MUSI 3320- The Ancestry of Rock and Roll



TIN PAN ALLEY


Tin Pan Alley - area of New York City that became the center of popular music publishing from the late 1800s to the 1950s.

1. White professional songwriters

2. Lyrics were non-offensive, non-controversial and typically boy-girl romantic love

3. Straight, uncomplicated rhythms (3/4, 4/4) - rhythm kept in background.

4. Importance of melody-easy to remember, symmetrically organized into 4 bar phrases

5. Slow to moderate tempos, faster tunes were bouncy and cute, often with light or humorous lyrics.

6. Typically a soloist accompanied by orchestra (and chorus)




RHYTHM AND BLUES

Had its own performers, record companies and consumers.

1. Mainstream styles of 1950s rock relied upon R and B formats, especially 12 Bar Blues form.

2. Vocal performance style - shouters - just as it was in R & B (louder, harder, raspy

3. Not-notated - lyrics, melody and chords were sketched out. From there the whole arrangement was worked out without notation

4. Instrumentation - similar to old R & B bands: Guitars, piano, drums and sax

5. Bass lines (see Stuessy p.48) were more melodic than pop or C & W

6. Rhythm - an integral and equal part of the band's sound - strong, heavy beat, faster

7. Emphasis on 2nd and 4th beat became stronger (through hand clapping)

 



Country & Western

1. Small, regionally defined audience - South, Southwest and Midwest

2. Cowboy western movies-1930s and 1940s

3. Cowboy television-late 1940s - early 1950s - The singing Cowboys- Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Tex Ritter

    Eddie Arnold, Hank Snow were able to escape the regional markets and go national

4. Major labels - Decca, Capitol, Columbia, RCA established offices in Nashville.

5. Music - melodies and lyrics were important (lyrics on love, unrequited love, jilted lover)

6. Harmony was simple

7. Rhythm - simple, straightforward and usually more prominent than Pop rhythm. 4/4 , and not-notated

8. Timbre - vocalist and steel guitar twang - nasal, pitch slides. Yodeling

9. Instrumentation - vocalist, vocal backup group, electric pedal steel guitar, piano, violin, bass (acoustic or standup)          and acoustic and electric guitars. (No drums) Rhythm was slapped by the bass player


CHANGES IN INSTRUMENTATION

1950s

1. 4-6 players drums, acoustic bass, lead and rhythm guitars, acoustic piano, and sax (alto or tenor)

2. Bill Haley -steel guitar in place of piano

3. Buddy Holly -drums, acoustic bass, and two guitars

4. Elvis -2 guitars and bass

5. Jerry Lee Lewis -piano, guitar and drums

1960s 

1, greater diversification

2. Beatles - 3 guitars( lead, rhythm, bass) and drums

3. Other groups added electric piano

4. Folk Rock- acoustic guitar, harmonica, banjo, acoustic bass and sometimes bongo drums.

5. Motown vocal group plus full orchestra

6. Jazz Rock - Added horn line-trumpets, woodwinds (sax or flute) and trombone.

 

1970s 

1. Expansion of electronic instruments (synthesizers, electronic keyboards,

 

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