Show:
melody
rhythm
harmony
form
style markers
100

Voices/instruments interacting with each other in alternation; a fundamental idiom especially of the blues and its West African predecessors.

What is call-and-response?

100

A common type of syncopation in which beats 2 and 4 of each bar are accented.

What is a backbeat?

100

Three or more pitches sounding together, or in close succession.

What is a chord?

100
In a conventional pop/rock song, contrasting transitional section occurring after a chorus, returning to a verse or another chorus.

What is a "middle 8"?

100
Type of guitar especially associated with country/Western music and its sliding, "Hawaiian" sound.

What is the pedal-steel guitar?

200

Many notes sung on a single syllable of text

What is a melisma?

200

Thomas will perform a bass line on the piano. Which sub-category of the blues is defined by bass lines like these?

What is boogie-woogie?

200

In this class, what have we named the progression I–vi–IV–V–I?

"Heart and Soul"

200

Characteristic of gospel and its consequent styles, a sudden pause in the background making way for declamation, improvisation, or other vocal/instrumental display.

What is stop-time?

200

Name three instruments used in Latin music styles inherited by rock and roll.

What are claves, maracas, guiros, bongos, congas, and bells?

300

A short rhythmic/melodic phrase repeated at key moments, like beginnings of songs, or ends of vocal phrases.

What is a riff?

300

Uneven subdivisions of a beat (another name for the "shuffle beat").

What is swing?

300
Identify the progression Thomas will play for you. Give a name (song it references) and Roman numerals.

What is "La Bamba"/"Louie Louie"? (I-IV-V-IV)

300
Accompanying players repeating a chord progression indefinitely, allowing time for a principal soloist to improvise.

What is a vamp?

300

Characteristic echo effect of 1950s rock and roll (incl. Bill Haley, Elvis).

What is slap-back tape delay?

400

The blues scale modifies (into "blue notes") which scale degrees of the 7-note Western scale?

What are (flat) 3 and (flat) 7?

400

Clap the "clave" (aka "Bo Diddley") rhythm.

What is – (1 a and, and 4)?

400

Sing the bass line (with corresponding Roman numerals) of a 12-bar blues

What is –

I I I I
IV IV I I
V IV I I

400

Name two songs from the first day of class that use the 32-bar "AABA" template.

What are "Heart and Soul" and "A Thousand Miles"?

400

Describe some sonic differences between Motown and Southern soul genres.

Motown: orchestral instruments, smoother pop vocals, distinctive melodic basslines, hearkens back to sweet gospel

Southern soul: more rhythmic than melodic, no overdubbing, "raw" vocal style, taking after hard gospel

500
The effect by rapidly sliding your hand along the piano keyboard (like Jerry Lee Lewis).

What is glissando?

500

Thomas will sing and clap the "bembe asalo" melody and rhythmic pattern 3 times. You have one try to perform it yourself correctly.

What is – (bembe asalo, asalo bembe)?

500

What chord progression is used in the chorus of The Ronettes' "Be My Baby"? (Thomas will play it)

What is "Heart and Soul" (I-vi-IV-V-I)?

500

This refrain from Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" (Thomas will play it) takes place over what harmonic structure?

What is 12-bar blues?

500

How did rock and roll emerge as distinct from rhythm and blues? Prof. Peraino offered three broad narratives: briefly summarize one of them.

1. Rock and roll and rhythm and blues were in fact the same, but the music industry attempted to segregate them.

2. Rock and roll and rhythm and blues were in fact musically distinct, as comparing cover songs would show.

3. Rock and roll was a mass media and sociological phenomenon.