I had some help - Post Malone and Morgan Wallen (country)

Hungry (For Love) - LF SYSTEM (disco house)

History of the genre 

Origins of Country music (1920s)

In the 1920s, the first era of country music arose, with the Atlanta music scene being a home for the earliest recording country artists. Many Appalachian people came to Atlanta to work in cotton mills, bringing there music with them too. Atlanta was a hotspot for Appalachian folk music, blues music and Gospel, and most notably to this project is, by our current knowledge, most likely the home of the first country blues recording in 1924 by Ed Andrews, an American blues artist who is considered to have made the first commercially released country blues recordings. some of the pioneering artists of this era of country music were:

https://archive.org/details/countrymusicorig00russ/page/14

Subgenres

Nashville sound 

After the explosive popularity of Rock and roll, country music took a big hit in popularity, making it far less popular than Rock and roll, so in attempts to revive country music and its popularity, the Nashville sound was created as a sub-genre of country music. Before its decrease in popularity, the country sub-genre that was dominating, before rock and roll arose, was Honky-Tonk, which was up-tempo and featured a more twangy guitar, however after the rise of rock and roll, the Nashville sound sub-genre was made and featured smoother instruments and tempos, opposed to Honky Tonk and typically more associated with traditional pop, which in turn features a better and smoother production quality and using pop structures. The Nashville sound was pioneered by RCA Victor records, Columbia records and Decca records in Nashville, Tennessee and in the 1960s, time (an American news magazine) stated that Nashville "nosed out Hollywood as the nation's second biggest (after New York) record-producing centre." (https://archive.today/20120525182906/http://livinginstereo.com/?p=252)

Outlaw Country

In the 1970s and 1980s, a movement was created by a small group of artists called 'the outlaw movement', these artists creating the subgenre of country music 'Outlaw country'. This movement was an attempted to gain creative freedom outside of the Nashville establishment, of which controlled the sound of country music during that time, the activists being opposed to the "slick" production style and pop structure of the Nashville sound. Artists such as Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson were popular members of this movement, and the movement succeeded in gaining control over there creativity. (https://www.britannica.com/art/outlaw-music)

Country pop 

The subgenre, Country pop, also known as Urban Cowboy, was created by artists in the country genre, fusing together pop music and country music, in attempts to further popularise the country genre and make it more tailored to mainstream audiences. In the 1970s, many Country artists turned there efforts to Country pop, leading country music to reach the mainstream top 40 and even the billboard country chart, the billboard being a popular chart that would post out the best songs of the week in there magazine, Billboard magazine. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Country_pop) Two very popular Country pop artists were:

After the popularity of Urban country, Neotraditional Country subgenre was created in rejection of the simplicity of Country pop. It came into popularity after the Outlaw movement started to become less popular in the 1980s. This subgenre of country features more traditional instrumentation and country vocal style, as well as most artist dressing in fashion popular in the county music scene in the 40s, 50s and 60s. 

Fashion

Modern day Country

Culture

Patriotism and Conservative politics in Country Music

country music has been linked with conservative politics and patriotism as, patriotism specifically, its has been a powerful narrative to many people who listen to country music, particularly Americans. Such themes as national pride, respecting the military and traditional values are often lionized by the artists and are expressed through there music. They can also frequently depict the importance of family, rural life and the 'American Landscape'. This relates with Conservative values and is presented in the artists lyrics which can advertise the importance of faith, appreciation of there country's heritage and personal responsibility. Country music, as a reflection of its listeners, can become a place to express conservative views, promoting a life of hard work and through country artists making music, it can help to find identity which culturally resonates with them. (research from chat GPT, prompt: "give me a 500 word paragraph on Patriotism and conservative politics in country music")

barn dance and the Grand Ole Opry

A barn dance is any dance which involves folk music and traditional dancing, which is sometimes held in a barn, however, this genre of dance can also include dancing to country western music. a large part of the rise of country music is the adaptation of barn dance into a radio adaptation. WLS in Chicago is acknowledged with helping to create the radio format barn dance, being a large help to the rise of Country music. The national barn dance was hosted by George D. Hay and started out as a program of old time Fiddle playing on April 19th, 1924. Roughly a year and a half later, Hay retired it and passed it along to an old-time fiddler to launch the WSM Barn Dance, later known as the Grand Ole Opry, which is still on the air. (https://web.archive.org/web/20160727231806/http://www.opry.com/about/index.html) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_dance) 

