Soul Music Stylistic Fingerprints

The stylistic fingerprints of soul music is a short list of features that can be commonly found in soul music. You should refer to this list when answering the Section B stylistic question of the AS music technology listening and analysing exam (Unit 2).

Instrumentation:

• Vocals and backing vocals (male and female)
• Electric Guitar
• Piano / Electric Piano
• Electric Organ / Keyboards
• Bass
• Percussion
• Drum Kit
• Horn Section (Trumpet, Saxophones, and Trombone)
• String Section

Performance and Arrangement:

• Large ensembles with a lot of the instrumentation being doubled up
• Emotional vocal delivery. This ranged from forceful and high energy to sad, reflective and passionate
• Driving rhythm with drums and percussion giving a steady backbeat on beats 2 and 4
• Rhythmic, riff-based bass lines
• Rhythmic chordal parts on piano and guitar
• Typically brisk tempo around 120 bpm or faster, dance music
• some slower tempo ballads
• Strong use of vocal and instrumental hooks
• Use of call and response
• Short songs with simple structures e.g verse/chorus form, sometimes with a bridge and instrumental sections
• Melodies often using a pentatonic scale with additional blues notes.

Technology and Production:

• Early adoption of multi-track tape machines, 4-track then 8-track
• Live recording of a complete band in a single room with acoustic screens to provide separation
• Use of DI guitars and basses
• Close mic recording of drums
• vocal overdubbing
• Use of echo chambers
• Plate reverb such as EMT 140
• Use of classic compressors such as Teletronix LA2A, this was mixed fairly gently
• High-quality recordings with clear vocals
• Stereo mixes with extreme panning this is unconventional by today’s standards e.g all drums and bass on the left all vocals and other instruments on the right
• Use of electric instruments

Influences:

• R&B
• Gospel
• Jazz
• Rock

Sources and resources:

Soul wiki – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_music

Soul Music – http://www.soulmusic.com/index.asp?s=1&T=38&ART=&A=