Advanced Introduction to Rock Music

Published and written by MR Jason Alata

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Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Introduction to Rock Music

Chapter 2: Chord Progressions (Performance: Structure & Pitch)

Chapter 3: Melody and Harmony Progressions (Performance: Pitch)

Chapter 4: Power Chords Vs Triad Chords (Performance: Pitch)

Chapter 5: Performance, The Art of a Rock Performer (Performance: Dynamics)

Chapter 6: Rock Fusion and Sub-Genres (Aural & Musicology)

Chapter 7: The Art of improvising, Beginner Improvising Exercises (Composing and Performance)

Chapter 8: The Art of Composing (Composition Task)

Chapter 9: Australian Rock (Musicology)

Chapter 10: Australian Rock Showcase (Performance)

What do we want to accomplish?

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What is Rock Music? How can we define what it is or what do we perceive Rock music to be? It is important throughout this book, we being to unpack areas of Rock Music through its definition. It is also important that we begin to interpret examples of different styles of Rock Music and how the end goal of this Book is to;

-Distinguish and learn about different Rock Artists and Bands

-Create and Compose Rock Music

-Listen & Analyse Rock Music

-Perform Rock music

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Lesson 1: Introduction to Rock Music

Chapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- Key Ideas of what makes Rock Music-Various sub genres of music, how is Punk Rock a different from Metal yet they are both classified as Rock? - Early Rock Music- Chuck Berry & Elvis Presley

Learning Activities:Before we start this iBook, a small “Warm-Up” quiz about Rock Music will take place so as you guys will have an idea of the type of tasks and content we will be undertaking in this iBook. Please click this link so as you complete this task. It is NOT assessed rather it is used to give you guys a quick introduction of the entire content of this iBook, some of the artists who we will be looking at as well.

( www.onlineexambuilder.com )

Life without Rock Music?......Rock. What is life without Rock Music? (A Very Boring Life!) I hope by the end of this book, we all begin to understand how important Rock Music is towards the development of Music History Think about the history of Music from Baroque Music to Classical Music and Jazz and Popular Music, imagine if Rock Music didn’t exist, what artists would exist of be non-existent?

Can you imagine a world without people like Elvis Presley making Music? Bands like Queen, Guns N Roses not existing or instrumentalists like Jimi Hendrix not performing? Even Australian Music, bands like AC/DC influencing the Australian Charts, what would happen if they never performed or didn’t exist?

What is Rock Music?That is the million dollar question. First in the space below, I’d like you to define it to what you think it is.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now I’d like you to log into “ED MODO” and look for the forum titled “Lesson 1 Student Task” and would like you to discuss what you think Rock music is with your fellow classmates.

(Remember when discussing with others you are to use correct grammar and spelling. Be sure that no cursing, verbal abuse and online bullying takes place as I will be monitoring the forums!)

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Rock Music Definition:

Rock Music, no matter the subgenre consists of an ensemble of Guitar, Bass Guitar and Percussion. This ensemble can vary in size and instrumentation such as adding Vocals, Piano and other instruments but any sort of Rock Music consists of a combination of either Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Bass guitar and Percussion. It utilises a combination of a strong rhythmic foundation that is created by Percussion and basslines on top of catchy melodies. Melodies are MOSTLY but not all the time, created by guitars and vocals.

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YES!, It does have similar instrumentation then Jazz ( and No, I won’t throw you out of the window). This is where Rock gets fun and interesting. Rock essentially came through influences of Jazz, Blues and Folk. How it split however is something that will be discussed. Moreover when you think of Rock, you think of a Rebellious Attitude. This attitude was created by its pioneers, artists like Chuck Berry & Elvis Presley.

History of Rock: Chuck BerryPeople like Chuck Berry and Elvis Pressley are credited as the Pioneers of Rock Music. Chuck Berry, a Black American often blurred the lines between Music culture and Race from the 50’s and 60’s in USA through the rebellious attitude shown by his music and image.

Close your Eyes…………………..

For 30 seconds to 1 minute:

“Imagine a world where the Music you listened to was divided based on your race and that listening to other music outside your race was considered “Too Different”?

What a cold hearted world that would be and believe it or not, that was life in USA during the early history of Rock. Chuck Berry was a famed Rock artist with songs like Maybeline, School Days &

Johnny B Goode are credited as some of early examples of Rock Music. He blurred the lines between Race and Music as during this time, “Black Americans” would listen to Rhythm and Blues Music while “White Americans” would listen to Jazz. The importance of Chuck Berry is that he blended some of the elements of Blues and Jazz and pioneered Rock music to what it is today. Blues music was often defined by the lyrical content and Chord Progressions while Jazz at the time had vast

ensembles consisting of Bass Guitar, Piano, Drums, Electric Guitar and Vocals.

