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Home , All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix

KSKS45 Music in the late

David Ashworth by David Ashworth is a freelance education consultant, specialising in music technology. He is project leader for INTRODUCTION www.teachingmusic. org.uk and he has The years 1965 to 1969 were extraordinary times in the history of pop. For a brief window, musicians were been involved at a national level in most given an almost totally free reign in shaping and developing the music they wanted to make – often supported of the major music with considerable time and resources to achieve their various musical aims. True, it sometimes led down blind initiatives in recent alleys, but even the less successful musical explorations of the time often had considerable musical interest. years.

Technology played a large part in some of the advances. This was most obvious in the ways in which it allowed sounds to be modified and recorded, but developments in media transmission also meant that different musics were now being shared and distributed more easily across a wide range of cultures. This in turn led to new ways in which musicians were able to share music and collaborate on musical projects.

For teachers, this era is a good one to explore because it brings so many styles, influences and genres together, which in turn can provide a rich and varied basis for worthwhile classroom activity.

One of the challenges of putting a resource like this together is deciding what to include and what to leave out. There was simply so much happening during these years that a single resource cannot hope to cover it all adequately. For example, was not only important for its own sake, but also for its influence, which was felt across much of the music described here. As in the earlier 1960s (covered in the previous resource Music in the mid-1960s, August 2015), the music of was hugely important during this period (see The Beatles: a legacy for music education, May 2015). We do make some reference to their work, but their three albums from this era Revolver, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club and The Beatles (usually known as the White Album) deserve a more in-depth study than we have space for here.

Overall aim

The overall aim of the resource is twofold. It aims to provide a series of activities that will give students composition frameworks, while at the same time learning about the styles and musical conventions of music from this era. Each section provides some brief background with some relevant examples for ‘active listening’ exercises. These are followed with suggestions for related classroom activity.

Lesson objectives

The activities included in this resource cover a good range of the aims and objectives as set out by the new KS3 Curriculum for Music. By the end of this project, the student will be able to: „„ improvise and compose; and extend and develop musical ideas by drawing on a range of musical structures and traditions associated with the rock and pop music of the late 1960s. „„ identify and use the inter-related dimensions of music expressively, including use of tonalities, different types of scales and other musical devices. „„ listen with increasing discrimination to a wide range of music from the most important composers and musicians from this era. „„ develop a deepening understanding of this music and its history through composition and associated listening tasks.

1 Music Teacher September 2015 GCSE Music – the new specifications

In addition, there is much here that would provide excellent support for students working on the composing and the listening/appraising/understanding strands of the forthcoming GCSE specifications for all examination boards: „„ Areas of study: all examination boards include pop music in their areas of study. Some list specific pop music set works, but all give the freedom for teachers to work with any appropriate material. This resource provides many helpful suggestions. „„ Performance: cover versions of some of these songs (or original works written in similar styles) provide a good range and flexibility for all candidates to play to their performing strengths. Some of the songs are quite straightforward, while others are more challenging. But all are great fun to play! „„ Composition: again, there is much in this resource that can be used to support this strand. Students are allowed to compose a piece for their own instrument (which may well be a ‘pop’ instrument). Some composition tasks are linked to the areas of study, which include a good number of pop music possibilities. Each section of our resource provides useful starting points for GCSE composing tasks. „„ Listening/appraising/understanding: much of this centres around the areas of study which, we have already noted, contain a lot of pop music references – specific and more general. The listening examples and activities covered in this resource provide great opportunities for devising GCSE listening-style questions, which are based on listening out for musical elements, musical contexts and musical language.

Relevance to specific exam board criteria

AQA One area of study (AoS) is pop music, with three songs by the Beatles as a set work. Many composing activities suggested here will be useful and relevant, since the AQA composing requirements are not linked to any particular areas of study.

Edexcel One of the composing requirements has to be linked to one of the areas of study. Some of the activities suggested below in working with music from different cultures would he useful for students wishing to work with the Fusion Music option.

OCR One AoS is ‘conventions of pop music’, with no set works. This resource covers most of the important ‘conventions’, and the repertoire covered here can be used by the class teacher requiring some guidance on appropriate music for study. Students learning pop instruments can draw on this resource as the free-choice composition will be for the candidate’s instrument.

