Session 3‘the elements of music’

 When Can They Take Place?
 I will consider and place groups on Blackboard
 Next week/Reading Week

 In groups organized by the module leader,
organize and present a 10 minute presentation
that provides a case study of the potential
‘meaning’ of a selected piece of music. Using
the techniques discussed in class and your own
research, you will be expected to provide a
range of perspectives to your chosen piece.

 Please note that this is a group task, so the
given grade will be identical for all members
unless it is apparent that someone is not
pulling their weight. As with other group
grades, it is therefore essential that everyone
plays their part in both the research and
presentation.

 Note: Please ensure that your presentation
does not exceed the given time limits (10
Minutes), as this may incur a grading penalty.
All groups MUST hand in a single printed
copy of the powerpoint presentation directly to
the module leader.
 I will post groups up this week to discuss your
topic etc – can I suggest you meet asap!

 Elements of Music
 Song – Arrangement – Track
 Stan Hawkins Article

 The vast majority of popular music has a specific
structure.
 Common terminologies we use in popular music
include Introduction, Verse, Chorus, and Middle
Section/Bridge.
 Most popular music consists of 2 or 4 bar phrases, so
the sections are often divided into 4, 8 or 16 bars.
For Example:

 Country Joe and the Fish – ‘Flying High’
 What ‘exceptions’ does this offer is in terms of
musical meaning?

 Sections usually contrast with one another melodically to
sustain interest, but also harmonically, texturally, lyrically,
dynamically and rhythmically (or any other ‘element’
potentially).
 Listen to examples below, how do the above factors change?

Rigor Ros - Fljótavík Snow Patrol –
Chasing Cars
Melodically Melodically
Harmonically Harmonically
Texturally Texturally
Lyrically Lyrically
Dynamically Dynamically
Rhythmically Rhythmically

 “Jail House Rock” Elvis Presley (Stop Time)
 “The Pretender” Foo Fighters

 Look for changes of harmony between sections.
Although most use different harmonies between verse
and chorus, others use the same. For example:
 “Stand By Me” Ben E King
 “CandyLion” Gruff Rhys

 Self Evident – lets discuss

 “Sloop John B”:The Beach Boys
 Note how this consists of only one section, so
variety of texture is vital)

 Listen closely for the relationships between instruments in terms
of:
 Frequency (High – Low)
 Depth/Distance (amount of ambience)
 Stereo Spectrum (Left – Right). Does it change? Do these changes
help evoke the mood of the music?
 General Volume
 Is there any double tracking?
 Use of effects) (compression, delay, chorus, etc)
 Use of EQ?
 Is the texture homophonic or Polyphonic?
 How does the texture relate to the lyrics and the emotion of the
piece (Texture can be ‘physical’ and ‘rhetorical’)?
 How do the individual parts relate to the whole mix?

 Annie Lennox: ‘Walking On Broken Glass’
 Feist: ‘The Water’

 Specific sounds can immediately inform the
listener of who an artist is, and or what a style
or tradition is.
 For example:
 Phil Spector (Production): ‘Da Do Run Run’
 Jimi Hendrix (Guitar): ‘Machine Gun’

 Try and examine the nature of the individual
sound.
 For example with distortion:
 What type of distortion is it?
 How is it manufactured?
 How does this relate to the style and
authenticity of the artist?

 “That’s All Right” Elvis Presley
 Consider the earlier Hendrix Example

 They can can also allude to other styles (what
Tagg calls a ‘Genre Synecdoche’)
 For example what is the impact of:
 Distorted Guitar in Jazz
 Violin in Rock
 Harpsichord in Rock (The Beatles)
 Electric instruments in Jazz or Folk

 ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’: The Beatles
 ‘Burnished’: White Denim

 As well a metre being used diachronically, it
can also be used synchronically. Example:
 “Kashmir” Led Zeppelin
 “All I Need” Radiohead

 Introduction: content usually used somewhere else in the song. Not
always incorporated, but always introduces the song.
 Verse: Recurrent harmonic pattern, but different text and texture etc.
Usually occurs after the introduction, but sometimes chorus can occur
before it (Example “I Shot the Sheriff”, “Rock and Roll Music”)
 Chorus: Usually a recurrent harmonic and lyrical pattern.
 Refrain: Not a distinct section, but part of a verse or chorus.
 Can end or start a section. Consists of a repeated subsection, often with
same lyrics. For Example:
“I Saw Her Standing There”: The Beatles (After Verse)
God Only Knows: The Beach Boys: (note how refrain repeats at end)
I “Want To Hold Your Hand”: The Beatles (After Verse)
 Bridge: Connects two other sections.
 Normally occurs once, if twice, usually has same text.
 Sometimes called the ‘Middle 8’.
 Bridges can be instrumental: “Nights in White Satin”
 Outro: Content usually derives from elsewhere in the song. Always ends
song.

 Place at least 4 examples of the following info
on my blog
 Examples of pieces with unusual bar numbers
in sections
 Examples of how rhythm delineates form
 Examples of verse and chorus with same
chords
 Examples of artist specific sounds

 Examples of texture/instrumentation delineating
form
 Examples of how metre delineates form.
 Examples of how sounds allude toward change of
style
 Examples of how sounds indicate a place or time.
 Examples of textures that outline the lyrics and or
Title
 With all of these questions you need to also ask
‘how’?

 Read Post Graduate Analysis on Korn (On
Blackboard)

Session 3‘the elements of music’

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Session 3‘the elements of music’