Curriculum for Curriculum for ExcellenceExcellenceNational 4National 4

Popular Music StylesPopular Music Styles

N4 Popular Music Styles Concepts

ABA

Chord progressions

Ragtime

Reggae

Swing

Ternary

Verse and chorus

Change of key

Middle eight

Rapping

Scat singing

Syncopation

Vamp

ABA - Three-part form – Music in three sections: section A, then B, then back to A.

Ternary - A B A – 3 part form: an A section followed by a B section, which is a different melody, than a return to the A section.'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' is an example of a melody composed in ternary form.

N4 Popular Music Styles

N4 Popular Music Styles

Verse and chorus - A structure/form popular in many songs. The music of the verse is repeated, often with different words, and (between verses) the chorus is normally repeated, featuring different music to the verse.

N4 Popular Music Styles

Middle eight - In popular music, a section which provides a contrast to the opening section. It is often eight bars long.

Change of key - A move from one key to another.

Westlife - ‘You Raise Me Up’

N4 Popular Music Styles

Chord progressions (for National 4) - A series of related chords built on the first, fourth and fifth notes of a major or minor scale.

N4 Popular Music Styles

Ragtime - A style of dance music which became popular at the end of the 19th century and which helped to influence jazz.It features a strongly syncopated melody (meaning the notes don’t always fall on the beat) against a steady, simple accompaniment played as a vamp, often played on piano, eg Scott Joplin rags.

YouTube: Brian Holland and Sue Keller ragtime piano duet– See a ragtime piano duet here.

YouTube: Tuxford Academy - Year 9, Term 2 - Ragtime– This video summarises key elements of the music whilst playing

a ragtime excerpt in the background.

N4 Popular Music Styles

Syncopation - Strongly accented notes playing off or against the beat. Syncopation occurs in all kinds of music.

In the first example, the notes are played at the same time as each beat.

In the second example, most of the notes fall in between

the beats, and this creates syncopation.

N4 Popular Music Styles

Vamp - A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note played on the beat and a chord off the beat. Usually played on piano or guitar.

N4 Popular Music Styles

Reggae - Reggae music was developed in the late 1960s in Jamaica. It has quite a distinctive sound and has the characteristic of strong accents on the 2nd and 4th beats of the bar.

Bob Marley (illustrated) has had many reggae hits in the pop charts.

YouTube: Tuxford Academy - Reggae

This video summarises key

elements of the music whilst

playing a medley of

reggae excerpts in the background.

N4 Popular Music Styles

Swing - A jazz style which started in the 1930s and was performed by a big band. The numbers and types of instruments in the big bands increased during this period, through the influence of swing.

Glenn Miller was one of the leading figures in swing music.

Glenn Miller ‘In the Mood’

N4 Popular Music Styles

Scat singing - Nonsense words, syllables and sounds are improvised (made up) by the singer. Sometimes the singer is imitating the sounds of instruments. Used mainly in jazz singing.

See a variety of scat singers here

Scat singing - various female vocalists

N4 Popular Music Styles

Rapping - Rhyming lyrics that are spoken and

performed in time to a beat. Rapping is popular

in hip-hop music

See some rapping in this video - Zipparah, Mr

Zip: 'Where's me keys, where me phone?'

N4 Popular Music Styles