PA6303 - Group Performance

Unfortunately, due to the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, our group performance was unable to take place. However, I will be reflecting on the composition and performance that we had planned.

My group consisted of four members: Tarik, Rayanne, Jonathan and myself. My role within the group entailed me playing a 1999 Epiphone AJ-15 Acoustic Guitar, singing (using a Shure SM58) and using an Akai LPD 8 to cue samples and effects. Tarik played a Gibson Les Paul Classical Electric Guitar with tremolo, fuzz and distortion pedals. Similarly, Jonathan was playing a Fender Stratocaster Electric Guitar and also using an Ableton Launchpad, cueing drums and bass guitar. Rayanne was singing (using a Shure SM58), playing a Fender Squire Jazz Electric Bass and Akai APC Key 25 in order to play synth.

1999 Epiphone AJ-15 Acoustic Guitar

We composed an eight minute piece which consisted of three different sections: section one was structured around an upbeat, rock and roll style song; section two was an experimental, transition period between section one and two, making use of synths and samples; section three had a slower, bluesy style and was loosely based on a twelve bar blues.

We wanted to use abstract sounds in our piece in order to add another layer to the overall timbre of the performance. Tarik played single strummed guitar chords, with pedal manipulation, at the start of the performance. Though these sounds lacked a melody, they created the space to be filled later when the dynamics increased. The timbre of section two is completely different to that of the other two. The section was intended to be stripped of melody and harmony, with emphasis on samples and experimental synths.

We also adjusted the timbre and dynamics of the piece in the more conventional sections of the song. When the chord sequence starts in section, it is played on an acoustic guitar. As the section progresses, electric guitar and drums join. This change in dynamics “enhance[s] musical expression through contrast” (Buckner, 2013, n.p.). A natural harmony is also produced in this section between the higher pitched guitar chords and the bass guitar.

Another layer of harmony is found later on in section one between two vocal melody lines, sung by me and Rayanne. Earlier on in the performance, we planned to sing our melody lines separately, but as the piece continued, we would later sing them at the same time in a non-imitative polyphonic style. Non-imitative polyphony refers to two or more melody lines that show no resemblance in their rhythm and contour, but are played at the same time (Payne, 2003). Both me and Rayanne had sung our different melody lines with the chord sequence A/D/G. For this section, the chord sequence stayed the same but our melody lines were sung simultaneously. Also, as well as the dual melody lines, mine and Rayanne’s lyrics in this section were written to contrast each other, as can be seen, here:

Should this feel right,

Because it sure don’t feel right

As I’m surrounded by you

And I see nothing but blue

My lyrics

Reminiscing in total utopian bliss

A feeling I only can get when I’m this

When I’m happy and free and surrounded by orange

Surrounded by you and I nearly did miss

Knowing all that there is

Knowing life is unplanned

And to melt by your hand

in utopian bliss.

Rayanne's lyrics

For section three, we wanted to base the song around a political theme, addressing issues the world is currently facing. In order to sonically show this, we wanted this section to display strong emotion. In his essay, The Grain of the Voice, Roland Barthes claims that the “grain” of ones voice is “the body in the voice as it sings, the hand as it writes, the limb as it performs.” (2010, p.188). Barthes is arguing that the "grain" in someone's voice is what displays the emotion. We therefore decided that we wanted to amplify the "grain" in Rayanne's voice. To do this, reverb and delay were going to be cued on her vocals, but importantly, we were also going to add a distortion effect, thereby increasing the "grain" in her voice.

For the rhythm of the performance, pre-programmed drum loops were used. Drum loops are beneficial in a band scenario as they won’t lose tempo or play out of time (Orpheus, 2018). These were going to be queued by Jonathan. Jonathan was given the role of creating the drum loops: he voiced his desire to do it and having seen his solo performance, we were happy as a band to let him do so. He would also be controlling the bass samples that would be played when Rayanne was singing, so he was essentially given the role of the rhythm section.

Ableton Launchpad used by Jonathan

Within the band, I worked in the role of the songwriter. I wrote the chord sequences for section one and two and also the melody lines for my sections (Rayanne wrote her own melody lines). Though I came up with the original ideas for the chord sequences, I often did this during rehearsals as a band. Because of this, we were able to discuss as a group what we felt worked and what didn’t, meaning everyone had an input in the song writing process. Moreover, Rayanne and I also split the song writing duties fairly, with each of us writing our own sections.

As Tarik has worked in music shops and has a passion for music gear, he was responsible for organising the equipment that we would be using in the performance. By us describing what we wanted to do musically, he was able to suggest which electronic equipment would work best for it.

Overall, I feel that we had worked well as a band and had composed a strong piece for a group performance. We explored multiple styles and textures in our piece, making use of multiple electronic elements. As a group, I feel we divided our work fairly, playing to everyone’s strengths in order to get the strongest final product.

Reference List

Barthes, R. (2010) The Grain of the Voice. 1st edition. London: Vintage Classics.

Buckner, R. (2013) songwritingmagazine.co.uk: Making better use of dynamics [online]. Available at: https://www.songwritingmagazine.co.uk/tips-techniques/making-better-use-of-dynamics. [Accessed on: 06/04/20].

Orpheus, R. (2018) iconnectivity.com: Using Backing Tracks – A Beginners Guide [online]. Available at: https://www.iconnectivity.com/blog/2018/6/6/using-backing-tracks-a-beginners-guide. [Accessed on: 06/04/20].

Payne, T. (2003) ccnmtl.columbia.edu: Imitative Polyphony [online]. Available at: http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/sonicg/terms/imitative_polyphony.html. [Accessed on: 06/04/20].