Know the characteristics of each of the three musical styles that fed into the emergence of Rock & Roll; i.e., melody, harmony, rhythm, instrumentation, form, lyrics, & vocal style.
Know the "Elements of Music" and the "Musical Structures" as discussed in class.
What was the primary musical style listened to by most of white middle-class U.S. in the early 1950s? Be able to associate performers with this early style of music.
Name two subcultures that were noticeably distinct from the white middle-class society mentioned above. What musical style (or styles) was associated with each of these subcultures?
What was the center of popular-music publishing in New York City from the late 1800s to the late 1950s? Describe the creators and performers of the style of music that came out of this venue.
Describe specifically the following musical characteristics of Pop Music: lyrical content, rhythm, melody, instrumentation, and tempo.
What were the five major recording companies ("The Big Five") of the early 1950s Pop market?
What were the advantages that the "Majors" had over the "Indies?"
What was the primary audience for Pop Music in the 50s? Why?
Be able to identify the correct definition of the following musical terms (many you will find in this chapter, but others you will be introduced to in reading assignments and online resources over the coming weeks) :
beat
rhythm
tempo
melody
range
conjunct
disjunct
harmony
chord
triad
timbre
texture
dynamics
form
meter
beat subdivision
downbeat
backbeat
upbeat
offbeat
triplet
swing rhythm
What are the 3 questions you must ask yourself when attempting to determine the difference between monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic textures?
What are the three most likely possibilities at any juncture in the musical form?
What radio show (beginning as "WSM Barndance" in 1927) proved to be important to the rise in popularity of C&W during the early 1950s?
What were the main similarity & difference between the audience for C&W and the Pop market?
Describe specifically the following musical characteristics of C&W Music: lyrical content, rhythm, melody, instrumentation, and tempo.
What was the most important of the three styles leading to the emergence of Rock & Roll?
Name three leading centers for R&B recording just prior to the emergence of Rock & Roll.
Know the four "indies" mentioned in your text that were formed in the 40s and went on to have considerable impact on R&B music in the 1950s.
Upon what common musical form were most R&B tunes based?
What is "skiffle" music? What was the name of the skiffle band boasting a young John Lennon and Paul McCartney?
Who was the first bass player with the Beatles? Who was the first drummer for the Beatles, hired in 1960 for their 2-month booking in Hamburg?
Who were the "fifth" (producer) and "sixth" (manager) Beatles?
When it was agreed that Pete Best was not fitting in personally or musically with the Beatles, who filled the drumming position in August 1962?
What was the Beatles second release, climbing to the #1 spot on the British charts in March of 1963?
What was the first Beatles song to reach the #1 spot on the American charts early in 1964, signaling the true beginning of a British Invasion?
What was significant about the Top 5 hits for the week of April 4, 1964?
In 1965, what song initiated the beginning of the Beatles' period of experimentation, eventually becoming their most covered song?
What recordings (albums and 2-sided singles) did the Beatles release during their period of experimentation?
What Beatles album (released in the summer of 1967) is still considered by many as the classic rock album?
What is a "concept album?"
Which one of the Beatles was believed by many fans to have died in automobile accident in 1966 and replaced by an impostor, when the Beatles stopped touring? What were some of the numerous "clues" that confirmed their suspicion?
The Beatles began a musical revolution within rock & roll that left no parameter of music untouched, redefining what rock could be. (True/False)
What are the names of the four long-term members of the Beatles (1962-1969)?
What earlier rock and roll group was the inspiration for the name of the band (the Beatles)?
How did the lyrics of their songs evolve over the course of their career?
Who was the final band member to join, solidifying the personnel of a quartet that would revolutionize rock music?
What earlier rock performers served as primary musical influences on the Beatles?
What were some of the ways the Beatles expanded the sound of rock music?
What was the position of the Beatles regarding racial segregation when they toured the U.S. in 1964?
What song did Michael Hill bring to John Lennon, claiming it was "better than Elvis"? By what artist was that song recorded?
What two primary early rock artists served as musical heroes to both John Lennon and Paul McCartney?
What was one of the Beatles' earliest aspirations?
What was the impact on popular music (including that of the Beatles) when the teen "market" was established?
Be able to identify the 12-bar blues form (watch Dr. L's video on the 12-bar blues and respond to questions embedded in the video; you may also find textbook video 1.3 helpful to develop a fuller understanding).
To what aspects of Chuck Berry's musicianship was John Lennon particularly drawn?
Beyond the similarity of their group's names, what other aspects of their group did they model on Buddy Holly and the Crickets?
What rockabilly duo inspired the Beatles' vocal arrangements?
What five events occurred in the late 1950s that proved "devastating" for early rock history?
What musical style(s) were distributed and promoted by Major record companies vs. small, independent companies ("indies")?
Where were the Beatles traveling outside of the UK between 1960 and 1962?
A handful of early Beatles recordings were made backing a popular singer. What was this performer's name and by what name did the Beatles go on these recordings?
During what period of time did the Beatles begin making regular appearances on the BBC Radio? What was the name of the specific show (aimed at younger listeners)?
Everette & Riley's text states that these BBC live recordings "provide a vivid map of both rock history and the Beatles' embryonic style." What did they mean by this?
Be familiar with the following terms regarding the formal organization of music: verse, chorus, bridge, refrain, and retransition [HINT: textbook Video 1.3 will be helpful to you].
Many have incorrectly assumed that Ringo was simply a drummer who happened to be at the right place at the right time to join the Beatles. What skills and musical approaches did Ringo bring to the band?