WJEC As with OCR, an AoS is pop music, with no set works. This resource is therefore highly appropriate for covering work in this area. The Board are keen to see development of musical ideas, and there will be a choice of four briefs, one linked to the pop music AoS.

Music Teacher September 2015 2 PART 1: INSTRUMENTAL SKILLS AND SUPERGROUPS

As the 1960s progressed, many of the best young musicians from this era continued to develop their playing skills and generally broaden their musical horizons.

An important factor for many 1960s was the emergence of as a major influence. In one sweep, Hendrix took electric playing onto a significantly higher level. Based on equal measures of virtuosity and showmanship, key features of his playing were: „„ extending use of improvising scales to go beyond the usual pentatonic choices. „„ exploration of new sounds and effects in performance and recording. „„ guitar style – a dual function of lead and accompaniment.

Bass players tended to play more melodic lines, rather than the functional ‘roots and 5ths’ that formed the basis of much earlier pop music. Drummers would draw inspiration from the world of and extend the use of percussion instruments beyond the standard drumkit collection.

‘Supergroups’ were another feature of this era, where some of the best players would form bands where every member was recognised as a leader in their field.

One of the first supergroups to emerge was Cream, so named because they were considered the ‘cream of the crop’. was an early admirer of Hendrix, and was one of the first to form a supergroup, with bassist and drummer Ginger Baker. These musicians brought their extensive jazz experience into the frame, and the interplay between players was energetic, complex and at times fiercely competitive.

The other notable supergroup was , who shared some characteristics with Cream. They were loud, and blues-influenced, but they also drew heavily on other musical areas.

Listening examples

„„ Jimi Hendrix: ‘’ – note the use of blues scales, but with added notes to give the solos a more jazzy sound. An interesting slide section in the solo with added delay provides an effective moment of contrast. Comparisons with the original version by would make a useful listening exercise. „„ Cream: ‘Crossroads’ – this live version showcases the virtuosity of all members. „„ Led Zeppelin: ‘Whole Lotta Love’ – virtuosic vocal part and an instrumental section featuring some interesting percussion followed by a short, blistering . The use of bears comparison with the Hendrix track mentioned above. Note the imaginative use of extra percussion. „„ The Beatles: ‘Rain’ – melodic basslines, featuring use of octave playing. Heavily syncopated drum part throughout, especially between sections.

Activities

Trying to replicate playing at this level of virtuosity is not going to be possible for most of our pupils. However, there are still ideas we can take from these examples: „„ Listen closely to some Jimi Hendrix solos, including the ones listed above. Although much of his playing is based around blues scales, he does make effective use of modes, often stressing the non-chord notes to give his solos a more unusual, distinctive sound. For example, ‘All Along the Watchtower’ uses this C minor scale: C D E flat F G A flat B flat C In the opening phrase, he stresses two non-chord notes – the note D over a chord of C minor and the note F over a chord of A flat major. Set students the task of devising melodies that make similar use of non-chord notes.

3 Music Teacher September 2015 „„ Often students will write simple bass parts using roots and 5ths. Encourage them to write more adventurous, melodic basslines that play a more prominent part in their pieces. Again, take some inspiration from the above listening examples. „„ Listen to how the Beatles and Led Zeppelin make effective use of extra percussion. Set students the task of using hand percussion to devise interesting and dynamic percussion parts for their songs.

PART 2: TECHNOLOGY

In the previous Music Teacher resource, Music in the mid-1960s (August 2015), we pointed out that there was a need for louder amplification during performances so that bands could hear themselves above the noise levels generated by their enthusiastic and exuberant audiences. With this came the realisation that increasing the volume level on an amplifier can also have a bearing on the timbre or sound of that instrument. So an ‘overdriven’ guitar had a grittier, grainier sound. Amplifying to these levels would sometimes produce feedback, which guitarists such as Peter Green and Jimi Hendrix would harness to good effect – allowing them to sustain notes for much longer.

This in turn led to guitarists and sound engineers experimenting with further ways to process or modify amplified guitar sounds to broaden the palette of sounds available to players. Hendrix’s collaborations with electronics expert spearheaded many of the developments in this area, with Hendrix using the guitar as a sound source for manipulating and controlling electronics as much as an instrument in its own right.