Chuck Berry was important for combining some of these elements and thus his contributions to Rock Music is important for understanding the History of Rock through his talented guitar skills and stage presence, especially his duck walk.

Check your Understanding:For these questions, you are to create a Word Document, answer these questions and upload via Ed Modo under “Chapter 1: Chuck Berry Comprehension”

1) Who was Chuck Berry?

2) Why was he important to the early development of Rock Music?

3) Name and research 4 songs that Chuck Berry composed and performed.

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History of Rock: Elvis Presley

Similar to Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley now known as the “King of Rock and Roll” and pioneer to Rock today. Some of his most famous songs include, Jail House Rock, Hound Dog, Heartbreak Hotel, A Little less conversation and more. The importance of Elvis Presley not just paving the way for future Rock Music was his impact similarly blending various styles of Rhythm and Blues, Gospel and Jazz like Chuck Berry. How they’re different however involves some of the aspects of performance such as Elvis as a “Sex Symbol”. Unheard of at the time were some of the dance moves Elvis would do on stage that would both star struck fans and criticised by critics alike. During TV performances, the camera would be panned upwards covering his legs and hips as it was deemed to “revealing” and sexual on TV. This was the rebellious attitude, Elvis portrayed and thus his importance in Rock Music history cannot be under estimated. His songs and dance moves helped pave the way to what Rock is today, getting up on the stage, singing and dancing at the same time giving off a dynamic innovative performance is what rock performance is about.

Check your Understanding:For these questions, you are to create a Word Document, answer these questions and upload via Ed Modo under “Chapter 1: Elvis Presley Comprehension”

1) Name and Research 4 other songs other than the songs listed previously?

2) How was Elvis Pressley, similar or different to Chuck Berry?

3) During TV performances, what would happen to the camera and why?

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Aural Activities:

Have a listen to the corresponding links and have a go at answering some of these questions;For these questions, you are to create a Word Document, answer these questions and upload via Ed Modo under “Chapter 1: Aural Activities”

Johnny B Goode: Chuck Berry

1) Can you listen to the electric guitar? What does it sound like it’s doing (Hint: Is it strummed? Picked? Is it a mixture?)

2) Using Musescore, annotate a particular 4 Bar Melody featured with the guitar. Be sure to include a time code of when it begins and ends (e.g 1:04-1:34 etc etc). Publish it as a PDF titled“Aural Activities Q2 Insert Name) and upload it along with the word document containing these remaining questions

Hound Dog: Elvis Presley

3) Can you listen to the electric guitar? What does it sound like it’s doing (Hint: Is it strummed? Picked? Is it a mixture?)

4) Using Musescore, annotate a particular 4 Bar Melody featured with the guitar. Be sure to include a time code of when it begins and ends (e.g 1:04-1:34 etc etc). Publish it as a PDF titled“Aural Activities Q4 Insert Name) and upload it along with the word document containing these remaining questions

Compare/Contrast

1) What are the main differences or similarities with how the guitar between both the songs, Johnny B. Goode: Chuck Berry & Hound Dog: Elvis Presley? Make reference to any of the Concepts of Music.

2) Using this website http://www.beatsperminuteonline.com/ , find the Tempo and BPM of both the songs by tapping on the screen. Remember, when using this tool, counting beats involve finding the pulse of the song, don’t get confused between Crochets and Pulse although they can sometimes good indicators of the pulse.

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Lesson 2: Chord Progression and Riffs

Chapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- The importance of song structure through Chord Progressions and riffs- How to perform and compose different Chord Progressions

What is a Chord Progression?

Chord Progressions are;

“A selection of Various Chords within an established key that helps define the harmonic texture within a piece.”

Well, to simplify it, a Chord Progression takes a bunch of chords and plays them in a certain structure that we (Musicians & Listeners) think sounds nice. If by this time you don’t believe me or are feeling confused, you have been playing Chord Progressions your whole life. It’s like the Force in Star-wars, you know it’s there because you can feel it but you can’t see it.

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Examples of Progressions;

Thinking Out Loud, Ed Sheeran: I – iii – IV – V D – F# - G – A

All the Small Things, Blink 182: I – IV – V C – G – F

What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction: I – IV – V E – A – B

Dance, Dance, Fall Out Boy: vi – I – IV – iii Bm- D – G – F#m

American Idiot, Green Day (Chorus): IV- I – V C#- G#- D#

Decode, Paramore: I – vi – iii - ii F# - D#m - A#m - G#m

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How to Read/Jam out a Chord Progression

For this task, I would like you to use a pitched instrument such as Guitar or Piano. When playing a chord progression, first thing you have to do is find a key. In this example we will be using C. Now do you remember all the available Major and Minor Chords in C Major? In case you forgot, here’s a table below showing all the chords in the C Major key.