Line dancing revival

during the early-mid-90s, country music was influenced by the popularity of line dancing, a form of choreographed dance that involves a a group of people repeating a sequence of steps in a singular or multiple lines and/or rows. the influence was so extreme that Chet Atkins, a founder of the Nashville sound and also known as 'Mister Guitar' or 'The Country Gentleman', quoted "The music has gotten pretty bad, I think. It's all that damn line dancing." (book source 9780736000673, page 2-4) 

(Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_dance)

History of the genre

Where it started and when

Although the history of history of disco house isn't able to be researched, we do have information on the origins of house music as a whole. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_music) House music originated in the late 70s to early 80s, coming into the music scene shortly after the popularity of disco left off, becoming a role in the gay scene during the 1980s when DJs from this scene made their sets and tracks more orientated toward songs with deeper basslines and a more mechanical and repetitive sound, favouring instrumental melodies compared to vocal melodies. The origin of the name of the genre comes from a club in Chicago called 'The Warehouse', where much of its club scene was black gay men, who came to dance the music of the clubs resident DJ, and widely known as the 'Godfather of House music'...

SONG ANALYSIS

Instrumentation 

Instrumentation is the combination of instruments used in a piece, and each instruments individual properties. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrumentation_(music)) 

I Had Some Help - In 'I Had some Help', the main interest in the instrumentation of the song is the main lead melody played after the chorus' on the lap steel, an instrument which generally defines the song as country, due to this instrument being played frequently in country music. 

hungry - In 'Hungry (For Love)', the song features a classic disco beat called '4 to the floor', this rhythm consisting of the repetition of this pattern: Kick, hi-hat, snare, hi-hat. Another instrumentation part within this song is the progressive layering throughout the song. In the verses the song cuts out a lot of the instruments, allowing the chorus to stand out more amongst other parts of the song.

Effects

definition

Effects are something you apply electronically to a sound that can give it a certain characteristic, form, tone, timbre etc (https://www.productionmusiclive.com/blogs/news/audio-effects-explained-2021#:~:text=Or%2C%20in%20other%20words%2C%20doing,and%20get%20a%20specific%20result.). Effects, however, do not always have to be digital, for example, you can give an instrument a reverberated sound by playing in a reverberated area, like a hall. 

i had some help - In this song, the drums are slightly distorted, the reason for this is that it adds more power or 'punch' to the drums and drives the song more. Another use of effects in this song is the use of reverb on the backing vocals that yell 'help' after the chorus, this being used to make the vocals sound more distant and make the yell sound further away while also adding more space to the parts of the song without a main vocal melody. the reverb sounds like a hall reverb, which emulates the way sound reflects in a hall, making it very reverberated.

hungry - Hungry also features reverberated vocals, however these are applied to the main vocal part and instead of the prior mentioned Hall reverb, this uses what sounds like a room reverb, this emulating the reflection of sound in a typical room. This is use nearly always on vocals in modern songs, as it makes the vocals sound less dry and more realistic as if you were in the same room. 

Tempo

definition

tempo is the speed in which a song or piece of music is played in, measured in Beats per minute (BPM), the more beats in a minute making it a faster tempo

i had some help - this song is in 128 bpm (Beats Per Minute), which is very close to 120 bpm, which is often referred to as a walking pace. This tempo could be chosen due to this, as line-dancing, a popular dance form for country music, is generally easier to dance to at walking pace.

hungry - Hungry also features the same tempo, as most house and club songs are in the 120-130 bpm rate, making it easier for DJs to transition it with other songs. This songs also features a moment where the tempo durastically and progressively decreases in the 2nd pre-chorus, this emphasizing the power in the chorus, where it returns back to the original tempo.

Timbre

definition

The dictionary from oxford languages defines timbre as "the character or quality of a musical sound or voice as distinct from it's pitch and intensity". This is also commonly referred to, specifically by guitarists, as tone which is typically dictated by its levels of bass, mid and treble frequencies, as well as effects used.

i had some help - In this song, the best example of timbre is in the intro guitar part, which is played harshly to create a broader and more aggressive sound, this is typical in country music, using such techniques as 'chicken picking' where you harshly pick the strings to create what is referred to as 'Twang', a sound which is widely aimed for in country music.

hungry - Hungry features a sampled heavy kick, which pulses throughout the the chorus' of the song. This would be played through large speakers and subs at clubs and this heavy kick would be felt by the audience as well as heard, making it great to dance to and immerses the audience.

