Song Structure, Slides of Music

Download Song Structure and more Slides Music in PDF only on Docsity! Song Structure MUSC-21600: The Art of Rock Music Prof. Freeze 26 August 2016 Song Structure: The Foundations • Song structure/form = pattern of repeating and contrasting sections of music and lyrics in a song • Both dynamic (experience in time) and architectural (formal diagrams) • Both aesthetic and practical • Backbone of song structure = time • Precise timing on recording (e.g., 0:19) • Beat = regular pulse that can be inferred from a song’s musical events • Meter = regular pattern of strong and weak beats that can be inferred from a song’s musical events • Measure (bar) = one iteration of the meter’s essential pattern of strong and weak beats • Rhythm = a particular pattern of long and short musical events (not inferred, but heard!) • Most common meters • “Rocket 88” = 4 beats per measure (SwWw = quadruple meter = 4/4) • “Goodnight Irene” = 3 beats per measure (Sww = triple meter = 3/4) • “Can the Circle Be Unbroken” = 2 beats per measure (Sw = duple meter = 2/4)