Viva Voce: A musical analysis of the songs "Zebra" and "Revolution' by John Butlet Trio
Zebra
Tone Colour:
- repeated ostinato played by a variety of different instruments throughout the song
- guitar uses technique of plucking strings to accentuate notes
- vocal techniques are loose, free, almost shouted.
- regae feel created by instrumentation and accentuated off beat
Duration: - syncopation used by drums and in the instrumentation, guiat plucks the off beat in verse 1 ( creates the regae feel)
- continuouse rhythmic ostinato
Texture: - rythmic ostinato, accents and staccatos make the song sund richer when its actually fairly thin
- homphonic texture: main melodic role is shared between the guitar and vocals
- instrumental has thin texture
- As song goes on, the texture in verses increases becuse of more complicated rhythmic and melodic ideas
Dynamcs and Expressive techniques:
- Guitar uses a form of distortion in the instrumental.
- Not that musch dynamic contrast
- crescendo into chorus, decrescendo into instrumental
- variety of accents used
Pitch: - main melody has narrow range
- backing vocals in chorus create contrast with staccato
- ostinato provides melodic repetition
- melody moves in steps
- melodic repetition in verses by chorus.
Revolution
Tone colour:
- more alternate sound in comparison to Zebra
- the strength of the sound increases in chorus. its airy in the beginning and then changes in the chorus to a stronger sound
- airy sound created by synthesizer
- vocals use shouting technique
Duration: - guitar provides rhythmic role by playing short notes on the beat
- accents placed on beats 2 and 4- accentuated by guitar and drums
- vocals have rhythmic role in the bridge due to the technique of shouting on the beat.
Texture:
- texture increases a lot in chorus due to more complicated rhythmic and melodic roles
- homophonic texture with the main melodic role being the vocals
- the bridge has numerouse vocal parts which create thicker texture
Pitch: - melodic repetition used by the vocals
- greater vocal range that moves in steps
- melodic repetition also used by electric guitar
- use of harmonies
Dynamics and expressive techniques:
- use of distortion of guitar in instrumental part
- crescendo into the chorus
accents on beats 2 and 4
Structure: - intro, verse, chorus structure
- synthesized sound leads into a new melodic idea within the song
1.Brain storm as many Australian pop artists as you can span from 1950-2011 (to be done in world).
2.Go through each decade and allocate a minimum of 4 key players that defined the decade.
3.Find and watch a video clip of each
4.Broadly define the stylistic characteristics of the music from each decade- using language from the concepts.
5.Select one piece of music to discuss in detail referring to the concepts
6.Go to the Prezi Website set up a profile-make sure you select the setup for teachers and students. Transfer you information and video clips to a prezi presentation.
7.Present your history of Australian popular Music to the class.
1) Brainstorm of Australin Pop Artists
Slim dusty, Jonny O’keefe, Col joy,The seekers, The easybeats,The beegees, Little Pady, The bushwackers, renee geyer, Peter Alan, AC/DC, Midnight oil, cold chisel, INXS, men at work,The skyhooks, John Farnham , Kylie minogue, Crowded House, Natalie Imbruglia, Tina Arena,Nikki webster, guy sebastion, delta Goodrem, silverchair, Vanessa Amarosi, angus and julai stone, john butler trio, Pete Murray
2) Key players that defined the decade
1950s=Slim dusty, Jonny O’keefe, Col joy
1960s=The seekers, The easybeats,The beegees, Little Pady
1970s=The bushwackers, renee geyer, Peter Alan,
1980s=AC/DC, Midnight oil, cold chisel, INXS, men at work, The skyhooks, John Farnham
1990s=Kylie minogue, Crowded House, Natalie Imbruglia, Tina Arena
2000s=Nikki webster, guy sebastion, delta Goodrem, silverchair, Vanessa Amarosi
New music=angus and julai stone, john butler trio, Pete Murray
3)
1950s: Johnny O’keefe
1960s: The easybeats
1970s: The Bee Gees
1980s: AC/DC
1990's: Kylie Minogue
2000’s: Silverchair
4) characteristics of the decade
1950s:
-
- The music was usually written about bushrangers, Convict transportation, drinking and freedom.
-This period was edging out of the big band period of music and into rock and roll following the invention of the electric guitar, typical instruments found in this era would include a typical rock band including electric guitars, bass guitars, drums, vocals, backing vocals and then often a brass instrument.
