Module 5

I particularly found this week's listening examples interesting since I am planning to research this era more closely.  Information on the selected examples can be found below:

“Please Please Me” by the Beatles begins with a short musical introduction followed by the verse which lead directly into the chorus.  The second verse then entered followed by an extension of the chorus and a tag.  The third verse was next, followed by the extended chorus once more. There was a slight rubato at the end to signify the end of the song.  “A Hard Day’s Night” by the Beatles enters with a single sustained chord on guitar and then the upbeat chorus begins.  This is followed by the verse and then the chorus again.  There is then a bridge section or “B” section of the music is heard for the first time.  The “A” section of verse and chorus repeats and is followed once again by the “B” section.  The chorus is the closing section that is followed by the instrumental section that fades out at the end.  The Beatles’ “Yesterday” is a classic and has been covered by many contemporary artists.  It begins with a short guitar introduction and then follows the format of AABABA.  There is a short concluding section after the A section.  What I enjoyed most about this piece are the lyrics and beautiful melody.  The song is very well written and the simple melody over top the subtle chord changes really emphasize the lyrics.  “Eleanor Rigby” by the Beatles is another well-written piece.  It begins with an introduction of vocals overtop strings.  The form of the piece pretty closely follows the verse-chorus-verse-chorus layout.  The captivating melodic line of the verses, however, is what is so alluring. “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys is a very unique type of song when it comes to the form.  The song seems to have pretty isolated sections with one repetition occurring after the “B” section. There is one more repetition of “B” which happens at the very end of the song.  The signature harmonies of The Beach Boys combined with the pop instrumental makes this group distinctive. “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan begins with a short instrumental section.  Next, the verse enters followed by the chorus.  There is a short instrumental with a short harmonica solo. The second verse then enters followed by the chorus the instrumental section reoccurs. Next, there is a third verse followed by the chorus and same instrumental section.  There seems to be a bridge that leads back into the chorus, which ends with a harmonica solo that fades out at the end.  “My Girl” by the Temptations is another classic. It begins with a brief instrumental introduction followed by the verse-pre chorus-chorus format.  The third verse is separated by an instrumental section and a key change.  At the end the music fades out with improvised solo and background vocals.  “You Send Me” by Sam Cooke is delightful from the very start with the background vocals and the soothing voice of Sam Cooke.  The form is not typical as it primarily repeats the chorus and uses the bridge to primarily get to the improvised section and back again to the chorus. “A Change Gonna Come”, as performed by Sam Cooke was in many ways the voice of a movement—the Civil Rights movement.  It begins with a string instrumental section that prepares the verse beautifully.  After the verse there is a short tag that is precieved as the chorus.  This continues for all the verses. The only change to this is the bridge of the song, which occurs right before the third verse. Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” was another song that contributed heavily to the Civil Rights Movement.  It begins with a short instrumental section and then enters with the verse which is followed by the second and third verse.  Next, we hear an instrumental section that prepares the fourth verse.  After this verse there is a break in the music and the most popular part of the song is heard. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.”  After this, the music fades out.