Monday, March 26, 2012

Post 7: Instrumental solos and improvisation in Bluegrass and Psychedelic music

In both Bluegrass and Psychedelic music improvisation and solos are very important to the feel of the piece. In Psychedelic music improvisation often had no order, it is disorderly and random. The improvisation of Psychedelic music allows the piece of music to have a sort of surreal quality, especially with the use of effects such as reverb and many of the instruments used.

http://jimihendrix.fansiter.com/pictures/jimi-hendrix-playing-guitar.jpg

Usually in Psychedelic music the lead guitar has many solos throughout a piece of music, however there may also be keyboard, drum, and bass solos. In Bluegrass music the banjo usually has solos, emphasizing melodic over the rhythmic aspects of a piece. However any of the other instruments may at any time take a solo.

Reising, Russell. "Melting Clocks and the Hallways of Always: Time in
     Psychedelic Music." Popular Music and Society 32.4 (2009): 523–547.
     Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
     <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.catalog.houstonlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/
     pdfviewer?sid=c07ca092-0f1c-4b86-b45a-428d39486f6d%40sessionmgr4&vid=4&hid=12>.

Smith, L. Mayne. "An Introduction to Bluegrass." American Folklore Society
78.Hillbilly Issue (1965): 245-256. JSTOR. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/538358 .>.

Whiteley, Sheila. "Progressive Rock and Psychedelic Coding in the Work of Jimi
Hendrix." Popular Music 9.1 (1990): 37-60. JSTOR. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/852882>.

Post 6: Varying tempos, time signatures, and rhythms in Bluegrass and Psychedelic music

Another similarity between Bluegrass music and Psychedelic music is the varying tempos, time signatures, and rhythms. In Bluegrass music there are usually two meters that are used: Triple meter notated as ¾ (used for ballads and religious songs) and Duple meter notated as 4/4 or 2/4. In Psychedelic music time signatures are experimented with, there is no one time signature used more than another. In Psychedelic music the time signature changes with the feeling that is desired. In both Bluegrass and Psychedelic music tempos are speed up or slowed down to produce an effect. Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys used this technique, speeding up at the beginning of phrases in order to produce a surging effect. This speeding up and slowing down (or vice-versa) also occurs in Psychedelic music. Since Psychedelic music is created in order to produce the feeling of a trip, varying tempos and time signatures are used in order to create this effect.

http://www.bluegrasstoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mon.jpg

In Bluegrass music the impression of speed is enhanced with the use of accented up-beats in duple meter, off-beat melodic phrasing, and changes in pitch in order to accent the rhythm. Psychedelic music uses the basic rhythm of rock which is the straight eighth-note division of the beat, as opposed to the dotted-eighth, sixteenth, or triplet rhythm.

Housewright, Wiley L., et al. "Youth Music: A Special Report." MENC: The
National Association for Music Education 56.3 (1969): 43-74. JSTOR. Web. 1
Jan. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3392636>.

Smith, L. Mayne. "An Introduction to Bluegrass." American Folklore Society
78.Hillbilly Issue (1965): 245-256. JSTOR. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/538358 .>.

Post 5: Jazz and Blues influence on Bluegrass and Psychedelic music

Although Bluegrass and Psychedelic music originated in different time periods, they both have influences in Jazz and Blues music. In Bluegrass the tonality and song structure are influenced by Blues, while the rhythmic stress of the up-beat as well as improvisational solos and the ensemble pattern are based on Jazz music. In Bluegrass the harmonic accompaniment usually involves the chord progression I, IV, I, V, I, which is identical to the twelve bar Blues progression. In the instance of Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys there is a large stylistic influence on how each instrument was played. The fiddle was usually played with very fluid melodic lines; the bass was strong and clear; and the mandolin was played with a very choppy and jazz-like style.

Psychedelic music, like other rock styles, is influenced mainly by Blues. Blues has influenced rock harmonically by being subdominant oriented (IV-chord instead of V-chord). Some Psychedelic music consisted of blues riffs (which would most likely be in the twelve bar form). One of the main contributors to Psychedelic music, Jimi Hendrix, was influenced greatly by Blues musicians such as Muddy Waters and B.B. King. In his song “Purple Haze” Hendrix uses many Blues features such as, “the basic falling shape of the vocal, the repetitive phrases and short motifs, the somewhat tuneless melodic line, the call-and-response between the vocal and guitar.” In other songs Hendrix also makes use of other stylistic Blues features like the repetition of phrases and motifs and Blues scales.

