Musical Trip to France

Take A Musical Trip to France

    France is the home of the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, and some incredible cuisine, but they also have some interesting music. I have found 2 very different styles of French music to analyze, but since I broke my thumb on Saturday, my wrist is in a cast. I thought that instead of struggling to type I would just make a video explaining my opinions. Below I will provide a link to both songs.

1st song: Au Clair De La Lune by André Claveau and Mathé Altéry. It was recorded in France in 1983, but many other newer renditions have been recorded since then. I picked this one because it's my favorite. 

2nd song: Petite Fleur by Jill Barber was written and recorded in 2013 but I couldn't find any answers online as to where this was recorded. 

Musical Elements:

Style of singing: In the song Au Clair De La Lune and Petite Fleur there is a very different singing style being used in both of these songs that mainstream American music doesn't have. The sound is more delicate and drawn out, rather than heavy and jumpy like pop music in America. The singers use a lot of vibrato in their voice as they hold out these notes, providing an airy quality that uplifts the music. The vibrato in my opinion makes the singer sound kind of like an accordion. In French music, although not showcased in this blog, the accordion is a commonly used instrument.   

The use of different instruments: In mainstream pop in America, there isn't any song that heavily features the violin or flute like Au Clair De La Lune. These instruments are primarily used in romantic songs in America, but since France is known for its romance, this is very common in French songs. It creates their own personal style of music and attributes to the soulful and mellow style of singing. In the song Petite Fleur it features the soulful melody of an accompanying saxophone that introduces a jazzy feel. I also noticed the fact that only a few instruments were being used in these songs, and not a mash up of instruments like American pop. This helps the listener really focus on both aspects of the songs without words or melodies getting drowned out by a bunch of instruments. 

My opinion: I think French music is very beautiful and is a nice change from mainstream American pop songs. The jazzy feel and airy vocals are relaxing and the instruments they use are heavily influenced and romanticized by the French culture. American mainstream music is mainly pop which tends to be very jumpy with lots of different rhythms, while French music has more of a rounded out sound with steady melodies and flowing notes. It's easy to follow along to and listen to the vocals without getting distracted by the loud instrumentals. 

Citations: 

David, Samantha. “A Beginner's Guide to Popular French Music for 2020.” The Connection, 1 June 2020, https://www.connexionfrance.com/Mag/Culture/ultimate-guide-to-popular-french-music-2020

 

Evolution of the Electric Guitar

 Electric Guitar

    The electric guitar was first invented around 1936 by a man named Charlie Christian. It began as a regular guitar with a pickup attached to the body in order to promote the sound better when he was playing in his band. It then got popularized by Fender and was being mass produced, labeled the "Fender Broadcaster" in 1947. 

    The earliest known recorded performance featuring the electric guitar was in 1938 by a jazz guitarist named George Barnes. The song was called Sweetheart Land and it was recorded in the NBC studios in Chicago, Illinois. George Barnes was just 16 years old when he played the electric guitar for this historic piece of music. Here is a link to the song: Sweetheart Land

    The second song I chose to analyze the electric guitar is Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana. This song was written and sung by the lead of the band, Kurt Cobain. It was recorded at GMC Studios in Culver City, California in 1991. Here is a link to the song: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Riff Solos vs Carrying Rhythm and Melodies

    The first musical element that stood out to me the most was how mellow and clean the guitar riffs are. The song starts off with piano and vocals, and then tenor sax is added along with a string bass. After a while, the electric guitar plays its first riff and sounds very clean and precise. The tenor sax then gets small solos, and by the middle of the song we can hear the electric guitar being played in the background holding the rhythm. The electric guitar was used in jazz and blues songs back in the 1930's through the 40's as more of an instrument to further the melodies and rhythms of the songs being played. It wasn't until the 1980's that the genre of grunge rock was first introduced. In the song Smells Like Teen Spirit the electric guitar is heavily introduced right in the beginning of the song, followed by a mash up of drums and even more electric guitar as back up. There is a clear difference between the jazzy feel of the electric guitar in Sweetheart Land and the heavy grunge feel of Smells Like Teen Spirit. In this song by Kurt Cobain, the electric guitar can be clearly heard throughout the whole piece, but unlike Sweetheart Land, it is heavily featured as the carrier of the rhythm and melodies of the song along with the drums. 

Instrument Sound and Playing Style   

    The second musical element of the electric guitar that has changed throughout the years is the actual sound of the instrument. In the first song from the 1930's, the electric guitar simply sounds like a louder version of the acoustic guitar, and is plucked the same way. Plugging an electric guitar into an amp created more dynamic range and introduced different playing styles. In the song by Nirvana, the electric guitar sounds so much fuller and completely unlike an acoustic guitar.  In the beginning riffs, the sound of the guitar explodes and fills up the entire melody. In Smells Like Teen Spirit the listener can tell without a doubt that the instrument being played is an electric guitar. The guitar is strummed in Smells Like Teen Spirit rather than precisely plucked in Sweetheart Land. 

My Reaction

    I am so surprised at the huge difference in sound of these two songs. I'm a huge fan of grunge and rock music, and the electric guitar is such a focal instrument in this genre of music. Going from easy melodies being plucked on one of the first electric guitars, to exploding melodies being strummed alongside drums. Within a time span of 40 years, the electric guitar became the main instrument in so many grunge rock songs, and is arguably one of the most recognizable instruments today. According to an article published by The Guardian, "Great players achieve their distinctive sound not just through the way they touch the instrument but through the particular way they set up a whole series of electronic sound processors, beginning with the pickups under the strings and ending at the amplifier." The invention of the electric guitar made it so that players could create their own unique set ups, which lead to more creative approaches to songwriting and melody creating.  

Citations:

Fox, Christopher. “How the World Plugged into the Electric Guitar.” The Guardian, 16 Aug. 2016, https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/19/how-the-world-plugged-into-the-electric-guitar

“The Origins of the Electric Guitar The Birth of the Electric Guitar.” The Origins of the Electric Guitar：The Birth of the Electric Guitar - Musical Instrument Guide - Yamaha Corporation, https://www.yamaha.com/en/musical_instrument_guide/electric_guitar/structure/

“This Historic Day In Music: ‘Sweetheart Land’ & ‘It's A Low Down Dirty Shame.’” Sixstr Stories, 1 Mar. 2018, https://sixstrstories.com/2018/03/01/this-historic-day-in-music-sweetheart-land-its-a-low-down-dirty-shame/