Series Editor: Andrew S. coxon. consultants: Rockschool SERIES SAMPLER

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1 Rock YouR GcSE MuSIc Series Editor: Andrew S. coxon consultants: Rockschool SERIES SAMPLER

2 Rock Your GCSE MUSIC STUDENT S HANDBOOK Contents Introduction Website Contents Project 1: Elvis Presley: Jailhouse Rock Project 2: The Beatles: We Can Work It Out Project 3: Coldplay: Clocks Project 4: Bill Withers: Lean On Me Project 5: Kaiser Chiefs: Ruby Project 6: PAUl McCARTNEY & WINGS: Live And Let Die Project 7: Adele: Rolling In The Deep Project 8: Bob Marley: NO WOMAN, NO CRY Glossary 2

3 Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock Jailhouse Rock is one of the standout songs from the film of the same name starring Elvis Presley. The film was released in late 1957 and the single topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic in January 1958, going on to sell more than three million copies worldwide. This is an excellent song to perform in a GCSE Performance Unit. The guitar, bass, drum and vocal parts are generally straightforward but there is plenty for you to get your teeth into: Guitarists performing in the key of eb will require familiarity with an unusual fretboard position. In addition there is alternate picking to master and a solo to play, and all at 168 beats per minute! Bass players you will face similar positional issues in the key of eb as the guitarists, as well as getting to grips with how to play walking basslines. Drummers your job is to provide a solid backbeat to the song while at the same time demonstrating how to move between the backbeat and swing time feels. Singers you will get the chance to emulate the vocal talent and delivery of one of the acknowledged kings of rock and roll singing, elvis Presley. the part requires accurate pitching ability and absolute confidence in delivery. 3

4 rock YoUr GcSe MUSIc: student s handbook About Elvis Presley By 1958, the rock and roll phenomenon in the USA had been going for more than two years and elvis Presley was its biggest star. elvis Aaron Presley was born on 8 january 1938 in tupelo, Mississippi, where he lived with his family until moving to Memphis, tennessee, when he was 13. the young elvis was a natural performer, coming second in a Mississippi talent competition at the age of ten with a version of the well-known country tear-jerker, old Shep. In August 1953, the 18 year old elvis entered Sun records recording studio to cut a disc, supposedly as a birthday present for his mother. the recording of the Ink Spots tune My Happiness came to the attention of the studio manager, who quickly informed the studio owner, Sam Phillips. Phillips recognised that elvis was a star in the making and nurtured the young man s talent for more than a year before releasing any of his records. He teamed elvis up with two young country musicians, guitarist Scotty Moore and upright bass player Bill Black. Drummer D. j. Fontana was added to the group in the result was startling: here was a white singer who could, on record, sound convincingly like a black performer. By the end of 1955, elvis had come to the attention of circus impresario (and illegal immigrant) colonel tom Parker, who was to become his manager. He remained so for the rest of elvis s life. Parker negotiated elvis s move from Sun records to recording giant rca, leading to a breakthrough year for elvis in In january of that year, he entered the rca studios in Nashville and made what is now considered to be his definitive record: Heartbreak Hotel. It was a startling debut. the song uniquely captured the mood of teenage loneliness and was a smash hit. It topped the American charts for two months elvis had arrived on the national scene with a bang. Between 1956 and 1958 elvis made four films for MGM, starting with the Western Love Me Tender in 1956 and finishing with King Creole in 1958 at which point elvis was drafted into the United States Army. the third of these films was Jailhouse Rock, released in the autumn of

