Music Theory - Single Award example blog

 

RHYTHM

This is a Minim - use MUSICTHEORY.NET

Screen grab to get illustrations to explain symbols in your Blog.

Reclaiming the roots and black African origins of the banjo post-B&W minstrels

Beyonce cowboy Carter

BANJO - instrument of the week

LETS MAKE A LEAD SHEET!

Imploding the Mirage - the Killers

Blowback

Full version:

This track is great from the album also:

See if you can work out a lead sheet,

Describe: 

Tempo

Key

Time Signature

Be aware of capo indications (can use brackets to show capo shapes)

Show Structure - 

Intro

Verse

Pre-chorus

Chorus

Bridge

Instrumental

Coda

Use headings to pin the structure

Lyrics help - try to map them against the chord changes

Use strokes to shoe the beats, the Chord name counts as a beat!

eg:

4/4, 120 bpm, E major (try capo 2 in D)

Intro

E///  F#m/// A/// B///

Verse

C#m//A   B///  E/A/

m = minor

M=Major 7th

Triangle = major 7 (Jazz)

7 = Dominant 7th

- = minor (Jazz)

dim. = Diminished

Circle = diminished (jazz); line through indicates 1/2 Dim

Roman Numerals

I = chord 1

ii  = chord two - lower case = minor

iii - 3

IV - 4

V - 5

vi - 6

vii - 7

Also use Roman Numerals for Capo positions to differentiate from Arabic numbers for fingering indications

These are examples we will use in our PLAN OF LEARNING:

We will begin to cover some of these elements in Lessons:

John Dowland - Harmonic minor, Melody - repetition, Harmony

Bach - arpeggiated chords and added notes (Chris Thile Mandolin Sonatas) Melody - Musical decoration and ornamentation

Stand By Me - 4-chord turnaround, Bass Arpeggio, Pentatonic, Phrasing -  Melody

You Got the Love - Three Chord Vamp, Mixolydian? Gospel Roots and improvisation Variation

John Barrie, 007 theme - Augmentation, Theme Development - Ludwig Göransson: Mandalorian theme, Hans Zimmer

Back to Black - four-chord turnaround, Harmonic minor, Chord changing under an inverted pedal, Be My Baby, modulation and circle of fifths. HARMONY

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger -Daft Punk, Descending Bassline turnaround, pentatonic scale (Make you feel my love)

Bon Iver - production techniques and harmonies, Texture

Phoebe Bridgers - added chord arpeggios, Texture

Reggae - 2-chord minor vamp, Triplets, rhythm

12 Bar Blues - Structure, Dominant 7ths, Variation

Abbey Road - Structure, ABBACAB, Modulation

Irish Folk Reels and Jigs - compound and duple time, Rhythm, Sequence, repetition

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys, Modulation, Sequence

Synthesis and Arpeggiators

Regular and irregular time signatures

4/4

7/4

5/4

Bars and counting Beats

Crotchets and Quavers and Rests

Balinese rhythmical grids

(From this website: https://gamelanbalinese.weebly.com/musical-elements.html)

Clapping Music - Steve Reich

Flamenco Clapping

Donna Summers I Feel Love - early arpeggiated Synth Disco pop

Stranger Things 80's tribute theme 

Use the Arpeggiator, Retro Synth and Auto Filter to replicate and create your own sketch based on this

ARRANGEMENTS

Compare MOTHERLESS CHILD Arrangements of a trad folk/blues/spiritual song:

Kawinuka

https://youtu.be/u25wbazvgMQ?si=y4V3cLJEapxyYM3O

Organ/piano Quote from Dylan  - Ballad of a Thin Man:

https://youtu.be/we37yX3zpKA?si=y-7vOQvgjIJ5gfys

Richie Havens

https://youtu.be/Tivig86aCgw?si=lCjYY9RG-gnidiRu

Prince

https://youtu.be/GFRiH7ZsnOo?si=-Btwc0O7rQmMj-ZR

Try adapting from this basic lead sheet - note the differences in the arrangements

REGGAE

This is a great genre to look at examples of rhythm in 4/4 time.

A classic Drum part will swing the hi-hat and has the Kick and snare on BEAT THREE - which sounds weird in principle, but WORKS with the space - the bass occupies the ONE.

The Bass will feature Syncopation

Will often use Triplets

as part of its' ostinato - 'Repeated pattern' based around a couple of minor chords or a turnaround (Am - Dm) i-iv

The guitar will do 'stabs' on the two and four, sometimes with a ghost note.

The Hammond B3 Organ (see logic plug in) 'bubbles' with the on and off beats

 Melody: A synth lead line or guitar solo (Chris Blackwell's Wailers only!) will likely use an A minor pentonic scale.  A,C,D,E,G

My Example: Reggae Example