B4- STUDIO RECORDING

A3-USING MUSICAL STYLES

A3 

Song 1 = original  

Genre: jazz 

INSPIRATION SONG ANALYSIS 

key 

The song is written in the key of Gm

 INSTRUMENTATION : 

  heavy trumpets, saxophones 4, trombones ,piano, drums, clarinet , vocals

DYNAMICS:

Quiet a cappella intro 

At the end of the second verse instruments are added increasing volume and adding more dynamic range to the song 

There  volume of the violin increases in the pre- chorus but when the song hits the line ' and i'm feelin' good ' some instruments get stripped back ( violin, horns)  get  temporarily stripped back decreasing the dynamic .

There is a bridge at the end containing quieter played held notes that add tension and when it gets to the lyrics ' feeling good ' the instruments come back in with a louder vocal singing the last 'feeling good' higher then the previous times ,adding a higher dynamic for a strong ending. The reasoning behind this is to make it seem like a release of tension and that things will turn out fine giving comfort and hope to the listener. 

Structure and LYRICS 

The structure consists of an intro ,refrain, verse 1 , refrain, verse 2 , bridge , refrain and outro. It is common for jazz songs to have an AABA structure B ( bridge part ) tend to have a difference in words, melody and harmony.

This structure isn't surprising , in jazz its typical for a song to be played as AABA , with the song being split into two different parts. We can see this within feelin' good with its bridge section.

MELODY 

The Melody has a strong blues feel to it ; this isn't surprising as jazz has blues roots and shared a lot of its qualities such as the swung notes and syncopation . It uses the g minor pentatonic scale ( G, Bb, C, d, F, A) a common scale in the blues genre ; this is an unsurprising quality for jazz as it has blues roots. 

Rhythm and beat 

The song has a tempo of 79 bmp ( adagio) this is relatively low energy and slow  but adds a sense of calm and presence to the piece with a time signature of 4 beats per bar the song could represent consistent journey however the dynamic range across the song with its powerful ending and isolation of the words 'feelin good' from instrumentation sends a message that it will all be fine .

Duplicity analysis 

Dynamics

 During the bridge of the song , as well as the instruments being played louder , automation  is used to really lift the bridge compared to the the rest of the track this is to really distinguish it from the verses and ,like in Nina Simones's  ' Feelin' Good ' ,this is done to add a sense of hope to the song. Midi trombone , inspired by Dixie group where trombone was first used and is now often connected with jazz due to it be frequently used and the size of the instrument  .It is  used in this section to bring a sense of rising and power .

Beat and rhythm : 

The song has a tempo 110-125 this is a moderate bpm not too fast or slow , and falls between the typical tempo of jazz . 

The time signature is in 4/4 which is a commonly used  and during the creative process allowed easier improvisation which worked well for our jazz inspiration, for example , the guitar during the chorus was improvised over the Gm scale. The rap uses 

Melody / key signature  : 

The song is in the key of G harmonic minor .And the song has a medium pitch. There are different tones throughout the song as in jazz it is common to shift the mood of the song. The intro and outro are the same they are punchy with the repetition of the same chords to add a catchiness to the end and beginning of the song . Whereas the chorus consists of fewer played chords and are left to be drawn out ( for example in the piano ) and the guitar is improvised around the Gm scale , this made the tone of the chorus more soft and fluttery . The bridge starts with a major chord and a different chord sequence  to really lift it out of the rest of the song ,it has power . 

( guitar and piano ) Verse chords : Gm,cm,Eb7,D7 

CHORUS: improv over gm scale 

Bridge : Fmaj7,c,Gm,Fmaj7,Fmaj7,c,Gm,Eb7,D7

( bASS)  VERSE : G,C,D#,D 

Chorus : Bb , d# repeated 

Bridge - f,c,g,f -descending melody 

Texture and harmony - the song has many harmonies throughout ( homophonic ) on the lyric  ‘real ‘we sung harmonies in the 1st, 3rd and 5th to add a sense detachment from oneself such as the theme of the song. 

Creation of DUPLICITY ( journal entries ) 

I told the band the genre I wanted to work with ( jazz) and we worked on the individual parts; Maya was on the keys ,Dylan on bass , Tyler on drums ,and Oli on guitar . I figured out a chord sequence Gm , Cm , Eb7 , D7 and I got the band to jam with those chords and then I recorded it so I can now create lyrics and ideas tonight ready for college tomorrow.

For our next lesson I managed to write the intro and first verse of the song i added  more melodic melisma's to add the jazz complexity to the vocal  

Today was our first performance of the class. I managed to figure out an idea for the chorus , i wanted it to have a change in tone i wanted it to be more loose and airy this is common within jazz for the song to have different tones and moods . The chords on the piano were held for longer .  Furthermore, i added a cajon for more presence of the beat as usual  in jazz, particularly in beats 1 and 3 ( played by Barnaby.) Feedback we got was for the lyrics to be sung clearer however people knew it was fairly knew so weren't so harsh . 

