Thursday April 11, 2013

1. M100: Music Appreciation Discussion GroupBen Tibbetts, T.A.benjamintibbetts@yahoo.comWelcome! Please sign the attendance at the front of the room. Thursday April 11, 2013

2. Discussion, not lecture today and Tuesday 20th century lecture on Thursday April 18

3. Today’s Agenda Pages 383-398 (Scott Joplin & Robert Johnson)

4. I’ll work on it this weekend.

5. Question: If I uploaded lesson materials, would you use them?

6. Jazz.

7. Some humility – not a historian (Wikipedia to the rescue!)

8. Jazz – “a music that originated at the beginning of the 20th century within the African-American communities of the Southern United States. Its roots lie in the African-American adoption of European harmony and form to existing African musical elements. African musical influences are evident in the use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and the swung note. From its early development until the present day, jazz has also incorporated elements from American popular music.” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jazz

9. Some background: • American racism and the Emancipation Proclamation • Jazz as an African American tradition Some Dates: January 1, 1863 - Emancipation Proclamation was issued April 9, 1865 - Lee surrendered, officially ending Civil War December 6, 1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment of the US Constitution was ratified (officially abolishing slavery).

10. Minstrel shows (or salon music) – “an American entertainment consisting of comic skits, variety acts, dancing, and music, performed by white people in blackface or, especially after the Civil War, black people in blackface.” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show

11. Musical improvisation “immediate (‘in the moment’) musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians.” -Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_improvisation

12. Scott Joplin c.1867-1917 American composer/pianist

13. Ragtime – “A style of [generally piano] music from the early twentieth century that emphasizes rhythmic syncopation while continuing many of the characteristics of marches, cakewalks, two-steps, and popular songs from the late nineteenth century.” -page 518

14. Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin (performed by the composer)

15. Syncopation “A type of rhythm in which the notes run against the regular pulse of the musical meter, with accents on beats other than the ones usually accented.” -page 518 Listen: Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin The rhythms in this song exhibit a high degree of syncopation.

16. Review (to clarify): Rhythm vs. Tempo

17. A further rhythmic distinction: Swung vs. Straight

18. Some influences on Scott Joplin’s rags: • Marches • Cakewalks • Two-step and Polkas • Vaudeville

19. March – “a piece of music with a strong regular rhythm” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_(music) Always in duple meter. Straight eighth notes. Listen: excerpt from Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar

20. Cake-walk – “was developed from a "Prize Walk" done in the days of slavery, generally at get-togethers on plantations in the Southern United States....At the conclusion of a performance of the original form of the dance in an exhibit at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, an enormous cake was awarded to the winning couple.” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cakewalk Always in duple meter Listen: excerpt from Golliwog’s Cakewalk by Claude Debussy

21. Two-step – “a step found in many folk dances….from the 19th century dance related to the Polka” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-step_(dance_move) Listen: excerpt from Pennsylvania Polka

22. Vaudeville – “a theatrical genre of variety entertainment popular in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s.” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville

23. Dixieland – “a style of jazz music which developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century, and was spread to Chicago and New York City by New Orleans bands in the 1910s.” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dixieland Listen: excerpt from When The Saints Go Marching In Performed by “The Dukes of Dixieland”

24. Boogie-woogie “is an African American style of piano-based blues that became popular in the late 1930s and early 1940s, but originated much earlier, and was extended from piano, to three pianos at once, guitar, big band, and country and western music, and even gospel.” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie_woogie Listen: excerpt from Swanee River Boogie performed by Albert Ammons

25. Player piano and piano rolls

26. stride bass, stride piano, or stride – “A jazz piano style that was developed in the large cities of the East Coast, mainly New York, during 1920s and 1930s.” –Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stride_(music) Listen: improvisations by Martin Spitznagel, pianist (using melodies from Super Mario Bros., Harry Potter, & Star Wars)

27. Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin (performed by the composer) Form: A A B B A A C C D D

28. Robert Johnson 1911-1938 American blues singer/musician

29. Blues - "A musical genre derived from African American performance traditions that uses blue notes (flattened pitches) in its melodies and tells first-person stories of hard knocks and love gone wrong." -page 515

30. Terraplane Blues by Robert Johnson Lyrics on next slides

31. "TERRAPLANE BLUES" LYRICS And I feel so lonesome, you hear me when I moan When I feel so lonesome, you hear me when I moan Who been drivin' my Terraplane1, for you since I been gone. I'd said I flash your lights, mama, you horn won't even blow (spoken: Somebody's been runnin' my batteries down on this machine) I even flash my lights, mama, this horn won't even blow Got a short in this connection, hoo well, babe, it's way down below I'm goin' heist your hood, mama, I'm bound to check your oil I'm goin' heist your hood, mama, mmm, I'm bound to check your oil I got a woman that I'm lovin', way down in Arkansas

32. Now, you know the coils ain't even buzzin', little generator won't get the spark Motor's in a bad condition, you gotta have these batteries charged But I'm cryin', pleease, pleease don't do me wrong. Who been drivin' my Terraplane1 now for, you since I been gone. Mr. highway man, please don't block the road Puh hee hee, please don't block the road 'Cause she's reachin' a cold one hundred and I'm booked and I got to go Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm Yoo ooo ooo ooo, you hear me weep and moan Who been drivin' my Terraplane now for, you since I been gone I'm goin' get down in this connection, keep on tanglin' with your wires I'm goin' get down in this connection, oh well, keep on tanglin' with these wires And when I mash down on your little starter, then your spark plug will give me fire

33. 12-bar blues – “A common model for blues songs, in which each verse consists of three lines of text over twelve measures of music. Each line receives four measures in a predetermined harmonic pattern using chords built on the first, fourth, and fifth scale degrees.” -page 519

34. Every measure is a different chord. 12-bar blues chord progression: I I I I IV IV I I V V I I 2 measures text, 2 measures “fill” Listen again: Terraplane Blues by Robert Johnson

35. Final Reminders / Homework • Read pages 399-415 • Questions? Email: benjamintibbetts@yahoo.com