What is Rock Music?
A) What to listen for
I.
Basic elements
a. Rhythm
1. Tempo, time signature, feel.
2. Straight feel: takes beats of song and divides them evenly (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +)
3. Shuffle feel: triplets. “divisible by 3”
b. Melody
1. Sung by vocalist, one note at a time.
c. Harmony
1. Multiple notes at a time, chord
II.
Instrumentation, Song structure (AABA), Recording Techniques.
III.
4 common formal types
a. Simple verse
1. All verses based on same music, no chorus.
b. Simple verse-chorus
1. Verses and choruses based on same music.
c. Contrasting verse-chorus
1. Verses and choruses based on different music.
d. AABA
1. Verses and bridges based on different music; can employ full or partial
reprise.
IV.
Classic Blues Harmony & Form
a. 12 bars (measures): I-IV-V