Chapter 1: Roots of Rock and Roll
Preview Questions
Introduction
Rock and roll grew out of African American culture in the middle of the 1950s (in the United States). The most direct musical predecessor of rock and roll was Rhythm and Blues, which was a predominantly African American musical style prior to 1955. In many ways, rock and roll was a rebranding of R&B for white audiences. Additional influences came from Country & Western and pop music, among others. This chapter will give a very brief overview of early 20th century U.S. history and introduce some fundamental musical elements terms necessary for analyzing rock music. The chapter will then give an overview of African American musical traditions that predated rock & roll and some of their major players as well as surveying jazz, pop, and Country & Western styles.
Review Questions
- What are some of the most significant political and social events of the first half of the 20th century?
- What do the terms harmony, melody, and rhythm mean?
- What was the African American experience like in the early 20th century, and how did this experience shape the musical styles performed by African Americans?
- What style of music was the most direct predecessor of rock and roll? What musical characteristics define that style, and who were its major players?
- What other styles of popular music existed in the pre-Rock and Roll era?
Introduction
Rock and roll grew out of African American culture in the middle of the 1950s (in the United States). The most direct musical predecessor of rock and roll was Rhythm and Blues, which was a predominantly African American musical style prior to 1955. In many ways, rock and roll was a rebranding of R&B for white audiences. Additional influences came from Country & Western and pop music, among others. This chapter will give a very brief overview of early 20th century U.S. history and introduce some fundamental musical elements terms necessary for analyzing rock music. The chapter will then give an overview of African American musical traditions that predated rock & roll and some of their major players as well as surveying jazz, pop, and Country & Western styles.
Review Questions
- What are the names of the African American musical traditions discussed in this chapter?
- What characteristics do those traditions share in common?
- Which of those traditions is the quintessential expression of the African American experience?
- How does Rhythm & Blues differ from the blues?
- Besides R&B, what other popular music styles coexisted in the pre-rock & roll era?
- Which of the pre-rock & roll styles most directly influenced the birth of rock & roll?