O'Grady, Terence J. "A Rock Retrospective." MENC: The National Association for
Music Education 66.4 (1979): 34-45+94+96+98+100+103+105+107. JSTOR. Web. 24
Jan. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3395757 .>.

Smith, L. Mayne. "An Introduction to Bluegrass." American Folklore Society
78.Hillbilly Issue (1965): 245-256. JSTOR. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/538358 .>.

Whiteley, Sheila. "Progressive Rock and Psychedelic Coding in the Work of Jimi
Hendrix." Popular Music 9.1 (1990): 37-60. JSTOR. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/852882>.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Post 4: Similarities Overview

There are many similarities between Bluegrass music and Psychedelic music, however many of these are stylistic techniques used by the musicians. Some of these include: the influence of Jazz and Blues on stylistic technique; varying tempos, time signatures, and rhythms; and instrumental solos and improvisation.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Post 3: Psychedelic Overview

Psychedelic music began in the late 1960s in the United States and Britain. Psychedelic rock according to Adam Woog is an “attempt to recreate the experience of a mind-altering drug trip through music; hence, its alternate name of acid rock. Psychedelic music was characterized by long improvised solos (especially by flashy lead guitarists), spacey noises, experiments in feedback, and thundering drums.”

http://varunjay.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/sitar.jpg

Psychedelic rock is strongly influenced by Indian music, which is demonstrated by the use of Indian instruments such as the sitar. The point of the music, to recreate the experience of a drug trip, implies a use of instrumentation, sounds, and vocals that are used to appeal to the senses. It is a surreal experience enhanced by such techniques as “phasing, swooshing and filtering.”

Psychedelic rock involves a lot of improvisation, influenced by Free Jazz. And there are extended instrumental solos. There is a dependence on electronic sounds, whether it be the electric guitar with feedback, wah-wah and fuzzboxes, or studio effects such as “backwards tapes, panning, phasing, long delay loops, and extreme reverb.” Keyboards and electric organs are also used frequently along with synthesizers. Psychedelic music also involves the manipulation of timbre, for example blurred, bright, or overlapping timbre; upward movement; and regular and irregular rhythms.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfiwKWOX4dFbUBj7aJvhMbmi-wylTp6zRXFL8szSa7TYzGYjHdTBqgISNyWDSVhwsW5r8c4cBqVFeAVi_lOFeF76QkFvs5HDth3fP1EbqjDCgdPOgIIg7outNJ6TgliKd-C9_JVa7XgKU/s400/The_doors+In+Concert.jpg

Psychedelic rock uses complex structures, commonly in minor key signatures, and often changes time signature and key signature throughout a song. The melodies are usually on a sustained note. There is a lot of dissonance in psychedelic music along with modal melodies and harmonies, and drones.

Housewright, Wiley L., et al. "Youth Music: A Special Report." MENC: The
     National Association for Music Education 56 (Nov. 1969): 43-74. JSTOR. Web.
     1 Jan. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3392636>.
Reising, Russell. "Melting Clocks and the Hallways of Always: Time in
     Psychedelic Music." Popular Music and Society 32.4 (2009): 523–547.
     Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Jan. 2012.
     <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.catalog.houstonlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/
     pdfviewer?sid=c07ca092-0f1c-4b86-b45a-428d39486f6d%40sessionmgr4&vid=4&hid=12>.

Universitas Sumatera Utara. "2. The Concept of Rock Music." Universitas Sumatera
Utara. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Jan. 2012. <http://repository.usu.ac.id/
bitstream/123456789/27539/4/Chapter%20II.pdf>.