We spent today working more on the instrumental side of the song i wanted to add a bridge as typical of the jazz genre ( for example Nina simone's ' Feelin' Good')  . Bridge : Fmaj7,c,Gm,Fmaj7,Fmaj7,c,Gm,Eb7,D7 . 

In our next lesson i managed to think of a melody to sing for the bridge We worked on the lyrics for it at home and brought them to college to see how it would sound .

10/03 /23 

Today was the first day with the male vocal on the song i believe it sounded better adding more of a dynamic and worked with song as it added more of an emotive feel as the lyrics are about someone trying to find themselves and feeling alone in the process however might not be alone as they think.  Furthermore we worked on the bridge and harmonies . We added a 3 part  harmony to the end of some of the verses ( 1ST , 3RD AND 5TH harmonies  )

Using Dolby on we recorded our work 

We performed in front of the level twos and teachers for our unplugged rehearsal . Had to find a good mix of the voices stuff that fit our ranges 

The bridge meant we had to stall the entrance for the chorus chords however didn't change anything drastically. 

14/03/2023 

Today we decided to brush up on the harmonies and figure out understudies to dep for people if they are not here. We learnt the harmonies however it was making sure we were all singing at a level so the voices could mash that was the issue. I decided to not use a microphone so we could hear the voices equally. After showing it to the second years we received feedback to not use the cajon and to try tambourine instead after using it i decided the high frequency of the tambourine didn't fit with the tone of the song or the genre. 

A3 SONG 2 = GENRE SWAP 

INSPIRATION SONG ANALYSIS 

 The song is a dynamic rollercoaster it has a loud and aggressive intro with the guitar chords played aggressively the dynamic builds into the song with the arrival of the drums which were also played aggressively the song is in 105 bpm and is played quickly and aggressively for a heavy sound this is common within this genre and is used to convey the emotional stresses of a song in this case the lyrics are about drug addiction and how it controls you once you start ' the master of puppets is pulling your strings , twisting your mind and smashing your dreams ' this is a reference to drugs having an effect on your own personal desires as you become a puppet with no self control. The song contains a lead guitar , rhythm guitar , bass ,backing vocal, drums . Multiple guitars are very common within this genre , it allows the addition of complex  guitar riffs and chords that can be seen within master of puppets to add intensity and seriousness to the song. The chord structure isn't very defined as it can be left to the interpretation of musician however these are the commonly played basic chords for the arrangement of the song : Am,Dm,G,C,F . The song is in 4/4  ( the most common time signature .)

 No time to die 

Davisscarlet621 · No Time To Die

 

For my second A3 piece i'm doing a genre swap turning a pop song ( No time to die by Billie Eilish )  into a metal song. The song orignally had a brass section for a more airy tone , had a slower tempo, mellow vocals and less punchiness these were aspects of the song i felt should be changed to really push it into the metal genre.   I  decided to have two electric guitars in the piece and i added distortion as that distorted sound and guitars are key aspects within the metal genre furthermore I wanted to add bends to really add that punchy,  off-setting sound to the chorus and I felt having two guitars do that would really emphasise the sound  I originally wanted to harmonise the guitar bending but ,due to a tight schedule, decided against it (  guitars were homophonic ) . Due to it being metal I told the band to play everything louder and at a slightly faster tempo than the original  . I wanted a dynamic song so  would shrink a bit of a song to a singular instrument ( in this case the base)  to really drop and deepen the whole song and add a sense of suspense ,like a row rumble, which is normal of metal to create a sense of unease ; this was inspired by master of puppets ,as it has a lot of dynamic fluctuation to really give the song life and energy . 

After the songs shrinks to the bass ( nearer the end of the song )  the guitar kicks in with a little riff and then the vocals come in with some vocal improvisations until the whole song lifts back again into the chorus with the arrival of the other instruments  . Another thing inspired by the Metallica song was during the repetition of 'Master' the instruments just stop and then it all kicks back up again and i used this idea within my genre swap at the start and during the start of one of the verse's ( when the vocal came in and at the beginning ) i believe this added that sense of suspense and the sudden sound of the instruments really adds to the aggressiveness of the song such as common in metal . I had leanna and Oli on on guitar , Barnaby on drums and dylan on bass. The bass was played in a low range as i really wanted that rumbly heavy tone driven by the guitar . 

