Joseph asks…
Help with GCSE music?
I wrote a song and my teacher thinks it’s good but needs more variety because it repeats a lot, it’s a pop song, the structure is like Call me maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen, I did this because it was number 1 and it is very popular and catchy and I wanted my song to be catchy too and it worked but for a better mark I need to add more, I try adding a rap but it didn’t go well with the song because it’s not that fast, I also need ideas for singing techniques such as vibrato etc just to make it better. If anybody has any examples of songs with good arrangements etc please post (I already have a tune, lyrics, chords etc) and what chords are good for pop songs and especially GCSE songs?
ConnieManuel answers:
The best chords for pop songs are
G-D-Em-C
C-G-Am-F
D-A-Bm-G
Eb-Bb-Cm-Ab
Just play any of these over and you have yourself a popsong
Helen asks…
New weird pop music trends?
I don’t listen to it much but today my little brother was watching much music.. i saw a kesha video about shooting unicorns with rainbows, a katy perry video about having sex with aliens… WHY?
ConnieManuel answers:
I think they do weird things to distract people from the fact that the song structures, chord progressions, melodic trends, and overall sound (you know, the actual music parts) are pretty much all recycled. If you listen closely and pay attention, you can tell that there is nothing new going on, merely new ways of presenting the music. Modern pop music is like taco bell; most of it (not all, but most) is the same old stuff, they just rearrange it and present it differently to give it the illusion of being new.
James asks…
Can anybody explain to me all the different major music genres?
And a song to describe each genre. Thx in advance!
ConnieManuel answers:
1.POPULAR MUSIC (AKA Pop)- Pop music is a music genre that features a noticeable rhythmic element, melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and a conventional structure.
Different Kinds of POP.
The term “pop music” was first used in 1926 in the sense of “having popular appeal” (see popular music), but since the 1950s it has been used in the sense of a musical genre, originally characterized as a lighter alternative to rock and roll
The Dance Pop:Dance-pop is a style of electronic dance music and a subgenre of pop music that evolved from disco, circa 1981, that combines dance beats with a pop/R&B song structure. Because there is such an emphasis on fully-formed songs in dance-pop, it is often viewed as a separate classification unto itself apart from pure dance music. Dance-pop is also closely related to the teen pop and Eurodance movements in the mid- 80s and late 1990s, the rise of boy bands and girl groups, and the reintroduction of the vocoder and similar such innovations.
Contemporary Pop:Adult contemporary music (frequently abbreviated AC) refers to a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1960s, vocal-based music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence”.AC radio plays mainstream music excluding hip hop, hard rock, some teen pop music and rhythmic dance tracks (though during the 2000s, these have been included), which is intended for a more adult audience. Radio stations playing this format will often target 25-54 year-olds, the group most valued by advertisers. AC is generally divided into 4 groups: “hot AC,” “soft AC” (also known as “lite”), “urban AC,” and “religious AC.” Some radio stations play only hot AC; some play only soft AC; and some play both. Thus it is not usually considered a specific genre of music, since it is merely an assembly of selected tracks of musicians of many different genres.
Pop Rock:Pop rock is a mix of pop music and rock music that uses catchy pop style, with light lyrics over top of guitar-based songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from it being classed as an “upbeat variety of rock music” to a subgenre of pop music. Scholars have noted that pop and rock are usually depicted as opposites; the detractors of pop often deride it as a slick, commercial product along with advocates of rock who claim that rock music is a more authentic, sincere form of music.
2.BLUES- Blues is a music genre based on the use of the blues chord progressions and the blue notes. Though several blues forms exist, the 12-bar blues chord progressions are the most frequently encountered. Blue notes are sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale for expressive purposes. Blues emerged at the end of the 19th century as an accessible form of self-expression in African-American communities of the United States from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads.The use of blue notes and the prominence of call-and-response patterns in the music and lyrics are indicative of African influences. The blues influenced later American and Western popular music, as the blues form became a basic pattern of jazz, rhythm and blues, bluegrass and rock and roll. In the 1960s and 1970s, blues evolved into a hybrid form called blues rock. In the 1990s, punk blues appeared as an outgrowth of the blues rock and punk movements.