-Simple time signatures mainly common time
-Ostinatos were common
-Melody moves mainly in steps with some leaps
-Homophonic textures
-Only slight variations in texture
-Tone colour quite simple with common instruments no electronically produced sounds
-Typical rock band instruments with drum kit, bass guitar, guitar and vocals
1960s - Similar to the 1950s as it was in the heart of the rock and roll era with new genres of rock being introduced including punk rock and garage rock.
-The instrumentation is very similar, although less brass instrument’s were seen in bands.
-The songs were influenced by the rebellion against the Vietnam War
-Acoustic instruments such as guitar and piano were used more commonly
-Simple rock beats were very common
-Textures were denser with all instruments playing at most times
1970s:
- This period in music created a trend for more relaxing music as well as dance music. People would go to dance clubs.
-this is where the disco movement came from, a movement which defined the 70s.
-Another genre which was introduced in the 1970’s was Progressive rock.It was characterised by rock music combined with another genre and the songs tended to be longer with the bands would be more spontaneous and experimental with dynamics and expressive techniques when they played live.
-Electric instruments were becoming used regularly
-Harmonies were being used but they were mainly simple just with the melody
-Electric guitars became popular and featured in most music
-Experimentation with dynamics and expressive techniques were becoming used frequently
1980s:
-The music in the 1980s were characterised by the use of electric sounds that were created by synthesizers, keyboards and drum machines.
-The introduction of the MTV channel also led to creative music videos.
-Heavy electric guitar sounds and strong beats were used
-The electric guitar became the main form of accompaniment
-More than one guitar would often play in the band
-Basic rock beat was used
-Simple time signatures were used mainly 4/4
-Repetition was becoming common and used to enforce main melodies and lines
-Female singers became more common
1990s
-
- Rock beats were still common but the beat was becoming to vary
- Guitars becoming used heavil
- The rock band instruments were returning of vocals, keyboard, bass guitar, electric guitar and drum
- Keyboard began to take over melodies in accompaniment
- Rock beats became more complete
- Vocals mainly accompanied in chorus, contrasting tone colour and texture
- Alternate music became popular
- Children for music became popular with Hi-5 and The Wiggles
2000s:
- Commonly produce covers of older bands music, with their own style
- Electric instruments became popular with use of synthesised sounds
- Electronic, dance and rap music became popular
- Complex rhythms were used to create interest
- Rock band instruments were changed and altered and more classical instruments were included
- Focus on main vocals and melody rather than the accompaniment
- Melodies become repetitive to make it easier for listeners to sing along
Analysis of the song: "Straight lines" by Silverchair
Duration:
- the tempo is moderatly fast, although changes within the chorus to fast
- the time signature is 4/4
- the synthesizer which is providing a rhythmic pulse is using a continouse beat, this is repetition
- There is syncopation seen in the drums and synthesizers
- there is also a lot of rythmic repeition in the verse and chorus with the vocals.
Pitch: - The song is Major
- The main melodic role is the vocals and it moves in steps
- the acconpmaniment is conjunct ( moving in steps)
- the range of the melody is fairly large for the male singer, he uses his head voice within the chorus.
- There is melodic repetition seen in the vocals role
- The piano playing a simple chromatic part has repetition also
Texture: - synthesizer, piano, vocals, drums, bass and electric guitar= there are 6 layers of sound
- the texture is homophonic with the main melody being the vocals
- the texture begins fairly sparse although increases as more instruments are introduced that have more
complicated rhythmic and melodic roles.
- the texture increases in the chorus and in the bridge to the following chorus.
Tone colour:
- syntheisizer, piano, vocals, drums, bass and electric guitar
- The sound is produced by an electric synthesizer which provides the rhythmic pulse. After the first chorus, the synthesized sound stops and the guitar provides a rhythmic role by strumming the guitar.
- the sound is first light and sweet, although after the first chorus it changes to a rich sound that feels like its leading up to something.
Dynamics and expressive techniques: - the dynamics are originally soft, although gradually increase as the song goes on, especially after the seond chorus that leads to the bridge.
- The initial synthesized sound uses a high level of staccato
- in the chorus, the guitar strums only on the beat, this creates an accentuation.
Structure: - there is a small intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bride, chorus
- the form would be in verse chorus
- the song really builts in in both texture and dynamics as the song continouse. As each new section is introduced, the overall sound is louser, stronger and thicker.