Developments in keyboard technology were also making some impact on the music of this era. Synthesisers were still too costly and complex to be considered as practical working options, but musicians such as ’s Rick Wright would use a Farfisa organ with an echo unit to conjure up an amazing array of distinctive sounds that would add extra layers of texture to the usual sounds. The other instrument to emerge from this era was the mellotron – a keyboard with pre-loaded sets of tapes, each with recorded notes for existing instruments such as violins or flutes, whose sounds could be triggered by playing the keys on the keyboard. Pink Floyd restricted their use of this unwieldy and temperamental instruments to the studio. Braver groups such as actually took one on tour.

For some bands, playing the music louder became an important component in their music. The ‘’ sounds of bands such as Led Zeppelin, Cream and Deep were the precursors of the (and beyond) heavy metal genre. This music was specifically designed to be performed and listened to at high volumes.

Electronics extended beyond performing and stage use. Young consumers were moving away from playing singles on Dansette record players and purchasing comparatively sophisticated and powerful stereo systems. Consequently, there was a growing interest in the ways in which sound could be manipulated in the recording studio to give an added dimension to the sounds being made by the musicians. The use of rapid panning during the introduction to Hendrix’s ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ is an example of this.

The more successful musicians were often able to spend much more time in recording studios. They would often arrive with just basic sketches of the songs, which would be developed into fully fledged pieces in collaboration with studio engineers and producers. The time the Beatles spent in Abbey Road recording their landmark albums has been well documented. For example, watch this South Bank Show documentary which documents making and recording of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Listening

„„ Peter Green: ‘The Supernatural’ – for use of feedback and reverb to add sustain. „„ Cream: ‘’ – for early use of wah-wah. „„ Jimi Hendrix: ‘Voodoo Child (Slight Return)’ – for wah-wah and distortion. „„ Pink Floyd: ‘Cirrus Minor’ – for Farfisa organ with Binson echo unit. „„ King Crimson: ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’ – for mellotron. „„ The Beatles: ‘Rain’ – for reverse vocals at the end of the track.

Music Teacher September 2015 4 Activities

Try to find a competent electric guitarist who can demonstrate the use of effects pedals to shape and alter sound. This might be an older student demonstrating to younger classes, another teacher or a parent. Another approach is to find a local rock band whose members might be willing to provide demonstrations. This can be an excellent way for them to help build a local following and fanbase.

It is unlikely that most music departments will have access to the sort of equipment discussed above, but even basic modern electronic keyboards have a range of useful sounds that can be used to emulate the ways in which keyboards of the late 1960s were used to add dense layers of lush sound. Students can used some of the ‘synth pad’ sounds commonly found on classroom keyboards to add sustained washes of sound to their compositions. These parts can be based on the song chords, but emphasising 7ths, 9ths and 13ths can add considerable subtlety. Listening to some early Pink Floyd or King Crimson will give students some idea of the sounds they are aiming for.

The experiments that used to take place in recording studios can now been emulated to a certain degree by students working on computer sequencers or even apps such as GarageBand. Here are some ideas to try, inspired by some of the tracks mentioned above:

„„ Reversing tracks: in a multitrack recording, some interesting textural variation can be achieved by reversing some sections of the vocal part or a guitar solo. „„ Experiment with adding large amount of reverb and echo to transform a keyboard track. „„ Sound collages such as the instrumental section of the Beatles’ ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite’ can be put together by putting together snippets of sound recordings as a background to instrumental parts.

PART 3: MORE TIME – POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES

For many bands in the early 1960s, writing and recording new material was something squeezed in between relentless touring schedules. Songs would be sketched out in hotel rooms and tour buses. Whole LPs would be recorded in studios in a matter of hours, with professional arrangers and session musicians being drafted in to speed up the process.

For the more successful bands and artists, this approach would slowly change. Managers and recording companies realised that there was more money to be made in selling records, as opposed to touring, so musicians were given much more time for writing material and working in studios. The switch of emphasis from singles to LPs meant that musicians were also free to write songs of much longer duration. This gave artists such as Bob Dylan the opportunity to write extended lyrical pieces, such as ‘’ and ‘Sad-Eyed Lady of the ’. Bands such as could now record extended live blues jams, and others would put together collections of songs on a given theme into concept albums or rock operas.

More time in the recording studios gave bands the chance to take in rough demos or outlines of songs and work together with sound engineers to develop much more sophisticated musical material.