5 Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock Jailhouse Rock: The Film Jailhouse Rock is one of a number of important rock and roll films of the period and features one of the best music scores. The title song was written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The songs feature excellent choreography throughout, especially the title song, which was performed as though it was appearing on a television show, a common device of the time. Elvis plays the part of Vince Everett who discovers a latent talent for performing while in jail, and who is taught the guitar by his cell mate, Hunk Houghton (played by Mikey Shaughnessy). On his release, Vince hooks up with talent scout Peggy (played by Judy Tyler) and they take a number of Vince s songs to a record label which promptly gives them to another performer to sing. Vince and Peggy decide to set up their own company and they achieve great success. This, however, has an adverse effect on Vince who comes to consider himself a cut above his former associates. There is a confrontation between Vince, Peggy and Hunk, who punches Vince in the neck, damaging his vocal chords. The film ends with Vince recovering and reconciled the end titles track is the ballad Young and Beautiful. Jailhouse Rock : The Song Jailhouse Rock is an up-tempo number that is built around the usual rock combo of the time (one electric guitar, bass, drums and the vocal soloist) but also includes additional instrumentation: brass (alluded to in the lyrics, although silent until right at the end) and piano. It is probable that Elvis s usual backing band plus Mike Stoller on keys played all the parts (they all appear in the film at the end). Scotty, Bill and D. J. are the main musicians on the original recording which was lip-synched in the film. 5

6 rock YoUr GcSe MUSIc: student s handbook JAILHOUSE ROCK SONG FORM the song form represented by jailhouse rock is a version of a 12-bar blues. As the name implies, this is where a song is played, often repeatedly, over a cycle of the same 12 bars. Sometimes, the name 12-bar blues is used as a shorthand for any song that uses a similar chord structure as a standard 12-bar format but uses either more or fewer bars (for example, either eight or, more commonly, 16). Have a look at the box for further examples of this type of song form and variants. jailhouse rock is an example of a variant on the 12-bar format and is really a 16-bar blues, split into two sections of eight bars: eight bars of verse followed by eight bars of chorus. It also has a four-bar intro section at the beginning after which elvis begins to sing. At the core of many rock and roll songs, including jailhouse rock, is the chord progression represented by the roman numerals I, IV, V. the numbering system used here shows where the song starts in its home key (known as the tonic chord) before moving first to the IV (known as the sub-dominant) and then to the V (also known as the dominant) before going back to the tonic (I) again. In jailhouse rock the equivalent chords are: eb, Ab and Bb. When represented as upper case roman numerals, it shows that the chords are major chords. If you add a 7th voicing to the IV and the V chords (making them IV7 and V7), this creates musical tension and leads to what is called a turnaround, where you resolve the chord from the V back to the tonic. the beauty of the numbering system used to describe pop songs is that if you are familiar with their use you can transpose a song into any key and know which chords make up the progression. Strophic Form jailhouse rock is also an example of what is called strophic song form. this is where the verse and the chorus are essentially one and the same. Song forms are usually defined by capital letters, in this case a strophic song form is represented as: AAAAA, depending on how many cycles are in the song. In jailhouse rock the song is repeated five times. the first verse-chorus followed by four more versechoruses plus a guitar solo inserted between repetitions three and four. What can be described as the verse in jailhouse rock is essentially all sung by elvis on the I (i.e., the tonic chord) and the chorus is sung over the I, IV and the V chords. to all intents and purposes, the verse of the song is sung by elvis on just one note, Look up the bold words in the glossary at the end of the book if you don t know what they mean! this is all musical language you need to know for your GcSe. 6

7 Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock a high Gb (see Performance Notes for Vocalists later on in the chapter), with only a few variations in the vocal line. The key of Eb and the Eb blues scale Mike Stoller, who wrote the music in the partnership, most likely composed the song on the piano which explains why it is in the key of eb. As a result, the home key of the song is potentially awkward for inexperienced guitarists and bass players as the main chorus parts of the song can only be played in standard tuning up the fretboard rather than in first position. It is good training to learn parts in a band in keys other than the most obvious ones for the instrument, the musical examples presented here all assume that the guitar and bass parts are played in normal standard tuning. the notes of the major scale of eb (which has three flats in it as denoted in the key signature at the top of the score) are: eb, F, G, Ab, Bb, c and D. the three flats are e, A and B. Another scale often associated with a 12-bar blues is the blues scale. this is the same as a minor pentatonic scale but with a flattened fifth. this is an important scale for guitarists who may use this scale when soloing over the chord changes and for vocalists when pitching their melody lines. the notes of the eb blues scale are shown in the example below. 7

