1. MENU

2. Jazz
Swing
Gospel
Ragtime
Blues
Rock ‘n’ Roll
Rock
Pop
Scat singing
Rapping
Celtic Rock
Pitch bend
Repetition
Vamp
Key change/
Modulation
Walking bass
Syncopation
Strophic
Improvisation
Middle 8
Chord progression
using chords
I, IV, V and I, IV, V and VI
Click on a button to take
you to a concept
Riff
Ostinato

3. Repetition
Improvisation
Vamp
Repetition happens in all music, it is
when you hear the same musical
idea more than once. (As in riff and
ostinato.)
The performer creates music during an actual
performance. There may be chords given for guidance.
Improvisation forms an important part of Jazz and
Popular music. It can also be an important part of the
composing process where musical material gets tried
out before being written down for the final
composition
A rhythmic accompaniment usually
played on the piano or guitar. The bass
note is played on the beat and the chord
is played off the beat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNi2oxH37vo
Back to Jazz

4. The main features are:
Chord progression
using chords
I, IV and V
One chord moving to a another chord (with a
different name). Chords I, IV and V are built on the
1st, 4th and 5th steps of the scale. In the key of C:
C = chord I
F = chord IV
G = chord V.
For Nat 4 you need to be able to recognise chord
progressions which use chords I, IV and V. The 12
Bar Blues is a good example of this.
Chord progression
using chords
I, IV, V and VI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pO53k
wEH3M
http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=tDrrjbFikK
o&feature=related
The main features are:
For Nat 5 you need to be able to recognise chord
progressions which use chords I, IV, V and VI.
In the key of C major:
In the key of C minor:
C = chord I
Cm = chord I
F = chord IV
Fm = chord IV
G = chord V
Gm = chord V
Am = chord VI
Ab = chord VI
Notice that in a major key chord VI is minor and
that in a minor key chord VI is major.

5. Key change/
Modulation
The main features are:
A piece begins in one key and moves to another. For
example a piece may begin in the key of C major
and modulate to F major. Often songs can move up a
tone or semitone in the last verse – this gives the
music a lift/a new lease of life towards the end.

6. Syncopation
The main features are:
• The normal accents in a bar of 4
fall on the 1st and 3rd beats of the
bar - 1 2 3 4.
• Music which is syncopated plays
around with these accents putting
them in unusual unexpected
places – as seen in the clave the
accents even fall in between the
beats.
1
2 + 3
1
2
3
4
4
1
1
2
3
4
2 + 3
4
Play video from 2.49mins
Back to jazz
Back to Latin American
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTQ1A
7YT1pQ

7. Walking Bass
The main features are:
• This sounds like the bass goes for a walk
up and down the notes of the chord,
• 7ths of chords are used a lot.
• The walking feel is achieved through
continuous crotchet movement.
Moving around the
notes of chord I – C7
Moving around the
notes of chord IV –
F7
Moving around the
notes of chord V – G
Back to Jazz
Back to Rock ’n’ roll

8. Ostinato
Riff
The main features are:
• A short musical pattern
repeated many times.
• Usually forms part of the
accompaniment.
Rapper’s Delight – The Sugar Hill Gang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl
ayer_embedded&v=OZ24Z7HGlvA#!
Back to Pop
Back to Rapping
The Kinks ‘You Really Got Me’

9. Strophic
The main features are:
This word describes vocal/choral
music where each verse has the
same music. This structure is very
common in pop music as the
repetition makes the music
instantly memorable.
Middle 8
The main features are:
Common in popular music this is an
eight bar section which provides a
contrast to the repetition of the
verse and choruses.
Back to Pop

10. Pitch bend
This example is of voices using
pitch bend to imitate a cat.
This next example is of a
clarinet pitch bending in the
famous Rhapsody in Blue by
George Gershwin. The music
begins with the clarinet playing
a trill followed by the pitch
bend.
The main features are:
This means to change the pitch of a
note. This effect can be achieved by
pushing a guitar string upwards.