(Insert C Major Chord Diagram)

Now we will number the diagram using Roman Numerals and distinguish Major and Minor Chords. We do this with two simple rules;

UPPERCASE ROMAN NUMERALS = Major Chordlowercase roman numerals = Minor Chord

So for our diagram, our starting Chord is C Major so we would write “I” below C. Our second chord is D Minor which means we write “ii”. Our 3rd Chord is E Minor which means we write “iii” and for our fourth chord, F Major, we write “IV”.

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Finish these diagrams by writing the Major, Minor and Diminished Chords as well as the Roman Numerals associated. (Look out for the Key Signature, what’s the next key?)

1a)

1b

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Answers:

1a)

1b)

Performing Chord Progressions:

So now we know how to read chord Progressions through Roman Numerals, let’s put it into practice.

Let’s select a key, D MAJOR. Let’s also select a time signature, 4/4 and a tempo to play 80 Bpm. Bar

Lines are divided and represented as |. To Distinguish beats and how long you sustain Chords, they

are divided by -

When performing, experiment with different methods of expression such as different strumming patterns and syncopated rhythms. As long as you are playing in the correct Key, Time Signature and Tempo.

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Progression 1: D Major 4/4 80 Bpm

I – iii |IV| V| x8 This translates into:

D – F#m| G | A

Let’s try and practise that chord progression on your instrument with either guitar or piano. Once you’re comfortable with that, experiment with different strumming and syncopated patterns. Let’s try another progression in same the same key and time signature. Fill out the remaining chords.

Progression 2: D Major 4/4 80Bpm

ii|V- I |x2 Em | A - __ |

ii|V- vi| Em | A - __ |

ii|V | Em | __ |

Rehearsing at Home: Creating your own Chord Progressions:Using what we’ve learnt above, try and experiment and create your own Chord progressions by

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finding a key and checking out this table. Make sure you use Roman Numerals and see what Chords work well by experimenting with different rhythms. After I would like you to record a short 8 Bar recording of what you’ve created and upload on Ed Modo. Alternatively, you can upload on Youtube and provide me with a link. Whatever is easier for you. An example is shown below of what I am expecting to be uploaded.

EXAMPLE: Name: Jason AlataKey: D MajorTime Signature: 4/4

ii | V |I | I

Em | A | D | D

So what’s the difference between a Guitar Riff and a Chord Progression?

A Riff in music is series of repeated notes or chords in a song. In Rock Music, you would hear this

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most commonly by the guitar playing rhythm of Lead Guitar. Because a Riff can be a series of repeated Chords, Riffs can take the form of Chord Progressions. Let’s take a look at one example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7hhDINyBP0

You see how the introduction and verse plays:

A | A | D| E

I | I | IV| E

Let’s look at another guitar Riff playing a series of repeated notes.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7OgIMMRc4

As you can see, contrasting to Blink 182- The Rock Show, the lead guitar plays a guitar riff in the form of a collection of individual notes in the introduction and choruses. This isn’t a Chord Progression but called a Melodic Riff which will be covered next chapter!

Importance of Chord Progressions and Riffs in Rock MusicAs you can see, writing out, chord progressions can be an easier version to read and perform rock music. What do you think is easier to rehearse and practise? Written Western Notation or the method I have just shown you above? Of course, reading and performing rock music requires constant practise and dedication understanding various keys and pentatonic scales which will be taught in this book. Basic Chord Progressions such as the ones shown above and more are heavily used in Rock Music as Rock Music relies;

-Different Chord Progressions to differentiate structures within a song. -Chord Progressions providing a harmonic foundation with the melody played over it

For example, does “Progression 1” sound like it could be a song verse while “Progression 2” sounds like a Chorus or Pre Chorus? Does it sound familiar? Try and guess what Popular, Blues Rock song these two progressions come from. It’s hard to guess because there’s no melody being played but that’s what next lesson is for! I will give you a hint:

“This song was composed by an English male Artist released in 2013.”Don’t forget to continue to practise these chord progressions as we will be going through them for the next chapter and happy guessing

Lesson 3: Melody and its importance in Rock Music.

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Chapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- The importance of melody within a chord progression- How to perform melodies and how to distinguish melody from harmony.

What is a Melody?A melody is a collection of individual notes that create a musical idea or theme of a song. Any pitched instrument can perform a melody and is important in a rock song to be distinguished from a song’s harmonic foundation or Chord Progression. Similar to a Riff discussed previously, Melodies can be Riffs. Take the example in the previous lesson Sweet Child O Mine

Take the mystery chord progression we were rehearsing earlier, it sounds plain just strumming or playing that pattern. Without a melody, that song can be anything.