Davisscarlet621 · DUPLICITY

A1- PERFORMING AS AN ESEMBLE

 A1 

50's day journal and gig evaluation 

EXAMPLES OF GOOD COMMUNICATION AND PLANNING WITH MY GROUP WOULD INCLUDE : 

We created a group chat where could communicate ideas about the performance ( song ideas, equipment we'd need ,rehearsing time etc) we also emailed dan to book a room to rehearse outside of lesson time allowing us the extra time needed to get the performance to a good standard. 

CREATIVE CHOICES 

The creative choices we made were appropriate because they helped to perform better as a band ,for example, singing one of the lines an octave lower for the convenience of the singer avoiding the overly strained vocal sound on the higher range of the song . We managed to pick a song that everyone felt comfortable playing and (having a big band) managed to fit two piano players into it creating a rich sound to our performance. 

WHAT WENT WELL?

I believe our bands dynamics blended well with each other, nothing being too overpowering or too quiet to hear . No lyrics were forgotten and our non verbal communication on stage had improved by the last performance. 

TARGETS MADE FOR MY NEXT PERfORMANCE : 

• Gaining more confidence
• more control over riffs (timing) 
• 
  

Today i started rehearsals for the Christmas gig we first decided that me and Tyler would sing the melody together however after we had sung it twice we decided that it would be 

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Today we worked on the Christmas gig specifically on the harmonies, we played through it with the band and i decided to do a lower harmony on the verses and ;instead of singing the lyrics on the chorus we decided  it would sound better if i harmonised like the original version by just singing the 'oo' sound over the top of the first line then harmonising with  the lyrics for the rest of the verse , unlike the original . 

Christmas gig

Today we worked on the end of the song i worked on my dynamic range to hit the high note at the end of the song where Paul McCartney uses a falsetto i decided to use my head voice . We secured the harmonies with Tyler singing the melody and me the harmonies. We got a recording at the end of the lesson. 

We added the choir to the end part of Hey Jude were they did harmonies over the Hey Jude repetition at the end 

5/01/23

Today was our first day back and we have a few gigs coming up one of them being in a couple weeks on the 20th . We decided who we wanted to work with and our band decided to work on an original . Oli had a few chords ,  Leanna added a melody over it and grace played the chords on piano me and Mollie worked on the vocal side of it we had written some rough lyrics and  by the end of the lesson had figured out and idea for the chorus and structure of the song . 

20TH GIG 

For the gig in the 20th we had decided to play creep by Radiohead oli was on guitar, Dylan on bass Tyler on drums and me on vocal . In our first practise we all spent some time getting comfortable wit our parts and managed to play it all the way through . We realised it need some work especially on the bridge and with the levels and dynamics of the song . 

During our next few practises we played it many times over slowing up the tempo a bit so as the vocal didn't sound rushed, as we were playing a bit quicker than the original. One of the first issues we ran into was that our second guitarist couldn't make it to the gig so we decided i would fill in which was difficult as I'm relatively new to guitar and would have to be singing at the same time however I like challenging myself . I learnt the chords and had to practise it with the band when our teacher came in he said it would sound better if i played arpeggios instead of straight chords like in the original and it would add a nice texture to the song. I found this difficult but after much practise managed to get it . 

We felt there was still something missing and we believed that it needed piano to add the levels we wanted for the chorus and bridge . After playing it through with the pianist and getting feedback we still were struggling with the dynamics and levels issue, the musical journey of the song felt very basic and straight to the point with no change in levels ,however at this point it was sounding good enough to perform and sounded pretty decent but we felt we were missing the flavour. This lead to the decision of just having the guitar play for the softer section after the bridge and we needed to sought the transitional part and decided oli instead of playing all the chords should miss out one and let the last chord ring out when I would then play over the softer section alone. 

This is a video we got from the gig: 

I got feedback from the performance such about my vocals having a good dynamic and that my guitar playing had improved . The things i would've improved  from my performance was my confidence even though i knew i could hit those notes i still doubted myself and it held my voice back a bit on the larger notes which , although i manged to reach them , made them sound a little more strained instead of the more full vocal sound i wanted . 

GREASE BLOG 

* COVER BAND CALLS 

TECH REHEARSAL 21/02/23

Today was the tech rehearsal for grease where we worked on mic-ing up https://studentlivestrodecollegeac.sharepoint.com/:u:/r/sites/BTECPERFORMINGARTSFOUNDATIONDIPLOMADT3PAF1-22SCX22-23/Shared%20Documents/General/Grease_VOCALS%20(1).mp3?csf=1&web=1

UNPLUGGED GIG 

For unplugged i would perform ' wish you were here ' with Zeno and a year 2 band and also duplicity an original created by wet paint . 

Wish you were here

Today i ran through ' whish you were here ' with Zeno playing guitar so we could just get a feel for the song however the year two's weren't in so we couldn't play with the band . Zeno said he wanted to make it sound more like the original with less melisma so instead i sung some of the words more simpler drawing out the notes instead of adding mellismas. I actually preferred the way it sounded as it sounded more natural. 