The Beatles and – a case study

By this time, the Beatles had called a halt to live performance and concentrated almost exclusively on studio work. For their album Revolver, they were fortunate to be working with one the great music producers, George Martin, aided by a top team of EMI sound engineers in one of the finest recording studios in the UK – Abbey Road. Musical highlights from this record include:

„„ ‘I Want to Tell You’: this song uses dissonance, in an essentially diatonic song with a chord progression that begins: A – B7 – E7b9 This flattened 9th is emphasised by a repeated hammering of the note on a piano. explained that the song was about the frustration of trying to communicate certain things with just words. He came up

5 Music Teacher September 2015 with this dissonant chord as a way of expressing that sense of frustration. „„ ‘Yellow Submarine’ is a simple children’s song that is sung in practically every primary school in the land. But no school ever tackles the most interesting feature in this song. The ‘nautical’ overdubs created using chains, a ship’s bell, tap-dancing mats, whistles, hooters, waves, a tin bath filled with water, wind and thunderstorm machines are what make this track really interesting. „„ ‘I’m Only Sleeping’: effects units such as reverb and echo units were standard accessories in most recording studios. Further processing of the sound was possible by physical manipulation of the tape. Techniques included cutting and splicing, altering the recording/playback speeds and reversing the tape. This latter feature is exploited on the track effectively in the recording of the guitar solo. Harrison liked the timbre of a reverse guitar but wanted to retain control of the sequence of notes that make up the melody of the solo. He did this by recording his solo straight and then played it backwards. He learnt to play this backwards version and by recording it and reversing the tape, he arrived at a version that replicated the original solo with the timbre of the reverse guitar sound.

More time and more budget meant that bands were also able to draft in additional players. Moving forwards from Revolver, the Beatles would start to draft in classical players. A string octet plays the backing to ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and we hear a highly distinctive piccolo trumpet solo on the subsequent single ‘Penny Lane’.

These ways of working were developed even further on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – an album worth a resource in itself. For the moment, here is a link to a schools project based on this album, which teachers and students may find of interest.

However, there can be a downside to having too much time, especially when there is insufficient support and direction. The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request is considered by many to be one of their least successful albums, principally for these reasons. However, it does have some interesting features:

„„ ‘She’s a Rainbow’ – a standard rock song with some unusual ‘classical’ interludes for piano and strings. The backing features use of mellotron and extensive backing vocals. Towards the end there is a short ‘avant- garde’ section involving scraping strings and dissonant sounds. „„ ‘200 Light Years from Home’ – again, a mellotron with strange, bubbling synth-like sounds. The opening sounds like film music, with the toms and cymbals played to evoke orchestral percussion, together with a distinctive bass part. Unusually, there is no significant guitar on this track.

With their next (altogether more successful) album, Beggars Banquet, the band showed that they had learnt some valuable lessons from their experiments on Satanic Majesties, which they now harnessed to good effect. ‘Street Fighting Man’ is notable for use of unusual acoustic instruments such as the shenai (similar to an oboe), sitar and tanpura. ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ effectively combines African rhythms with a South American samba vibe. These bright, lively rhythms are used ‘out of context’ with a dark lyrical subject matter giving the track a disturbing and unsettling backdrop. Also note the use of a more prominent and busy bass part.

Reflections and activities

The music in this section was made as the result of having more time to try things out. Time is in short supply for music in schools, so to give our students opportunities to experiment and explore in this way, we have to think beyond the confines of the typical single or double period lesson. There are two ways we can possibly achieve this: „„ Using technology to make stronger connections between home and school. Cloud-based software and use of mobile technologies will allow students to continue their work outside of lesson times. „„ ‘Residentials’ – when schools have activity weeks or collapse the timetable, there may be opportunities for some students to work more intensively on open-ended music making projects.

Here are some suggested activities, based on some of the processes described above: „„ Songs with ‘environmental’ overdubs. We have discussed the use of nautical sound as an aural backdrop for ‘Yellow Submarine’. Other good examples from this era include the city soundscape used in the Loving Spoonful’s ‘Summer in the City’ and pastoral birdsong in Pink Floyd’s ‘Cirrus Minor’. Students can explore ways of adding collages of appropriate environmental sound to their own compositions. „„ Put together a typical percussion backing, based on keyboard presets such as ‘Latin’ or ‘waltz’, and augment

Music Teacher September 2015 6 or replace the standard drumkit sounds with interesting hand percussion. Use this as a basis for an original song not normally associated with this chosen rhythmic style. „„ Using dissonance in a diatonic song. Students will often use volume or distortion as a means of expressing anger or drama in a song. Dissonance or chaos can often be used just as effectively as demonstrated in the two songs above ‘I Want to Tell You’ and ‘She’s a Rainbow’. Encourage students to explore similar approaches.

