PFA

• The blues


  A style of music created by the black community in the Southern US, often expressing feelings of sadness
• African slaves


  • They were not allowed to take anything with them when they were taken, they could only use their voice to remind them of home
• Call and response


  When someone leads, then others repeat
• Spirituals

  Religious songs slaves sang to connect with God
• Elements of music

  • Pitch
  • Tempo
  • Volume
  • Structure
  • Texture
  • Chords
• The country where blues developed is America
• The continent slaves were taken from is Africa
• A city important to blues music is New Orleans
• 12 bar blues


  A chord structure of 12 bars using chords, with syncopation playing on/stressing the weak beat
• Blues scale


  A scale with 3 notes played at the same time, creating a chord
• Walking bass line

  A bass line where a note is played on every beat
• Introduction


  The first section of a piece before one verse starts
• Swung rhythm


  A rhythm that emphasizes the first of a pair of quavers
• Coda

  The ending section of a piece
• Vamp


  A repeated, improvised accompaniment based around the chords
• Improvisation


  Making something up on the spot within a given structure
• Lyrics are passed down through oral tradition
• Lyrics


  They structure the music, often telling stories of injustice and hopelessness
• Call and response style


  A style of singing where a lead singer sings a line and a group of people repeat it
• Themes in blues lyrics

  • Slavery
  • Loneliness
  • Sadness
  • Country life
• Blues musicians use call and response style in their music
• John Lee Hooker


  • Looks very serious and focused, but B.B. King looks happy and engaged, expressing himself
• Film score


  Original music recorded specifically to fit the film and story perfectly
• Leitmotif


  A music phrase that represents a character, place or idea
• Leitmotif techniques

  • Character
  • Setting
  • Emotion
  • Evolution
• Fifth interval

  Two notes that are five notes apart, used for heroic characters
• Chromatic notes

  Notes that are one semitone apart, very close together, often used for villains
• Leitmotif examples

  • Jaws
  • Star Wars
  • Harry Potter
• The film composer for many iconic film scores is John Williams
• Film production roles

  • Set design
  • Costume design
  • Lighting designer
  • Sound designer
  • Makeup artist
  • Props designer
• Verfremdungseffekt

  The alienation effect, where the audience learns from sympathising with the characters instead of being emotionally involved
• Emotion memory


  A real past experience where the actor feels a similar emotion to that demanded by the role they are playing, which they 'borrow' to bring the role to life
• Given circumstances


  Information about a character that you start off with in a play
• Magic if

  The character should answer the question, 'What would I do if I was in this situation?'