3.ROCK- Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950′s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences. In addition, rock music drew on a number of other musical influences, including folk music, jazz, and classical music.
4.HIP HOP (AKA Rap)- Hip hop music is a music genre typically consisting of a rhythmic vocal style called rap which is accompanied with backing beats. Hip hop music is part of hip hop culture, which began in the Bronx, in New York City in the 1970s, predominantly among African Americans and Latino Americans.The term rap music is often used synonymously with hip hop music.
5.JAZZ- Jazz is a primarily American musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions. The style’s West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and the swung note.
6.RAGGAE- Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s.While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by regular beats on the off-beat, known as the skank. Reggae is normally slower than ska, and usually has accents on the first and third beat in each bar.
Betty asks…
Metal music Fans??
What are the differnt types of metal i listen to a varity and when people ask i want to be specific but not list all my fav artsist! so like what are the meanings of the types of metal music?????????
ConnieManuel answers:
There is actually a long list of different types of metal, I will try to list them all with a brief description. I also recomemd going to these websites.
Www.blabbermouth.net
www.revolvermag.com
Standard Heavy Metal – Hard edge music. Fast, harder version of Blues Rock. Breaking from blanket 4/4 drumming and using fast, flowing sets of Riffs rather than chords. The solos are faster, more technical, moving away from the slowly, emotional (technically emotional) solos of some Rock. The bass lines are thicker and more complex than those in Rock as well, making them a more integral part of the music.(Iron Maiden, Dio, Children of Bodem)
Black Metal – Is very primitive with very complex guitar and drums. The vocals are usually screamed. Lyrics are based usually on death, dark themes and the occult. (Venom, Cradle of Filth)
Death Metal – hard, fast driving rhythms of speed metal with the dark, morbid obsession with death and despair. (In Flames, Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death)
NU Metal – NU stands for New Urban. Nu Metal has NOTHING to do with Real Metal at all. It is a form of Alt. Rock, which takes simple ideas form other genres and cross breads them. Be it Hip Hop, Rap, Hardcore, Industrial or straight up Pop. It’s music. Nu Metal often features low technicality, simplistic song patterns, all purpose drumming, no solos, drop d tuning and one finger power chords. These things mean that the basic structures are not those of Metal and the very roots of the music are different. Bands like, Korn, Linkin Park, etc.
Thrash Metal
A faster, harder, more complex version of Heavy Metal. Taking influences from Punk. Even faster riffs and solos. The bass is generally simple but fast and agrees. Vocals are ALWAYS clean, but can be intense. The drumming uses large amounts of double bass rolls and fast snare blasting. Pretty much any ‘extreme’ band with clean vocals. Examples – Slayer, Testament, Exodus.
Melodic Death Metal
While all types of Metal can have Melodic forms, this one has grown into it’s own subgenre. Combing Death Metal with Power Metal, Melo Death is full of guitar harmonies and pounding drumming. Somewhere between Death and Power Metal in terms of technical skill, it’s sound is very distinctive due to the Gothenburg scene. Vocals are still growled, but higher and clearer than in Death Metal. Examples – At The Gates, Dark Tranquillity, Arch Enemy.
Gore Metal
Having it’s routes in Goregrind, Gore Metal crosses it with Melo Death Metal and produces what is just a straight up breed of the two sounds. The vocals are clearer and less distorted, but still growled. There is less distortion and more melody to the guitaring and more rhythm to the drumming. Examples– Carcass, Impaled, Carrion.
