Blog Assignment 5

Listening Framework

(simplified)

Listening Phase I (Rhythm)

Tempo (Slow Medium Fast)

Moderato

Source (where the Rhythm is coming from?)

Keyboard, Voice, Drums

Groove (describe how the personality of the rhythm)

Upbeat, Funky, Behind the beat

Listening Phase II (Arrangement)

Instrumentation (Which instruments drive the song?)

Drums, Keyboard, Maracas, Voice, Bongos, bass

Structure/Organization (how is the song built? Order, Patters, etc)

Intro, verse, bridge, chorus, verse, bridge, rap/vocal solo, bridge, chorus

Emotional Architecture (Draw How the song builds and drops.)

The song starts off slow and depressed, and as the source and tempo picks up, the song becomes happy and light

Listening Phase 3 (Sound Quality)

Balance

- Height (high and low of frequency) 

  Medium amount of heigh

- Width (stereo panning left/right)

  High Width

- Depth (Layers of instruments - via loudness) 

Very deep, many insturments

Listening Phase I (Rhythm)

Tempo (Slow Medium Fast)

Starts off andante and towards the middle and end moves to moderato

Source (where the Rhythm is coming from?)

Piano 

Groove (describe how the personality of the rhythm)

Jazzy, Flowy, Powerful

Listening Phase II (Arrangement)

Instrumentation (Which instruments drive the song?)

Piano, Voice, Violin

Structure/Organization (how is the song built? Order, Patters, etc)

Call and response. Verse, bridge, chorus, verse 2, bridge, chorus, vocal solo, chorus.

Emotional Architecture (Draw How the song builds and drops.)

Starts off slower and sad, and as the song continues on it picks up and the tempo moves a little faster. Becomes a bit more happier and hopeful. 

Listening Phase 3 (Sound Quality)

Balance

- Height (high and low of frequency) 

Very high frequency, a lot of height

- Width (stereo panning left/right)

  Normal panning

- Depth (Layers of instruments - via loudness) 

  Not a lot of depth, only 3 aspects of sound go into the song

The two songs I decided to compare were Take Care by Drake feature Rihanna and Turning Tables by Adele, both songs represent different music genres. Drake represents the hip/hop R&B genre while Adele represents soul. Both of the songs are two of my favorites, but they are vastly different in many ways. The lyrics of the songs have different meanings as well. Turning Tables portrays a girl trying to stay away from her boyfriend and moving on. The song makes you feel how hard it is for her to get over him and how she needs to turn her life around. The lyrics of Take Care represent a guy trying to take care of a girl who just had her heart broken. He is understanding that she is hurt and is trying to convey he is a better option than her last boyfriend. The harmony in Turning Tables provides a calm or somewhat depressing mood, while the harmony in Take Care is more upbeat, the mood is positive and energetic. The musical qualities also differ in each song. The timbre in Adele’s song, is simple, it is very crisp. On the contrary, the timbre in Take Care is complex, a lot of elements are around the vocals. Take Care has a high intensity and low pitch, while Turning Tables has a soft intensity and a low and high pitch. The pitch in Turning Tables easily moves from a low to a higher pitch throughout the song. Another element that is different within the songs is organization, the Drake song is chaotic, it is put into a different organization through out the whole four minutes. Adele’s song has an ordered organization, call and response of verse and the chorus. Something that is similar between these two songs, is how the tempo changes, both start at andante or moderato and move to moderato or allegro, they build up as the song goes on. I enjoy both the songs in different ways, it depends on what kind of mood I am in. If I need a song to calm me down or something relaxing to listen to, Adele is my favorite artist to listen to. While, if I am need the mood for some upbeat music, Drake is my go to man.