PART 4: AND SINGER-

During the late 1960s, Bob Dylan moved back from the electrifying rock sound of to a more stripped-down acoustic sound for and . His association with the Canadian group, The Band, helped put the spotlight on some era-defining music from some top Canadian musicians. Pre-eminent among these were: „„ : through his poetry and simple music accompaniments, he helped to expand the range of topics considered suitable for song lyrics – exploring religion, politics, isolation and personal relationships. There is currently a resurgence of interest in his music (helped in part by the success of his song ‘Hallelujah’), and many students may well be familiar with his work. „„ : he combined solo and band work in equal measure and is noted for the quality of his songwriting and his ragged but effective band arrangements and performances with Crazy Horse. „„ : she is a highly gifted and original . In addition to writing songs of considerable emotional power and subtlety, she is a very accomplished singer and guitarist. Her unique sound makes her a difficult artist for others to cover.

The Band featured songs that evoked old-time rural America, from the Civil War in ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ to unionisation of farm workers in ‘ (Has Surely Come)’. The Band’s music fused many elements, primarily old country music and early rock ’n’ roll, with the influence of soul and Tamla Motown showing strongly in the rhythm section.

The concept of a supergroup was not confined to the world of rock. Some of the UK’s finest folk performers joined forces to form Pentangle, an eclectic mix of folk, jazz, blues and folk-rock influences.

Fairport Convention formed at much the same time, veering more towards the rock end of the folk-rock , with a more electric sound and initially strongly influenced by American groups such as the Byrds and the American/Canadian songwriters mentioned above. With the introduction of singer Sandy Denny and violinist Dave Swarbrick, the group started to work with a more traditional folk repertoire, nevertheless giving it a more contemporary feel.

Listening

Compare and contrast different versions of songs: „„ ‘All Along the Watchtower’: we have already mentioned the Jimi Hendrix version of this song, but it was originally recorded by Bob Dylan on John Wesley Harding. „„ ‘Chelsea Morning’: Joni Mitchell (original), Fairport Convention (cover) „„ ‘Ballad of ’: The Byrds (original), Fairport Convention (cover) „„ ‘This Wheel’s on Fire’: Bob Dylan and The Band (original), The Byrds (cover), and also the Trinity (cover)

Activities

„„ In the previous section, we noted the tendency of many bands and artists to record cover versions of each other’s songs, adapting them to a different chosen style. Students could attempt to devise cover versions in ways that are appropriate for the instruments they have available and the musical styles they might choose. In addition to those songs cited above, listen also to the ways in which Fairport Convention have adapted traditional folk songs.

7 Music Teacher September 2015 „„ Most songs by The Band are accompanied by a rich mix of folk and rock instruments. Another hallmark is the use of piano and organ together. Look for ways in which students can combine keyboards and rock and folk instruments in classroom work. Make sure that those playing amplified instruments do not drown out the sounds of the acoustic instruments. „„ The Band’s second album, The Band, has been viewed as a concept album, with the songs focusing on people, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana. took a similar line with his Steinbeck-inspired The Ghost of Tom Joad, recorded many years later. A class could be given the task of writing songs or instrumentals based on a common theme. Discuss with the English or history department to source possible themes, such as war, social issues or significant events that students are studying and which might lend themselves to a similar approach.

PART 5: ELECTRIC AND ECLECTIC – HARD ROCK AND

We have already noted how the music of bands such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Cream became louder and, to a certain extent, more eclectic. This harder, more driving sound was still firmly rooted in the blues, but bands including Cream would draw on jazz, while Deep Purple, led by classically trained Hammond organ player Jon Lord, would try to make a connection between pop and classical music.

These developments led directly to the emergence of heavy metal in the early 1970s, and also to a genre known as prog rock. Again, this was essentially a 1970s development, but there were two bands in particular who were laying down foundations for this type of music during the late 1960s. In the 1970s, it tended to degenerate into music that was pompous and overblown, but the early work of King Crimson and Jethro Tull deserves some consideration here.

