rock n roll

• What are the typical features of Rock n Roll music from the 1950s and 1960s?


  • 12 bar blues chord pattern using primary chords
  • Walking bass line
  • Verse chorus structure
  • Lively swing rhythm rhythms or boogie woogie rhythm
  • 4/4 time signature and a fast tempo
  • Call and response
  • Solos and improvisation
  • Major key
  • Fairly loud dynamics
  • Short vocal phrases
• What are the typical instruments used in Rock n Roll music from the 1950s and 1960s?

  • Drum kit
  • Electric guitar
  • Solo, high male singer
  • Bass guitar
  • Piano
  • Possibly saxophone, trumpet, or harmonica
• What are the typical characteristics of Rock n Roll singing?

  • Shouty
  • Gravelly
  • Narrow range of notes
• What is the typical tempo range for Rock n Roll songs from the 1950s and 1960s?

  Approximately 165-185 beats per minute
• What is the typical time signature for Rock n Roll songs from the 1950s and 1960s?

  4/4
• What is the typical chord structure used in Rock n Roll songs from the 1950s and 1960s?

  12-bar-blues scale
• What is the typical dynamic range for Rock n Roll songs from the 1950s and 1960s?

  Fairly constant loud volume, often louder in choruses
• What is the typical vocal style for Rock n Roll singers from the 1950s and 1960s?

  Shouty, gravelly, with a narrow range of notes
• How do the musical features of "Tutti Frutti" by Little Richard compare to "Shake, Rattle and Roll" by Bill Haley and the Comets?

  "Tutti Frutti":

  • Very short introduction with 'scat style' solo voice
  • High pitched, shouty solo vocals with some falsetto
  • Repeated piano chords, especially in the right hand
  • Improvised saxophone solo

  
  

  "Shake, Rattle and Roll":

  • Slightly slower tempo
  • Short instrumental introduction with saxophone melody
  • Less 'shouty' solo vocals, some slides and decoration
  • Call-and-response between voice and accompaniment
  • Backing singers in the chorus
  • Lively saxophone solo in the instrumental section
  • Walking bass and boogie-woogie style piano
• How do the instrumental solos in Rock n Roll songs from the 1950s and 1960s differ from other styles of music?

  Rock n Roll instrumental solos are improvised, using notes from the pentatonic or blues scale, played at a fast tempo with scalic runs
• What are some common guitar techniques used in Rock n Roll instrumental solos from the 1950s and 1960s?

  • Hammer-ons
  • Pull-offs
  • Slides (glissando)
  • Double stops
• If you were asked to identify a suitable Rock n Roll artist from the 1950s or 1960s, which artist would you choose?

  Elvis Presley
• If you were asked to identify a suitable Rock n Roll artist from the 1950s or 1960s, which other artist would you choose?

  The Beatles