Music test 1
Terms
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- European American stream
- The European tradition bequeathed to American music a focus on melody and harmony, with rhythm a simple background element. a. Centered on three types of songs: Ballads, church and theater (made up a verse and chorus (refrain) a. Ballads: The European tradition bequeathed to American music a focus on melody and harmony, with rhythm a simple background element (song ex: "Sweet Betsy From Pike")
- African American Stream
- Music from another planet. But a lot of the influence have infiltrated our popular music a. Call-response singing and playing b. Constant repetition of short melodic/rhythmic phrases c. Interlocking of multiple repeating patterns d. Use of "dirty" vocal and instrumental tones e. Highly flexible melody (vocal and instrumental) with bent, twisted, or scooped notes (blue notes). f. A shaping of all music-making over a strong underlying beat.
- Latin American Stream
- Developed a wide range of styles, blending African music with traditions of Spain, Portugal and France. Caribbean, Mexican, and South American music's have long influenced popular music in the United States. a. Habanera: Cuban-an eight beat pattern divided 3-3-2 b. Tango: Buenos Aires-couples dance featuring close contact between partners c. Rumba/mambo/cha cha: Cuba-ballroom dances d. Samba: brazil e. Bossa Nova: Brazil- "the girl from ipanema" f. Salsa: Mexico?
- Define a minstrel show was/When did it begin:
- 1. First form of musical and theatrical entertainment to be regarded as American in character 2. Featured mainly white performers who artificially blackened their skin and carried out parodies of black music, dance and culture (1820's 1880's)
- Discuss the 1st two blackface stars (stage names and hit songs)
- 1. George Washington Dixon: first to establish reputation, made his debut in NYC in 1829 ("zip" coon) a. Popular songs: "Long Tail Blues"/"Coal Black Rose" 2. Thomas Dartmouth Rice: White and poor into a poor NYC family, Created a "Jim Crow" Character which sang and danced (cakewalk)V a. Popular song: "Jim Crow" became first international American
- 1st permanent minstrel troupe, its leader, 3 functions, and instruments used:
- 1. Virginia Minstrel show: led by banjo player Dan Emmett became the first show, organized around sketches and songs with characters such as Mr. Interlocutor (lead performer) and mr. Bones and mr.Tambo (sat on either side of line performers) (functionaries).
- Significance of Blackface:
- 2. Significance: 1st distinctly American entertainment — with the 1st truly American hit Songs. (Talk about its double irony—not simply racist.)
- Stephen Foster
- from pitt 3. Composed about 200 song between 1840's-1860's 4. Regarded as the first important composer of American popular song, and first person to make a living as a professional song writer a. Songs: "oh! Susanna", Old Folks at Home", My old Kentucky home, good night", "jeanie with the light brown hair", "Beautiful dreamer" 1. Types of songs: minstrol songs and parlor songs 2. His songs were played by minstrel troops around the nation increasing popularity, also the rise of published sheet music made it possible for others to play his songs
- Dance Music:
- 1. Line-dance=contra dances (British isle derived)-men and women form a line or a group 2. Fast dances, up and down back and forth, 2 beats to a bar: reels (double) and jigs (triplets)
- Brass band:
- 1. Started in the 1830's and 1840's. Before that they didn't have the right brass instruments (natural brass). In 1830's they added keys and valves (made it hermonic).
- Tin Pin Alley:
- 2. Tin pin alley: produced mass marketed sheet music (it was very cheap) they were up to date tunes that they could make as the latest hit songs came out 3. Vaudeville: producers who bankrolled a lot of variety shows, similar to blackface (actual blacks playing blacks this time). Essentially companies that produced ethnic characters (racist) a. Also became theater chains, and put characters on the road
- Ragtime
- 1. Characterized by off beat patterns, influenced popular dances a. Dance: cakewalk (ragtime dance) b. Songs: coon songs in ragtime rythem
- New developments in record and radio industries in 1920's:
- 2. 3 major developments a. Radio: 1920 b. Microphone: 1920 c. Record players (electric recording): caused mass production of records, previously had to bring in live performances over the radio, now can play records, made songs way more popular d. Movies with soundtracks: 1929
- Influence of Broadway on Tin Pin alley:
- 3. Early period of tin pan ally: was really wrapped in vaudville 4. Later: they become swave and more smooth, more compact with 2 alternate melodic ideas (a, a,b, a). began to be written for broadway (1929 first broadway show) Crooner emerged due to microphone 5. Subject matter: 1st person story about love
- What is a crooner:
- 1. Opposite of loud vaudville voice. 2. Crooner: new kind of popular voice that is soft and smooth, very intamate style. Made popular by microphone 3. Became very personal because of 1st person and how it was all about love