Musc 200 1st Edition Lecture 6 Outline of Last Lecture I The 12 Bar Blues A Call and Response II Three Blues Styles A Rural B Classic City C Boogie Woogie Outline of Current Lecture I Social Context III Musical Roots a Folk i British Isles b Shape notes IV Early Country Music and the Music Industry a Radio b Recording Industry c Movies V Early Country Music Styles a Mountain Style i The Carter Family b Country Style i Jimmie Rogers Current Lecture Social Context Early country came around the 1920s in the South during industrialization o It was a reaction against the large scale changes an urbanization Early country music was quite traditional and looked back at an idealized version of the past Musical Roots Folk music These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute o Most performed and played by rural white southerners o Immediate predecessor to country music o Also popular in the British Isles in the form of ballads Ballads long story songs that were usually historical They were very descriptive and dealt more with facts than emotions Country dancing was also popular in the British Isles Fiddlers 19th century growth of mail order catalogs so people had greater access to instruments guitars in particular o As people in the south bought guitars they would change melodies so they could be accompanied by guitar chords o At this point in time the guitar wasn t playing melody In string bands an instrumental ensemble the fiddler was usually the main melody player and was accompanied by the guitar and banjo Shape note singing often in religious or choral music o Shape notes were a way for people with no musical training to know which note to sing The note heads instead of being the standard circle would be different shapes depending on the note o This died away in the 19th century everywhere except in the south o Choral singing and shape notes were a part of the folk music roots Early Country Music Late 1920s white Southern music had influences of TPA and Blues in it o It also had connections with the older folk roots but had new elements as well Country music and fiddlers were largely ignored by the music industry Radio was crucial for early country music o Before radio styles were localized because folk musicians didn t travel very far o Typically would play at barn dances Before cylinder recordings were of high enough quality to be broadcasted over the radio folk musicians would often perform live for the radio In 1927 WSM radio had a very successful radio barn dance show they changed their name to The Grand Ole Opry o Many radio stations would have barn dance shows so people who didn t want to or couldn t go to an actual barn dance could enjoy the music from their home Mexican radio didn t have all of the restrictions that radio in the U S did American businessmen would set up radio stations in Mexico right on the border and would be able to have huge broadcast areas This helped to unify folk music by weaving together the localized styles into regional styles Recording Industry didn t record any folk music o 1923 Ralph Peer went out looking to sign new artists Radio caused a slump in record sales and he was looking for something new He signed a fiddler John Carson and soon after many record labels began to notice the audience for country music o A new category was created for country music Hill Billy Music o Summer of 1927 Ralph Peer went out again looking for new artists called an A R trip Artist Repertoire in Bristol TN He put an advertisement in the newspaper calling for musicians to come play their songs for him and have a chance at being recorded Some could go all the way to Canada He recorded many new artists but the most famous were The Carter Family and Jimmie Rogers Movies also played a role in the development of country music o Western films were developed in the 1930s and were hugely popular They romanticized the old west The music in these films usually consisted of pop versions of cowboy songs Early Country Music Styles Mountain Style drew on styles of folk music more traditional than the country style of early country music but still had new elements o Instruments usually involved guitars banjo autoharp o Vocals high pitched voice nasal style harmony singing Country Style drew on styles of folk music less traditional than the mountain style o Instruments wider range than the mountain style guitars banjo autoharp steel guitar brass reed o Vocals more individual singing less harmony o Showed more influence from TPA and Blues The Carter Family the Mountain Style o A P Carter fiddle and bass o Sara Carter lead vocals guitar o Maybelle Carter guitar vocals o Recorded over 300 cylinders o Didn t tour much depended on radio appearances and records o Songs had some influence from TPA music in that they had a sort of verse chorus form o Thumb brush style Carter scratch developed by Maybelle Carter Play melody and chords at the same time The melody notes were the highest priority but in between those notes chords would be played Melody notes were typically single low notes Chords were usually played on the higher pitched strings Timeshare between melody and chords o Some songs had a second guitar strumming underneath but this was mostly just to fill out the sound and wasn t an absolutely essential part o Alternating Bass Accompaniment break up the texture of the guitar Play lowest note of the chord then the full chord then the next lowest note in chord then full chord In essence bass chord bass chord o Traditional lyrics and themes gave an image of the idealized rural stable family o Vocals sing in harmony called blending o Involved precise intonation singing the vowels in the same way and singing everything very closely coordinated Dynamics loud and soft Listening Can the Circle Be Unbroken Verse chorus form Thumb brush style of guitar alternating bass accompaniment blend vocals Jimmie Rogers the Country Style of Early Country Music o Gave the image of an easy going working man guy next door o Wide variety of instruments and variety in vocal styles with influences from TPA and African American music o Yodeling sing melodic line leaping from full to falsetto o Full voice lower pitched Falsetto higher pitched usually breathier and not as strong as the full voice Blue Yodels were Jimmie Rogers signature o Yodels with 12 bar blues chord progression Listening Blue Yodel No 11