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Three Basic Trends of Rock (pp. 33-39)

• mainstream rock--12-bar blues form & mostly uptempo (e.g. Elvis, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bill Haley, Jerry Lee Lewis, & Ray Charles)
  • 12-bar blues form common
  • songs were mostly uptempo
  • driving rhythm
  • shouting style of vocal performance
  • not notated ... passed on orally
  • typical instrumentation: guitar, piano, bass, drums, & sax
• rockabilly--blend of rock & country elements (e.g. Everly Brothers., Buddy Holly)
  • used 8-bar & 16-bar forms
  • vocal style - clear & on pitch
  • beat was lighter than mainstream rock, but still incorporated the backbeat
  • lyrics clearly enunciated
  • instrumentation: similar to mainstream
    • less emphasis on sax
    • typically, used acoustic guitar instead of electric
    • drums added to typical C&W combo, revealing the influence of R&B
    • early rockabilly used acoustic bass
• soft rock--e.g. Pat Boone, Paul Anka, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Darin, etc.
  • elements of rock w/broad & consistent market appeal (not radical)
    • closely related to the Pop style from which it evolved primarily
  • "slow dance" music