Music History In class discussion questions – Week 1

Instructions  In your groups of 4 or 5, please respond to the following questions on the In- Class Discussion tab on the wikispaces page. Please respond in paragraph format (4-6 sentences). Write the names of everyone in your group at the top of the discussion box. EVERYONE SUBMITS INDIVIDUALLY.  *Discuss today’s listening amongst your group. Briefly summarize the discussion (what did everyone think the message was). Is there a common opinion between your group? Who has a different opinion and what do they feel?  *When you talk about what music “sounds” like, what elements are you specifically listening for?  *What makes certain songs “sound” appealing?  *In regards to expectations, does the group as a whole feel like they enjoy music that does what they expect or does something different than they expect?  *How does a certain song or genre “grow on you”? What allows you to be more accepting the more you listen?  *INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE: What impact does your friends’ opinion have on the music you listen to? Can you still fully enjoy your favorite artist’s music if your peers and the general population didn’t enjoy your music?

How we listen to music  Getting to know a new piece of music is a lot like getting to know a new person. There are “character traits” you look for to help establish a greater understanding for the pieces of music you are listening to.

Instrumentation  What are the instruments being used (if any)? What are the voice parts being used (if any)? Is it a solo or is it accompanied by an instrument/ensemble?  “’Gravity’ by John Mayer is a piece that utilizes bass guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer, and drum set which accompanies the male lead singer who sounds like he’s a tenor.”

Roles – Instrumental/Vocal Function  Concerning roles, you identify the roles each instrument and voice part plays (melody vs. accompaniment). Which instrument/voice part sounds the most important? Does it stay that way? What are the jobs of the other instruments?  “’Gravity’ by John Mayer is a piece that utilizes bass guitar, electric guitar, keyboard/synthesizer and drum set which accompanies the tenor (?) John Mayer, who is singing the melody.”

Texture  Texture is a term that relates to how many in relation to the total ensemble. We refer to texture as:  Thin (Light) – few instruments playing throughout a piece or a section of a piece, or a solo instrument has few notes throughout the piece or section of a piece.  Thick (Dense) – a lot of instruments playing throughout a piece or section of a piece, or a solo instrument that has a lot of notes throughout the piece or section of a piece.  “The texture of ‘Gravity’ by John Mayer is relatively thick, in that all instruments are playing. There are times when the texture gets thinner as John Mayer stops singing because there are fewer parts playing.”

Timbre (Sounds like Tamber)  Timbre relates to how something sounds. Are the performing parts playing low or high primarily? Is it fairly balanced? We reference this in two ways:  Dark – primarily low sounds (bass). MOST of the time in a minor (sad) key.  Light – primarily high sounds (treble). MOST of the time in a major (happy) key.  “The timbre of John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ is a little dark, considering the minor key and the prominent low sounds from the bass.”

Tempo  Tempo refers to how fast or slow a composition is. How fast does this piece sound? Does the tempo fluctuate or stay the same? There are musical terms that identify these, but for now we’ll use the following:  Fast – quicker than walking pace  Moderate – walking pace  Slow – slower than walking pace  “The tempo for ‘Gravity’ is relatively slow and is consistent throughout the entire song.”

Dynamics  Dynamics refers to the volume at which the performers are playing. How loud or soft is the ensemble/solo playing? Does it stay the same or fluctuate? Are certain parts playing softer than others? There are musical terms to describe this, but for now we’ll use the following:  Loud – louder than the average speaking voice  Moderate – average speaking voice  Soft – softer than the average speaking voice  “ In John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ the dynamics of the whole ensemble is pretty moderate. The melody at times fluctuates between loud and soft in both the guitar and tenor parts. The rest of the ensemble plays pretty moderately underneath the melody as it shifts from Mayer to electric guitar.”

Program  Program refers to the message being conveyed by the artist/composer. You can get a lot about program simply by knowing the title of the piece. What picture is the artist trying to paint in his/her music? Does it stay the same or does it develop over time? What techniques does the ensemble/solo use to convey this message? Do you agree/disagree? Can you relate? What time period was it composed in? Was this written in regard to historical context? What language is it in?  “The program of John Mayer’s ‘Gravity’ seems to indicate that the weight of the world is on his shoulders and he’s fighting to make a difference. The minor (sad) key of this piece further enhances this feeling of sadness and wanting to move forward. The tempo also aids in telling this story because it’s slow and kind of ‘drags on’ as if it is burdened or restricted by something.”

In-Class Assignment  Listen to the following piece and analyze it utilizing the criteria discussed in our notes.  Up Up Up – Givers