Exam Revision Film Music, Minimalism, Blues and Reggae

Film Music – Musical Elements Melody – a rhythmically organised sequence of notes Harmony – a rhythmically organised sequence of chords Rhythm - How long or short the notes are Pitch – How high or low a note/instrument is Dynamics – How loud or quiet the music is Timbre – The sound or tone of the instrument Texture – How many instruments are playing (thick or thin) Structure – How the music is organised Tempo – How fast or slow the music is

Film Music - Techniques Music can tell you when where a film is set e.g. if it was set in India we would hear Indian music, if it was set in the 60’s we might hear 60’s pop music Leitmotif – is the main tune and represents an object, idea or character (Listen to the first 15 seconds of the Indiana Jones theme tune.) Can you recognise the leitmotif which pops up every time Indiana is about to do something heroic? Indiana Jones theme tune Ostinato – a repeated musical pattern Imitation – when one part copies another – can feel like a chase Repetition – helps link different parts of films Drone - Is when one note is held on and repeated throughout a piece

Minimalism – repeated ostinato with gradual changes Minimalism began in New York in the 1960’s and creates a hypnotic effect. It relies on the repetition of a limited number of motifs (short musical ideas), melodies, harmonies and rhythms. La Monte Young started this style Other composers: Steve ReichSteve Reich, Terry Riley, Philip Glass It also became used in rock music e.g. by Talking Heads

Minimalism Key Words Ostinato – repeated musical idea Irregular time signatures – this means there is an odd number of beats in a bar and are prime numbers Structure: TernaryABA e.g. Twinkle Twinkle Little StarTwinkle Twinkle Little Star RondoABACADA Concerto formABC Pedal – One note sustained (held down) or played over and over again throughout a passage of music Drone – Two notes usually played together normally a 5th apart e.g. C and G played together over and over or sustained throughout a passage of music Crescendo – Gradually getting louder Diminuendo – Gradually getting softer/quieter Phasing – Two or more versions of a motif played together, slightly out of sync – Listen to this example and see how the ostinatos used are developed by phasingphasing

Blues - Background During the 18 th and 19 th centuries people were taken as slaves from Africa to America. Their lives became a nightmare many died on route Families were often split up First blues singers were African slaves – it grew out of despair Slaves made their own instruments including drums, shakers, tambourines and particularly string instruments e.g. a fiddle played with a curved bow

Blues Music 12 bar blues is the most common It is 12 bars in length and fits with the typical blues lyrics Whatever tune is used the harmony stays the same This means the tunes are always similar Can be improvised 12 Bar Blues C C C C F F C C G F C C

Reggae Music – Originated in Jamaica I am Bob Marley a well known reggae artist. I am part of the Rastafarian religion associated with Reggae and my lyrics are often about social and political concerns I play Reggae music which is a mix of: Ska and Rock steady I make sure I include all these features in my music to create my reggae style: 1.4beats in a bar 2.Low repeated melody known as a bass riff 3.Skank Rhythm – chords played on the off beat 4.Short melody lines In my Reggae music the instruments I use are: Bass guitar, Guitar, Vocals, Keyboards Bob Marley - Stir it up

Keywords Riff - Repeated low pitch ostinato Time Signature - Tells you how many beats there are at what kind of beats they are Canon - Type of imitation, when two or more layers have the same melody but start at different points in the piece Polyrhythm - Many different rhythms playing together at the same time Syncopation - Off-beat rhythm (the accent is between the beats) Rest - A silence in music Fill - A melody or rhythm in the gap at the end of a phrase Fusion - Two or three different musical cultures, mixed together to create a new one Call and Response - Instruments having a musical conversation, as if one is asking a question and the other is then answering it Pedal Note - One note sustained (held down) or played over and over again throughout a passage of music