8 rock YoUr GcSe MUSIc: student handbook SERIES SAMPLER TIME SIGNATURE there are some other aspects of the song that need to be taken into account before tackling it. the first of these is the time signature. this is shown at the top of the score with the note q = 168 which means that the song is played at 168 beats per minute (usually shortened to bpm). this indicates that every quarter note, or crotchet, is to be played at this speed, this is commonly called the tempo (after the Italian for speed). You can set this speed on a metronome (you can acquire many versions of electronic metronomes on the internet or you can download a metronome app if you don t have a real one). PRACTISING THE SONG Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock When playing this song as a soloist represented to the backing rhythmically track, it as is often to do advisable so would to make it more difficult to read (see the start playing over the full version performance of the song as notes this for will drummers give you an below). idea of what has to be played. If you have Swing-time access to a feel piece is of one software of the which main characteristics allows of popular song in the 20th you to slow the speed of the song and down 21st without centuries losing from the the pitch jazz then Age this onwards, will and underpins most r&b, blues, be a distinct advantage at first. this rock will and allow roll you and to other build pop up song the speed forms. of Playing your songs using a swing-time feel performances gradually before attempting has performance the song implications at full tempo for and most using instrumentalists, the particularly for guitarists, backing track version. bass players and drummers. this, added to the fact that in jailhouse rock the When performing this song in a group guitarists with and other bass musicians players are playing playing the their otherparts in an unfamiliar position on parts you can try the same tactic. Set the the fretboard, metronome can make to a comfortably tricky performances. lower Add in the fast tempo and you speed at first (let s say, for example, potentially 110 bpm) have and a try recipe a performance disaster at if this the parts are not rehearsed sufficiently. tempo, gradually building it up until you feel collectively comfortable at full performance speed. experimenting with song speeds is one of the creative aspects JAILHOUSE ROCK: PERFORMING of performing cover versions of songs as you can explore new versions of known repertoire e and is one of the key ways in which young pop musicians learn well- how to compose, arrange and orchestrate. the following guidance notes have been written in the form of a walkthrough as performance tips for the main instrumentalists featured on the recording: guitar, bass, drums and vocals. Additional performance notes for other instruments such as piano and brass can be found online. SWING TIME Another vitally important aspect of the music to appreciate is the fact that is Performance Notes for Guitarists performed in what is called swing time. this is indicated by the information at the top of the score next to the time jailhouse signature. rock, this as shows we have two already straight noted, eighths, is a 16-bar blues, made up of a or quavers, equalling a triplet made four-bar up of intro a quarter and note, two eight-bar or crotchet, sections. and a the role of the guitarist in both single eighth note, or quaver, under sections a bracket is different. with the In number the first 3 eight above bars it. the backing is made up of sustained A triplet is defined ed as the playing of chords; the three in the notes second in the eight time bars it usually the guitar takes to plays a typical rock and roll guitar play two. Putting the information single this way note on pattern the score that means moves you around can notate the IV theand V before moving back to the music using standard notation without I again. having to alter the way the notes are the first bar of jailhouse rock features what is called a pick-up bar. this uses a proportion of a normal bar of the continues music but not all of it. In this case the pickup bar lasts for one and a half beats and in this time, the guitarist starts a D chord and slides it up to the eb of the home key. this chord (played as a barred A shape chord: see chord boxes) is held or sustained underneath elvis s verse vocal line and the slide between these two chords is repeated three times at the end of each two-bar vocal phrase. this is also done twice as an intro before the vocal part kicks in. Using the barred A chord pattern may feel clumsy at first if you are not used to it, particularly as the bottom, or root note of the chord is found on the fifth fret of the fifth, or A string, meaning that you have to avoid hitting the bottom e string at all costs. If you aren t familiar with this position, then we suggest 8 continues