Today we played with the band , it was a rough rehearsal but  i still wasn't 100% with the lyrics , so i did what usually works with me for remembering lyrics which is singing the song on karaoke . This usually helps me familiarise the lyrics and the music together after a while and is something ive found helps me. 

   Today we auditioned for unplug it went pretty well , and we got feedback about positioning on stage and how the  guitarists should be either side of the singer instead of one side and the singer on the other side to make it look neater for the audience. 

Duplicity 

CREATION OF DUPLICITY ( JOURNAL ) :

I told the band the genre I wanted to work with ( jazz) and we worked on the individual parts; Maya was on the keys ,Dylan on bass , Tyler on drums ,and Oli on guitar . I figured out a chord sequence Gm , Cm , Eb7 , D7 and I got the band to jam with those chords and then I recorded it so I can now create lyrics and ideas tonight ready for college tomorrow.

For our next lesson I managed to write the intro and first verse of the song i added  more melodic melisma's to add the jazz complexity to the vocal then ( for the fusion ) wen into a more hip hop style rap section for the first verse .  

Today was our first performance of the class. I managed to figure out an idea for the chorus , i wanted it to have a change in tone i wanted it to be more loose and airy this is common within jazz for the song to have different tones . The chords on the piano were held for longer .  Furthermore, i added a cajon for more presence of the beat as usual in hip hop and also in jazz but particularly in beats 1 and 3 ( played by Barnaby.) Feedback we got was for the lyrics to be rapped clearer however people knew it was fairly knew so weren't so harsh . 

We spent today working more on the instrumental side of the song i wanted to add a bridge as typical of both the hip hop and jazz genre . Bridge : Fmaj7,c,Gm,Fmaj7,Fmaj7,c,Gm,Eb7,D7 . 

In our next lesson i managed to think of a melody to sing for the bridge We worked on the lyrics for it at home and brought them to college to see how it would sound 

I felt like the song needed a deeper vocal on the rap section as I wanted a very different vibe for the verses, a lot more hip hop style,  I felt the lower male vocal worked well with this . So I asked my class friend to rap for me ( Blade.) 

10/03 /23 

Today was the first day with the male vocal on the rap i believe it sounded better adding more of a dynamic and worked with song as it added more of an emotive feel as the lyrics are about someone trying to find themselves and feeling alone in the process however might not be alone as they think.  Furthermore we worked on the bridge and harmonies . We added a 3 part  harmony to the end of the rap verses ( 1ST , 3RD AND 5TH harmonies  )

Using Dolby on we recorded our work 

We performed in front of the level twos and teachers for our unplugged rehearsal . Had to find a good mix of the voices stuff that fit our ranges 

The bridge meant we had to stall the entrance for the chorus chords however didn't change anything drastically. 

14/03/2023 

3 DAYS BEFORE UNPLUGGED GIG 

Today we decided to brush up on the harmonies and figure out understudies to dep for people if they are not here. We learnt the harmonies however it was making sure we were all singing at a level so the voices could mash that was the issue. I decided to not use a microphone so we could hear the voices equally. After showing it to the second years we received feedback to not use the cajon and to try tambourine instead after using it i decided the high frequency of the tambourine didn't fit with the tone of the song . Furthermore as my piece is a fusion of the style of hip hop and jazz the tambourine didn't fit in with either of these genres so I decided to leave it out. We got a video and added it to our Instagram stories to advertise the gig on Thursday . 

Unplugged Gig  

UNPLUGGUED GIG 

To begin the day we had sound check; we each had a sheet that that gave us the day plan and times for everyones run through which allowed us to be organised . We were running around half an hour behind schedule however we still managed to get through everyone. My first performance was 'wish you were' during the soundcheck we were given feedback that the guitar should be played 'more sharply'  increasing the volume and poiancy of the sound . 

After soundcheck we had a three hour break until we had to be back at the church to perform we used this time to get food, change , do any last minute run throughs and get back in time . Overall i would say the gig was a success although we ran into a few issues we had to improvise and work around them . 

Whish you were here : 

After getting the feedback from soundcheck Zeno ( guitarist)  played more sharper and it sounded clearer which was better for me as i could hear where to come in for the first verse more clearly . I missed my cue however in the second half of the song however thanks to the pianist playing the piano more skilfully to make it seem like it was a solo and the guitarist subtly hinting to me of my cue as i realised i had done it wrong and looked at him , it didn't seem as bad . We managed to get through the rest of the song and it overall it was a good performance . 

Duplicity: Duplicity went well, the harmonies sounded good together and none of us forgot lyrics . 

