Transcript Music History - EVHSMMC

Music History
In class discussion questions
– Week 1
Instructions







In your groups of 4 or 5, please respond to the following questions on the InClass 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