitars? Explain your
answer.
7. Which instrument is missing from the song?
8. Describe the mood of the first section
24. Section Two
9. What happens to the speed of the music?
10. How does this section differ from the first section?
11. Does this section sound like heavy metal?
Section Three
12. Section Three is similar to which other section?
13. What features do these two sections have in common?
14. Describe the guitar solos that occur during the song.
15. What do the voices do at the very end of the song?
16. Do you like this song? Why/why not?