Jethro Tull were unusual in that their frontman was a flautist – not a common instrument in rock bands. Ian Anderson’s aggressive playing style helped to ensure that his flute sound fitted in with the rest of the band. In addition to writing and performing songs in blues and jazz styles, they would work with less common time signatures (for example in ‘Living in the Past’) and classical reworkings (for instance with JS Bach’s Bourrée in E minor).

King Crimson were a very different sort of band. Jazz, but significantly not blues, was a part of their sound. In addition, they would draw on electronic, experimental and classical symphonic styles. On their first album In the Court of the Crimson King, instrumentation included mellotron, guitars, a wide range of percussion and keyboards, woodwind and various electronic effects. Like many of their contemporaries they could play very loud, but they were one of the few bands to exploit the power of dynamic contrast.

Activities

„„ The rhythms of Jethro Tull’s ‘Living in the Past’ can be used as a basis for a classroom or small-group ensemble project. The class should listen to the original track and clap along this backing rhythm:

Next, they can try clapping along the vocal rhythm part:

The class or small group should now transfer these rhythms onto percussion, chord and lead instruments, working with original melodies and chords, or devising their own.

Music Teacher September 2015 8 „„ King Crimson achieved their rich, orchestral sound by overdubbing several layers of mellotron and woodwind tracks. A similar effect can be achieved in the classroom, having several keyboards set to orchestral strings, brass ensemble and woodwind presets. Students should work in small groups devising slow, stately melodic lines similar to In the Court of the Crimson King. A prearranged chord sequence can be used to help construct rich parallel harmonies, with some instruments playing in different octaves. These sections can be incorporated into works with sudden contrasts of texture and dynamics – a hallmark feature of King Crimson’s work.

PART 6: ROCK OPERAS AND CLASSICAL COLLABORATIONS

As we have noted earlier, by the late 1960s many bands wanted to break away from the confines of the three- minute pop song formula. They did this in various ways. In this section we consider collaborations between classical players and rock bands, before going on to consider the emerging genre of rock opera.

In the UK, the Beatles were one of the first bands with sufficient budget to be able to draft in orchestral players for recording sessions. String ensembles featured on ‘Yesterday’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’. Classical soloists were brought in for tracks such as ‘Penny Lane’. The Sgt. Pepper album made more extensive use of orchestral elements, but it was the Moody Blues who were the first to go for an all out pop-classical collaboration with the album Days of Future Passed.

The first major live classical-rock performance took place in September 1969, with Deep Purple’s Concerto for Group and Orchestra, a three-movement epic composed by Jon Lord and performed by the band at the with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold.

Both the above works could serve as a good introduction to classical music for students. The music is not especially groundbreaking, but it is accessible and provides a good vehicle for class discussion on the pros and cons of attempting to merge these styles.

Another strategy was to stick with rock instrumentation and borrow some of the structures and conventions from the world of classical music in putting together extended works, which became known as rock operas. The best-known examples from this era are: „„ The Pretty Things: S F Sorrow. The album is structured as a song cycle, telling the story of the main character, Sebastian F. Sorrow, from birth through love, war, tragedy, madness, and the disillusionment of old age. The album was largely overlooked at the time and has only been reassessed as an important work comparatively recently. „„ The Small Faces: Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake. A whimsical fairy tale about a character called Happiness Stan, with a memorable narration by the inimitable Stanley Unwin.

The problem both these bands faced were that these studio albums were almost impossible to reproduce in live performance. That was no problem, however, for: „„ : Tommy. This opera suffers from a confused and fractured storyline, but musically it is top-quality and highly performable. Although working with relatively few instruments, these players could conjure up a wide range of sounds to complement the voices of the two strong singers in the band, and .

Activities

All of these rock operas would make a refreshing change for schools wanting to break out of the stranglehold of Bugsy Malone, Grease, Joseph et al. They are ambitious but rewarding!

There may be some potential for schools wishing to combine rock bands with their extra-curricular ensembles. This would involve mashing together items on a shared theme and might require some composing or arranging.

9 Music Teacher September 2015 A good class project can be based around the construction of an original rock opera. Once a storyline has been written or sourced, the various songs and themes can be commissioned by allocating well-defined briefs to different class members – working on their own or in groups.