Use me : i sung this song for funk group as they needed a singer , i came in for a few rehearsals so that i could practise it with the band . The cover was fairly improvised and we hadn't done it the same twice we had to listen out for eachother for this to work but it did . During the performance the lyric sheet had been moved however one of the other band members ( also my tutor ) had a spare lyric sheet . 

Grease 

REHEARSALS FOR GREASE 

Grease rehearsals and performances were very chaotic however in the end we managed to put on a great shows we had a lot of challenges and this we had to face collectively but we managed to overcome these issues .

Group and team skills are critical when doing a performance so this is a great example for wokring in an ensemle as every action you do on stage affects everyone else  You have to remember cue lines so as the next speaker is able to say the next line ,  remember to put props in certain positions and pick props  up  . Some of us are given responsability over particular props and stage set up between scenes , for example ,i had to bring the telephone , drinks table , lunch trays and a dancing podium on for when they were needed on stage ; if i forgot to do this the performer would have to improvise ; this is just one of the many ways we worked as ensemble . Of course we did run into  a lot of props  lost , broken or just people not putting them on the props table where they're meant go but we always found a way around it for example when one of the notepads were missing i ripped out pages of mine to give .   

During the rehearsal stage we worked collectively worked to learn lines doing scene practise outside of class hours and i made a grease group chat so as we could communicate more effectively with eachother. We practised choreography for and scenes on Wednesday afternoons and i also had extra rehearsals on Tuesdays as i was main cast . 

We ran into many different issues during the rehearsal process for example we didn't have enough money to fund the production so we decided to raise money in the college having a 50's themed day with activities you could spend money on to take part in . This was hosted by the cast of Grease we were all given different jobs to do ; i performed in the 50's gig and then went around the college with a collection box to collect money . We managed to raise quite  bit of money that would be pivotal for our production so we were all quite proud . During the next few days ,however, one of the drama rooms  burnt down destroying all the money , props we already had , and some personal belongings to a crisp. Major set back .  There were even rumours the production wouldnt take place . The directing team  had quite a lot of personal belongings in there and obviosly felt very disheartened by the event . We were all there for them and we all wouldve backed any decision made as towards the show ,however, being the  determined crew they are they decided the show must go on . 

our actor playing Danny had to quit so this was obviously qiute a large step back as everyone had managed to become friends with him which is very important in performances as its important the cast get along very well so as the performance can fill its full potential , also we'd have to reteah all the blocking , lines , chorography, harmonies etc to the new ' Danny ' and this would be difficuilt as we had to keep on schedule. Fortunately the director managed to find a replacement who had just finished playing Danny in another drama group production of Grease , this meant he would #

  

   

 

B5- CREATING MUSICAL MATERIAL THROUGH PRODUCTION

 B5

EQ (equalisation)  

Equalisation allows you to edit the frequencies of music ,to cut out or enhance certain aspects of the sound within the range of 20 -20000 hz (range of human hearing.)

COMPRESSION 

 The process of reducing a signals dynamic range. This is so the range between audio signals isn't so distracting , both loudest and quietest parts are clear 

BUSSING 

Typically used to group several audio tracks which can be then manipulated , as a group, like another track. 

makeup gain : sets the volume to the same level before compressing because compressing increases volume .We use it to hear if the compression has made any difference to the quality of the sound. Allows you to hear the actual effect of the compressor with ought †he volume change 

Threshold:

the level at which the compressor begins to work 

Ratio : 

expressed in decibels .

A ratio of 2:1 indicates that a signal exceeding the threshold by 2db will be attenuated down by half , so in this case it would be one or , for a signal exceeding the threshold by 8db it will be attenuated down to 4db . 

Another example would be a signal of 16db attenuated down by a 4: 1 ratio this would attenuated it down to 4db.

The positive of using ratio and not just cutting it past the threshold is that it allows dynamic within the piece. 

ATTACK AND RELEASE:   

Attack is the reaction time of the compressor ; and is responsible for how much of the initial impact or transient gets passed the compressor. 

Release is the path allowing mixers to breathe.  

PHASE 

Cancelling phase by using 1:3 ratio for mics 

Destructive phase - occurs when two waves are not in phase with each other. Imagine there are 2 sin waves however occurred at different time so the peak of one lies at the midpoint of another .We don't usually work with sin waves in music as they are simple and our music waves are more complex .

