Rock n Roll

Rock n Roll

1. Instrumentation

   • Mostly male vocals
   • Backing vocals
   • Electric guitars
   • Double bass
   • Drums
   • Piano
   • Harmonica
   • Saxophone (and other brass)

2. Performance

   • Fast tempo (140bpm or faster)
   • Energetic delivery with vocals (screaming/ shouting)
   • Mostly has a 12-bar chord structre
   • A lot of use of major keys but blues scale for vocals as well as leads and solos
   • Strong back beat on beats 2 and 4, Often ususes a shuffle rhythm-slightly swung quavers
   • Walking bass line, Four to a bar, often based on ascending and descending patterns of root 3rd-5th-6th-flat 7th-6th-5th-3rd
   • Quite often this line is doubled by electric guitar
   • Second guitar plays rhythmic patterns of chords-use of 6th and 7th extensions of chords
   • Use of 'stop time' where instruments play only on beat then leave space for vocals or instruments
   • Use of flamboyant guitar solos, Call and response-often between vocal and guitar

3. Technology and Production

   • Live recording, direct to tape and mixing is done of the fly
   • Poor quality of instrument capture, Loud guitars and drums
   • Vocals overdubbed later to improve clarity
   • Use of slap-back delay on vocals and guitars
   • Use of echo chambers added to the backing mix
   • The sound of rhe electric guitar is crucial in the music - use of overdriven valve amplifiers hinting at full-blown distorted sound of rock guitar that would soon become popular

4. Artists

   • Chuck Berry
     • Born Charles Edward Anderson Berry in St. Louis, Missouri USA. Guitarist as well as singer and songwriter. Signed to Chess Records. Songs: Johnie B. Goode - 1957 Album: After School Sessions
   • Elvis Presley
     • Born Elvis Aaron Presley in Tupelo, Mississippi, Usa Jan 8th 1935. He was a singer and performer, known as the "King of Rock n Roll". Signed to Sun Records, founded by Sam Phillips who discovered Elvis as he was a White man with a Black man's swagger and such.
   • Buddy Holly
     • Born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas, USA on Sep 7 1936. He was a musician, guitarist and songwriter. Best known for writing Rock n Roll, Rockibilly and Pop music. He was signed to Decca Records. Song: Peggy Sue - 1958