Excerpt+10

Question: This excerpt consists of electronically generated sounds and voice. Discuss how musical interest is achieved. In your answer, concentrate on rhythm and texture. media type="file" key="10 Track 10 2.m4a" align="center" width="300" height="50"

**﻿Mati: ****I answered this question exam style, 3 listenings. This is a driect copy of what I wrote in my folder (including all the inconsistancies in my original answer): ** **Notes: ** **-Electronic Swells ** **-Drum like sound does rhythmic ostinato, provides pulse ** **-Swells stop-chattering noise ** **-Vocals unclear stick to ta ta ti ti and ta ti ti ta ti ti patterns, follow rhythm of electronics ** **-Polyrhythmic ** **-Backing vocals with lead in rhythmic unison providing harmonies ****-Sudden change right at end swells stop again and driving rhythms take over **  **Answer: ** **Muscial interest is created throug hthe use of repetition and contrast. There are two predominat electronic patterns: A smoother, held harmonic swelling sounding sections vs more rhythmically driving sections which are less common. ****The texture is complex and always consists of a rhythmic sound effect that sounds a little like drums that plays a rhythmic ostinato throughout. ****high, snare like sound: 4/4 rest ta rest ta (ta's are accented) ****lower, bass drum sound: 4/4 za-ti rest ta rest ****The bass sound varies but the snare-like sound plays backbeats from start to finish. ** **<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">There are many scattered and sparodic rhythmic effect in all sorts of timbres. These provide interest in their unpredictability, contrasting with the ostinati present. ** **<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Harmonic interest comes from long, 1 a bar swelling sound effects and the melodic line in the vocals is built on these. The vocals primarily sing the rhythm: |ta ta ta ti ti-|-ti ti-ti ti-ti ti ta| and variants - it is more rhytmic than melodic - the words are difficult to <range type="comment" id="719066">discern. ** **<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">When these swelling sounds do not play there is no pitch nad the interst is entirely rhythmic - these 'driving' sections include more rhythmic effects adding layers and creating polyrhythms. These layer shifts add interest and familiarity when they repeat older layers. ****<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Interest is also created through slight variations in the tone quality of certain effects, like the swells seem to become thin & muted at <range type="comment" id="552203">times. ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Interest is created in this excerpt by the use of contrast between textural layers. Here are each of the different layers: ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Distorted Electronic "swells" create a contrast against the heavy electric drums beat. Creates a very contrasting layer in the texture with its evolving tone giving a <range type="comment" id="443792">wash of sound over the drum beat. ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Electric drums very distorted keep the main beat throughout the piece. Mainly on the beat emphasising beats 1 and 3 but sometimes there is syncopation with notes landing before or after beat 3. This provides a varied but still <range type="comment" id="428109">very much repetitious beat that the audience can home in on. Accented snare like instrument emphasises back beat and is very rhythmic. ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Short arpeggio like passages occasionally heard, ascending, very stacato. Provides little distractions in the sound, acting almost like fills. ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Vocals, indistinguishable lyrics at most times, sounds more like an effect rather than a narrative instrument, emphasis on vowel sounds gives this layer in the texture a very emotional role, giving expression and emotion to the music<range type="comment" id="876868"> respectively. ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-The music is predominately polyrhythmic with many textural layers combining together with different rhythms that fit together. ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Muffled low wind sounds are heard occasionally creating a small distraction in the texture, creates interest in the fact that it sounds very different to the other sounds. ** **<span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"><range type="comment" id="807911">Troy Rogan **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Musical interest is created through many different elements within the piece but most especially through rhythmic and textural interaction between the different percussion lines as well as the vocal line.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">From the start of the piece, sound distortion through electronic manipulation can be heard. Electronic swells provide shape and dynamic interest to each phrase and tone colours are manipulated to create a distinct <range type="comment" id="748499">combination of sound. Although multiple percussion lines are introduced at once, there is still a noticeable build-up. The dominant percussion line is stark/exposed and accented with a strong repetitive rhythm and a very synthetic tone colour. Syncopation is used. Each layer is distinct yet comes together to create a balanced texture. One distinct rhythmic layer added after the opening is the dulled pad strikes. Melodic shape is created through a synthesised extremely repetitive motif. This motif has sustained notes and focuses on melodic and harmonic structure rather than complex rhythms. Multiple rhythmic lines are heard and the texture is well-rounded using heavy and light tone colour percussion. This is a very long rhythmic intro with no chordal accompaniment. A high register male vocal line eventually enters, driving the piece melodically. The odd choice of vocal register creates a distinct nasal tone colour. Faint back-up singing comes in with harmonic accompaniment to vocal line. The unclear articulation of words makes the vocal line more abstract and distorted (similar to tutti). There are two clear vocal sections. 1st section: repeated vocal riff predominantly using 3 notes with slightly articulated words. The repetitive vocal riff adds to the electro-feel of the piece, these short repeated passages seem to be looped. 2nd section: even more unclear articulation of words, legato with improvisational feel created through minimal sliding. 1st vocal idea is then repeated.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Harriet Davies