To identify melody in Rock music, it is usually -Catchy-Repetitive (In the song or notes)-A short, musical riff/idea-Performed on either the vocals or guitar (Most but not all of the time)

Ed Sheeran: Thinking Out Loud

If you guessed Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran as the song from the previous chapter, you were correct! As stated before it is hard to identify the song if all you’re given is the chord progression. This is why we will be analysing and learning how to perform melody through the Vocals.

Composition of Melody Activity

At an advanced level and having knowledge with various scales, you will be asked to compose melodic riffs to be used in the Verse sections and a melodic solo in the bridge. You are free to use any composition software available for you to compose a melody such as Musescore which we have strongly used in the past and therefore every student should have accessibility and be able to use this program.

If you are comfortable using other software, by all means, just ensure a Mp3 file is uploaded including a written transcription in Western Notation of your 8 Bar composition task.

Helpful hints:- Drawing a contour line by drawing where a melody ascends and descends can be helpful when writing ideas in your head.-Improvisation, have the song playback and play over it using Musescore can help.

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Importance of Melodies in Rock Music: So after practising the vocal melody for Thinking Out Loud, why do you think this vocal melody is important to the song? (What do the vocals do other than being sung? Do they create emotion? Etc etc)

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Melody is important in Rock Music as it can establish a central theme or idea that can evoke different emotions when listening to a rock song. Think of the example in this lesson, It’s a love song. The vocal Melody stands out because it is the central theme or musical idea expressed within the song. Behind the vocal melody, you have the guitar, bass guitar, piano and drums accompanying the vocal melody as it is the main focus.

At the end of this lesson, I would like you to consider just how important melody is for rock;

-Whether it’s a vocal or instrumental melody, Melodies are a series of notes that stand out.-It helps establish a theme or idea expressed in the song-It can also be used to add variety within a piece by differentiating structures.

Minor Pentatonic Scales

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Lesson 4: Power Chords and Dominant ChordsChapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- The difference between Power Chords and Dominant Chords- How to perform with Power and Dominant Chords and why they’re used in Rock Music

We will be brushing up on previous terminology from Year 9 such as “Root, Dominant, Octave etc etc” Be sure to check the glossary so you are aware of some of the metalanguage used.

What’s a Power ChordA Power Chord is a type of Chord that is used and performed most commonly in Rock. It is also commonly but not all the time used on the Guitar. The reason being is that it is easier to play then a triad chord and is sometimes identified as a “Moveable Bar Chord” or “Fifth Chord” due to its flexibility in the way you can move it on the guitar fretboard.

Difference Between Power Chords vs Triad ChordA Triad Chord consists of the Root, Major/Minor 3rd and Dominant

For this exercise you will need a guitar. Let’s play this C Major Chord. You can see we are strumming the notes, C, E, G, where:

Root: CMajor 3rd: EDominant: G

(Hint: Remember:

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Root is ALWAYS the name of the Chord you’re playing, Major 3rd is ALWAYS 4 Semitones away from the RootDominant is ALWAYS 7 Semitones away from the Root

Let’s consider how a C Power Chord is different.

As you can see, the C Power Chord is strumming the notes C, G & C.

Root: CDominant: GOctave: C

The difference between a Triad Chord and Power Chord is that with a Power Chord, you are playing the Root, Dominant and Octave compared to a Triad where you are playing the Major/Minor 3rd.

How are Power Chords Moveable on Guitar and how do you play them?

Power Chords are moveable because when playing them on guitar, you use the same fingers and hand position. The only thing that changes is the Root note and hand placement. Let’s look at the previous example of a C Power Chord:

Do you see how when playing a Power Chord on Guitar, it makes a “L Shape?” That is because when placing your fingers on the fret board, whatever Power Chord and Root Note you are about to play, the Dominant or 5th note and Octave will ALWAYS be the same distance allowing you to make the “L

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Shape”

Dominant/ 5th Note: 2 Frets to the right and a string below whatever Root you are playingOctave: Same Fret but a string below your Dominant/5th Note.

For example, take a look at this table and see how they all take the same “L Shape” except the E & A Power Chord because you are strumming the Open Strings

Check your Understanding: Homework RehearsalsUse the image of the piano to help you count semitones and complete the tasks.Write out notes associated with the Chord and try to play them. The first one has been done for you:

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C Power Chord: C- G- A

F Power Chord:

A Power Chord:

G Major Chord

C Minor Chord

B Minor Chord

Write the Chord Name and Type Associated with these notes:

D-G-D:

C-G-A:

A-C#-E:

A-E-A:

E-G#-B:

D-F-A:

Power Chord Activity: “Match Me”

This game is used to help you memorise Chord Names and Types. It can be played in pairs or small groups of 3-4 students. The object of the game is to score as many points as you can.

1) One player will begin as moderator and will play and yell out a Power Chord name to be played e.g “Play F Power Chord”

2) The opposing players will then have to respond and play that chord on the first go.

