Song Analysis (1 Viewer)

[rawker]

When analysing a song, what sort of music techniques are there?

 

[xx__savannah]

I can only think of tempo, voice (whether solo or chorus), genre (that's a stretch).
For example, if you were doing 'American Pie', the last chorus features a number of voices, contrasting to the rest of the song where it's only McLean, symbolic of the lost generation, finally realising what they are missing. That's all I can think of, sorry.

 

[rawker]

Yeah.. I can only really think of like build up to a main point and that... ahhh I hate English.

 

[xx__savannah]

I just don't like how we analyse poems to death, and they encourage us to do something we like as an alternative, but don't tell us how.

 

[rawker]

Ahh... It's so dumb. Stupid English, there is no need for it to be compulsory!

 

[xx__savannah]

well, I don't mind it being compulsory -- I'd much rather a country that has a certain percent actually bother to learn English.

 

[rawker]

True.. but we have spent 12 years perfecting the language, does been able to deconstruct a song or poem.. or movie make us superior?

 

[xx__savannah]

no, but I know it certainly adds to the overall experience, but I'm very English-orientated, and I want to be a journo, so it interests me. As 'Advanced' students, if we don't enjoy it, we shouldn't do it, if that's what you're getting at. If you mean the non-interested people, it should focus more on how to write properly, just so we don't lose touch with our language.

 

[rawker]

Well... You have a fairly bias view on it. I love maths, and think that should be complusory - but you mighten because you don't enjoy it. I don't mind English, however I don't think that it should be complusory - how will it help me in University studying Science or Maths... or really anything other than a very select bunch of careers?

 

[kami]

Some things you might look at are:

• The repetition in the chorus of certain lines to emphasis or even undercut certain ideas.
• Symbolism and imagery in the lyrics to represent certain ideas.
• The tone of the music - is it harsh or deep to represent more negative emotions?

Those are just a small handfull of things you might look at with music in the English course, however to get to the quick of things in this just like with any other medium, look at what it says/means and how it gets that across, is it angry or melancholy or self-righteous or lustful and how did the song make you think this?

 

[Riviet]

Consider the speed of the song, if it's slow then it can suggest an emotional tone or if fast then it could be exciting tone. There are plenty more interpretations with the speed.

 

[kimmeh]

anaylyse the song as if it were any text using the techniques.

If you have a musical theory background, then they can be used to compliment the techniques. English teachers love music theory words i.e. tempo = speed, andante = slow and steady pace

 

[hobojo]

musical techniques

there's lots of musical techniques that you could refer to.
you should look at tempo, pitch, harmony, melody, texture, tone colour (what instruments), structure (verse choruse verse...., etc.). talk about the use of motifs, the main riff or hook. talk about the use of ritenuto - slowing down, accelerando - speeding up, crescendos - getting louder, decrescendos - getting softer (say whether they are gradual and stuff like that), accents, pauses.

 

[Riviet]

It also helps if you're a musician and know all these terms.

 

[PORKI]

techniques are (for the music) - structure (how the song is organised), Texture (layers, number of instruments, sounds), tone colour (how the song, instruments etc sound), expressive techniques (what the musician does to make it interesting), pitch (major key-happy, minor key-sad) and duration (speed of beat, length of notes).
This is what i use in music when analysing songs.

For the lyrics - Alliteration, assonance, rhyme, rythm, repetition etc



Hope that helps!

 

[BLESSD]

For my half yearly, we were told that we are goin to analysis a song lyric. Can someone be of help to tell me the techniques, and some songs that are on physical journeys so l can practice?

Thanks