11. Rock ‘n’ Roll
The main features are:
• Often based on a twelve
Rock ‘n’ Roll is 1950’s American music
bar blues chord progression
which grew form the combined styles of
• Featuring solo/lead instrument
rhythm and blues, gospel and country.
(early rock’n’roll this would have been
Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Little Richard
piano/saxophone, later replaced by
were well known Rock ‘n’ Roll artists.
electric guitar)
Originally a string/double bass was used
• Fast tempo
alongside acoustic guitars, piano and
• Walking bass
saxophones, but Rock n Roll helped to
• Accents on the 2nd and 4th beat of the
establish the lead guitar, rhythm guitar,
bar:
bass guitar and drum kit.
You Tube Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpzV_0
l5ILI Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock
Read your background
information on the Rock
‘n’ roll era and answer
the questions.
Walking
Bass
• Backing vocals
• Blues scale/improvisation

12. Rock ‘n’ Roll
Listen to this example and
identify which of the main
features of rock ’n’ roll are
present. Write your answers in your
workbook.
What happens to the
music in the final verse?

13. Mainstream pop musicians often
feature rappers halfway through their
4. Why do you think pop musicians
tracks to give them credibility and to
often feature rappers in their tracks?
appeal to a wider and younger
audience.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ljUnyv5XUA8
Ostinato
Listen out for the repeated bass
pattern in this example. This is
called an ostinato.

14. Can you match these Hip Hop / Rap
artists to the correct names?
Eminem
Dr Dre
Missy Elliott
Dizzee Rascal
Tupac
Drake
Nicki Minaj

15. Snoopafella by Snoop Dog
The main features are:
• Rhyming lyrics which are spoken
• and performed in time to a beat.
Once upon a time, in the L.B.C.
On the Eastside, off of 2-1 Street
There lived a young man, Cinderfella's his name
To make it interesting it's me, peep ?★?★?
game
…………….
Well, one day, up the Avenue
crew
There was a man, surrounded by the Dogg Pound ?★?★?
He said ah, "Hear ye! Hear ye! Come one, come all!
ball
The princess is having a royal ?★?★?
If you can rap, also dress fresh
princess
You might win a date with the sweet ?★?★?
"Well I, um, ran home when I heard the newsflash
- dad
I bust through the door, straight to my step-?★?★?
I said, "Step-dad, may I?”
And before I could finish, "Hell no!", he ?★?★? (Cinderfella!)
replied
My brothers were goin, they were gettin down
crown
Even Pops was goin for a piece of the ?★?★? (Cinderfella!)
They all stood there, laughin’ in my face
place!”
And as they walked out they said, "Clean up this ?★?★?!"

16. Jazz
At first this was music created by black Americans in the
early 20th Century.
There are many styles of jazz,
which include: Blues, Ragtime,
Swing, Scat singing, Dixieland
The main features are:
• A jazz group could include drum kit, bass,
piano, saxophone and trumpet.
• Walking bass
• Syncopation
• Improvisation
Syncopation
Walking bass
Improvisation
As you listen to this example write
down which of the main features you
can hear

17. Scat Singing
The main features are:
• This is a style of jazz singing where
nonsense words, syllables and sounds
are improvised by the singer.
• It often sounds like the singer is
imitating the sounds of instruments.

18. Ragtime
This is a style of dance music which became popular at the end
of the 19th Century and which helped influence jazz. Scott Joplin
rags are a good example
The main features are:
• Written for piano (but can be
performed on other instruments.
• Heavily syncopated melody against
• A steady vamp style accompaniment in
the left hand
in the
Swing This style of jazz originateslarger 1930’s
when people attended the
ballrooms and dance halls which required
large ensembles to fill the halls with
sound.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR3K5uB-wMA
The main features are:
• A large group of wind and brass instruments including a rhythm
section provided by drum kit, guitar and bass.
• Solo improvisations
• Saxophone became the leading soloist for this era.
• This was music for dancing to so is usually upbeat – swing rhythm
an important feature
• Walking bass

