Jazz, Blues and Popular Music

Origins From the middle ages onwards africans abducted and forced to work as slaves in Europe and the colonies Slavery not abolished in the United States until 1860s after American Civil

African-influenced music in America Aspects of African music: –Exciting rhythms –Improvised harmony –Improvised lyrics and melody –Improvised decoration of melody Improvise – to make something up as you’re doing it

Spirituals Lyrics : escape earthly suffering through death (metaphor for going home to Africa) Combination of European hymn tunes African rhythms African rhythmsimprovisation

Jazz and Blues Jazz describes most African-influenced music from 20 th century onwards Jazz includes: –Blues –Ragtime –Dixieland Jazz –Swing (Big band)

Blues Influenced jazz and rock music right up to present Origins - Mississippi Delta

Blues Improvised lyrics about bad luck 12 Bar Blues Chord sequence Blues scale: like a minor scale but with chromatic movement Syncopated blues scale notes accompanied by major chords = bluesy sound

Blues Scale

12 Bar Blues Uses only 3 major chords Chord: 2 or more notes played together Most music = melody accompanied by chords Triads are the basis for all chords E.g. C major –C at the bottom –E 2 steps (a 3 rd ) above it –G 2 steps (a 3 rd ) above that

12 Bar Blues most common chords are triads built on certain notes of the major scale The notes are the 1 st, 4 th and 5 th in the scale C major –chords are C, F and G (chords named after their “roots”)

12 Bar Blues 1111 The first line is a phrase 4 bars long, 4 beats in each bar

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12 Bar Blues in D DDDD GGDD AGDD/A

Blues Songs Each verse is 3 lines long Lyrics originally improvised Singer sings of hardship, poverty or bad luck I’m a stranger here, just blown in your town 2nd line usually the same as 1st Yes I’m a Stranger here, just blown in your town 3rd line rhymes with the first Because I’m a stranger everybody wants to dog me round

Blues Songs voice and guitar or voice and piano Later ensembles of drums, bass and electric guitar and slide guitar harmonica or “blues harp” associated with blues

Slide Guitar Traditionally played with a bottle neck but more often a metal tube round his fingers

Earliest jazz to become popular “composed”, written down Earliest Black music more widely known Played in bars and brothels - turn of the 20 th century Scott Joplin - most famous composer Ragtime

Based on marching band music Steady vamp in the left hand keeps the beat Right hand is syncopated Often features diminished chords Ragtime

The Entertainer

Dixieland Jazz Earliest jazz bands Evolved from marching bands Simple song tunes with variation Ragtime rhythms and tunes Blues chord progressions and scales Syncopation and alternating improvised solos

Typical instruments were: –Clarinet –Trumpet –Banjo –Piano –Trombone –Tuba –Double Bass –Drumkit Dixieland Jazz

Look out for the following concepts: Improvisation Muting Bending/sliding Syncopation Vamp polyphony

Swing Jazz was the dance music of the early 20 th Century Bands became bigger (hence “Big Band”) Due to large numbers of players, tunes needed to be “arranged” A conductor or “Bandleader” would keep things together Syncopation, Jazzy Chords, less improvisation

Swing Bands Trumpets Trombones Saxophones Rhythm section – –Piano – –Bass – –Drum kit – –Guitar Vocalist

Swing Band A swing band in action

Other Jazz Concepts Walking Bass –B–B–B–Bass line “walks” around, moving by step, mostly one note per beat Riff –A–A–A–An ostinato in popular music – an obstinately repeating pattern

Scat Singing –I–I–I–Improvised singing without words – the voice is used like an instrument. (“Doobie waaaah”) Boogie Woogie –F–F–F–Fast piano playing Left hand 12 bar blues fast swing rhythm Right hand improvised runs

Country Music This is the most popular music in the Southern States of America. It has roots in European Folk Music. Typical features of Country music songs: –They tell stories, (ballads) –They put across a simple moral message –Sentimental –Sung with a southern USA accent –A clear cut sound with no distortion

Country Music Country and Western Bands normally consist of - Acoustic Guitar, (sometimes SLIDE GUITAR) Pedal steel guitar (to give a characteristic Hawiian sound) Bass and drums Fiddle or Mandolin or Banjo sometimes. Later influenced by the blues - modern Country Blues style

Rock Music since 1950s “Teenager” invented in USA in 1950’s positive mood of post war prosperity. Rock ’n’ Roll considered shocking by older generation entirely aimed at “Teenagers”. Roots of Rock ‘n’ Roll: –Country and Western Music –City Blues Earliest examples of Rock n’ Roll by Country Band, Bill Haley and the Comets. –Clean guitar sound –Double bass –Ground breaking but limited success

Rock Music since 1950s Elvis Presley was far more successful: –Bluesy style of singing –distorted guitar –Performed in sexually provocative way. –Parents shocked - his popularity increased with the rebellious young.

Rock Music since 1950s Chuck Berry wrote songs about and for teenagers and their lives. –first Black Rock ‘n’ Roll singer/songwriter. –Piano Boogie rhythm on the lower strings of his electric guitar –distorted Guitar solos using blues scale. –influential on future Bands and singer songwriters

Rock Music since 1950s Other Rock ‘n’ Rollers were Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, both used Piano as main instrument in the band instead of Guitar.