Power Metal
With it’s roots in Classic Metal and lots of influence from Iron Maiden, Power Metal is all about guitar harmonies and melodies. The drumming often gallops due to the pattern used. The solos are large and fancy, showing off the top of melodic skill. The vocals are usually high and soaring, similar to those of Glam Rock, Prog Rock and even Opera (as many Power Metal vocalists are classical trained singers) Examples – Blind Guardian, Helloween, Stratovarius
Progressive Metal
Taking the ideas of 70’s and 80’s Prog Rock and placing them in the setting of Heavy Metal. Full of highly complex instrumental sections, tempo and timing changes in every sort and style along with massively extravagant solos on any and all instruments. The vocals are high and soaring, much like those of Power Metal. Prog Metal occurs in all Metal sub genres as well as it’s pure form, showing it’s wide of influences and styles. Examples – Dream Theater, Queensrÿche, Andromeda
Industrial Metal
Metal (Almost always Thrash) crossed with Industrial. Lots of synth and electronic noises/effects and distortions, reverb soaked guitaring and a mix of growling and screaming vocals. Generally trying to take the machine sound of Industrial and play it with instruments. Examples – Meshuggah, Fear Factory, Stabbing Westward.
Doom Metal
Heavily influenced by early Black Sabbath, Doom takes someone from Death Metal in it’s sound and style. Vocals are slow and pained, any growls are long and low, rather than raged as in Death Metal. The riffs and drumming are slow and droning, to create a sad, depressing atmosphere as Black Metal tries to create a haunting, evil one. Examples – Electric Wizard, My Dying Bridge, Katatonia.
Gothic Metal
Simply Goth Rock played using Metal structures and styles. Often more clearly defined as to what is Goth Metal than with Goth Rock. Most bands tend to be from other genres, but with a Gothic edge and sound to them. Examples – Lacuna Coil, Type O Negative, Tristania
Folk Metal
What Goth Metal is to Goth Rock, Folk Metal is to Folk. Generally used by National Socialist bands as an off shoot from the Black Metal scene. Folk generally harps back to traditional Pagan music and styles to create it’s sound. Can be acoustic and keyboard laden but can be more brutal. Examples – Skyforger, Morgenstern, Viikate
Viking Metal
A particular bread of Folk Black Metal. Dealing with the history of the Vikings, the music is very fast and abrasive with galloping blast beats and shredding, distorted guitars. Like Melodic Death Metal, it’s a “style” that has grown into it’s own genre with it’s own sound. Examples – Enslaved, Bloodaxe, Moonsorrow.
I hope this helps.
Ruth asks…
songwriting in alternative/rock/pop music?
how much lines should be in a verse to pre chorus.
also do you have tips on songwriting and how to write/make a chorus catcher?
Thanks everyone in advanced! :)
ConnieManuel answers:
Well really there is no rigid structure regarding “how many lines” of song should be in each section. Whatever sounds best to you.
With song writing, once again, whatever sounds best to you. But if this means your just going to recycle some overused catchy pop riff and put some chord changes in, please, for the love of the music world, keep it to yourself. The idea is to create something unique to you. It might help to say, instead of pigeon holing yourself into a specific genre (eg. Grunge, psychedelic etc) just play your instruments and see what sounds you can come up with. Experiment with alternate tunings and different time signatures. Try anything, as long as its an experiment.
If your just looking for popularity though by all means, go ahead, throw down four chords and a cute riff. I’ll be disappointed…
Concerning lyrics, there are so many styles that pass as good (sentimental, angry, lo-fi, nonsensical) that really it doesnt matter. Just write whatever.
John asks…
why don’t people appreciate pop music?
they think it’s crap and has no meaning, when really some of those songs have gotten me through a bad day and i’m not talking about disney pop music!
ConnieManuel answers:
I personally find it to be a little boring, repetitive, and uninspired, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has to see it that way. I’m sure many fans of pop music would find quite a bit of what I listen to to have exactly the same problems. I guess it just depends on what you listen for in your music. I prefer less common structures and chord progressions, with more complex rhythms an melodies. That’s what keeps my attention better.
Of course there are some things that just have such emotional power to them that I listen to them despite other lackings.
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