Contrast in grunge
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can add contrast to my grunge composition through development of a verse and middle 8.
Key learning points
- Songwriters create musical contrast by making sections or musical ideas sound different from each other.
- This is exaggerated in grunge, reflecting the emotional lyrics.
- We can create contrast through considered use of dynamics, timbre, pitch, texture, rhythm and harmonic rhythm.
- The middle 8 is a contrasting section, usually 8 bars long, heard in the second half of a song.
Keywords
Musical contrast - When two sections or musical ideas sound different from each other, we refer to this as musical contrast.
Middle 8 - The middle 8 is a section in a song that contrasts with the verse and the chorus. It is often 8 bars long.
Harmonic rhythm - The speed at which chords change in a chord sequence is called the harmonic rhythm.
Common misconception
Harmonic rhythm means the rhythm that each chord plays.
Harmonic rhythm means how often the chords change, not the actual rhythm that the chords play. Show examples of the same harmonic rhythm different rhythms in the chords. Changing the harmonic rhythm is a useful tool to alter the feel of music.
Teacher tip
When creating contrast, it's important that this is done within the confines of the style. Some students might create extreme contrast that will not suit grunge. Encourage them to focus on creating contrast mainly in the drum beat, harmonic rhythm, electric guitar sounds and chord use.
Equipment
A DAW or other suitable compositional tool or instrument.
Licence
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