Transcript Music Analysis

Music Analysis
Listen
 Try just to listen to the song and follow along with
the lyrics. As the song progresses, think about what it
means or try to put yourself in the artists place and
imagine what they are thinking.
 Try to visualize the meaning of the song. You will get
better and better at this with practice.
 Consider the genre of music (pop, indie, classical,
rap, etc…) and how that can immediately contribute
to the meaning of the song.
Initial Response
 Write down a short paragraph as a response to the
song. Try to comment on what is meant by the song
in general and maybe include your emotional
response to the song, This should take a couple of
minutes. Think about what you want to write before
you write
Listen Again
 Listen to the song again, but this time begin to
analyze the specific elements of the song in relation
to your specific purpose.
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Artist’s intent
Listener’s interpretation
Instrumentation
 What does the instrumentation tell us about the
song?
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Tempo - is the speed or pace of a song. Tempo is a crucial
element of any composition as it can affect the mood of the
song.
Is the instrumentation dense, with heavy
guitars/drums/bass, forcing us to focus more on it than on
the vocals?
Or is the instrumentation sparse, perhaps only an acoustic
guitar, forcing us to focus on the vocals?
Is the instrumentation loud or soft?
What emotion does the instrumentation make us feel?
Calm? Anxious? Happy? Sad?
 Instrumentation affects us in a subconscious
way.
 How does this
differ from this
Lyrics
 What do the vocals and lyrics tell us about the
song? Does the tone of the words fit with the
way the singer sings them?
 Does the tone of the vocals agree with or
contradict the instrumentation (do the
instruments make you feel happy while the
lyrics are sad, for example)?
 What is the message of the lyrics? How can
you tell?
Music & Lyrics
 When analyzing a song, keep in mind that the
vocals/lyrics and music are one unit. It's impossible
to properly analyze a song by simply reading the
lyrics.
Audience
 Who is the target market for the song?
 What values do the lyrics contain?
 Does the artist's image (how they portray
themselves) affect how you feel about the
song?
 Would you feel the same way about the song
if it was sung by someone of a different age,
race, or gender?
 How might someone of a different
demographic hear the song.
Does this change the meaning?