9 Rock YouR GcSE MuSIc TEAcHER S Book SERIES SAMPLER contents Introduction Website contents Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock Project 2: ThE BEaTlEs: WE can Work it out Project 3: coldplay: clocks Project 4: Bill WiThErs: lean on ME Project 5: kaiser chiefs: ruby Project 6: Paul MccarTnEy & WinGs: live and let die Project 7: adele: rolling in ThE deep Project 8: BoB MarlEy: no WoMan, no cry APPENDICES APPeNDIX A: ElEMEnTs of Music APPeNDIX B: composer s notebook APPeNDIX c: dictation EXErcisEs student s copy APPeNDIX D: dictation EXErcisEs TEachEr s copy APPeNDIX e: changes of TonaliTy APPeNDIX F: list of score and audio available on ThE cd-rom WiTh ThE rock your GcsE Music EnsEMBlE PiEcEs Book APPeNDIX G: key signatures APPeNDIX H: ruby Main features APPeNDIX I: lean on ME QuEsTion sheet 9

10 Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock Elements of Music Rhythm, Metre, Harmony, Tonality, Texture, Melody, Structure and Form the focus of this project is a classic song from the fifties. It is an example of the then new rock and roll style and, as such, is in 4/4 and has an up-beat tempo designed to get feet tapping and people dancing. the project starts by looking at the main features of this song as discrete performing activities before building up to a class performance and, as the project progresses, it outlines ways in which the work related to this song can be linked to Listening and composing activities. LESSON 1 Lesson objectives: To engender an understanding of the 12-bar blues chord sequence (Structure and Form) To revise/explain the formation of triads (Harmony and Tonality) To encourage whole group performance To perform the 12-bar blues chord sequence. STARTER explain/revise how to form triads, concentrating on the chords of c, F and G. Ask if these are major or minor chords, illustrating the difference by playing these chords in turn, each followed by its minor equivalent, thus c/c minor, F/F minor and G/G minor. Also try to elicit the information that these are the Primary triads within any tonality. MAIN SECTION OF THE LESSON the basic plan of the 12-bar blues should be explored/revised at this point and examples of music which uses this or similar formats played and discussed. the chord progression is at the very heart of rock and roll music. 10

11 Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock At its simplest, it can be set out as: c I c I c I c I F I F I c I c I G I F I c I c I Variations on this plan start with the substitution of c 7 for c in bar 4, of G 7 for G in bar 9, of F 7 for F in bar 10 and of G 7 in bar 12 if the pattern is to be repeated, the final chord of c being reserved for the end of the music. the chords of G 7 and F 7 can be introduced now or left to a later stage, depending upon the abilities of the group. WORKING TOWARDS A CLASS PERFORMANCE OF THE 12-BAR BLUES Listening work 1. Listen to jailhouse rock as recorded by elvis Presley: use the grid sheet supplied as Appendix A. this requires pupils to comment on the song in terms of its use of the elements of Music, a useful method and one which will aid preparation for all Listening Activities, no matter which examination board is used. Pool comments and discuss the overall findings. 2. this next series of activities builds on the Starter: Play the chord of c major. Ask pupils to identify it as major or minor. Demonstrate the difference in sound. Play the chords of F and G in similar fashion. In each case, ask pupils to relate them to c major, explaining terms such as F major, subdominant, chord IV and so on. Play the sequence through, asking pupils to note down which chord is played in each of the 12 bars. Listen to In the Mood as performed by Glenn Miller. After an introduction, the 12-bar blues pattern is easy to follow: either the teacher can indicate this against the outline of the 12-bar blues or a member of the group can be invited to do it. the chords can be left as in c major or, after discussion where feasible, transposed first to the key of Ab major. Although this project begins by using the 12-bar blues in c major, it might well be desirable to use another key which would better reflect the instrumentalists within the group. For example, G or A might be substituted. Extension: Theory Revise the formation of triads, eliciting the following information: C is formed from C E G F from F A C G from G B D. (This section might seem somewhat repetitive but it is fundamental to the project. It can, if the abilities of the group permit, be shortened.) 11