Phase can become an issue in studio when using more than one channel to record a single source ( multi miking drums etc ) 

Constructive Phase: constructive phase are when 

A2- CREATING MUSICAL MATERIAL

                                                  

( SCROLL DOWN FOR A2 FUSION ASSIGNMENT ) 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

                                                                            
 A2:offbeat -beats of the beat 

monophonic 

syncupation - disturbance in flow of regular ryhthm 

135 -harmony 

dynamics - when its lower instrumentation of pre-chorus

when dynamic is slow :

piano plays throughout on semi quaver (semi quaver is a measure) of type of note semi is quite quick other instruments play on the first beat on the bar and lets it ring out 

crescendo -increasing instrument volume, palm muting guitar for sharp build up 

STRUCTURE:. intro , verse , pre-chorus, chorus, intro 

COUNTRY:

Lyrical content :

folky, home-based, nature,story 

INSTRUMENTATION:

.banjoes

.fiddles

.acoustic 

TEMPO:

Usually under 100bpm

BEAT/RHTHYM/CHORDS: 

3/4 or 4/4  typically simple chords, usually 3-4 chords in a song 

midi and blues scale on acoustic 

blues acoustic 

EXTRA NOTES IN CLASS: 

MULTI TRACKING PROCESS

1. TEMPO
2. GUIDETRACK
3. DRUMMER
4. BASS
5. GUITAR
6. MIXING EFFECTS
7. VOX
8. FINAL MIX 
9. PLUG INS (FAIRY DUST)
10. PIANO 

  

A2 FUSION TASK 
Plan : 

Jazz and hip hop . 

Originally the idea was to create a fusion on Midi however i have now decided  that i'm  going to do a live performance to showcase my A2 musical fusion . I have written some lyrics for a jazz song that managed to develop i gave Maya some chords to play on piano I got Oli to play guitar , Barnaby to play the drums and Dylan to do a bass section. And we created the first verse of our song 

What i need to do: 

• Analyse the two genres 
• record what we already have in the studio , edit it in studio 
• book practise rooms to rehearse 
• write more lyrics ( punk vibe short memorable lyrics ) 
• instrumentation ( piano, vocals , bass, guitar , drums 
• jazz elements , extended chords brass section ( could add a trumpet ) 
• figure it out in studio , learn about 

I'm going take a video of the end performance as my evidence 

SONGS THAT INSPIRED DUPLICITY ( FUSION ) 

Nina Simone feeling good 

Nina Simone's socio-political album, in 1965 was inspired by the civil rights activism of the time making the album an anthem of liberation. Her jazz cover of Feelin' Good  uses lyrics to depict ' sun shining high ' and 'birds flying' to give a sense of comfort ,liberation and hope something that was very much needed in the time that was still plagued with Jim Crows' laws. The song was originally in the musical 'Roar ' , a play about class power and race , it was more saccharine and childlike then Nina Simone's version which had a more down to earth ruggedness to it , that gave it the qualities needed to inspire a generation . Achieved with her arranger , Hal Mooney , they brought it to life by adding a big band , swing and kick , riveting piano triplet and a rebellious vocal performance to capture that desire and passion for freedom and equality .

INSTRUMENTATION : 

  heavy trumpets, saxophones 4, trombones ,piano, drums, clarinet , vocals

DYNAMICS:

Quiet a cappella intro 

At the end of the second verse instruments are added increasing volume and adding more dynamic range to the song 

There  volume of the violin increases in the pre- chorus but when the song hits the line ' and i'm feelin' good ' some instruments get stripped back ( violin, horns)  get  temporarily stripped back decreasing the dynamic .

There is a bridge at the end containing quieter played held notes that add tension and when it gets to the lyrics ' feeling good ' the instruments come back in with a louder vocal singing the last 'feeling good' higher then the previous times ,adding a higher dynamic for a strong ending. The reasoning behind this is to make it seem like a release of tension and that things will turn out fine giving comfort and hope to the listener. 

Structure and LYRICS 

The structure consists of an intro ,refrain, verse 1 , refrain, verse 2 , bridge , refrain and outro. It is common for jazz songs to have an AABA structure B ( bridge part ) tend to have a difference in words, melody and harmony.

This structure isn't surprising , in jazz its typical for a song to be played as AABA , with the song being split into two different parts. We can see this within feelin' good with its bridge section.

MELODY 

The Melody has a strong blues feel to it ; this isn't surprising as jazz has blues roots and shared a lot of its qualities such as the swung notes and syncopation . It uses the g minor pentatonic scale ( G, Bb, C, d, F, A) a common scale in the blues genre ; this is an unsurprising quality for jazz as it has blues roots. 

Rhythm and beat 

The song has a tempo of 79 bmp ( adagio) this is relatively low energy and slow  but adds a sense of calm and presence to the piece with a time signature of 4 beats per bar the song could represent consistent journey however the dynamic range across the song with its powerful ending and isolation of the words 'feelin good' from instrumentation sends a message that it will all be fine .

The structure of mockingbird is typical of most hip hop songs with an intro two verses a hook and a chorus we hear twice. Mockingbird is written in the key of e minor ,the progression being em, c, d ,em am7.  The minor key creates a melancholic feel to the piece allowing you an insight on the emotional importance of the song as the lyrics are personal to him. 