- A strong pulse is set up with an electronic drum beat. There is a strong 'crash' emphasis on beats 2 + 4, driving the music. The tone colour of the electronic drums is harsh, almost like gunshots in the distance. Electonic swells are used to outline a simple 4 chord progression, in which the chords change every bar. - The swells stop and more electronic sounds are added underneath the main beat, sounding almost like a train chuffing (quavers), coming closer (crescendo) and then moving away(decrescendo). The train noises stop, and the texture is thin and simple with only the main drum beat. This section focuses mainly on the rhythm and tone colour, by having no harmonic of melodic interest, and just percussive and 'sound scape' sort of sounds. - A high, nasal male voice enters with a simple verse like melody using a narrow range. The melody uses simple rhythms such as quavers and crotchets. The electronic swells re-enter to provide harmonic pads for the voice and to thicken the texture.The 2nd time the verse progression repeats a second lower male voice harmonises with the main melody. This slowly builds up the texture. Both voices use legato articulation, and the lyrics are not clearly distinguished. - The melody moves higher in both the voices, using a repeated melodic motif to create a more intense chorus section. The texture is thicker and more dense because of the lower harmonies in the 2nd voice, and the harmonic pads created by the electronic swells. The main melodic motif begins with a long held note, contrasting with the verse which used shorter rhythms. -The swells drop out and it returns to a verse like section with only the main vocalist and the main beat. Although the main beat intensifies with the addition of more quavers, and the texture is much thinner, contrasting to the previous chorus section.

<range type="comment" id="243445">Lena

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">﻿Interest in this excerpt is created mainly through rhythm and texture: <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Rhythm: <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-strong off-beat accents are almost immediately set up by a 'snare' sounding electronic sound <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-other rhythms fit around this (played by an electronic bass and a turn table) and some are quite rhythmically complex, making use of syncopation. This creates a polyrhythmic effect. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-the phrases are 5 bars long and the bass plays a fragmented bass line only in the first 2 bars of these 5 bars for most of the excerpt <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-the bass line consists of only one notes and adds rhythmic interest more than harmonic interest to the excerpt <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-the turn table's rhythmic motifs are also quite fragmented and create a sense of unpredictability along with the uncommon 5 bar phrase length <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-a synthesizer outlines chords in a slower rhythm than the other sounds (semibreve, semibreve, semibreve, breve). It adds most of the harmonic interest to the excerpt until the voice enters

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Texture: <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-at the beginning, the texture is effectively homophonic with the synth playing a sort of 'melody' accompanied by the rest of the electronic sounds (elec. bass, a 'snare' like sound and turn table). The accompaniment is quite complex and polyrhythmic, giving the texture quite a busy feel. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-a bit later, the synth and turn table drop out. The bass repeats the first 2 bars of the bass line over and over without the 3 bars rest previously heard and the 'snare' sound accenting the off-beats continues. Another electronic sound which sounds vaguely like rain is introduced in this section. The sound creeps in, crescendo's and then creeps out again. It has no real rhythm but adds interest through it's tone colour. The texture here is clearer and less complex as two of the sounds are already familiar to the listener and the new sound introduced is not very rhythmically complex. The texture here is polyrhythmic. <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-a male voice then enters, along with the synth and turn table. The texture is again homophonic, similar to the first texture, however the addition of the voice adds a little complexity and richness to the texture.

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Other ways interest is created: <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-the electronic instruments used create an interesting tone colour and the male voice and the synthesizer blend very well together <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">-the male voice sings quite high in register creating a kind of yearning effect which is emphasized by it's melody which makes use of descending <range type="comment" id="421267">minor 2nds

<span style="color: #008080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Emily Sheppard