3) If the Opposing players get it right, they get one point as well as the moderator. If the Opposing players respond with the wrong chord, the Moderator receives a point while the opposing players receive zero.

4) The moderator role will then switch after each turn to ensure every player/student gets a chance to play, choose and perform a power chord.

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5) Once you begin to master Power Chords, fill free to change it up and practise Major and Minor chords6) The player with the most amount of points in the end wins!

Blues Rock Chord Progressions and Dominant 7th Chords Blues rock uses certain Chord Progressions and Chords that gives it a distinct sound compared to Rock n Roll. Your familiarity in the 12 Bar Blues Chord Progression consist of,

I | I | I | I |IV | IV | I | I |V| IV | I | V | Let’s add a Key to that in A Major

A | A | A |A |D | D | A | A |E | D|A | E |Try and play that with whatever preferred instrument you are comfortable withDominant 7th Chords:Sounds a bit plain right? Let’s try add Dominant 7th chords to ‘change it up’. We do this by flattening and counting semitones.

To create a dominant 7th chord you play the Root Triad Chord and count 3 Semitones from the Dominant, or 10 Semitones from the Root.

Let’s consider A Major Triad for example. It contains the notes A-C#-E.

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To create an “A Dominant 7th Chord” we count 3 Semitones from E OR 10 Semitones from A giving us A-C#-E-G

How to read and write Dominant 7th Chords in a Blues Chord Progression

Simply adding a “7” to the chords and Roman Numerals tells us that we HAVE to play a Dominant 7 th Chord.

A Major Blues Progression:

I7 | I7 |I7 |I7 |IV7| IV7| I7| I7|V7|IV7|I7|V7|

A7 | A7 | A7 |A7 |D7 | D7 | A7 | A7 |E7 | D7 | A7 | E7 |

Homework Practice:

Let’s do the same thing but in the Key of D creating a 12 Bar Blues Progression and using dominant 7th Chords. Fill up the missing gaps.

D7 | D7 | * |* |G7 | * | * | * |

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A7 | * | *| * |

Don’t forget to practice and rehearse experimenting with different Strumming and Syncopated Rhythms.

Power Chords & Dominant 7th Chords

Different Chords can suit different styles of Music. Blues Rock for example with artists like B.B King, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Bands like Cream utilise Dominant 7th Chords in a lot of their progressions to give it a Blues Feel. This usually consists of Rock Ensemble instrumentation, coupled with, triplets and Walking Bass Arpeggio lines during the 1960’s and 80’s at Blues Rock and its peak.

Power Chords for example wold more often be used in Pop Rock and Punk. Bands like Blink 182 and Green Day use them exclusively through their Chord Progressions such as:

I | IV | V | & I | V | IV|

Remember to keep rehearsing previous chapters that use previous content.

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Lesson 5: Performance, The Art of the Rock PerformerChapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- The importance of Stage Presence, why it’s important? - Perform any Rock song as a small ensemble and workshop the ability to perform in front of a small audience.

Lip Sync Battle Rock Classroom game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKSx1x5qo70

The purpose of this activity to be conducted in class to get you guys out of your shell and have some fun while we all move around and get active. We will be having a lip sync battle where like the video, you get to showcase your awesome stage presence and acting skills. Pick whatever song you would like to lip sync to just make sure it’s an awesome rock song. Every student will be pitted against each other with having 1 minute to impress the judges (your fellow classmates)

Rock Performance Ensemble Recording Assessment:

I really hope that game we just played got you guys out of your shell and prepared for the Rock Ensemble Activity we will be conducting.

This task will involve:-Ensembles of 3-4 people-Any rock song under any rock sub-genre (Metal, Punk, Acoustic etc)-A Video Recording to record your entire performance (Think of it a Music Video clip)

Video Recording:

You are to record your performance. You are encouraged to record your performance using ANY Video Camera eg iPhone, Tablet, iPad, Samsung Phone etc etc. You are encouraged to also EDIT the video as if it we’re a music video that will be posted on Youtube. Remember, music videos can tell a

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visual story accompanied by the music you perform or could be a live recording of your band. Your ideas are limitless and endless to how you want to portray your band

Remember:-NO DANGEROUS ACTIVITIES e.g Law Breaking-NO SWEARING-NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY/OTHERS

All school rules apply to making this video. Whatever you wouldn’t do at school, you cannot do for this video.

You will Weeks 5-7 to rehearse. Before the performance however your group will have to fill out a “Mini Report” with questions to be answered before hand. You will also be required to give constructive feedback to others ensembles based on how well they performed and their stage presence through a forum that will be posted on Ed Modo. Remember, this video will be showcased in class and online on ED Modo. This gives you the chance to not only see your fellow classmates perform but also find areas you can continue to rehearse and work on.

