Y10

WC Monday 4th January

Calypso and steel band music revision

• You will need a notebook and access to youtube

• The next two lessons will be a mixture of revision, performance practice,
composition work and listening
• Today’s lesson is to revise the key features of Calypso and Steel Band Music from
the power point making your own revision notes 
• To have a go at the Calypso performance pieces
 Calypso music context

Listening task 1 • Trinidad

Famous examples of Calypso Music
• Festivals and carnivals 
include Lord Invader’s ‘Rum And
• Unaccompanied or accompanied by a
Context
Coca-Cola’ describing the
relationship between Trinidadians single instrument(s);  
• Lyrics tell a story or comment on
and the American G.I’s who were
stationed on the island. society
Have a listen to the piece – Click on • Steel bands perform instrumental
the video or watch the video from the arrangements of calypso/pop songs
folder in teams:
 Continued Press Play
from 1:06
• African and French influences
• ‘voice of the people’. This music gives a voice to sections
of society that can often feel isolated or ignored.
• A calypsonian is the term used to describe a musician who
tells stories through music.
• Soca is one of the most famous subgenres of calypso which
formed in the 1970s/80s
• Modern Soca often incorporates electronic instruments and
music technology.
• It can be a fusion with a number of different styles, such as
reggae, funk, soul and pop music. Have a listen to some
Soca Music from around 2mins 50:
 Mighty sparrow:
10 min task (video in teams in files wc 11th Jan)
• As is common for calypsonians, Slinger
Francisco (b1935) took on a pseudonym,
‘Mighty Sparrow’, as a performance name. His
song Jean and Dinah written in 1956, celebrate
the departure of US troops from Trinidad. Listen
to Mighty Sparrow and complete the table
below: (Click on pic)
• Answers on next page
Melody Tonality Structure Instruments and Texture Tempo/Metre/Rhythm
Timbre
Answers
Melody Tonality Structure Instruments & Texture TEMPO,
Timbre RHYTHM AND
METRE
Simple, even The simple The structure Solo and backing Polyrhythmic Syncopation
phrasing harmony uses consists of verses, vocals. Call and response 2/2 or 4/4
Recurring common chord choruses, Vocalist combines passages Off beat
instrumental riff progressions, and instrumental singing with Melody and Dotted rhythms
There are a number mainly primary sections and solos spoken lyrics. accompaniment
of repeated chords. with improvisation bass, guitar,
phrases. The song is in a percussion (bongos
The melody is major key. and other handheld
harmonised in the instruments),
chorus ‘horns’ (trumpet
Riffs in between and saxophone
the vocals frontline).
Stops in the Synthesisers
melody (stop-time)
Steel bands
• Began in Trinidad and Tobago.
• Musicians made complex instruments out of disused oil drums,
capable of producing a number of notes across a range of octaves.
• Here are the ranges:
Revision of instruments and
how and what they play
Please make your own revision notes (10
mins)
 • Banjo/Guitars – including bass guitar

Instrumenta • Mouth organ

• Bongos/Congas
tion and • Claves/wood block

timbres • Maracas 
• Steel pans (oil drums)
(Please write these • Drum kit
down) • Brass/woodwind
 Instruments and what they play

Banjo:
Strummed/picked plays chords; simple melody lines; repeated patterns; broken chords; narrow range

Guitar:
Strummed/picked; same as banjo

Mouth Organ:
Plays melody/improvises

Bongos
Played with hands/palms; plays repeated patterns, improvises; syncopation; cross rhythms
 Continued

Congas
Played with hands/palms/fingers; plays repeated patterns; improvisation; syncopated beats; cross rhythms

Maracas
Shak; constant quaver patterns and accented beats

Bass Pans
Played with tipped wooden beaters
Plays tonic and dominant notes; simple harmony; syncopated and dotted rhythms

Cello Pans
Plays chords; mid range; on 2+ 4; syncopated rhythms and tremolos
Continued Guitar Pan
Wooden beaters; Plays chords; mid range; on 2+ 4; syncopated rhythms and tremolos

Alto Pan/double seconds

Played with beaters; Higher notes; Call and response; tremolos

Tenor Pan
Played with beaters; tremolos and melody

Soprano Pan
Played with beaters; tremolos and melody

Other instruments – Electric bass; piano; voice

Polyrhythms; cross rhythms; major key; stepwise; melody and accompaniment; small intervals;
ostinato; verse/chrous
Listening Task (2) recognising
instruments
Answers
3.
1. 2. Cello
Acoustic
Maracas Pan
guitar
5.
4.
Soprano 6. Congas
Bongos
Pan
Further detail of the musical
elements
Please make notes from the
following slides
How the performers work together

Soprano Alto and

and Tenor guitar Bass pans
pans – pans – - Bass
melody chords
 • Repeated melodic ideas
• Stepwise melodic ideas,
small intervals

Melodic • Chromatic notes

• Melodic sequences
shape • Witty and satirical often
about political/cultural
problems
• Legato melodies
 • Regular metre (4/4 or 2/2)
• Syncopation

Rhythm/ • Polyrhythms
• Cross rhythms
Tempo • Notes played with a rubber-tipped wooden
beaters – struck several times creating a roll or
tremolo effect
Rhythm continued
• A 3 3 2 pattern is commonly used i.e.
short long, short long, long
• Typical guitar or percussion rhythm:
 Tonality
Mostly major with simple harmony
Timbre
• Metallic timbre
• Echo
• Soft
• Warm
Structure and
phrasing

• Verse/chorus structure
• Clear phrasing – short
and simple
• Melody
and
accompaniment
• Tonic/dominant bass
notes
• Parallel 3rds
Harmony and
• Simple primary
harmony
texture
• Chords I, IV, V mostly
or 3 chords used
 Ornamentation such as trills
Dynamics, Ostinato patterns
expression, Broken chords
Articulatio Rolls
n and tremolos
devices Call and response singing
 Where does calypso come from
Name 4 types of steel pans
Which steel pan plays the melody

Test Which 2 steel pans play the chords

What effect or technique is often used to create long notes on the pans

yourse What are the main chords used (use numbers)

lf Describe the typical calypso rhythm

Family of instruments used mostly in calypso music
4 important other percussion instruments used
Woodwind instruments used
Brass instrument used.
Typical bass line rhythm
Calypsos often played in this festivity
2 Usual time signatures
2 textures typical