Jonathan Shaw
  • Music Appreciation Spring 2020 (Blackwood)
    • Homework
    • Syllabus & Defining Music Appreciation >
      • Activity : Judging Music
    • 1/30 Instrumentation Class 1 >
      • Instrumentation Follow-Up
    • 2/11 >
      • Texture
    • 2/13
    • 2/18
    • Melody >
      • Evolution of a Genre : Example Assignment >
        • Week 5 Assignment : Evolution of a Genre Assignment
    • 2/25
    • Quiz
    • Rhythm
    • 3/10
    • Virtual Week 1: Harmony >
      • Extra Harmony Material
    • Film Music
    • Sampling
    • Sampling Follow Up
    • The Blues
  • ONLINE Music Appreciation Fall 2020
    • Week 1
    • Week 2
    • Week 3
    • Week 4
    • Week 5 >
      • Evolution of a Genre : Example Assignment
      • Week 5 Assignment : Evolution of a Genre Assignment
    • Week 6 >
      • Film Music
      • Sampling
    • Week 7 >
      • Sampling Follow Up
      • Survey
  • Brass Methods
    • Fingering/Position Test
  • Fall 2019 Honors Appreciation
    • Day 1 >
      • Syllabus & Defining Music Appreciation >
        • Activity : Judging Music
    • Day 2
    • Characteristics of Music - Part 1
    • Instrumentation
    • Texture
    • Melody >
      • Isn't She Lovely
    • Harmony
    • Rhythm
    • Song Meaning / Analysis
    • Artistic Intention
    • Evolution of a Genre : Example Assignment >
      • Assignment : Evolution of a Genre Assignment
    • Song Form
    • Genre Thoughts
    • Sampling
    • Film Music
    • Movie Projects (Examples)
    • Early Blues
    • New Page
  • Biography
    • Resume/C.V.
  • Aural Theory II
    • Page 2
    • Practice Test
    • Final Days
  • Aural Theory I
    • Reading Material
    • Tuesday 9/4
    • Class 2 : 9/11
    • Class 3 : 9/13
    • 9/18
    • 9/20 >
      • Matching the Pitch Homework
    • Quiz Listening
    • Class 10/2 & 10/4
    • 10/9
    • 10/11
    • 10/18
    • Dictation Practice
    • 6/8 Piece
    • BassLine Singing
    • FINAL MATERIALS
  • Music Fundamentals
    • Homework
    • Class 2 : 9/11 >
      • Melody
      • Harmony
      • Intro to Rhythm
      • Instrumentation
      • Instrumentation Chart / Song Map
    • Class 3 : 9/18 >
      • Quiz
      • Matching Pitches
      • Matching the Pitch Homework
    • Class #4 : 9/25 >
      • Rhythm
      • More Rhythm....
      • Song Form
    • Class #5 : 10/2
    • Class #6 : 10/9
    • Class #7 : 10/17
    • Class #8 : 10/23 >
      • ID'ing Basslines
    • Class 9 : 10/30
    • Class #10 11/6
    • Mid Term Project
    • Mid Term Project Due Dates
    • Class 12 : 11/13
    • Class #13 : 11/20
    • Class 14 - 11/26
    • Class 15 : 12/4
    • Class 16 : FINAL
  • Music Fundamentals for Sound Engineers
    • Week 1
    • Week 2
    • Week 3
    • Week 4
    • Week 5
    • Week 6
    • Week 7
    • Week 8 >
      • Notation Practice - Test
    • Week 9
    • Week 10
    • Week 12
    • Week 13
    • Week 14
    • Week 15
  • Materials
  • Recordings/Links
  • Education
  • Contact

Week 4:  Wednesday 7/13

Objectives: 
Assignments:

Life Theme / Concept  :   Familiarity Vs.  Contrast

We  (humans) Are creatures of Habit

​-  Take the same route to school/work/home everyday 
-Eat at similar things/ similar times of day
- Go to the same restaurants/bars
-Have similar routines (think getting ready in morning...)


We are naturally partial to Consistency
Consistency :  When things are consistent, you aren't forced to constantly re-learn and re-figure things out!

Example:  Imagine you had to take a different route to work/school/home everyday  ..... You are never allowed to take the same route twice
--->  This would be exhausting!
--> Everyday we would have to re-learn figure out a new way!
-> it is common sense and human nature to find one way that works and that we like, and stick with it!

