Masaryk University Brno Faculty of Education
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MASARYK UNIVERSITY BRNO FACULTY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE English terminology of classical and rock guitar music: an analysis Bachelor thesis Brno 2016 Supervisor: Author: Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D. Stanislav Kubín Prohlášení Prohlašuji, že jsem závěrečnou práci bakalářskou práci vypracoval samostatně, s využitím pouze citovaných pramenů, dalších informací a zdrojů v souladu s Disciplinárním řádem pro studenty Pedagogické fakulty Masarykovy univerzity a se zákonem č. 121/2000 Sb., o právu autorském, o právech souvisejících s právem autorským a o změně některých zákonů (autorský zákon), ve znění pozdějších předpisů. Brno, 30.listopadu 2016 .................................................. Stanislav Kubín Acknowledgement I would like to thank my supervisor Mgr. Radek Vogel, Ph.D. for his much valued advice, encouragement and patience. Stanislav Kubín Anotace: Tato práce pojednává o terminologii kytarové hry. Zabývá se jak klasickou tak elektrickou kytarou. Shromažďuje nejužívanější fráze pro jednotlivé techniky hry a srovnává je s jejich českými ekvivalenty. Cílem není pouze analyzovat rozdíly mezi českou a anglickou frazeologií, ale také popsat spojení mezi označením a praktickým provedením konkrétních technik. Různé fráze užívané pro oba druhy nástroje jsou porovnávány a rovněž je zkoumán jejich původ. Klíčová slova: lexikon, lexikální jednotka, fráze, denotace, konotace, význam, slovní druh, kytarová technika, ekvivalent, antonymum, synonymum Abstract: This thesis deals with the terminology of playing the guitar. It refers to both classical and electric form of the instrument. The most common phrases used for playing techniques are identified and compared to the terms used in Czech language. The aim is not only to analyze the differences between the Czech and English phraseology but also to describe the connection between the denotation and execution of the techniques. The thesis also compares different phrases used for each kind of instrument and traces the origins of the phrases as well as of the individual words. Key words: lexicon, lexeme, phrase, denotation, connotation, meaning, word class, guitar technique, equivalent, antonym, synonym List of Contents 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 6 2 Theoretical Part ................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 Lexicon ........................................................................................................................ 7 2.2 Theoretical background ............................................................................................... 8 2.3 Definitions of main terms – Classical guitar ............................................................. 11 2.4 Definitions of main terms – Rock guitar ................................................................... 14 2.5 Definitions of main terms – Common terms ............................................................. 18 3 Practical part ..................................................................................................................... 22 3.1 Classical guitar .......................................................................................................... 22 3.2 Classical guitar terms – analysis ................................................................................ 28 3.3 Rock Guitar ................................................................................................................ 30 3.4 Rock guitar terms – analysis ...................................................................................... 37 3.5 Common Terms ......................................................................................................... 39 3.6 Common terms – analysis .......................................................................................... 46 3.7 Glossary of terms – Classical guitar .......................................................................... 48 4 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 53 Works Cited .............................................................................................................................. 54 Appendices ............................................................................................................................... 58 1 Introduction Guitar is one of the most popular and versatile musical instruments. It can be heard in any genre from folk and country music through popular, jazz and rock music to classical music itself. I have been working as a teacher of music – playing the guitar to be more precise – for approximately ten years now. I want to connect the knowledge gathered in the field of playing and teaching the instrument to the field of my current studies – English language. This thesis is focused on denotations of guitar techniques and their usage – it deals with the guitar music in the sense of playing the instrument, not in the sense of the music itself. The denotations and phrases are divided into two groups according to the kind of the guitar they are related to: the classical (Spanish) guitar at one end and the electric (rock) guitar at the other. The origin and character of the phrases is discussed. Special attention is paid to the accuracy (or differences) between the execution of the technique itself and the meaning of its denotation in the respective language. One of the aims of this thesis is to determine in which language the denotations are more precise and understandable. The theoretical part deals with lexicology in general and describes tools and viewpoints used in the thesis. It also lists the denotations that are discussed and analyzed in the practical part. The practical part describes techniques used while playing classical and rock guitar comparing their Czech and English equivalents. Some basic phrases and words concerning theory of music and music in general are added in order to make the text more understandable and relevant to the topic. According to my knowledge there is a dictionary related to the lexicon of music in general but there is none considering guitar techniques as a separate subject. There is an English-Czech glossary of terms concerning classical guitar included at the end of the practical part. Nowadays almost all international guitar courses are performed in English language that is why the information may be useful not only for students of English language but for guitar players as well. The thesis can be used as a source of new vocabulary as well as a useful tool for improving communication during guitar courses and master classes. I have studied playing the classical guitar in Conservatoire České Budějovice and became a teacher of the instrument. My main field of expertise is classical guitar but I have also been teaching rock guitar for the last three years. I had been interested in rock music before I studied the classical one and as a matter of fact rock guitar terminology almost exclusively consists of English denotations. I intend to connect these three areas in this thesis. 6 2 Theoretical Part 2.1 Lexicon According to Collins English Dictionary “lexicon” is “a list of terms relating to a particular subject“ (Collins). The lexicon that is the subject of this thesis was collected during my teaching practise and it concerns guitar playing techniques. The phrases were selected according to their usage and also to their importance. Their order is determined by their connection to the following text which means that the best way how to read the practical part is from the beginning to the end. Any new phrase is either mentioned in the previous text or explained in the next section. Cross references are used throughout the Practical part for better coherence of the whole text. Another factor that was taken into account was the meaning of the phrases and the relation between the precision of the expression in the language and actual execution in case of techniques and possible connotations in case of abstract denotations. Some phrases or words were added with the aim of clarification of other phrases or their more detailed definitions. Only basic concepts are addressed in this thesis to keep it concise but detailed enough at the same time. It is focused on English and Czech equivalents – the Spanish ones are mentioned because without further explanation. The theoretical part deals with linguistic concepts of the phraseology (it gives dictionary meaning and explains the connections among the phrases). The practical part is focused on meanings and explanations of the phrases and on comparison of possible connotations and extra-linguistic connections to reality (e.g. the execution of a playing technique) in both Czech and English languages. That is why the Czech equivalents used throughout the practical part are followed by literal translations in English language – to describe the meaning of the Czech phrases as precisely as possible. The phrases can be divided into three main groups. The first group consists of phrases concerning classical guitar, the second rock guitar and the third group deals with phrases that are used for both types of the instrument plus several concepts from general music theory (with a connection to guitar music in one way or another). The most common or “normal” way of playing is being described which means: right