There are not many instruments in the song , during the verses we hear a drum machine which is a core instrument in hip hop; they're dominant yet soft to convey the fragile importance of the meaning of the song.  The piano can also be heard 

within the verse; it is played very softly and is a common instrument used within the genre . The dynamics of the song increase on the chorus due to the  lower harmony and addition of the violin this lifts the chorus and creates more of a journey for the listener instead of it being flat and at the same level all the way through. The melody has a pitch not too low or too high ,the notes in the melody descend and are diatonic the simplicity of them create a catchiness to it . 

During the chorus there is a lower harmony that adds a homophonic texture to the piece .

My Fusion

Davisscarlet621 · DUPLICITY

Duplicity analysis 

Dynamics

 During the bridge of the song , as well as the instruments being played louder , automation  is used to really lift the bridge compared to the the rest of the track this is to really distinguish it from the verses and ,like in Nina Simones's  ' Feelin' Good ' ,this is done to add a sense of hope to the song. Midi trombone , inspired by Dixie group where trombone was first used and is now often connected with jazz due to it be frequently used and the size of the instrument  .It is  used in this section to bring a sense of rising and power . 

TROMBONE PLAYED ON MIDI KEYBOARD : 

Trombone I added on midi keyboard . I used automation to fade out the end of the notes as they were to overpowering towards the end . 

lyrics 

The lyrics are based around the idea of escape and liberation inspired by Nina Simones ‘Feelin good ‘ and most jazz songs due to the origins being from African Americans in a time of suppression . However duplicity has a more modern twist to it in the sense it’s less about actual physical suppression but mental and brings to light how in the dark the youth are when it comes to kickstarting your own life , issues with socialising and the detachment people feel from each other . From a generation raised out of covid , technology etc time has layered a lot of complication on the youth. This is where the hip hop idea for my song came in as it’s a more modern genre and the use of rap represents the  profuse thoughts and words on the mind of a teen . 

Beat and rhythm : 

The song has a tempo 110-125 this is a moderate bpm not too fast or slow , and falls between the typical tempo of both hip hop and jazz . 

The time signature is in 4/4 very common in hip hop and allows a steady rhythm for the rapper and during the creative process allowed improvisation which worked well for our jazz inspiration, for example , the guitar during the chorus was improvised over the Gm scale. The rap uses alliteration and assonance for a fluid rhythm in the rap , a common technique used hip hop. 

Melody / key signature  : 

The song is in the key of G harmonic minor .And the song has a medium pitch. There are different tones throughout the song as in jazz it is common to shift the mood of the song. The intro and outro are the same they are punchy with the repetition of the same chords to add a catchiness to the end and beginning of the song . Whereas the chorus consists of fewer played chords and are left to be drawn out ( for example in the piano ) and the guitar is improvised around the Gm scale , this made the tone of the chorus more soft and fluttery . The bridge starts with a major chord and a different chord sequence  to really lift it out of the rest of the song ,it has power . 

( guitar and piano ) Verse chords : Gm,cm,Eb7,D7 

CHORUS: improv over gm scale 

Bridge : Fmaj7,c,Gm,Fmaj7,Fmaj7,c,Gm,Eb7,D7

( bASS)  VERSE : G,C,D#,D 

Chorus : Bb , d# repeated 

Bridge - f,c,g,f -descending melody 

Texture and harmony - the song has many harmonies throughout ( homophonic ) on the lyric  ‘real ‘we sung harmonies in the 1st, 3rd and 5th to add a sense detachment from oneself such as the theme of the song. 

BASS, PIANO AND GUITAR PARTS : 

CREATION OF DUPLICITY ( JOURNAL ) :

I told the band the genre I wanted to work with ( jazz) and we worked on the individual parts; Maya was on the keys ,Dylan on bass , Tyler on drums ,and Oli on guitar . I figured out a chord sequence Gm , Cm , Eb7 , D7 and I got the band to jam with those chords and then I recorded it so I can now create lyrics and ideas tonight ready for college tomorrow.

For our next lesson I managed to write the intro and first verse of the song i added  more melodic melisma's to add the jazz complexity to the vocal then ( for the fusion ) wen into a more hip hop style rap section for the first verse .  

Today was our first performance of the class. I managed to figure out an idea for the chorus , i wanted it to have a change in tone i wanted it to be more loose and airy this is common within jazz for the song to have different tones . The chords on the piano were held for longer .  Furthermore, i added a cajon for more presence of the beat as usual in hip hop and also in jazz but particularly in beats 1 and 3 ( played by Barnaby.) Feedback we got was for the lyrics to be rapped clearer however people knew it was fairly knew so weren't so harsh . 