In Life, we like what we know, and what is familiar
Humans like Familiarity / Consistency = Life Theme


BUT


At some point, we all get bored (also human nature!!) with too much of the same thing/repetition 

At this point we NEED some kind of CHANGE or CONTRAST
(remember this comes at a different point depending on the person)

Just as this is a Theme in Life, It is a Theme in Art
Stories/Film
Action Film:
 Good guy alway end up defeating the bad guy at the end = Familiar
 How he does it/when he does it = Contrast
Love Story:  Prince/Princess always live happily after =Familiar
How they meet, what they overcome etc. = Contrast 
Visual Art
There are only so many subjects nature.  
Think of how many paintings of mountains there must be (endless) = Familiar
There are also endless styles to paint them in = Contrast
Pointallism
Picture
Minimallism
Picture
Abstract Expressionism
Picture
Realism
Picture
Cubism
Picture
Imressionism
Picture
Whether it is Film, Stories, Visual art etc. - There will always be certain things in common (familiar) and certain differences (contrast)

The Question is , How are these two things (familiar/contrast) achieved

Example:
In the visual art examples above, Familiarity is achieved by painting the same subject (Mountain), while the Contrast is achieved by painting in different Styles (cubism, realism, etc.)
Question: How is this achieved in music?  

Repetition

Repetitive -------------------------VS.-------------------------Non Repetitive

Class Activity:  
​For these songs, let's try to chart out all the
repetitive characteristics, and non repetitive characteristics
"Use Me" - Bill Withers
Repetitive 
Drum Groove
Electric Piano Riff
Guitar Strumming
Bass Riff
​Melody (i.e. notes in lyrics)
Non Repetitive 
Lryics (i.e. the words of melody)
"Who is He"  - Bill Withers

"Lovely Day" - Bill Withers

"Ain't No Sunshine"  -  Bill Withers
Individual Activity:

Just as we did as a class with Bill Withers Tunes, Make a chart for the required songs listing the Repetitive Characteristics, and Non Repetitive Characteristics. You charts should look like the ones we did together. 

Required Songs:

Pick 2 Songs in the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100
The National Anthem
Mozart K 545

1 Song of your choice
Questions:

1.  Which is Better   -  A song that repeats a lot, or a song that never repeats
2.  Does it take away from the originality of a song it it repeats a lot? 
3.  Which has more Musical Value - A song that repeats a lot, or a song that never repeats
4. Which has more Social Value -  A song that repeats a lot, or a song that never repeats

Bass


Simple Definition :  The lowest Part of the harmony

Bass is really part of the harmony, as it provides the lowest notes we  are hearing in a song (hence the literal name; bass).  

The lowest sound during a performance


This can be confusing, as it is generally played by and instrument called the Bass (see below) but there is always bass in songs even if there isn't one of these present. 


Why does it exist? 
-Has a Grounding effect on the Harmony
-When we add that low note, it fills out the chord, give it more body

Lower = More POWERFUL sounding


-Physically, we hear a wider range of frequencies

What instruments can provide the BASS? 
-Upright Bass
       -Can be Bowed or Plucked
-Electric Bass Guitar
       - Can be Plucked or Strummed, like a regular guitar
-Synthesizer
       - Electronically generated sounds, usually played on a keyboard
-Some instruments like piano and guitar can play their own bass notes
because the have a wide range already on their instrument
Upright Bass​
​

​Upright Bass
Electric Bass
Types of Bass-lines
Bass lines Can have a profound effect on the groove/style/genre of the the music.  This stems from its rhythmic qualities.

Stagnant Bass
-Very little linear movement
-Only changes notes with the harmony
-not very many notes
-Usually only 1 note per chord played
-Usually not very rhythmic, except for repetition of same note
-Often Synthesized, not live instrumentation
Examples:
Blink 182 Sheet Music
Blink 182 Video
Beyonce Sheet Music
​Beyonce Video


Walking Bass
-Opposite of Stagnant
-Constantly moving Notes
-Always moves at a steady Rhythm/Pace, Usually every beat or every other beat (rhythmically repetitive)
-Provides motion for the music (hence 'walking')

Walking Bass Examples:
Ray Brown 

Bob Dylan Sheet Music
Bob Dylan Video

Stevie Sheet Music
Stevie Sheet Music
Stevie Video

​Riffed Bass
-A Riff is a repetitive rhythmic and melodic pattern
-Repetitive bass line looped many times, sometimes for the duration of the song
-provides lowest part of harmony, as well as the rhythmic basis for the song
-Important part of the groove/beat

Riffed Bass Examples:

Jet Sheet Music
Jet Video

Cee Lo Sheet Music
Cee Lo Video

Pink Floyd Sheet Music
Pink Floyd Video

Bass Line Homework

Find 3 Songs that you think have different kinds of bass-lines. 

Describe WHY and HOW the bass lines sound like they differ from each other. 

So you will give me:  Song and Artist,  Explanation of WHY and HOW the bass lines are different from each other  
x 3
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