Rock Music since 1950s Various scandals and events brought Rock ’n’ Roll to an abrupt end at the end of the 50’s: Little Richard became an evangelist and sang Gospel songs instead. Elvis entered the Army. Jerry lee Lewis was involved in a scandal when he married an underage girl who was also his cousin. Chuck Berry was put in Prison for breaking immigration laws. Buddy Holly and several other stars were killed in a plane crash.

1960s Black music and blues continues to be influential Slick production and marketing begins to be more heavily used Tradition of bands writing their own material begins

1960s Early 1960s “Pop”. music industry began to manipulate it. reaction to rebellious rock ‘n’ roll, New clean cut/clean living American sound reflected lifestyle of white middle class teenagers. Today Pop refers to light popular music. Rock is used for music with a harder edge-more serious and poetic. Rock bands play live and use electric guitars often writing their own songs. Pop groups are usually “manufactured” by the recording industry. songs written for them musicians provided for backing in the studio or live.

1960s Elsewhere Record companies exploited the new market for teenage music by putting together groups and singers and getting teams of songwriters to come up with songs for them The lyrics concerned the trials of teenage romance or about having fun. What Chords are being used? The chord progressions were often I-VI-IV-V

1960s Black music was making a comeback singing was more soulful. Black artists changed “god” to “baby”, and Rhythm and blues and Soul was born. Black artists changed “god” to “baby”, and Rhythm and blues and Soul was born. Evolved into other forms - “Doo Wop” sung vocal harmony. Drifters and then Coasters had success by appealing to Teenage market James Brown

Black Music Black music in 1960s. Phil Spector, (producer “The Spector Sound” added orchestral instruments : French horns, strings “wall of sound” Reverb SOUL The Tamala Motown label (Detroit - “Motor Town”) combined black music with teenage pop lyrics. Black songwriters successfully wrote for black bands and artists Stax records, - rougher edge / performances more intense/ backing simpler, just –Guitar – bass guitar –drums –organ –brass section.

Song Structure Some kinds of classical songs are THROUGH – COMPOSED –new melody for every new line or phrase of the song words (lyrics). –Lyrics and melody patterns repeated in unusual way SOUL Rhythm and Blues- Blues song structure Pop music - structure from Jazz and folk song. –STROPHIC :regular structure, makes song more catchy and memorable. –verses have same melody each time –Chorus or refrain exactly repeated between each verse

Song Structure Chorus – the bit in between the verses which is the same every time. –actually means many voices are singing. originally audience “joined in with the chorus” repetition made it best known part of song. The middle 8 –When 2/3 of the way through, melody changes key (modulates) – short 8 – 16 bar section with different words and music to the rest of the song. –Often followed by either instrumental section based on the chord progression from the verse or chorus or a simple return to the verse and chorus pattern of the rest of the song.

Song Structure Introduction Verse 1 –Lead singer backing Vocals harmonise end of each line –Ends with short “refrain” like a short chorus but just one line Verse 2 –same structure as verse 1 but with different words except for refrain Middle 8 Repeat of verse 1 –except lead vocalist sings scat –Ends with Refrain AABAA

Song Structure Further Innovation Greater variety of instruments added: like: Brass section –trumpets trombones saxophones –playing riffs and to fill out the sound at times. Close harmony singing –Beach boys and Beatles like “Boy Bands” and “Girl bands” more recently, sang songs together in harmony. – harmony rich sound of two or more notes from a chord are played or sung together. Backing Vocals –small group of singers singing behind the Lead vocalist (the main singer). Either: wordless “aah…” in harmony repeat/imitate lead vocalist question and answer between lead and backing vocals.

Beach Boys The west coast sound The music celebrated lifestyle well off, fun on the beach summer, cars, girls, surfing. early songs simple such as the 12 bar blues. Later more introspective and musically complex. Brian Wilson’s sophisticated songwriting influenced the Beatles

BOB DYLAN 1960s, influenced by Woody Guthrie’s ballads and protest songs. protest songs like Blowin’ in the Wind. old folk tunes - his own words added, developed own style. pioneered Folk Rock electric rock instruments became more “bluesey”, reflecting black influences. Later experimented with other styles, like Gospel and Country and Western. Other bands Covered Dylan’s songs: The Byrds, their version of Mr Tambourine Man starts with 12 STRING GUITAR. Either acoustic or electric this instrument has two of each string, usually tuned an octave apart. full and rich Jangly 60s sound

The Beatles Took influences from Rock n Roll and Black music Took song writing to a new level Importance of studio craft Wrote in a variety of styles

Other Popular Music concepts Effects: –Distortion – trademark “fuzzy” electric guitar sound –Reverb – makes the music sound like it’s being played in a vast echo-ey place like an aircraft hangar –Delay – lots of little echoes

Other Popular Music concepts Instrument sounds: –Synthesiser – the proper name for a keyboard, imitating the sounds of real instruments or making up new sounds –Slap Bass – percussive bass sound –Fretless Bass – allows glissando and sliding between notes like a double bass –Electronic Drums