Question 5
Give any three characteristics of each of the following musical genres:
i. Blues;
ii. Calypso;
iii. Jazz;
iv. Afrobeat;
v. Negro Spiritual.
Observation
- Characteristics of Blues
- It is in both vocal and instrumental forms.
- It grew out of Negro’s work songs.
- It contains rhythmic cries.
- It has three line poetic stanzas.
- It is usually a twelve-bar musical structure.
- It usually has lowered thirds and sevenths.
- It has melancholic and soulful feeling.
- The theme is basically on love.
- It has the instruments of jazz with violin in addition.
- Characteristics of Calypso
- It is normally in time.
- It contains syncopated notes.
- It uses instruments such as acoustic and bass guitar, trumpets, saxophones, electric guitars, drum kit and Latin American percussion.
- It often uses three-beat rhythms: two long beats followed by a short beat.
- It often uses call and responses pattern.
- It uses simple harmonic progression (primary chords: I, IV and V).
- Calypso songs consists of verse and chorus.
- Characteristics of Jazz
- It uses of syncopated rhythms.
- It uses blue notes that is lowered 3rds and 7ths.
- It uses short themes which are expanded through improvisation and extemporization.
- It is essentially an instrumental music.
- It uses chord substitution to create and resolve tensions.
- Characteristics of Afrobeat
- It developed from highlife and American Jazz
- It uses of few and occasionally static chords.
- It involves chants, call and response vocals.
- It is made up of complex, interacting rhythms.
- It involves wide use of instruments: Rhythm and Bass guitars, Drum set, Saxophones, Trumpets, Trombones, Organ/keyboards, Congas.
- The texts are essentially in Pidgin English.
- It was creadted by Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
- Characteristics of Negro Spirituals
- They are mostly religious.
- Composers of Negro Spirituals were African slaves in North America.
- The texts are mostly based on biblical stories.
- The themes of spirituals are mostly on “hope for freedom”.
- They use call and response pattern.
- Their performance is associated with extensive use of hand claps and foot stamping.
- They are mostly based on pentatonic scale.