Understanding Popular Music
David Ventura
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Product Code: RHG 401
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Product Details
- Published: 09/01/12
- ISBN: 9781780382494
- Extent: 160 pages
- Format: Book
- Extras: companion website, teacher notes, playlists
Fire your passion for pop with this story of popular music through a study of the key themes of style, performers and instruments. The book provides a vivid account of the history of pop, rock, soul, electronic and dance forms from 1950 right up to the present day, and is illustrated throughout.
An accessible and invaluable reference resource for students and teachers of GCSE and A level Music, Music Technology and BTEC, it will also appeal to general readers interested in the development of popular music and compositional techniques.
YouTube and Spotify playlists make it easy to access the songs discussed in the book, and original audio is available within the supplmentary material (see Supplementary Content tab to the right) demonstrating some of the key techniques.
"The best overview of popular music styles that I have seen"
Jane Werry - Music Teacher, May 2012
"My B Mus degree in the 1980s was almost completely geared towards classical music. That was very useful, at the time, but increasingly I need to be aware of pop, rock and other modern styles which my piano pupils are familiar with. This book comes with an accompanying web site with extra resources, as well as links to "youtube" and "spotify". Musical examples are in treble clef as well as TAB. Extremely well researched."
Review on www.musicroom.com
The supplementary material consists of original audio, demonstrating some of the key techniques discussed throughout the book. You will also find free teacher notes demonstrating how the book can be used to support GCSE, BTEC and A level Music and Music Technology. Access this by going to My Account and inserting the code printed in the front of the book.
Chapter 1
Page 2 - Piano chords and scales demonstrating ‘blue note’ clashes
Page 2 - Harmonica sounds
Page 5 - Boogie Woogie piano
Chapter 2
Page 23 - Example of reverberation
Page 25 - Some guitar playing styles
Page 26 - Example of square wave
Page 29 - Modes
Page 33 - A Hammond organ
Chapter 3
Page 38 - The minor pentatonic scale
Page 42 - Recording studio techniques: echo, ADT, flange, phase, overdrive, backward tape, panning
Page 46 - Guitar harmonics
Page 47 - Guitar effects: Wah-wah and chorus
Chapter 4
Page 54 - Example of a glissando
Page 58 - Three synth envelopes
Page 58 - Portamento
Page 58 - Low pass filter
Page 58 - Sawtooth
Page 59 - Congas
Page 65 - Counterpoint
Page 67 - Polyrhythms
Page 70 - Functional harmony
Chapter 5
Page 77 - Sequenced patterns
Page 82 - Triggered samples
Page 84 - Power chords
Page 92 - Major pentatonic
Page 92 - Suspensions
Suspensions
