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Post by Admin on Jun 19, 2016 11:48:58 GMT
Here you can share your general study(ies).
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Post by Admin on Sept 24, 2016 17:53:40 GMT
Bob Marley - Three Little Birds / Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday
Ethnic Music
Musical feature 1: Lyrics
Description:Reggae songs often about serious issues such as poverty, politics, religion. They are often associated with the black civil right movement and some reggae songs refer to famous black people eg. "Happy Birthday" by Stevie Wonder is dedicated to the assassinated black civil rights leader Martin Luther King.
Musical feature 2: Rhythm - riffs
Description: Riffs are an important feature in reggae music. A riff is a short repeated bass melody played on the bass guitar. The identity of each reggae song is established by the style and content of the riff. Since it is ann important feature it is played loudly.
The riff will miss out on the first and third beats.
Musical feature 3: Syncopation.
Description: The rhythms in reggae songs are always syncopated and lively. Syncopation is accenting a beat on part of a beat which is normally accented. This provides an effective contrast to the riffs. Drum and bass guitar play the rhythms and form the foundation of Reggae Music.
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Post by Admin on Feb 1, 2017 21:20:26 GMT
Disco music
Pieces
I Feel Love - Donna Summer
ABBA - Voulez Vous
Feature 1: Rhythm
Disco has a steady and repetitive 4/4 rhythm pattern also known as a ‘Four on the floor’ that was initially played on the drum kit but beginning in the late 1970’s drum machines have also became popular in Disco music. The characteristic pattern features the bass drum played on every beat on the bar with a Snare on beats 2 and 4 though some Disco songs lack this pattern and use a simple backbeat.
Feature 2: Instruments
In Disco the instruments are reasonably varied though there are some key instruments that are necessary for Disco’s characteristic sound. The melody is usually played by electric piano, organs or clavinet with a strong and syncopated accompaniment from bass guitar, rhythm guitar played on the electric guitar, a string section and a brass section. Disco songs especially from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s to the present often feature synthesisers which can replace the aforementioned brass instruments, string instruments and bass guitar in some cases such as in the song ‘I Feel Love’ by Donna Summer which features a sparse arrangement of only vocals, synthesiser and drum machine.
Feature 3: Mood
Disco music often has a bright and lively mood for several reasons. As a result of the music being made for dancing in nightclubs initially, the moderate to fast tempos in the music and the lyrics which usually are uplifting stories that concern love, dancing or music itself such as in the song ‘Music’ by Madonna.
I would like to thank Fionn Baker for allowing me to share his General Study on this site.
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