BASIC BRIEF
Working individually, you should apply your understanding of the stylistic conventions of two specific musical styles by presenting two separate pieces of music. The music you submit could be created using a DAW, live instruments or a combination of both. You could ask other musicians/singers to perform on your pieces but the musical direction must be your own. Each piece should last 3-5 minutes.
You could rework existing musical material into different styles or create new original material ensuring that you stylistically deploy and manipulate musical elements such as melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, structure, instrumental/vocal techniques as appropriate to your chosen two genres to develop creative material.
General PLAN
For my A3 project, I am going to compose one original song and one genre swap cover. For my cover I will be swapping Jack off Jills - Covet from punk to 90's Singer-Songwriter indie (Eliot Smith as an example). I think this is a good choice because of how opposing the genres are, and I can improve my acoustic guitar skills while I'm at it. I will be working with Kam because we have great musical connection and are comfortable sharing ideas with each other. I plan to record this in the studio using multi-tracking because I think it suits the indie genre best.
For my original song, I will be doing it in the style of punk rock. I think this is a good choice because I am most comfortable, and have more knowledge playing heavier music. For this song, I will be working with Kam, Ozzy and Harry as we have already formed a band and would like to start creating some original pieces. We also know that we work very well together as we have all collaborated and performed in the past. I would like to record this piece in the studio using multi-tracking to get the cleanest version we can possibly get so we have the opportunity to publish it on a streaming platform. For both projects, I think the biggest challenge for me to overcome will be recording as I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to my music and I don't want to keep scrapping our takes.
Ways I can evidence my project:
- screenshot
- photo
- youtube videos
- video
- screen recording
- audio files
- written work
plan for completing A3:
- Chose which genre you would like to play, as well as whether you will be genre swapping a cover or composing an original song.
- Begin to analyse the musical elements from each genre, such as: structure, articulation, harmony and rhythm.
- Decide whether you will be completing this project solo or with a band to help.
- Decide whether you are going to be multi tracking or live recording and consider how each one might fit into your chosen genre.
- record process
- arranging process
- final piece
- evaluation
my understanding of stylistic conventions:
Genre 1
melody:
rhythm:
harmony:
texture:
structure:
instrumental/vocal techniques:
Genre 2
melody:
rhythm:
harmony:
texture:
structure:
instrumental/vocal techniques:
project 1:
- cover of Covet by Jack of Jill
- genre swap from grunge to indie
- plan to record in the studio using multi-tracking
- working with Kam
- original song by faux!!!
- in the genre of punk rock - something heavier
- plan to record in the studio and multitrack
- working with Kam, Ozzy and Harry
Here is an example of me experimenting with drum machines on logic to create a techno like beat. It is a fast paced, largely bass driven track with off beat counterparts and loud snare.
melody:
rhythm:
harmony:
texture:
structure:
instrumental/vocal techniques:
melody: lyrics create the melody and are often political, usually full of negative connotations
rhythm: fast tempo, 4/4 time signature
dynamics: loud, prominent guitar rhythms, heavy handed drumming, loud, aggressive vocals
harmony: power chords played on guitar following a simple but punchy chord progression.
texture: homophonic, messy, occasionally clashing
structure: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, guitar solo/bridge, chorus
instrumental/vocal techniques: screamed vocals, bending and hammering on guitar strings during bridges, high energy drum fills.
instrumentation: one or two electric guitars, electric bass, drums, vocals
production: can be loosely produced to create a an unpolished and rough sound
Punk features aggressive, politically charged lyrics that often carry negative connotations, driving the overall tone of the music. The rhythm is fast, typically set in a 4/4 time signature, with a strong emphasis on loud, prominent guitar rhythms and heavy-handed drumming. The dynamics are forceful, with intense, screaming vocals adding to the overall energy. Harmony relies on distorted power chords played on the guitar, following a simple yet punchy chord progression. The texture of the music is homophonic and deliberately messy, with occasional clashes that add to the raw feel. The structure follows a traditional pop/rock format with an intro, two verses, two choruses, a guitar solo or bridge, and a final chorus. Instrumental techniques include screamed vocals, guitar bends and hammer-ons during the bridge, and high-energy drum fills. The instrumentation consists of one or two electric guitars, electric bass, drums, and vocals. The production is intentionally loose and unpolished, lending the song a rough, authentic sound.
