CHAPTER FOUR: “I GOT RHYTHM”: THE GOLDEN AGE OF TIN PAN ALLEY SONG
Key Terms and Definitions
AABA form:
One of the most common structures that Tin Pan Alley
composers used to organize their melodic and harmonic
material. This structure would be found in the refrain of a
verse-refrain song.
arranger:
A person who adapts (or arranges) the melody and chords to
a song to exploit the capabilities and instrumental resources
of a particular musical ensemble.
bridge:
The B section of AABA song form found in the refrain of a
Tin Pan Alley song. The bridge presents new material: a new
melody, chord changes, and lyrics.
crooning:
A style of singing made possible by the invention of the
microphone. It involves an intimate approach to vocal
timbre.
major and minor:
The scale systems central to Western music; a series of
pitches organized in a specific order of whole- and half-step
intervals. The major scale can give music a feeling of
openness and brightness, whereas a minor scale can give
music the feeling of darkness or sadness.
refrain:
In a verse-refrain song, the refrain is the “main part” of the
song, usually constructed in AABA or ABAC form.
riff:
In much African American music, a melody or rhythmic
pattern that is repeated to create momentum.
CHAPTER FOUR: “I GOT RHYTHM”: THE GOLDEN AGE OF TIN PAN ALLEY SONG
standards:
American popular songs from the Tin Pan Alley style of
songwriting that remain an essential part of the repertoire of
today’s jazz musicians and pop singers.
verse-refrain form:
A two-part musical structure used by Tin Pan Alley
composers in which the verses usually assumed an
introductory character and were followed by the refrain.
verse:
Usually sets up a dramatic context or emotional tone.
Although verses were the most important part of nineteenthcentury popular songs, they were regarded as mere
introductions by the 1920s, and today the verses of Tin Pan
Alley songs are infrequently performed.