Music Technology: Stylistic Finger prints of Rock ‘n’ Roll

Rock ‘n’ Roll Stylistic Finger Prints:

• Instrumentation includes – male vocals, backing vocals, electric guitars, double bass, drums, piano, harmonica, saxophone and other brass
• Fast Tempo – 140bpm or faster
• Energetic delivery of vocals (screaming and shouting)
• Often based on 12-bar chord structure
• Predominantly uses major keys but with blues scale for vocals, lead parts and solos
• Strong back beat on beats 2 and 4
• Often uses a shuffle rhythm – slightly swung quavers
• Walking bass line, four to a bar, often based on ascending and descending patterns of root-3rd-5th-6th-flat 7th-6th-5th-3rd
• Quite often this line is doubled by electric guitar
• Second guitar plays rhythmic patterns of chords – use of 6th and 7th extensions of chords
• Use of ‘stop time’ where instruments play only on beat 1 then leave space for vocals or instruments
• Use of flamboyant guitar solos
• Call and response – often between vocal and guitar

Technology and Production:

• Live recording, direct to tape and mixing is done on the fly
• Poor quality of instrument capture
• Loud guitars and drums
• Vocals overdubbed later to improve clarity
• Use of slap-back delay on vocals and guitars
• Use of echo chambers added to the backing mix
• The sound of the electric guitar is crucial in the music – use of overdriven valve amplifiers hinting at full-blown distorted sound of rock guitar that would soon become popular