We spent today working more on the instrumental side of the song i wanted to add a bridge as typical of both the hip hop and jazz genre . Bridge : Fmaj7,c,Gm,Fmaj7,Fmaj7,c,Gm,Eb7,D7 . 

In our next lesson i managed to think of a melody to sing for the bridge We worked on the lyrics for it at home and brought them to college to see how it would sound 

I felt like the song needed a deeper vocal on the rap section as I wanted a very different vibe for the verses, a lot more hip hop style,  I felt the lower male vocal worked well with this . So I asked my class friend to rap for me ( Blade.) 

10/03 /23 

Today was the first day with the male vocal on the rap i believe it sounded better adding more of a dynamic and worked with song as it added more of an emotive feel as the lyrics are about someone trying to find themselves and feeling alone in the process however might not be alone as they think.  Furthermore we worked on the bridge and harmonies . We added a 3 part  harmony to the end of the rap verses ( 1ST , 3RD AND 5TH harmonies  )

Using Dolby on we recorded our work 

We performed in front of the level twos and teachers for our unplugged rehearsal . Had to find a good mix of the voices stuff that fit our ranges 

The bridge meant we had to stall the entrance for the chorus chords however didn't change anything drastically. 

14/03/2023 

3 DAYS BEFORE UNPLUGGED GIG 

Today we decided to brush up on the harmonies and figure out understudies to dep for people if they are not here. We learnt the harmonies however it was making sure we were all singing at a level so the voices could mash that was the issue. I decided to not use a microphone so we could hear the voices equally. After showing it to the second years we received feedback to not use the cajon and to try tambourine instead after using it i decided the high frequency of the tambourine didn't fit with the tone of the song . Furthermore as my piece is a fusion of the style of hip hop and jazz the tambourine didn't fit in with either of these genres so I decided to leave it out. We got a video and added it to our Instagram stories to advertise the gig on Thursday . 

RECORDING PROCESS : 

After booking a recording room we started recording Duplicity we had to change rooms as the mics and equipment had been taken out of the other room. 

Unplugged Gig  

Today we performed and got a live recording of Duplicity in the Holy Trinity Church it was the first official  performance of Duplicity. When we did the sound check the pace of the song was too fast maybe due to nerves but it made the rap difficult and affected the harmonies , but this was what the these kinds of rehearsals are for ! Our actual performance of the song went really well the jazz genre mixed with the hip hop worked well combining a more new age sound with an older one worked with a large audience of people as we got feedback from a variety of different people. The harmonies in first third and fifth worked really well together creating a spacy and empty tone after the bombardment of words in the rap section previous. 

Recording Duplicity  

 We clarified a day and booked a recording room however on the day of recording Blade ( rapper ) was ill so we did the recording with me rapping and decided to use my vocal as a reference for Maya's harmonies but to delete my vocal track and record Blade's the next day . After booking a recording room we started recording Duplicity we had to change rooms as the mics and equipment had been taken out of the other room. 

RECORDING VOCALS . 

First I recorded the instruments as the room was fairly small and we did this to avoid bleed from vocals and into vocal mic . We overdubbed one of the Harmonies where I sang over it twice, one of my over dubs were homophonic  and the other heterophonic to add an array of textures maya and blade were singing in harmony . 

We did a few retakes of blades second rap verse as I wanted it more punchy and with less vibrato . Blade struggled with the harmony so I added a pitch correction to his vocal.

 This is less common is jazz however very common in hip hop as a lot of rappers want that robotic sound that can harmonise with the backing track it’s used by people like , snoop dog , Kanye west and other big artists . 

Guitar- After recording the guitar I put on a compressor after using an expander , the logic behind this is that using a compressor before would make it difficult to find an effective threshold to differentiate between the lower and higher frequencies , it's better to do the expander first. This gave the guitar more presence . I also added reverb , to connect to the jazz genre I added a small space reverb as jazz is commonly played in places like clubs and smaller rooms / venues.  

 

Drums 

I took away the low end of the snare  ( humans cant hear under 20 hz ) case its the mud. Using eq I raised top end to give it air and space to make it more present. I tuned the snare to the track as this is common method within hip hop cause it allowed the drums to groove within the track better and harmonise with it which worked well the flowy jazz vibe I  wanted .Tuning the track also means the drums required less dampening because the ring gets absorbed into the music and the snare ring can make the perceived size of the drum within the mix larger  ( for a more dominant drum sound ) I wanted a dominant drum sound as the beat and sound of the drums is very important to jazz as it is so integral to the origins of the music. 

Busses : 

Bus: for the drum kit ( OH , kick , snare )

 

Bus2: vox ( me, Maya and Blade) 

 I added a small space reverb and and compressed and eq the vocals in a bus just to level them out a bit . 

Bass 

i added eq , gain and space designer reverb to the bass amp .