Rhythm

definition

Rhythm is the movement, variation or fluctuation of a piece, marked by regular recurrence of related elements (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rhythm#:~:text=3-,a,incident%2C%20character%20type%2C%20or%20symbol). For example, in most popular songs the bass and kick drum will follow a very similar natural flow.

i had some help - This song has a straight rhythm, this could be chosen to make the song easier to dance to.

hungry - Hungry also follows a straight rhythm, most likely for the same reasons, but also because nearly all songs played in clubs follow this straight rhythm and it makes it easier to transition between songs and also doesnt throw the audience off when the dancing rhythm changes.

Syncopation

definition

syncopation is the playing of rhythms, of which emphasize or accent the offbeats in such (https://www.iconcollective.edu/what-is-syncopation-in-music), 

i had some help - The intro guitar riff in this song has a guitar part which features a lot of syncopation. On the 2nd, 3rd and 4th chord in the sequence, the start of each arpeggiation starts on the off beat, this being done to add more movement in the song and to add interest.

hungry - The drums on this track use a syncopated hi-hat in between each kick and snare hit, as is typical for the 'four to the floor' rhythm, this creating more drive to the song and adds more movement, giving it a faster feel.

Lyrics

definition

Lyrics are what gives the song or piece of music its meaning, this strongly assisted by the instrumentation. For example, you may have have a sad song lyrically which can be emphasized by a instrument playing in minor, however this isn't always the case, as you can have a happy song with minor chords or a sad song with major chords (major keys conveying happiness and minor sadness), this being a juxtaposition (provide example of pulp). Lyrics are essentially a story or message that you are telling over music.

i had some help - This song is about a breakup and how each side don't believe its completely there fault, as is the meaning behind the lyric and name of the song 'I Had Some Help', and other parts like 'don't act like you ain't help me pull that bottle of the shelf'. This is juxtaposed as its an upbeat song over lyrics of a fight going on between two ex-lovers, creating a more carefree sense behind the lyrics.

hungry - In this song, there are very few lyrics to analyse, however due to there being less change in the lyrics, this makes the song easier to sing along to and to remember. The chorus consists of the Lyrics 'I'm Hungry Hungry Hungry', an example of its repetitiveness and how easy it is to remember.

Key

definition

The key of a song is determined by the group pitches/notes that create it. 

i had some help - c major, also tying in with the juxtapositon of the lyrics

This song is in the key of C major. This major key also ties in with the prior mentioned juxtaposition of the song, as Major chords or sequences are associated with happiness, whereas the songs lyrics reflect something opposing to this.

hungry - Hungry is in the key of G minor.

Song Structure

definition

A song structure is the way in which you arrange different sections of a song (https://blog.native-instruments.com/song-structure-101/#:~:text=right%20song%20structure-,What%20is%20song%20structure%3F,song%20its%20shape%20and%20flow.). A song structure is the shape of the story the song is telling, assisting the lyrics to carry this story from its introduction until its end. an example of this is the most popular song structure used in a lot of modern pop songs, with being: intro (the introduction to the song, usually following a hook or melody), verse (where typically most of the story develops lyrically), pre-chorus (essentially the introduction to the chorus by means of building up the instrumentation typically), chorus (the main attraction of the song, usually holding the most lyrical value, as well as typically being the catchiest and most memorable part of the song), verse, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge (a change in the song to add more interest and to keep the song interesting to listeners), chorus and optionally an outro (the end of the song). Songs, however, do not need to follow this structure or even use some of the parts mentioned. For example, Paranoid by Black Sabbath doesn't feature any chorus, as well as the implementation of a solo which is also popular in most rock and metal songs, however a solo isn't limited to these genres. 

i had some help - The songs structure of this song follows similarly to the prior mentioned 'pop structure', the structure of this song being: intro, verse, chorus, post chorus, verse 2, chorus 2, post chorus 2, bridge, chorus 3, post chorus 3. This was most likely done as to get larger audiences to listen to this song.

hungry - Thus song keeps a simple song structure: intro, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, outro, chorus. The pre-chorus and outro have strong repetition of the word hungry, keeping the hook of the song consistent and due to the easy predictability of the song structure, makes it much catchier and easier to remember. This is also great for DJs as it makes transitioning songs easier when the song structure is easier to remember.

