AOS 2 Pop Ballad
* Ballads - songs that tell an emotional story.
* Ballads have been around since at least the 15th century,
when they would have been sung by wandering minstrels
(troubadours).
* Modern ballads (pop/rock) still tell stories - they are often
slow and sad.
* Ballad lyrics are usually about love.
* Pop ballads follow a verse/chorus structure. Some
songs also include a pre-chorus, middle 8/bridge, intro
and outro/coda.
* Each verse has the same rhythm and tune but with
different lyrics.
* The vocal part is very important, the accompaniment is
usually quite simple and of lesser importance.
* The main tune is called the melody, the backing is called
the accompaniment.
* Pop ballads are homophonic in texture (melody and
accompaniment following a chord pattern).
* Accompaniment - chord progressions are usually played
on a guitar or piano. Other instruments may also be included
such as strings or drum kit. A typical chord progression is G
D Em C or I, V, VI, IV in any key.
* 'Pop' is a shortened version of the word popular.
* The tempo of a pop ballad can be moderato (moderato),
andante (at a walking pace), adagio (leisurely) or lento
(slow). Generally ballads are quite slow to emphasise the
emotional meaning of the words.
* The melody is sung legato (smoothly).
* The melody line is usually sung by a solo singer
however there are ballads sung by duos such as The Everly
Brothers (1960s) or Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel (1970s).
Duos would sing in close harmony.
* Pop ballads are usually in 4/4 time, however there are
ballads in other time signatures such as 3/4.
* Voice types should be known for this area of study. Male:
tenor (medium-high), baritone (medium-low), bass (low)
and female: soprano (medium-high), Mezzo-soprano
(medium), alto (medium-low). Alto is short for contralto.
* Backing singers or even a whole choir can be used to
help emphasise the lyrics. They are most often used in
the choruses or towards the end of the song to heighten
the drama.
* Chords in the accompaniment are also usually legato in
style with either soft repeating block chords, broken
chords or arpeggios.
* Key changes are quite common in ballads. The final
chorus is often 'lifted' to enhance the emotion towards the
end of the song. Changing key is called modulation. The
key change will sound a little higher than the previous
chorus.
* Early ballads (15th century) would mostly be in strophic
in form, this would sound like: verse 1, verse 2, verse 3
etc...other sections would not be included.
Listening examples:
Your Song by Elton John
The man who can't be moved by The Script
Someone like you by Adele
Dream by The Everly Brothers
Where do you go to my lovely (example in 3/4 time)