Pop Music Fundamentals: Structure, Vocals, and Instruments

1. Pop Music

What is Pop Music?

• A genre of popular music originating in the 1950s.
• Derived from Rock and Roll.
• Often borrows from other genres like dance, urban, and rock.

Structure of Pop Music: 32-Bar AABA

• Also known as 32-bar form, American Songbook, or ballad form.
• Common in jazz standards and still found in pop music (often modified).
• Each letter (AABA) represents 4x8 (or 8 bars).
• A: Main melody; the 2nd A can be identical, similar, or a response.
• B: Middle eight or bridge, usually contrasting with A. Example: "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Voices in Pop

• In Harmony: Singing different notes that harmonize.
• In Unison: All singing the same notes.
• Descant: Singing a higher part in time with the main tune.
• Call and Response: Repeating the lead vocalist or answering with another tune. Examples: Barbershop, "Meet the Late Night."

Singing Techniques and Voice Effects

• A Cappella: Singing without instrumental backing.
• Vibrato: Quivering slightly in pitch for a warmer, more expressive sound.
• Falsetto: Singing higher than the natural register (males).
• Portamento: Sliding from one note to another.
• Scat Singing: Improvising with "doo" and "dat" sounds.
• Riffing: Decorating and adding bits to the tune. Examples: "Cry Me a River," "I Will Always Love You."

Instruments in Pop

• Lead Guitarist: Plays solos in the instrumental section.
• Rhythm Guitarist: Fills in the harmony throughout the song.
• Bass Guitarist: Provides the low-end rhythm.

Drums

• Plays rhythms to fit the song's style: snare drum, hi-hat, tom-toms, cymbals.

2. Blues

Origins and Slavery

• 1600s-1700s: Africans were captured and sold as slaves, working on North American plantations.
• They sang "work songs," using tools to create beats, with lyrics about their misery.
• African call and response blended with European musical features.
• After slavery was abolished in the 1860s, ex-slaves in the southern states remained poor, leading to sad and "blue" lyrics and tones.
• Traditional Instruments: Harmonica, banjo, piano, guitar, violin, double bass, and voice.
• Blues Scale: Created by flattening the 3rd and 7th of any major scale by a semitone (blue notes). The 2nd and 6th notes are often omitted.
• 12-Bar Structure: The basic blues structure, divided into four repeated segments.
• BB King (1925-2015): The "King of the Blues," started as a DJ and won 15 Grammys.