Time Signature

definition

A time signature tells you how the song or piece you are playing is counted. A time signature is displayed with 2 numbers one over the other, resembling a fraction (https://www.studybass.com/lessons/reading-music/time-signatures/#:~:text=A%20time%20signature%20tells%20you,how%20many%20beats%20to%20count.). The bottom number tells you he value of the note, such as a minim, quaver, semi-quaver etc. The top number tells you how many notes are being counted, typically ranging from 2-12, however this is not mandatory. The two most popular time signatures that are used in a lot of music, due to their danceability, are 6/8 and 4/4.

i had some help - I Had Some Help is in 4/4, this being one of the prior mentioned easy to dance to time signatures, making it great for playing live.

hungry - This song is also in 4/4, common in club scenes as its easy to dance to and easy to transition as a DJ as almost all club songs are played in 4/4.

Dynamics

definition

dynamics refer to the volume, of a song or piece of music, measured in Latin terms that dictate their volume, the most common of these being: Decrescendo/Diminuendo (decreasing in volume/softness), Pianississimo ( very very quiet/soft), Pianissimo (very quiet/soft), Piano (quiet/soft), Mezzo piano (moderately quiet/soft), Mezzo Forte (moderately loud), forte (loud), Fortissimo (very loud), Fortississimo (very very loud) and Crescendo (increase in volume).

i had some help - The dynamics remain the same volume throughout the song, maintaining its danceability throughout the entire song. This also keeps the song equally upbeat throughout its entirety, making it more energetic and fun to listen to as an audience  member throughout.

hungry - This song starts of quieter in the intro, this being done to make the chorus stand out amongst other parts of the song, this further being reinforced by how the dynamics also dip down in verses and pre-chorus' to emphasise the chorus further.

Melody

definition

A melody is a succession of notes, varying in pitch, one after another that create a pleasing sound (https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melody#:~:text=A%20melody%20in%20music%20is,the%20length%20of%20the%20notes).). A melody can be sung or played on a melodic instrument, usually in modern music being easy to mimic with your voice as it makes it more catchy and when playing a live event it can allow crowd interaction. 

i had some help - The vocals in the chorus sing on the same note most of the time (monotone), this is done to  make the chorus easy to sing along to and easier to remember and makes it stand out compared to other more complex melodies in other parts of the song.

hungry - Hungry follows a simple vocal melody, consisting of 2 notes in the first two "Hungrys" in the chorus lines, and 3 notes in the third of the chorus lines. This is very easy to pick up and due to its simplicity to remember in makes it great for audiences to learn and sing along to.

Harmony

definition

A harmony is two or more notes played simultaneously that create a rich and full sound. The most common occurrence of harmony is through chords, generally consisting of the root or key of the chord you are playing, the 3rd in that keys scale, and a fifth, however this is not a mandatory guide to follow with all chords, as many can defer from this or add more notes. Generally harmonies a pleasant in sound and are usually intended to be made pleasant to the listener, however this is not always the case as harmonies can create unpleasant sounds by, for example, a tritone, which consists of 3 whole steps between each notes, which creates this incomplete and unpleasant sound (provide example)

i had some help - I could find no coherent harmonies in this song as all chords are arpeggiated and the rest of the instruments play they're own or a similar melody part, however the lack of harmonies does create as very textured and interesting sound.

hungry - This song features quiet synth chords in the background, however they are not very discernible as they are very quiet and in the background of the song. This is common in a lot of songs through what are called 'Pad synths', of which there main purpose is to add ambiance and a sense of space to the song.

scales

t s t t s t t = natural minor scale

t t s t t t s = major scale

Pentatonic?

Blues?

What notes do we get if we use each formula with a root note of C

How are chords constructed? Major? Minor?

What chords can be built from the notes of the C major scale?

What chords can be built from the notes of the C natural minor scale

What kinds of scale/chords are used in the songs you're researching?

key signatures

Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle

A 3

B 5

C 0

D 2

E 4

F 1

G 1

Time signatures 

Semibreve – lasts 4 beats 

Minim – 2 beats 

Crotchet – 1 beat 

Quaver – ½ beat 

Semi-Quaver – ¼ beat 

IN A BAR OF 4/4, WE CAN HAVE 1 SEMIBREVE, 2 MINIMS, 4 CROTCHETS, 8 QUAVERS, 16 SEMI-QUAVERS 

Top number = beats in a bar 

Bottom number = value of the beats 

Chords

a triad is formed through playing the root note, determining your key; a third, which will determine if your chord is major or minor; an a fifth. example, C, E, G foor a C major chord, however if you flatten the third (E) to Eb, it becomes a C minor chord. Adding a major or minor 7th will make that a major/minor seventh chord, however for it to be a minor 7th the chord also has to be minor, the same methodology also applies to the major, or if you do a major chord with the minor 7th it becomes a 7th chord as opposed from a major 7th, ie C7.

