8 Mark Question Response

The document provides keywords for different musical elements of pop music from the 1970s-1980s to help answer an 8 mark question. It lists common instruments of the time like electric guitar and bass, drums, and keyboards. It describes typical textures like melody and accompaniment. It outlines common tempos, rhythms, and time signatures. It also notes common structures like ballads with repeated choruses and rock songs with shouted vocals. Harmonies were often simple and ballads featured romantic storytelling in their lyrics while rock told darker stories.

Uploaded by

Mary Poynton

Available Formats

Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

0% found this document useful (0 votes)

29 views

8 Mark Question Response

Uploaded by

Mary Poynton

Available Formats

Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

You are on page 1/ 7

The 8 Mark Question – AOS5 Conventions of Pop Music 1970's –80's

Know your keywords for each category the question asks you to consider.
Instruments/Timbre/Instrument Tempo/Rhythm/Metre Texture Structure Harmony/Tonality
techniques/Effects
Electric guitar – Distortion, 4/4 time signature Melody and Ballads- Variety of Simple harmonies -
Delay effects, wah-wah Slow metre – Ballads Accompaniment structures: same ballads
techniques, long virtuosic Fast metre – Rock rhythm but different
solos, improvisation on solos Anthems vocals, repeated
Electric Bass – walking, Ballads- simple choruses, sometimes
rolling basslines, rhythms same through-composed.
syncopated, throughout.
Drum Kit – Heavy back
beats, snares accented on
beats 2 and 4
Keyboards
Vocals:
Ballads- told romantic
stories
Rock – Also told stories, but
often shouted, screamed the
lyrics, more darker tones,
serious
Marius
Compare the 2 extracts of Rock Music from the 1970's - 80's, comment on the use of instruments, tempo, rhythm, structure and any other relevant features.
Lottie
Compare the 2 extracts of Rock Music from the 1970's - 80's, comment on the use of instruments, tempo, rhythm, structure and any other relevant features.
Jasmine
Compare the 2 extracts of Rock Music from the 1970's - 80's, comment on the use of instruments, tempo, rhythm, structure and any other relevant features.
Mary
Compare the 2 extracts of Rock Music from the 1970's - 80's, comment on the use of instruments, tempo, rhythm, structure and any other relevant features.

Smoke on the Water uses an electric guitar with a distortion effect on it, as its main accompanying instrument
to the melody. The electric guitar plays a short repetitive ostinato throughout intro of the song. A drum kit joins
the electric guitar a few bars in using a snare to accent the 2nd and 4th beats of the backbeat. The singer half
shouts and sings in areas of the song. The tempo is a 4/4 common time with a fast tempo.
Total Eclipse of the Heart is written more as a ballad in the introduction of the song, however later in the chorus
more common features of rock music is more apparent, with the shouting of the lyrics that is more common in
rock. The piano is the main accompanying instrument, playing a repetitive ostinato of notes that move by leaps
and change in pitch. The tempo is in 4/4 common time the same as Smoke on The Water but has a slow tempo
unlike Smoke on The Water’s fast tempo. Total Eclipse of the heart tells a story with its lyrics unlike Smoke on
The Water, its lyrics are heart rendering and speak of love. Total Eclipse of The Heart has a simple melody
structure and has a simplicity in its use of instruments to draw the main focus to the singer and their
storytelling, compared to Smoke on The Water that has a heavy focus on the instruments of the song, mainly
the guitar riff.
Tyler
Compare the 2 extracts of Rock Music from the 1970's - 80's, comment on the use of instruments, tempo, rhythm, structure and any other relevant features.
Rachel
Compare the 2 extracts of Rock Music from the 1970's - 80's, comment on the use of instruments, tempo, rhythm, structure and any other relevant features.