19. The main features are:
• The 12 Bar Blues (chord progression)forms
the basic structure upon which the blues is
Blues music started in the southern
composed.
slave states of America. Slaves sang
• There are usually 4 beats per bar
work songs and spirituals that
• The melody is based on the blues scale
expressed their fears, hopes and
• Lyrics of songs would often relate to the
dreams, hence (feeling blue).
blacks’ continuing struggle for equality
The music spread to the northern
and basic living and working conditions.
• Typically the tempo of blues music is slow
cities and became the basis of all
reflecting the mood of the music.
popular music today.
The 12 Bar Blues chord structure in
C Major looks like this:
C
F
G
C//// C//// C//// C////
F//// F //// C//// C////
G//// F//// C//// C////
Performers improvise over this structure
using the blues scale:

20. Ray Charles Blues Is My Middle Name
Some day people I know things will come my way
Some day people I know things will come my way
But as of now it seems to live it just don’t pay
My body is made of heartaches, blues is my middle name
My heart is made of heartaches, blues is my middle name
Makes no difference how hard I try, I'm mistreated just the same
As you listen answer
the questions in
your workbook.
Everyone’s against me, I don't care where I go
Yes, everyone forgets poor me, I don't care where I go
But I feel that someday, somehow, hard luck will leave me, I
know
Now listen to Bessie Smith’s
Careless Love Blues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDyaEO
d6t-w
Brass instruments feature in Blues music.
In this extract you will hear a trombone and
a trumpet – both with mutes to portray a
softer/buzzing wah wah sound.

21. Gospel
Gospel music has its roots in African – American
churches. It developed from spirituals. Slaves were
encouraged by their plantation owners to adopt the
Christian religion, but as they were not allowed to attend
Church with slave-owners they developed their own forms
of worship.
The main features are:
Example 1: Traditional
• Vocal music with Religious lyrics performed
gospel singing
Example 2: Oh Happy Day
with an emotional quality
• A powerful solo singer improvising over
chords
• The use of melisma (singing many notes to
one syllable e.g. swee – ee –ee –eet Jesus)
• Strong harmonies in many parts

22. Pop music is music with mass appeal, particularly
to teenagers. As a genre, pop music is very
eclectic, often borrowing elements from other
styles including urban, dance, rock, Latin and
country. However all pop songs have the same
essential ingredients.
What are the essential
components of a pop song?
Watch this video and then
complete the mind map in your
workbook.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/c
omposing-a-pop-song/5337.html

23. The main features are:
What are the essential
components of a pop song?
Riff/Ostinato
Middle 8
Listen to Carley Rae Jepson singing
Call Me Maybe on the next slide
and follow the structure.
Strophic

24. Verse 1:
I threw a wish in the well,
Don't ask me, I'll never tell
I looked to you as it fell,
and now you're in my way
I trade my soul for a wish,
pennies and dimes for a kiss
I wasn't looking for this,
but now you're in my way
Pre-Chorus:
Your stare was holdin',
Ripped jeans, skin was showin'
Hot night, wind was blowin'
Where you think you're going, baby?
Interlude
Verse 2:
You took your time with the call,
I took no time with the fall
You gave me nothing at all,
but still, you're in my way
I beg, and borrow and steal
Have foresight and it's real
I didn't know I would feel it,
but it's in my way
Pre-Chorus
Chorus
Middle 8
Before you came into my life I missed you
so bad
I missed you so bad I missed you so, so
Chorus:
bad
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,
but here's my number, so call me, maybe? Before you came into my life I missed you
so bad
It's hard to look right, at you baby,
but here's my number, so call me, maybe? And you should know that I missed you
so, so bad
Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy,
but here's my number, so call me, maybe?
Interlude
And all the other boys, try to chase me,
but here's my number, so call me, maybe? Chorus

25. Rock
The main features are:
A style of popular music with a
heavy, driving beat. Usually
features electric guitar, bass
guitar and drum kit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R_xNvkopk&feature=related
Celtic Rock
The main features are:
A style of music that mixes
Celtic folk music and rock
together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoYz7
S4ZUNE

26. Verse 1
When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you
need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse
Chorus
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Verse 2
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Bridge
Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot
replace
Tears stream down your face
And I
Chorus
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Instrumental link
Verse 3
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth
Instrumental link
Tears stream down your face
I promise you I will learn from my
mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I
Chorus (serves as a coda)
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you