MINI REPORT

Name of Group Members and Band:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name of Song:

__________________________________________________________________________________

Rock Genre of Song:

__________________________________________________________________________________

List the performing media:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Key is your song?

__________________________________________________________________________________

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Write out the Chord progression for all the structure sections of the song. E.g “Verse Chord Progression” “Chorus Chord Progression”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List all the Performing media that perform a melody

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Why is Performance important in Rock?

No one likes to just watch a performance. You want to have the ability to sing along, dance and shout. This is where the rebellious attitude comes from Rock Music. No I am not asking you to rebel against school, start a riot and tear the school down but to have fun and enjoy yourself on stage when you perform and enjoy recording yourselves and creating a music video. Learning to perform with confidence on stage can also teach you important life skills by gaining the confidence to step outside your comfort zone. Everyone is nervous when you first perform. Bit by bit however as you rehearse with confidence, it can really help you enjoy how to perform and appreciate how fun Rock Music is as a music topic through the performance and rehearsal skills developed with your friends and ensemble members.

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Lesson 6: Rock Fusion and ExperimentationChapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- The importance of listening and researching other genres of Rock - How experimentation can lead to innovations and fusions of different genres of Rock

Rock is always changing and pushing the boundaries. Early in this book we saw some examples of Early Rock music through artists such as Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley. I would like you to watch this video and tell me what you think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4B_UYYPb-Gk

Is this rock or is this Hip-Hop? Tell me what you think?

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Let’s back track a through history in case you don’t know who these Iconic groups are. Aerosmith were one of the premier Rock ‘n’ Roll groups from the late 80’s. RUN DMC was a hip-hop trio that pioneered early hip-hop to what it is today we’re both bands collaborated and created this awesome song. This song was one of the early first examples of Rock being fused together and experimented on that created something totally brand new and never heard of.

Does it tick all the boxes to be classified as a rock song? Yes it does. If you remember from Chapter 1 what Rock

“Rock Music consists of an ensemble of Guitar, Bass Guitar and Percussion. This ensemble can vary in size and instrumentation such as adding Vocals, Piano and other instruments but any sort of Rock Music consists of a combination of either Acoustic/Electric Guitar, Bass guitar and Percussion. It utilises a combination of a strong rhythmic foundation, created by Percussion and basslines on top of catchy melodies mostly but not all the time, created by guitars and vocals. It is a mixture of Rhythm and melody performed in a dynamic and rebellious attitude.”

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This song does tick all these elements where it was one of the first songs to utilise Rapping in songs. Rock in general however from the 80’s & 90’s experienced an increase of different sub-genres of Rock n Roll that came from early Rock Examples of Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones & Queen.

Sub genres such as;

-Funk Rock: Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Rage Against the Machine -Nu-Metal: Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit -Grunge: Nirvana, Pearl Jam-Glam Rock: Guns N Roses, Bon Jovi-Metal: Slipknot-Punk: Green Day, Fall out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Blink 182, Paramoreand more began finding their place.

A lot of these sub-genres however didn’t just come through experimenting with lyrics but instrumentation and sound. For example, Grunge was considered to have developed from Metal and Punk by combining a Heavier sounding guitar through its distorted tone colour and fast rhythm and tempo.

Nirvana, a grunge band form the early 90’s considered to be pioneers of Grunge by using heavily distorted guitars combined with heavier and faster rhythms and tempos combined with distorted, screamed and raspy lyrics. Below is one of their songs that was one of their biggest hits that brought Grunge Rock into the mainstream pop audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg

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Musicology Homework Activity: Research a Sub-Genre of Rock and create a 2-3 Minute POWTOON Presentation answering this question;

Discuss TWO sub-genres of Rock and Compare and Contrast how they are similar or different. Make Reference to at least ONE artist from each subgenre you select and at least ONE song example. Make sure you use POWTOON and make the 2-3minute presentation as engaging as you can

-Punk-Metal-Nu-Metal-Electronic Rock -Funk Rock-Grunge-Glam Rock-Psychedelic Rock etc etc

Rock is dynamic. It is always important for music to change as experimentation leads to artist innovation. Put it this way, if RUN DMC and Aerosmith never collaborated, do you think Bands such

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as Linkin Park, a Nu-Metal Band that fuses Metal and Rap together would exist? Maybe they would of experimented their sound but would it have been brought to the mainstream pop audience and made available to the public?

There are so many examples of Rock that Blur the lines between its definition. Take the Beastie Boys. They are defined as a hardcore, punk band trio but also pioneers of Hip-Hop. Why? Because they experimented with their sound and arrangement of songs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ5yKJlhbiA Sabotage- Beastie Boys

Hear how the mixture of distorted guitars, fast tempo drums and distorted bass guitar makes it sound like a Rock arrangement. The rapped lyrics and DJ vinyl scratches however are expressive techniques you’d hear in Hip-Hop. Don’t forget the screamed lyrics towards the end like a Rock Song.

