Embedded Files
Objectives
Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
Explain the difference between a coordinated structure and textural stratification and how these different types of musical texture are used in both classical and popular music.
Define melodic-harmonic 'divorce' as described by David Temperley and identify instances of it in popular music examples.
Analyze examples from the repertoire to identify examples of loose-verse / tight-chorus models and describe how characteristics of the music correspond to this model.
Identify and describe the various textural layers present in a given popular music piece, including the melody, harmony, rhythm, and any additional instrumental or vocal lines.
Using examples from songs, identify and analyze instances of melodic-harmonic divorce and textural stratification, discussing how these elements contribute to the song's overall texture and emotional impact.
Preparation for Class
Preparation for Class
Read:
Read:
Melodic-Harmonic Divorce and Major Pentatonic Scale (Trevor de Clercq, The Practice of Popular Music, pp. 110–113)
"The Melodic-Harmonic ‘Divorce’ in Rock" (Temperley)
Watch the video by Covach below first, then skim through the article above. Be prepared to define "melodic-harmonic divorce" and what a "loose-verse / tight-chorus" model is.
See also the Temperley, "Melodic-Harmonic Divorce" in The Musical Language of Rock for a brief summary of the topic.
Watch
Watch
Textural Stratification in Rock
John Covach, 10 min.
Be prepared to describe what textural stratification is, what musical elements work to create that stratification, and how it compares to a coordinated texture.
In-Class Activities
In-Class Activities
Discussion
Discussion
Musical Texture: Based on the definitions that Covach presents in the video, compare and contrast the ideas of textural stratification and coordinated texture. What are "points of coordination"? What musical elements create stratification?
What are some examples of songs discussed this semester (or other examples you know) that use either type of melodic-harmonic relationship? Consider whether that relationship is used throughout the entire song or just in a particular section.
Melodic-Harmonic 'Divorce': What is melodic harmonic 'divorce' as defined by Temperly in the reading? He provides several examples that demonstrate this point. Consider a few of the examples in the reading or from the anthology (see link below) as examples for discussion. Which notes in the melody aren't easily described as standard non-chord tones?
The verse and chorus of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" is provided in the anthology as one example for discussion.
LCTV Model: How does Temperley describe the “loose-verse / tight-chorus” (LVTC) model? What are a few examples of songs that use this model? What type of pitch collection is commonly used in the verse in the LVTC model?
The anthology page for this lesson includes examples of songs that have a loose verse / tight chorus. Use these examples for discussion. Mark all of the non-chord tones in both sections of the song. Which of these are standard non-chord tones?
Why might an artist choose to structure a song this way? What purpose does Temperley suggest in the reading?
Activities
Activities
Analysis: Adele's “Someone Like You”: Listen to the first verse and the chorus of “Someone Like You” with the score and consider the following. (The notation is included in the anthology for this lesson).
Chord Progression: Analyze the chord progression used in the verse and the chorus using Roman numerals. What schema is used in the chorus? How is this schema varied in the verse? How does the variation change the way you hear the progression?
What type of accompanimental pattern from Lesson 5-4 does Adele use?
Pitch Collections: What is the pitch collection used in the verse? Is that same pitch collection maintained in the chorus?
Why does this melodic pitch collection lend itself so well to stratified melodic harmonic textures?
LVTC: Consider how well the loose verse / tight chorus model describes this song (use the discussion points above).
Reharmonization: Listen to a few reharmonizations of Adele's melody (Slide 3 here).
Which of these do you prefer? Why do you think some of these sound better than others?
Reharmonizing a Pentatonic Melody: Select a melody from a verse or chorus of a song that uses a pentatonic collection. Reharmonize it in three different ways using common chord schemas. Listen to the reharmonizations as a class and decide which you like best and why. (Use the Adele example above as a model).
If you need help finding a pentatonic melody, check out the pentatonic melody section in your theory anthology here.
Reharmonizing a Melody in 3 Different Ways: Select one phrase (about 4 bars) from a song that you’d like to reharmonize. (Something with a simple 3- or 4-chord progression may work the best). Compose three different harmonizations of the same phrase, using the harmonization guidelines below. Your harmonization should be in 3 or 4-voice keyboard (3-way) voicing and should incorporate a different accompanimental pattern for each. Label your chords using lead sheet notation and Roman numerals.
Harmonization 1: Harmonize the melody taking advantage of Melodic-Harmonic “Divorce.” Select a common pop schema (different from what the artist chose) that you think works well with the melody. (Similar to the Adele example above).
Harmonization 2: Harmonize the melody using the “melodic skeleton” method outlined in Lesson 5-4. Your harmonic rhythm should be 1–2 chords per measure.
Harmonization 3: Harmonize the melody using the “melodic skeleton” method, but include some passing harmonies (or chord inversions) between the primary harmonies you’ve selected. The passing harmonies don’t necessarily need to sync with the pitches in the melody.
Repertoire for Practice
Repertoire for Practice
Melodic Analysis: This section of the anthology includes examples that demonstrate melodic-harmonic divorce and the loose verse / tight-chorus model for analysis.
Want to learn more?
Want to learn more?
Trevor De Clercq, "The Harmonic-Bass Divorce in Rock," Music Theory Spectrum, Volume 41, Issue 2, Fall 2019, Pages 271–284.
Temperley, David, and Trevor de Clercq. "Harmony and Melody in Popular Music." In The Routledge Companion to Music Cognition, pp. 165–177. Routledge, 2017.
Covach, John. "Analyzing Texture in Rock Music: Stratification, Coordination, Position, and Perspective," in Pop weiter denken: Neue Anstöße aus Jazz Studies, Philosophie, Musiktheorie und Geschichte, Beiträge zur Popularmusikforschung 44, ed. Ralf von Appen and André Doehring (Transcript Verlag, 2018), 53-72 (2018).
Nobile, Drew F. "Counterpoint in rock music: Unpacking the 'melodic-harmonic divorce'." Music Theory Spectrum 37, no. 2 (2015): 189–203.
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