A Creative Approach to Music Fundamentals - Essay Example

Jerry Garcia: Valerie The song presents a platform for the musician to talk about his feelings for a girl, Valerie, whom in this case he does not understand. He lists all the things he could do to ensure that Valerie returns the same feelings. This is a perfect work for analyzing with the six elements of music on how their harmony can perceive a lover pursuing his or her partner. As characterized by any blue song, at the beginning of each line it starts high and ends on a lower to compel the partner into picturing the ordeals gone through. This helps in bringing out the somber melody as suggested when he takes a pocketknife to go and kill the other man. Rhythmically the song is more peaceful as featured by the lengthier duration of sound and also silence thereby commenting on the slow nature. When he sings “Cant play the blues cause of you I drop the beat” the song takes one away because of the perpetuating sound. The song has a homophonic texture as it is characterized by the harmony of chords taking similar rhythm. The simple accompaniment of the melody also suggests the homophonic nature. The thin and strained timbre used also allows the singer to pass his message to the lover. The instruments used provide several tones to create the chord for the song thereby giving harmony tones. This helps in supporting the quality of the music and depicts the blues nature of the song. For the form, there are total of six verses with no refrain. The form of each verse is the same, starting high and ending low, which essentially supports the peaceful rhythm of the song (Duckworth, 46). 2. Jefferson Airplane Somebody to Love The folk rock song talks about the essentiality of love when everything else disappears. it is tailored by the six elements of music to ensure that it is enthralling to the expected audiences. One of the notable elements is melody especially at the refrain “Dont you want somebody to love?” whereby the tones used are far from each other, a suggestion of calm melody. The exciting melody helps in building the rhythm of the song as can be figured by the longer durations of sound as compared to that of silence. This supports the slowness of the song because of the uniformity brought about by the rhythm. For the harmony, the tones drop one at a time leading to creation of counter melody with no definite chord as can be depicted in the refrain. In this case, the counter melody helps in depicting the second voice as can be heard from the song. This also creates the form for the song whereby there is creation of tonal inversion at the refrain verse. The second voice takes the “zig” while the first “zag” to help in creating the family resemblance within the refrain. The refrain, “Dont you want somebody to love? Dont you need somebody to love?” continues for the rest of the verses. In terms of texture, the song is polyphonic characterized by the many voices taking upon the verses. There is a lead singer but in accompaniment of other voices who sing in a similar manner, which must be the band. Besides the steel guitar which can be heard, the timbre of the song is accomplished by other instruments though, with jaunty ragtime piano, saxophone and horns. 3. The doors “light my fire” “Light my fire” is a song meant to strengthen love between two partners, whereby one pleads with another to involve in making the relationship a success. This song was suitable for the assignment since it involves the use of the six elements of music to bring the liveliness of the message. The melody is somber but clear and prevails through the song as the bleak lyrics suggest a man eagerly waiting for her girlfriend “baby” to turn up and light the fire. It starts high at the start of each line and ends lower as seen in many love songs. For the texture, the song has a monophonic texture as it is characterized with a single melody in the absence of harmony of chords (Duckworth, 46). For the rhythm, there are no visible upbeat or backbeat suggesting the uniformity in the length of the sound and silence. As suggested by the line, “And our love become a funeral pyre” the rhythm comes out as peaceful to depict the nature of love. The timbre also suggests the peacefulness nature as the singer stands on the stage with his guitar. For the harmony, the tones drop one at a time leading to creation of counter melody with no definite chord as can be depicted in the refrain. In this case, the counter melody helps in depicting the second voice as can be heard from the song. Form wise, the song is made up of three verses which are repeated as refrain, leading to a total of eight verses. The rhythm accompanied by upbeat and backbeat makes the song more exciting. It contains a lot of sounds but short duration for silence. 4. The Velvet Underground - Im Waiting For The Man The use of six elements is indomitable in this song as the artist waits for his man. The melody is bright and live as depicted by the artist saying “twenty six dollars in my hand, up to Lexington…” the songs starts low at each line and ends higher with the refrain line “I’m waiting for my man”. The higher ending strengthens the importance of the refrain line in the song. Rythmically, the song is exciting as evident by the pervasive sound compared to the silence. In terms of texture, the song is light as a feather making the song to be as much interesting enough to listen to all day. Besides the use steel guitar which can be seen, the buzzy timbre of the song is accomplished by other instruments though, with jaunty ragtime piano, saxophone and horns. The timbre helps in creating harmony from the various tones played simultaneously to create chord (Duckworth, 46). For the form, the song is made up of six verses, with a refrain line at the end. The song ends with a short verse of one line “Im walking home” which helps in stressing the theme of the song. Work cited Duckworth, William. A Creative Approach to Music Fundamentals. Australia: Schirmer Cengage Learning, 2008. Internet resource. Read More