12 rock YoUr GcSe MUSIc: TEachEr s Book PERFORMANCE SERIES SAMPLER either divide these notes around class members (instrumentally or vocally) or, where possible, encourage pupils to play the full triad (on keyboard) or chord (on guitar). Drummers should, for this play through, play (bass and snare drums) on the first beat of each bar. establish a steady four beat pulse, if necessary getting all members of the class to count to four out loud. Play through the pattern, playing the chord on the first beat of the bar. the score below shows a possible route through the chords for individual parts as well as for those playing the full chord (NB give a series of note names/letter names for those who are unable to play from notation to ensure that all are included from the start): 1.1 Chords GUITARS chord symbols and tab notation are shown for guitarists in the group, though there are other ways of fingering these chords and pupils should be encouraged to play the fingering they are used to. BASS A simple bass part can be added with a range of possible formats available, dependant upon the abilities of the students. At its simplest, the bass can play the root note of each chord as crotchets. this could be performed on a keyboard (with a suitable bass sound or voice chosen) or played on a bass guitar, where available. DRUM KIT Drummers in the class should next be encouraged to play simple crotchets and, later, a basic rock beat. 12

13 Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock CONTINUATION the original version of the 12-bar blues, as given above, will sound finished at the end of the 12-bar pattern, simply because it ends on the key chord, the tonic chord, the chord of c. Normally, the twelfth bar would be G or G 7, propelling the music towards a repeat and a return to c in the first bar of the pattern. this extension should be practised next, so that the whole group can play the sequence in time and together. Plenary End the first lesson with a performance and record it. Let pupils listen to it and comment on areas of balance, synchronisation and so on. LESSON 2 Lesson objectives: To revise the work done in Lesson 1 To introduce and practise new rhythmic patterns (Rhythm and Metre) To apply knowledge of the 12-bar blues chord sequence to different keys (Harmony, Tonality, Structure and Form). STARTER Begin by revisiting the work done in the previous lesson: revise the three chords and their formation revise the sequence known as the 12-bar blues Play through the 12-bar blues twice, using G or G 7 in bar 12 the first time. Now move on to trying different rhythms. these can range from a simple repetition of the crotchet beat, i.e. playing four notes/chords in each bar to varying the rhythm. 1.2 Trying different rhythms swung time : this rhythm is played as continues 13

14 ENSEMBLE PIEcES contents Introduction cd-rom contents Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock Factfile Full score Project 2: ThE BEaTlEs: WE can Work it out Factfile Full score Project 3: coldplay: clocks Factfile Full score Project 4: Bill WiThErs: lean on ME Factfile Full score Project 5: kaiser chiefs: ruby Factfile Full score Project 6: Paul MccarTnEy & WinGs: live and let die Factfile Full score Project 7: adele: rolling in ThE deep Factfile Full score Project 8: BoB MarlEy: no WoMan, no cry Factfile Full score the cd-rom accompanying the ensemble Pieces book contains: the guitar, bass and drum parts for you to print as required. these have been standardised for GcSe performance, although some songs will be better than others for each instrument. examiner commentary in the book and in the Student s Handbook provides further guidance on this. Additional parts for further instrumentation options to complete your ensemble, such as violin, clarinet and alto saxophone. A full backing track, plus minus-one options for the main band parts. Score excerpts from the teacher s Book to use in classroom activities as required. 14

15 Project 1: Elvis PrEslEy: JailhousE rock This song has two main challenges for guitarists: It is in Eb major, meaning that players will probably be working in a less familiar key It is to be performed at 168 bpm, not far from three beats per second. this combination of key and tempo increases the level of difficulty posed by the parts to be played. For all three instrumentalists (guitarists and drummer) a good sense of timing is also essential, whether to keep the pulse and rhythm going or simply to synchronise the opening and subsequent shifts from D to eb: eye contact is vital here. the bass guitarist has also to play a typical walking bass in eb major no mean feat in this key and at this tempo. the drummer must maintain a solid beat or groove. the vocal line is relatively limited in range but requires clear articulation, the pitch must be secure and the style must be captured. Within the descriptors given by the various examination boards, the piece will fall into the middle range for Level of Demand/Difficulty but offers tremendous opportunities to demonstrate true ensemble skills. 15

16 rock YoUr GcSe MUSIc: EnsEMBlE PiEcEs SERIES SAMPLER JailhousE rock Words & Music by jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller copyright 1957 elvis Presley Music. All rights reserved. International copyright Secured. 16 continues

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