Name Date Music Technology Listening and Analysis

Title: Rock Around the Clock (1955) Performer: Bill Haley Style: Rock 'n' Roll

Context: The 1950s is widely considered the decade that revolutionized pop music and lead the way for many musical genres. List Three of the dominant popular styles of music in the 1950s (3)

● Rock 'n' Roll ● Tin Pan Alley ● Swing Jazz

Which artists dominated the Rock 'n' roll scene during the 1950's (5)

● Elvis Presley ● Chuck Berry ● Bill Haley ● Little Richard ● Jerry Lee Lewis ● Buddy Holly ● Cliff Richards

What kind of music would you have found in the UK charts in the early 1950s, pre­rock 'n' roll? (3)

● Sentimental ballads ● novelty songs ● songs from musicals ● Tin pan alley songs

What are some of the common themes of rock 'n' roll lyrics? (4) Teenage culture, girls, cars, love, dancing, drive­in movies, having fun

Name: (a) Two major record labels of the 1950s. (2) RCA, Columbia, Capitol, Decca, MGM, Mercury

(b) Two independent record labels of the 1950s. (2) Sun, Imperial, Specialty, chess, Atlantic, king, liberty What is skiffle music? Which instrument gave it its characteristic sound? (2) Mid­50s British style similar to early rock 'n' roll originated from trad jazz bands and with a repertoire based on folk­blues and other American folk styles Instruments: guitar, double bass, washboard, sometimes banjo

Explain what you understand by the Bo Diddley beat (Look at this song which has the beat in it Bo Diddley by Bo Diddley)? (4) A distinctive rhythm pattern much used by Bo Diddley. Sometimes known as 'shave and a haircut, two bits' because these words matched the rhythm of the phrase. Examples include 'Not fade away' by Buddy Holly or Rolling Stones, 'Magic Bus by The Who, 'She's the one' by Bruce Springsteen.

Which of the following is the Bo Diddley beat (watch video for example ­ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C­VcoymiZ2w)? (1) (a)

List five pieces of new music technology equipment developed or invented during the 1950s (5)

● Fender (1954) and Gibson (1952) Electric guitars were widely adopted by Rock n Roll musicians

A lot of new equipment was introduced during the 1950s list five key pieces of music technology

● Birth of Stereo (1954) ● RCA Victor first open real stereo tapes/Magnetic Tape recorders (1954) ● 1958 standard for stereo records established/ first sereo LP (1958) ● First electronic music concert (1955)

Structure: Describe the full structure of this piece: (3) An intro, followed by a 12bar blues sequence repeated 7 times. On the 4th time there was a solo and on the 6th time there was an instrumental. The coda (end) finish on the first beat of the last bar

Which of the following shapes best represents the turnaround at the end of the song? (1) (b)

Key features of the style and Production techniques: In this track, how is tension built up in the intro? What makes it so striking? (2) Intro Crisp drum opening. 'Stop time' approach with vocalist very clear. Simple concept: One, two, three o'clock etc. set on a rising arpeggio

What do you understand by the term 'Stop time'? (2) The accompaniment is reduced to a stab on the first beat of each bar, or similar short figure, leaving the singer or instrumentalist unaccompanied for a short passage

Explain what you understand by the term, riff? (2) A short, repeated melodic pattern, often forming the background to a solo or vocal line. Usually 2­4 bars long. Often in the bass. May be heard at different pitches to fit in with the harmony; may also change its shape slightly

Give a brief description how the vocal would have been recorded and mixed for this track, indicating the limitations of the recording equipment available compared to modern facilities? (4) In the same room as all the other instruments with some isolation, no pop shield, dynamic microphone to reduce background noise with a cardioid polar pattern.

This track would have been recorded live with all the musicians in the same room. A maximum of 4 microphones would have been used, mixed pre­recording and sent to a stereo or mono master.Write a detailed description of how you believe this piece would have been recorded, what kind of microphones would be used and positioning. Draw a diagram detailing your decision (See this website for help ­ http://www.gweep.net/~rocko/sufficiency/node31.html ): (4)

Instruments and use of technology List the instruments used in this piece: (2) Vocal, Electric guitar, Upright bass guitar, Drums, Brass x 2 or 3 (could be ­ Trumpet, trombone, saxophone ???)

What kind of bass instrument was used in this piece and why? (1) An upright acoustic double bass which was widely used in rock n roll music during the 50s

What effect is being used on the lead vocal? (1) Reverb

How would you describe the sound of the electric guitar? (1) Clean emulation an electro acoustic sound Has this song been mastered as a stereo or mono recording, explain your answer? (2) Mono, because there are no variations between the sounds in the left and right speakers

Throughout this track the song fluctuates in dynamic range, on a modern recording this would be seen as intrusive to the recording. Explain how you would deal with this in a modern studio? (4) Use compression and monitor the recording levels so that you don't get any unwanted peaks or distortion

Extension Question: Listen to 'Rave on' by Buddy Holly. (a) Give two features of the song that tells you it is a rock 'n' roll song. (2) Boogie­ woogie rhythm, 12bar blues (used at start not throughout), up tempo, strong back beat,

(b) Describe the tempo (1) Lively, quick, fast, up­tempo

(c) Is the song in a major or minor key? (1) Major

(d) This song uses a lot of syncopation. What is syncopation? (1) Off beat notes are accented

(e) Describe how the song ends. (1) Same phrase heard three time, a repeating chord sequence, ends sharply on the first beat of the final bar

Marks out of 66

Further Listening: ● Chuck Berry – Johnny B Goode (1958) ● Chuck Berry ­ Maybelline ● Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel (1956) ● Buddy Holly ­ Rave on ● Buddy Holly – That’ll be the day (1957) ● Carl Perkins ­ Blue Suede shoes ● Little Richard – Tutti Frutti (1956) ● Jerry Lee Lewis – Great Balls of Fire (1957)

Resources to get you started:

Pop Music (Book) – By Julia Winterson – Pages 21 ­ 30 AllMusic.com (Rock ‘n’ Roll)­ http://www.allmusic.com/explore/metastyle/rock­­roll­roots­d4493www.isongbooks.com The Music Technology Student Guide – Pages 82 – 84 Isongbooks.com – The Pop Music book and documentary