 |
Week
5 |
| The Course |
Musical
Forms in Rock music |
| Musical
forms you need to recognize by ear. |
This
week you will learn to recognize a few musical forms we've
already touched on, but not spent enough time with. The first form is the blues progression. It involves, in its simplest form, the ONE chord (I), the FOUR chord (IV) and the FIVE chord(V) or the FIVE/seven chord (V7). What, might you ask, am I talking about? Each scale in our Western culture today has eight notes (sometimes more in some jazz scales) Those notes are in alphabetical order from A to G: then we repeat the letters again, as we have reached from A to the A above it, which is one octave (eight - octo in Greek). Not only is it one octave, but the the upper A is exactly vibrating twice as fast as the A below. If the lower A vibrates at 220 cycles per second, then the A above it would vibrate at 440 cycles per second (also called Hz - stands for a scientist named Herz) Here is a series of scales Double click on the scale to hear it. Each note can be assigned a number as well (usually referred to by Roman numerals as above) So in C major: C D E F G A B C I II III IV V VI VII I The simple chords each have three note and are called triads If we say the "chord progression" is I, IV, I, IV, V, I - we have described a simple "blues progression." In this case only the bass is playing the progression I,IV,V,V,IV,II - repeat over and over. There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of songs using this simple, repetative formula. Notice the added II chord (a minor chord). Music history tells us that the I, IV, and V chords are, way back when, the "pure" chords. There are reasons for this (if you want to discuss this in class to get a better handle on it, that'll be fine). These chords (in the order of the scale are the Major chords. The II, III and VI chords are minor chords. The VII chord is a dimished triad - short by one half step. Here's another song that uses I, IV and V Here's a short video about the blues progression Now that you can recognize these basic chords, here are a few using the basic blues progression #1 #2 #3 #4 The next chord progression that is really common (especially during the 50s) is the so called "doo-wop" progression - I, VI, IV (or II), V, I. This seemed the easiest progression for acapella groups of "kids" on streetcorners or "stoops" on the East Coast. Basically just a few singers, geting together to sing some harmony together. That's how I got started. Here are a few of those songs; Earth Angel Why Must I Be A Teenager In Love In The Still Of The Night In The Still Of The Night updated version - Boyz II Men Blue Moon Blue Moon (the original 1936 edition) Why Do Fools Fall In Love Sixteen Candles Vision Of Love |