How did the studio technology evolve from 1963 to 1968 [HINT: notice the number of tracks used], as the Beatles were actively recording their songs?
How did the Beatles innovate the pop album, starting with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), creating "something greater than the sum of its parts"? [HINT: the authors don't use the common term here, but this is often described as a "concept album"]
Regarding the release of recordings during the early rock era, know the meaning of the following terms: single, A-side, LP, and EP (you should also know the meaning of B-side which you will learn in the coming pages).
What "new effects" did stereophonic capabilities bring to the listening experience?
Though you will NOT need to memorize the specific tracks lists of either, you need to be aware that the LPs released in the U.K. often differed from those released in the U.S.
Describe the "skiffle" style, which attracted the interest of many Liverpool youth by January 1956. This skiffle style served as a "launch pad" for rock and roll, since John Lennon's group The Quarry Men (precursors to the Beatles) started with this style.
What was the "sarcastic" inspiration for the band name of The Quarry Men?
Paul McCartney saw a performance of The Quarry Men on July 6, 1957. When he met with John Lennon afterward, what song did Paul play & sang for his future songwriting partner on a church hall piano?
What were the first two songs recorded by the future Beatles on July 12, 1958?
What was it about Buddy Holly (and Carl Perkins & Chuck Berry before him) that inspired John and Paul?
What is a "shuffle pattern"? (Video 1.2 from the textbook resources might be helpful to you.)
What is a back beat? On which drum is this back beat typically played?
For considering the formal organization of a song or other musical composition, know the meaning of and be able to use in context the following terms: verse, chorus, refrain, bridge, transition, and retransition.
One way your textbook authors attempt to describe musical form is by introducing what they call the "SRDC form." What word does each letter of the acronym stand for? Explain the purpose of each of the sections represented.
Know the meaning of these two musical terms: (a) stop time and (b) melisma.
For what nightclub in the eastern Liverpool suburb of West Derby did the Quarry Men serve as the house band on weekends during the last months of the 1950s?
Transitioning from their skiffle beginnings, the Beatles guitarists had all gone electric (from the acoustic instruments common to skiffle) by what month?
Who served as the first bass player for the Quarry Men? How developed were this performer's musical abilities?
How did the group arrive at the name "the Beatles"? What 1950s rock artist & band served as the initial inspiration for this name?
What highly respected drummer played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes in the Liverpool beat music scene, attracting the attention of members of The Quarry Men?
In August 1960, the Beatles set off for three solid months of performing in what European city? What were the names of the two clubs they played, both owned by Bruno Koschmider?
What artist -- a guitarist & singer friend to the Beatles -- became "the Teacher," tutoring the younger artists on guitar, showing them many new techniques?
What was the title of the first Single (A-Side) that the Beatles released?
Beginning in 1962, what creative producer joined the Beatles recordings efforts? [Hint: He is sometimes called the "Fifth Beatle."]
In the last days of 1960, how had the Beatles changed as an ensemble? How did they manage to shift around instrumental responsibilities?
Upon what influential songwriting did the Beatles rely as inspiration for their own creative efforts in the early months of 1961? Be able to provide three to five examples of the songwriting skills of these influential composers (e.g., hit singles by artists of the era)?
For what performing artist did the Beatles serve as a backing group for their first commercial recordings for Polydor in May of 1961? By what name were they identified? Who played drums on these recordings?
What unique musical change is evident when comparing the familiar folk song version of "My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean)" and the Beatles' (with Tony Sheridan) recording of "My Bonnie"? [Hint: focus on the meter.]
What important individual did the Beatles find to serve as their first manager (formally hired in January 1962), who took them to worldwide fame in about two years?!! What job was he holding at the time he offered to take over management of this rock group?
What inquiry (at his place of business) caused Epstein to search out the Beatles?
What was the outcome of the Beatles' audition for Decca Records? What other record companies declined to sign the Beatles during this round of Epstein's search for a record contract?
Based on his own experience recording comedy acts, what was George Martin's initial rationale for signing the group for a June 1962 recording session? Beyond having a terrific "producer's ear," what other talents did Martin bring to the studio?
How many trips to perform for periods of two to six weeks in Hamburg did the Beatles make in 1962?
During the earliest stages of recording the Lennon & McCartney original material, recordings were made by capturing a live performance as it happened. How did George Martin's method of recording change between these earliest efforts and the recordings he began making in February 1963?
What was George Martin's primary musical concern about the band during these early recordings? [Hint: it was the basis for a personnel change that was about to happen.] How did John and Paul respond to George Martin's concern?
Who was the final member of the Beatles quartet to join the band? What skills and abilities did he bring to the group?
What was unique about the instrumentalists performing on the September 11, 1963 recording session? Which version of the recording served as a track on the album and which was released as a single? After the Beatles expressed their concern, what was the result regarding George Martin?
When discussing musical form (specifically the verse-chorus form), what do E&R mean by "SRDC"?
What is a "tattoo" (in the musical sense intended by E&R)? [This is discussed in Video 1.7 on the textbook companion website.]
When considering the singles the Beatles released early, what decision represented a "huge distinctive marker" for the band? How did their performance activities (and repertoire selected) impact their future songwriting?
What is meant by "aural tradition"?
Regarding the distinct separation of popular music (sometimes known as "vernacular music") and music of the Western classical tradition, what was one of the Beatles' key accomplishments?
According to Lennon and McCartney, what artist served as the inspiration for "Please Please Me"?
After suggesting that the Beatles increase the tempo a bit for "Please Please Me," what was George Martin's assessment after getting the track on tape?