The purpose of this chapter in Rock Music is that, sub-genres of music is always changing and evolving with how music is composed and performed. It is always important therefore as musicians that we learn how to distinguish different forms of rock music and sub-genres so we can define and categorise different forms of Rock. It is also important to acknowledge innovation and creation which opens the door to your own creativity and innovation

Lesson 7: The Art of Improvising.Chapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- Applying Chord progressions and Melodies with improvising- How improvising can lead to composing ideas.

So far we’ve learnt about Chord progressions, Melodies in Rock Music, Performing on stage and how to distinguish between sub-genres. Now it’s time to get your creative juices flowing and improvise. Who knows? Maybe you could use some of these ideas for the next chapter….

How to Improvise: Classroom Activity

Improvisation is like experimenting a crash dummy in a car. You don’t know if the dummy is going to break, but it’s awesome to test out a car crash to see if it’s safe. That’s the basis of improvisation. There is no right and wrong. There are no rules except to perform as loose and as fun as you want.Some ideas to help you practice for improvising is rehearsing different scales that can help you. Using Various Major and Minor Pentatonic scales alongside a chosen Key and Chord progression can help you get better. Depending on your instrument, experimenting with different sounds or rhythmic strumming patterns can help you improvise different ideas as well as learning to perform with your classmates.

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Here are some helpful steps once you create your ensemble and get ready to perform.

1) Pick out a Key e.g C Major

2) Write out a Chord Progression: e.g I | I | IV | V C|C| F | G

3) Pick out a time signature; 4/4 or ¾ etc

4) Experiment with lyrics. Have a topic set out e.g “Love”, “School” etc etc.

5) Jam, perform and have fun!

Homework Rehearsals:

Try and annotate this Blues Progression. It is in the Key of G Major and uses the same Roman Numerals Chord Progression outlined in the Blues Progression page.

1) Identify the Chords used

2) After identifying the Chords and knowing what Key we’re playing, try to practise improvising against the backing track.

Helpful Tips: - Experiment through Rhythm, try out different syncopation and strumming methods-Experiment with dynamics and volume control, when playing out a chord progression accent different notes-When rehearsing and playing scales, try and use arpeggios to mix it up- Remember how to use Pentatonic Scales when creating a melody. Major Pentatonic scales can be used when you play over the Major Chords where-as Minor Pentatonic scales played over the Minor Chords

Why is Improvisation important:Imagine you’re a singer/ guitarist, bassist or drummer and you’re watching your favourite band.

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While watching your band, one of the musicians from the band is sick and can’t play and the band asks for a volunteer from the audience to fill in. The signer tells you the Chord Progression and you have to Improvise the rest. Improvisation can help you gain confidence when performing Rock Music on stage as you never know when that type of opportunity arises!

Also improvising is a good opportunity for you to gain ideas with composition. Composition will always be an important aspect of Rock Music which may require improvisation to get your composition ideas flowing.

Lesson 8: The Art of Composing

Chapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- Tips and ideas of how to compose-Utilise previous chapters from this book and putting them into practise of composition- Using software to composing songs.

So previously we have learnt how to improvise. Now we will be looking at ways to use this towards composing a personal composition through Garageband and publishing it online in the forums. For this composition task, you have to compose a rock song. To compose a rock song, we’re going to add all the concepts and chapters we have previously learnt.

Composition TaskYou composition should contain the following

1) A collection of various rock ensemble instruments;- Electric/Acoustic Guitar-Drum Percussion

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-Bass Guitar-Piano-Vocals (You DO NOT have to sing or make vocals, they are optional)-etc etc (Feel free to add relevant instrumentation that YOU think makes your creation a rock song

2) A Chord progression & Chords. When composing and uploading your recording, you are to include a written annotation of your chord progression. It can be written to how it is described on Chapter 2 OR using Western notation. To compose a chord progression, you would have to use Chords. Remember, you can use either Triad or Power Chords. -MUST contain at least ONE Dominant 7th Chord

3) A melodyWhether its lyrics you write or a guitar/piano melody, make sure there is some sort of collection of individual notes played to create a musical idea or Riff.

4) Must be at least 2-3 minutes long.

This audio file can be composed using MIDI located in class by plugging it into the Macbooks and using Garageband. You are also encouraged to use whatever recording programs you are familiar with. Programs such as;-FL Studio (Win)-Musescore (Win & Mac)-Logic (Apple)-Cubase (Win & Mac)- Pro Studio (Win)

REMEMBER, ALL THESE PROGRAMS ARE PAID BUT YOU CAN DOWNLOAD AND PUBLISH YOUR WORK AS THEY ALL CONTAIN FREE 30 DAY TRIALS. PLEASE DO NOT FORCE YOUR PARENTS TO BUY THE PROGRAM (unless they want to for you) as you have access to free programs like Musescore and Garageband to compose.

