Area of Study 3Popular Music in Context

Outline

• Jeff Buckley – He is a Singer/Songwriter and guitarist. However he also plays several other instruments on this Album.

• The Album – It’s named ‘Grace’ after one of the tracks on the album but it also contains the songs ‘Hallelujah’, ‘Lilac Wine’ and ‘Corpus Christi Carol’. (Latin - Body of Christ)

• Co-written by Gary Lucas and released in 1994

Jeffrey Scott Buckley

• Born November 1966• His Father was also a musician• Grace was his debut album• Toured for 2 years with his band promoting his

album, visiting U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia• Had a fear of Death but died at the age of 30• He died in New York while waiting for his band.

He drowned in the ‘Wolf’ river during an evening swim in May 1997

Jeffrey Scott Buckley

• He wrote songs about parting• His music was generally difficult, not straight

forward• Generally used Power Chords• Perfectionist• Never wrote his music out, just taught it to his

band verbally and through demonstration.

Album Instrumentation

• Jeff – Vocals, Guitar and Organ• Bass• Guitar• Drums/Percussion• String Arrangements• Tracks 1&2 – Magical Guitarness• Track 7 – Organ (by another musician)• Track 10 – Tabla (by Jeff and 1 other) &

Vibraphone

Grace

• Structure• Chord Structure (Minor Chords in the Intro)• Harmony (complex, key changes, unusual

Chords)• Instrumental Effects (Distortion, Flange,

Phaser)• Playing Technique (Strummed and Plucked)• Deliberate Clash with bass (in the chorus on

the word Fire)

Structure and Effects

• Flanger – A studio Effect that can be anything from a ‘Swirling’ sound to ‘Jet Plane’ effects.

• Phaser – when 2 or more versions of the same things are played at the same time but at a slightly different speed.

• Distortion – Where the input signal is so high that the sound can not be played back clearly.

• Complicated structure that involves sections within sections.

Song Chords

• The chords, when written down, look very complicated. However, on guitar they are easy.

• The guitar is tuned using ‘Drop D’ Tuning.• The Chords for the verse are shown in your

book (Page 107)• Power Chords are created this way. 1 shape

moved up and down the fret board to create the different chords.

Additional Notes

• The string sounds are added after, on top of the standard instrumental line up.

• They are used to Create Tension for an additional effect at the beginning of the music.

• Delay – The repartition of a sound (Like an echo) but at a set interval)

• EQ – Equalisation. The adjustment of certain frequencies within the sound.

Some Questions

• Q2 – What guitar playing technique can be heard frequently in the Introduction?

• Q5 – Describe how the drums are played in the verse.

• Q7 – How does verse 3 differ from both verse 1 and 2?

• Q10 – What effect has been applied to the electric guitar part at the end of the song which cannot be heard previously in the song?

Area of Study 3Popular Music in Context