Chapter 9: Singers and Guitarists
Preview Questions
Introduction
Bands are often arranged onstage more or less in two rows. The lead vocalist is usually in front and the focus passes to the lead guitarist at certain places in order to maintain interest and give the singer time to rest. The drummer, bass player, and rhythm guitarist are usually behind them and are called the “second line”. They are the rhythm section players who provide the foundation. They are less in the limelight and often not as recognizable to fans. In this chapter we’ll focus on the lead singers and lead guitarists who are more often the stars.
Most popular music has a lead vocalist. Up until hip-hop they would sing lyrics to a melody. Now hip-hop artists mostly rap. In either case, the average listener seems to focus on the words and, even when the they are unintelligible, relate better to vocalists if they aren’t musicians themselves and therefore don’t appreciate as much what they are doing with their instruments.
There is very little to read in this chapter, instead there’s a lot to listen to. Reading and thinking about the history will help you develop a framework to process what you hear, but that will only take you so far. Here we give you a chance to let the music sink in so your awareness,
Review Questions
- Make a list of your favorite singers introduced in previous chapters.
- Make a list of your favorite guitarists.
Introduction
Bands are often arranged onstage more or less in two rows. The lead vocalist is usually in front and the focus passes to the lead guitarist at certain places in order to maintain interest and give the singer time to rest. The drummer, bass player, and rhythm guitarist are usually behind them and are called the “second line”. They are the rhythm section players who provide the foundation. They are less in the limelight and often not as recognizable to fans. In this chapter we’ll focus on the lead singers and lead guitarists who are more often the stars.
Most popular music has a lead vocalist. Up until hip-hop they would sing lyrics to a melody. Now hip-hop artists mostly rap. In either case, the average listener seems to focus on the words and, even when the they are unintelligible, relate better to vocalists if they aren’t musicians themselves and therefore don’t appreciate as much what they are doing with their instruments.
There is very little to read in this chapter, instead there’s a lot to listen to. Reading and thinking about the history will help you develop a framework to process what you hear, but that will only take you so far. Here we give you a chance to let the music sink in so your awareness,
Review Questions
- Which singers stand out from the listening list? Who is the most unique? Who is your favorite?
- Compare the tone of two singers on the playlist. What adjectives can you use to describe each, for example, “raspy”, “rough”, “smooth”, “focused”, “breathy”, “piercing”, “strident”, “bright”, “nasal”, “warm”, etc.?
- What emotions do those two singers communicate? How do they do that with their voices?
- Pick a song on the playlist that you think is sung well by the singer. What is another singer on the playlist that you think would not be able to sing that song as well? Why do you think that?
- Pick a favorite singer of yours that is not on this chapter’s playlist. What’s their name and the name of a song they perform? What do you like about their voice?
- What do the guitarists on the playlist have in common? Which ones stood out? Who is the most unique? Who is your favorite? Why?
- Which group is more alike―the singers or the guitarists? Why do you think that is?
- Can you identify an evolution in the styles represented in the songs in this chapter?
- What did you notice in the change in quality of sound over time that might be due to advances in recording studio technology?
- There seem to be three main groups in the guitarist timeline. Can you think of any reason why the guitarists might have come in waves, whereas the singers were more evenly spread out?