Rock Music

THE HISTORY OF ROCK

The Birth of Rock and Roll

• 1950s - Post WW2, Baby Boomers, teenagers and cultural shift- NEW SOUND! Teenage rebellion! Radio and television huge in hearing music.

• Influenced by gospel, jazz, rhythm and blues, and country music

• African Americans in the south looking for better work opportunities up north bring the sounds of gospel, rhythm and blues, and gospel music. From St. Louis, country music merges in Memphis, and spreads to Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, NYC, and Pittsburgh.

• Radio DJ Allen Freed first used the term "Rock and Roll" in 1951 to describe the new sound that appealed to black and white audiences alike.

Multiple Choice

Who first used the term "Rock and Roll" in 1951?

• Rock and Roll singer Elvis Presley

• Radio DJ Alan Freed

• Music Critic Daffy Duck

Multiple Choice

What was one of the cities where Rock and Roll music emerged?

• Detroit

• Raleigh

• Maryland

Gospel Influences

Sister Rosetta Tharpe - known for her gospel vocals and electric guitar techniques.

Rhythm and Blues Influences

• Piano and Saxophone were lead instruments. Eventually the electric guitar will take the lead.

• Listen for the piano and saxophone in Big Joe Turner's "Shake, Rattle and Roll".

Multiple Choice

Which instrument was NOT used as a lead instrument in Rock and Roll?

• Saxophone

• Piano

• Trumpet

Country Music Influences

Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys "Ida Red"

The Sound

• Electric Guitar becomes the new lead instrument

• Bands usually include a lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and a drum kit.

• Faster tempo

• Energetic vocals

• Call and response - often between guitar and vocals

• Guitar solos

Multiple Choice

What was the "sound" of Rock and Roll?

• 2 guitars, bass, and drum kit

• banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin

• strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion

Chuck Berry

• Important figure in the early history of Rock and Roll - helped bridge gap between black and white audiences

• Contributed the use of guitar riffs and solos helped the electric guitar become the lead instrument

• Influenced by country music and rhythm and blues artists

• Performance style (Duck Walk, showmanship)

• What do you notice about this performance?

Rock and Roll Artists

• Elvis Presley

• Bill Haley and His Comets

• Fats Domino

• Little Richard

• Buddy Holly

• Ritchie Valens

• Jerry Lee Lewis

Poll

Who do you think the "King of Rock and Roll" is?

• Chuck Berry

• Elvis Presley