Woog, Adam. The History of Rock and Roll . San Diego: Lucent Books, 1999. Print.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Post 2: Bluegrass Instrumentation

The main instruments used in Bluegrass are:

1) The five-string banjo

http://www.musiclessonsource.com/images/banjo2.jpg

2) The mandolin

http://themandolinhut.com/bluegrass%20mandolin%20blue4.jpg

3) The Spanish guitar (with steel strings)

http://www.gearofthegodz.com/wp-content/uploads/classicalGuitars.jpg

4) The fiddle

http://static.flickr.com/3170/2937289371_2d51f6b681.jpg

5) The string bass

http://image.ec21.com/image/devipermata/oimg_GC04042353_CA04042375/ARTIST_Model_UPRIGHT_BASS_FIDDLE_BLUEGRASS_DREAM.jpg

6) The “dobro” (a form of steel guitar) is also sometimes used.

http://www.guitarsite.com/news/images/guitar/Bubinga_27_Deluxe_Dobro_glam.jpg

The Spanish guitar and the banjo are essential to the style, but at least one of the others must be added.

These instruments have three distinct roles: lead, backing, underlying. The lead is usually played by the fiddle, banjo, and dobro; which “also produce counter-melodies and rhythmic figures to back other lead parts.” The mandolin may also be considered a lead instrument, and can also become a rhythm part. The guitar and the bass create a rhythmic background, balancing the higher-pitch of the lead instruments; this creates an underlying “rhythmic and harmonic base.” The guitar may also serve a backing role to the melody, “playing short melodic runs between major phrases of the lead parts”; this contrasts melodically and rhythmically.

Another important aspect of Bluegrass instrumentation is the vocal part. Usually the vocals are high-pitched and tense, sometimes they even reached more than an octave above middle C. Vocals in Bluegrass do not usually use vibrato, however ornamental devices such as grace notes are often utilized. There is often up to four-part harmony, the parts are called “lead” (melody), “tenor” (sung above the lead), “third” (may be sung above lead or tenor but usually is sung below both (baritone)), and the “bass” (lowest of all). There is little crossing of parts, however there is a use of passing tones and slides which create dissonance.

Smith, L. Mayne. "An Introduction to Bluegrass." American Folklore Society

78.Hillbilly Issue (1965): 245-256. JSTOR. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/538358 .>. 246-7

Post 1: Bluegrass Origins

Bluegrass music originates from music styles brought to America by immigrants in the early 1600s. These forms of music included: dance music and ballads from countries such as Ireland, Scotland, and England. Bluegrass also has roots in African-American gospel music and blues. These styles of music eventually developed into “mountain” music or country music, found mainly in the Appalachian Mountains and the South.


http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/252/16827871.jpg

Bill Monroe is considered the Father of Bluegrass music, first playing the style of music he created in the late 1930s with his Blue Grass Boys. His new style of music consisted of a five piece string band along with vocal parts that were geared toward the highest possible pitch. In Monroe’s original band was Chubby Wise on the fiddle, Cedric Rainwater on bass, Lester Flatt on guitar, and Earl Scruggs on banjo.

http://www.wilkesheritagemuseum.com/BRMHOF/inductees/2008/EARLPR300small.jpg

What set Bluegrass apart from the rest of country music at the time (and still does) was the Scruggs-style banjo that Earl Scruggs created. Instead of using two-finger picking, Scruggs used three-finger picking. This three-finger picking allowed him to play more notes, cleanly and in more positions on the neck.

International Bluegrass Music Association. "History of Bluegrass Music."
     International Bluegrass Music Association. International Bluegrass Music
     Association, 2011- 2012. Web. 17 Jan. 2012. <http://ibma.org/node/
     164>.

Smith, L. Mayne. "An Introduction to Bluegrass." American Folklore Society
78.Hillbilly Issue (1965): 245-256. JSTOR. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.jstor.org/stable/538358 .>.

Atkins, John. "Roots of Country Music: Bill Monroe." Maverick Apr. 2011: 34-37.
     Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Jan. 2012.
     <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.catalog.houstonlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/
     pdfviewer?sid=fb9b817a-5707-4bce-bc9c-fac16ce8f714%40sessionmgr115&vid=6&hid=110>.

Atkins, John. "Roots of Country Music: Earl Scruggs."
     Maverick May 2011: 56- 58. Academic Search Complete. Web. 3 Dec.
     2011. <http://0-web.ebscohost.com.catalog.houstonlibrary.org/ehost/
     pdfviewer/ pdfviewer?sid=fb9b817a-5707-4bce-bc9c-fac16ce8f714%40sessionmgr115&vid=8&hid=110>.