Syncopation

FILM ANALYSIS

OSTINATO

An Ostinato is a phrase that repeats in the same musical voicing, this can be either melodic or rhythmic. This is frequently use in music for media as it is a great way of building or giving a sense of tension within a piece of media. In the Interstellar scene shown above, at the start (00:00) it uses a rhythmic Ostinato, creating a rhythm out of this clicking sound. This creates a sense of foreshadowing before the disaster of the clip happens, this assisted by the crescendo stabs on the strings. This also creates a sense of tension as the clicking is very light and almost prepares us for something to happen, the andante speed of the clicking giving it an impending feeling, the clicks almost resembling the ticks on a clock, this moving significantly faster than any clock would and further giving us this impending feeling almost as if time is running out before the climax of the disaster. Furthering this idea, this ticking comes back at 00:44 and resembles further a tick of a clock, being closer to the speed of a clock yet still much faster and furthering this intensity, this being when they are on route to dock the ship, creating this sense of urgency is also shown in the acting in the clip.

HARMONY

A harmony is the combination of multiple sounds or notes played at once. Harmonies are an excellent way of portraying emotion within a piece of music, as they are very good at making a listener feel a certain emotion or even persuade them to feel a certain way about a character in a piece of media. To provide an example of how Harmonies influence emotion, Major chords are usually described as happy and can influence such emotion, and to contrast, minor chords convey more sad emotion. The Interstellar clip above, it uses a dissonant Harmony at the end of the peice of music (04:02) before being resolved with a major harmony. I think this resolve is used to fully emphasize the relief of the characters in this scene, having finally fixed their problem and taking the ship out of orbit. Not only this, but it relieves the tension off of the viewer, assuring them that the issue has been solved and giving them a break from the action.

LEITMOTIF

A Leitmotif is a melody, piece, rhythm or anything musical that is specifically related to a character, place or idea, this being most frequently used to foreshadow within a piece or to show the importance of a certain part of the plot or the importance of a character within a peice of media. One of the most famous uses of a Leitmotif is in Star Wars with a peice called "The Imperial March", used as a Leitmotif for the character Darth Vader. In these movies the Leitmotif is used to emphasize the corruption within this character and is used throughout the franchise for this character repeatedly.

DRONE

A Drone is a note that is played continuously, this can change in pitch however if changed to quickly it becomes more of a melody than it does a drone. Drones can be used to create tension or suspense in a piece, especially a sub-bass drone being played through a sound system, like when watching a piece of media in a cinema, as a sub drone can create a haptic feel that engages the viewer and makes them feel a part of a scene. This is also helped by the elongated notes played as it can create an expectation for something to happen that the viewer has to wait for, building up suspense. In the interstellar clip above, at the time mark 00:21, there is a high pitch vocal drone that is played during the realisation of 2 of the characters after they have seen the explosion from the station in front, this drone sounding very earie and being harmonised by other drones playing simultaneously, these vocal drones sounding almost heavenly and yet being sung in a minor key, emphasizing the possible loss of the character in the explosion and there grief for such. This being played with no instrumental backing makes this part of the piece sound empty, perhaps tying in with the emptiness of space or perhaps a break of silence to emphasize the impact this with have on the story.

INSTRUMENTATION

At the very start of the interstellar clip above (00:00), we are introduced with crescendo stabs that are cut of at 00:07, exactly when we are cut to Dr Mann on the space station. Crescendo is the increase of dynamics, whether that be to a certain section of music or the music as a whole. This crescendo creates suspense for the viewer, making them expect something to happen, and it then stopping and cutting to Dr Mann creates an expectation for the viewer that that intensity is related to this character, making this work as foreshadowing for what's about to happen. Shortly after this, at the 15 second mark of the clip, this is confirmed by Dr Mann being sucked into space, and at the exact same time the music completely cuts out. I believe this is done to emphasize the emptiness of space that he is sucked into, tying in with the fact that sound can't travel in space. This could also be done to emphasize his death and how it impacts the story, causing the other 2 characters in this scene to lose a sense of hope in this moment, the emptiness almost parallelly linking to the emptiness of their hope. This can be further reinforced by the music coming back in at the 42 second mark, when Cooper starts taking action, this instrumentation only being light, almost as if he is still trying to grasp this sense of hope and then the music dramatically coming back in at 01:03 when he reveals his plan to save them, reinstating the hope that was lost and this instrumentation progressively layering as they come closer to achieving their goal, further showing this growing hope that they can achieve their new mission.