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Interest in this excerpt is created through changes in rhythm and texture with each layer contrasting with the others in rhythm and the textural role.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Rhythm: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- clear rhythmic pulse is immediately established through the drum kit electronic sound. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- accent on the first beat of every second bar <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- electronic crash symbol on beats 2 and 4 <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- the long sustained notes contrast with the drum kit layer because the interest in the sustained notes is through the harmony not the rhythm. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- shaker enters creating interest and a new layer while the drum kit layer keeps repeating <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- vocal line rhythm is very simple with sustained notes so the drum kit layer is still present and keeps the rhythmic drive <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- Interest is created in the rhythm in the drum kit layer <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- Interest is created in the melody in the vocal line.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Texture: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- first drum kit layer establishes the pulse and provides the first layer of the texture and the main rhythmic interest <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- the opening of the excerpt has a thin texture but the drum kit provides the busiest layer rhythmically <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- the long, sustained notes provide another layer to the texture and provide the basic harmonic outline. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- the electronic sustained notes enter again with the male vocals but this time only provide the bass harmonic role <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- the two vocals sing in rhythmic unison with the underneath vocal harmonizing the main melody adding more depth to the texture <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- the second vocals also adds more interest harmonically <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- interest in texture is created through each layer entering at a different time: for example, <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">- the long sustained notes enter twice with very different roles each time.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;"><range type="comment" id="290503">Justine

<span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Matt <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">I did this one like it will be in the SAC (1 playing, 2 mins silence, 2nd playing and 7 mins silence) so this is the transcription of what I wrote down in that time: <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Notes: <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Drum Beat provides pulse – becomes polyrhythmic w other parts <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Swells – Synthesized – harmonic rhythm moderate <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Swells sit out – shift in texture no pitched <range type="comment" id="901848">component. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Addition of auxiliary perc. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Introduction of voice = new texture – voice is doubled but lower creating thicker texture and <range type="comment" id="306138">harmony <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Uneven nature due to 5 bar phrases <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Changing harmonic rhythm in opening acts almost as the melody until the voice comes in <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Three different textures = three different sections <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; text-indent: -18pt;">· Interspersed additional percussive sounds create interest <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· Immediately a clear, strong rhythmic pulse is outlined through the use of an electronic drum beat.
 * <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Rhythm:

<span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· This percussive focus is further explored with the addition of short interjections of auxiliary percussive sounds, used sparsely to add musical interest. These percussive sounds, when combined with the simple drum beat, create an interesting polyrhythmic effect.

<span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· The piece features a moderate harmonic rhythm outlined by a series of synthesized swells. This harmonic rhythm is the focus of the opening section, acting in more of a melodic role.

<span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· The use of 5 bar phrases throughout the piece creates an uneven rhythmic effect which helps to draw in the listener due to the unnatural feel of these phrases. || <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Texture: <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· The texture of the excerpt comprises of three contrasting sections: A B and C. Each section features a different texture and thus these textures create musical interest for the listener. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· A – The opening. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· A homophonic texture is established through the use of synthesized swells and the electronic drum kit. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· These swells crescendo ultimately creating an uneven texture that rises and falls. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· B – Percussion. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· After the withdrawal of the swells, there is a new, stronger focus on percussion, the composer adding additional computer generated percussive sounds to help alter the texture, as well as create an interesting polyrhythmic effect. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· C – Full texture. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· With the re-addition of the harmony now accompanied by a vocal melodic feature, the texture is much fuller. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· The percussion instruments all continue to play in this section. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· The airy, breathy tone colour of the vocals give an interesting textural contrast to the lower, stronger tone colour of the electronic percussion. <span style="color: #000fff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· The voice is doubled lower creating a harmony as well as filling out the texture. || // Sue's response: // // The drumkit sound is electronically generated – the snare drum sound is quite thin and almost like the sound of a brush hitting a cymbal. The drumkit sound incorporates some ‘popping’ sounds and other lighter electronically generated percussion sounds. The chords on the synthesizer create another electronic tone colour, the overall effect is quite ‘spacy’ and light as the tone colours used are quite thin and cold. The synthesizer chords are quite smooth and contrast with the sharp crisp articulation of the drum sound. Just before the voice enters, the synthesizer drops out and the drum sound builds up to a more complex and intense sound, with popping sounds and a continuous rattling / shaking sound. The repetition of the ostinato with subtle changes and the the contrast between the two layers creates an air of expectation and anticipation that another, more melodic layer will enter. The inability to predict when this will happen creates tension and keeps the listener engaged. Finally the voice enters with a rather cold and disinterested sound, singing a repetitive and winding melody which uses a narrow range of notes and quite a low register. The articulation is quite terse with short repetitive phrases. Later a second voice winds around the first with a countermelody, which is much softer and in the background. All the parts seem to exist quite independently from one another, layers are introduced and removed apparently randomly; contributing to the cold and ‘unplanned’ effect of the music. //