PART 7: JAZZ, EXPERIMENTAL AND THE AVANT GARDE

Most of the musicians covered so far started out in basic rock and pop bands, before taking their music in directions outlined above.

There were others, however, who were never really part of this rock/pop tradition, but who were drawn into this emerging melting-pot culture via jazz and more experimental routes.

At the same time, jazz musicians were drawing on the influences of rock and . Jazz ensembles were reconfiguring to incorporate electric instruments associated with rock. Musicians such as would perform alongside major rock acts in a bid to bring his music to a wider audience.

This new music, sometimes referred to as jazz-rock fusion, was spearheaded in the UK by bands like Colosseum and . Soft Machine’s music expanded the boundaries even wider in assimilating rock, absurdist humour, jazz and the avant-garde. They would perform with more mainstream rock and pop acts in the usual performing venues and the emerging live music scene in universities, polytechnics and art colleges.

It is interesting to note that most pop musicians did not go to music college. But a surprising number went to art college, including , Pete Townshend, Ray Davies and . Perhaps the more experimental, avant-garde approaches to art study led these students to work more innovatively in music writing and performing. They were approaching music with fresh perspectives, unburdened by the weight of musical tradition. (The art world connections extended further: the initial lineup of Pink Floyd comprised three architecture students plus one art student.)

In the USA, avant-garde artist Andy Warhol worked with the innovative and unconventional Velvet Underground, whose music continues to be a source of inspiration for successive generation of rock musicians.

Sculptor Captain Beefheart began his musical career in collaboration with , who charted a route into music making that was uniquely his own. Zappa was a self-taught composer and performer, and his diverse musical influences led him to create music that was often difficult to categorise. His 1966 debut album with , Freak Out!, combined songs in conventional rock ’n’ roll format with collective improvisations and studio-generated sound collages. His influences included 20th-century classical composers such as Varèse, Stravinsky and Webern, along with 1950s music

Listening

„„ Miles Davis: ‘In a Silent Way’ „„ Colosseum: The Valentyne Suite „„ Velvet Underground: ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’. Drones feature strongly in the work of , and ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’ provides a good example. Cale would often provide drones on his viola, but on this track the use of an ‘ostrich guitar’ (in which all the strings are tuned to the note D) is used to achieve this effect. The band eschewed the standard drumkit and associated rock/pop percussion patterns. On this track, the drummer plays a simple but effective /tambourine pattern. The piano player is exploring playing with clusters. „„ Frank Zappa: ‘Status Back Baby’ – a good example of embedding classical music in a more conventional pop song, albeit laced with irony. ‘Status Back Baby’ quotes from opening of Stravinsky’s Petrushka during the instrumental section.

Music Teacher September 2015 10 Activity 1

Performing the music of Miles Davis is likely to prove too challenging as a classroom activity, but we can take ideas from these pieces and adapt them for our own use. Fortunately, the instrumental parts on ‘In a Silent Way’ are clear and uncluttered, so we can easily pick them out and isolate them. Here are two ideas from the piece. The first is a distinctive chordal section:

And here is a bass ostinato:

Both patterns are repeated many times and make great vehicles for improvising over. As it happens, both are also comparatively easy to play on guitar and bass respectively. For students with limited keyboard skills, the chords could be broken into three lines shared between three players. Teachers might want to consider transposing the parts down a (from F minor to E minor) for ease of playing and improvising over. The percussion for this track can be very straightforward, concentrating on providing a steady beat or pulse.

Divide the class into small groups and ask them to devise a structure that uses these two ideas as a backing for an semi-improvised call-and-response piece. Some of the group function as rhythm section. Others write and/or improvise phrases for solo playing.

Activity 2

Exploring the works of the Velvet Underground can make for some rewarding classroom activity. The musical ideas and thinking can be powerful but, technically speaking, they can often be very easy to play. Students should first attempt a and then go on to write something new in a similar style.

For example, consider ‘All Tomorrow’s Parties’. Discuss the features of this track with the class (as outlined above) and then ask them to work on cover versions. You might even have an old guitar in the cupboard that could be modified to function as a customised ‘ostrich’ guitar.

Now they should write original songs or instrumentals which incorporates these features: „„ drones „„ clusters „„ unusual percussion part „„ a strong melody

11 Music Teacher September 2015