Some tips to get your creative juices flowing.- Improvisation either by yourself or with a friend can help you come up with spontaneous ideas. Just don’t forget to write them down so you don’t forget!

-You don’t need to add lyrics if you don’t want to, maybe you have a vocal melody in your head. Maybe you can compose that very same riff/melody on another instrument

-Make sure you mix properly, if you’re recording from a mic, check your mic levels so that it doesn’t sound too distorted.

-Mastering the volume levels and panning can help you have create different soundscapes. Dynamics with instrument levels can also create variety within a song with different instruments and sections in your song.

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-Most Importantly, LOVE what you compose.

Lesson 9: Australian Rock Chapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- Australian Rock Artists and bands-How they fit into the popular music spectrum in Australia and the World

Where do we begin when it comes to Australian Rock? We have a rich history of Australia producing some awesome Rock Artists and bands. Off the top of your head can you name as many as you can?(NO CHEATING ON THE NEXT PAGE)

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Off the top of my head just some examples;

-AC/DC (Acadaca) - Jimmy Barnes

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- Shannon Noles (Knowllsey aka The man who SHOULD have won Australian Idol 2003)- Jet-Silverchair -Tonight Alive-The Veronicas -Midnight Oil-Birds of Tokyo-Tame Impala-5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS)- Thirsty Merc-John Butler Trio-The Living End-Reece Mastin

The list is endless.

What is something they all have in common? Well they are all Australian. One thing they have in common is that they all produce rock songs in various ways. What I mean by that is that they all perform and compose rock songs in different sub-genres.

Homework Task:Upload onto Ed Modo under the Chapter 9 : “Australian Rock Homework task”

1) Select TWO Australian Artists and Bands from DIFFERENT genres of Rock. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) Pick ONE song from each artist/band and write a Mini report, similar to the Chapter 5 Task answering the following questions;

Name of Song:_________________________________________________________________________________

Rock Genre of Song:__________________________________________________________________________________

List the performing media:__________________________________________________________________________________

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What Key is your song?_________________________________________________________________________________

Write out the Chord progression for all the structure sections of the song. E.g “Verse Chord Progression” “Chorus Chord Progression” ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List all the Performing media that perform a melody______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Q3) From you answers in Q2), are there any differences or contrasts between the two reports/songs that can show why they’re from two DIFFERENT genres of Rock?e.g are they Key signatures different? Performing media? Etc etc _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Australian Rock and where we’re heading:

We have a history of producing international Talent. AC/DC for starters are an Australian classic Rock band that have sold millions of albums across the globe as well as selling out stadiums internationally. Though some of these bands such as Silverchair and Jet no longer make music and have broken up, hits from the past such as “Are You gonna be my girl?” has hit its place upon the international charts upon its first release.

Where the future is heading is impossible to predict. Band such as Tame Impala and Birds of Tokyo continue to innovate in the Alternative Rock genre and Psychedelic Rock industry while 5SOS dominate the Punk pop charts following the release of their debut album (Blah Blah Blah Blah)

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Lesson 10: Australian Rock Composition Performance:Chapter Learning Goals:In this chapter, we will learn about;

- Performing Australian Rock Music -Utilise everything we’ve learnt and put it into performance practice.

For the final two weeks, we will be workshopping ensemble works of performing Australian Rock. This will be done similarly to Chapter 5 with a difference. Remember our individual compositions? As a group (3-5 Members) you are to select one of your members’ compositions and perform in front of the class. This still classifies as Australian Rock seeing that you are all Australian Musicians in your own right and composed your own individual songs.

You are open to use whatever instruments and arrange songs as a band where are necessary. For example, maybe your group likes two original compositions and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to medley two songs into one creating an awesome mash up?

Why this final Performance?

-For starters, ensemble work is essential in Rock. If you’re a Rock Artist like the great Shannon Noll, you best be sure you have a great band to back you up and accompany you.

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-If you’re a band, the social relationships you develop on stage and off stage can help your musical development. Think of how you’ll be working as a group, selecting a composition, arranging parts and rehearsing. Teaching each other as well as collaborating is an essential skill not just in the classroom but outside.

Final Report:The final Report and constructive feedback for ALL bands will once again be uploaded on Ed Modo. Be sure you submit the feed-back individually and the Band report as a Group with all your group member names.

Name of Group Members and Band:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Name of Song:

__________________________________________________________________________________

Rock Genre of Song:

__________________________________________________________________________________

List the performing media:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What Key is your song?

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__________________________________________________________________________________

Write out the Chord progression for all the structure sections of the song. E.g “Verse Chord Progression” “Chorus Chord Progression”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

List all the Performing media that perform a melody

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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