I’m so tired - faux (punk original)
rhythm: fast tempo, 4/4 rhythm, contains a slower section to hook and entice listeners
dynamics: loud guitar driven sound, aggressive vocals during the chorus, punchy rough drumming, quiet bridge section after the second chorus to add contrast.
harmony: repetitive 3 chord progression played with power chords on electric guitars, bass following root notes
texture: homophonic, simple
structure: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, solo, outro
instrumental/vocal techniques: screamed vocals, palm muting, frequent and chaotic drum fills, guitar solo
instrumentation: two electric guitars, electric bass, drum kit, vocals.
production: live recording to reflect punk unfinished nature of song
The melody of the song reflects the singer’s poor and inconsistent state of mind, conveying both physical and mental exhaustion through its unstable and raw delivery. The rhythm features a fast tempo in a standard 4/4 time signature, maintaining the high energy typical of punk music. A slower section is introduced to hook and entice the listener, creating a brief moment of contrast. The dynamics are dominated by a loud, guitar-driven sound. Aggressive vocals are used in the choruses, supported by punchy, rough drumming, while a quieter bridge section after the second chorus provides dynamic contrast and emotional depth. In terms of harmony, the song relies on a repetitive three-chord progression played using power chords on electric guitars, with the bass closely following the root notes to reinforce the harmony. The texture is simple and homophonic, with all instruments supporting the main vocal line. The structure follows a conventional punk format: intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus, solo, and outro. Several instrumental and vocal techniques are used to enhance the punk aesthetic, including screamed vocals, palm muting on the guitars, frequent and chaotic drum fills, and a guitar solo towards the end. The instrumentation consists of two electric guitars, an electric bass, a drum kit, and vocals. The production is intentionally raw, with a live recording approach that reflects the unfinished, unpolished nature of punk music.
Stormy monday blues analysis
The melody of this song follows an AAB structure where the first line of the lyrics are repeated over two bars, typically to give the singer time to improvise the next line. The rhythm consists of a relatively slow tempo set in a 4/4 time signature. The dyanmics of the sound are driven mainly by the brass section playing the occasional fortissimo trill, supported by the rest of the band. The whole band suddenly pauses, leaving the singer going solo to create a sense of release. The harmony follows a 12 bar blues chord structure (I, IV, V), which is typical for any song in the blues genre. The bass supports this by playing the root notes in a ‘walking bass’ style to add more swing to the sound. The texture of this song is heterophonic to create a more complex sound. The structure, again follows the classic 12 bar blues structure which is repeated throughout the song. There are many instrumental and vocal techniques expressed in this song, including: piano trills and improvisation, string bending and guitar improvisation, drum fills, trumpet trills and screamed vocals. The instrumentation consists of an electric guitar, drums, piano, electric bass, brass section and vocals.
My 12 bar blues analysis
For my blues song, i decided not to add a melody line and keep it instrumental only. The rhythm consists of a slower tempo and follows a 4/4 time signature, which is typical to the blues genre. The harmony is following the classic 12 bar blues structure which is repeated throughout the song. The song is in the key of G which means we follow the chord progression of G (I - tonic), C ( IV- subdominant), D (V - dominant). I support this on bass by following the root notes scales in a walking bass style. The texture is simple and homophonic with both the bass and guitar following the same melody. The drums are playing with some swing which is typical to the blues genre, the emphasis on the offbeat hits creating a sense of groove to the piece. The instrumentation consists of an electric guitar, electric bass and drums. I chose to record this live to capture and reflect the improvisation driven element the blues creates.
Comments
Post a Comment