Minstrel Show

Anglo American Folk Song (contributed forms, some instruments such as fiddles, the idea of dancing while singing is going on)

Old Joe Clark by Ben Jarrell

Melody: fairly simple, medium range, repeats, repetition, medium length, mostly steps and a few leaps, rhythmic delivery

Harmony: consonant, no progression

Rhythm: 4 beat pattern, polyrhythmic, regular repeated patterns, fast dance tempo, some syncopation

Texture: melody with accompaniment

Dynamics: acoustic, not amplified, loud

Instrumentation: banjo, fiddle, vocals

Style: formal, untrained

Form: verse chorus

Minstrel Song

DE Boatmen’s Dance by Dan Emmet

Melody: repeats, repetition, mostly steps and few leaps, medium range, fairly simple, medium length

Harmony: mostly consonant, no progression

Rhythm: 4 beat pattern, some regular repeated patterns, fast dance tempo, syncopation, polyrhythmic

Texture: melody with accompaniment

Dynamics: acoustic, not amplified, loud with some variation

Instrumentation: fiddle, banjo, tambourine, bones, solo and chorus male vocals

Style: formal, trained and untrained

Form: verse chorus

Waltz Song

Take Me Out to the Ballgame by Albert Von Tilzaer

Melody:

1) Verse melody has lots or repetition, repeats, mostly steps, small range, rhythmic melody and a little lyrical

2) Chorus melody is more complex than the verse because it has a bigger range, more leaps, repetition, repeats, more rhythmic

Harmony: consonant, progression

Rhythm: 3 beat pattern, regular repeated patterns, fast dance tempo, no syncopation, homorhythmic with a little polyrhythmic

Texture: melody with accompaniment, a few competing melodies in the chorus

Dynamics: acoustic, not amplified

Instrumentation: concert band, male vocals

Style: formal, trained

Form: verse chorus

Ragtime

Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin

Melody: complex, mostly leaps, a few leaps, repetition, sections repeat, big range, rhythmic

Harmony: mostly consonant, a few dissonance, progression

Rhythm: 4 beat pattern, polyrhythmic, lots of repeated patterns, fast dance tempo, lots of syncopation

Texture: melody with accompaniment

Dynamics: acoustic, not amplified, loud

Instrumentation: piano

Style: formal, trained

Form: AABBACCDD

Country/Delta Blues

Hellbound on My Trail by Robert Johnson

Melody: medium or small range, some steps, scoops and slides, mostly lyrical, some speechlike, complex melody that’s mostly improvised

Harmony: mostly consonant, some dissonance, some progression

Rhythm: slow tempo and not danceable, melody is around the beat, repeated patterns, polyrhythmic, syncopation, mostly 4 beat pattern

Texture: melody with accompaniment, call and response

Dynamics: acoustic, probably not amplified

Instrumentation: guitar, male vocals

Style: untrained, informal

Form: modified 12 bar blues

12 Bar/Commercial Blues

Empty Bed Blues by Bessie Smith

Melody: medium or small range, some steps, scoops and slides, some speechlike, some lyrical, complex melody that’s mostly improvised

Harmony: some dissonance, some progression, mostly consonant

Rhythm: slow tempo and not danceable, melody is around the beat, repeated patterns, polyrhythmic, syncopation, 4 beat pattern

Texture: melody with accompaniment, some competing melodies, call and response

Dynamics: acoustic, probably amplified, loud

Instrumentation: trombone, piano, female vocals

Style: trained and untrained, informal

Form: 12 bar blues

European Art Music (contributed forms, instruments, beautiful complex melodies, complex harmonic structures)

African American (contributed complex syncopated rhythms, instruments, improvisation, singing style, call and response)

*How did musicians make a living? Sheet music

*Waltz songs are always in 3 beat patterns; usually no syncopation because of the beat pattern.

*Some of the things that makes the blues would be skips and slides and being off beat

*Speakeasies were places in the 1920s where alcohol would be sold illegally.

*Ragtime shared piano and rondo with Europe and syncopation and polyrhytmic patterns with Africa.