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 Alissa Riviere Ms. DunbarSenior Project PaperOctober 31st, 2014 How Technology and the Bass Have Changed and Influenced MusicSince the beginning of man, music has played a very important role in society and the everyday lives of people. Throughout time the bass has provided the backbone of band music. From orchestral music, to jazz, to swing, and rock; the bass has provided rhythmic foundation for several decades and in several countries around the world. (studybass, 1) As technology has advanced, instruments, such as the bass, have evolved and shaped music. Music technology has also contributed to the evolution of music and man himself. The phonograph, the invention of the electric amplifier, microphones, electric instruments, ipods, and am and fm radio, are some examples of such technologies. Nonetheless, Music is a part of everyday life. Since the dawn of man music has influenced and shaped societies and cultures worldwide. As music has evolved, new technologies and instruments have been developed; in order to provide universal access to all types of music. The first ever recording was in 1878 on a phonograph invented by Thomas Edison. Today, there are thousands of different pieces of technology that helps to record and invent music of all kinds. The recording of music made it possible to have access to music all the time, where ever you were. The phonograph was the first invention of its kind to record sounds, and history. The phonograph was invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. His invention came to be because of his other two inventions; the phonograph and the telephone. Edison had a very different idea for the phonographs future. In North American Review in June 1878, Edison described the possible future for the phonograph and its uses in everyday life. Letter writing, all kinds of dictation without the aid of a stenographer, phonographic books (which would help aid the blind to read without effort of their part), the teaching of elocution, reproduction of music, the “family record” (a registry of sayings, reminiscences, etc.) recorded in the family members own voice, the last words of a dying person, music boxes and toys, clocks that should announce in articulate speech the time for going home, going to meals, etc. The preservation of languages by exact reproduction of the manner of pronouncing, Educational purposes; such as preserving the explanations made by a teacher, so that the pupil can refer to them at any moment, and spelling or other lessons placed upon the phonograph for convenience in committing to memory. Connection with the telephone, so as to make that instrument an auxiliary in the transmission of permanent and invaluable records, instead of being the recipient of momentary and fleeting communication. (Edison Film and Sound: The History of the Edison Cylinder Phonograph, 1) The phonograph would come to serve a huge role in the everyday life of all people, as well as give rise to the record player. The record player is a descendant of the phonograph and the graphophone, however there are a few key differences between them. The phonograph and the graphophone were invented in the late 1800’s. The key difference between the two were what the music was recorded on. The graphophone used wax as the recording medium, the phonograph used tin foil. The difference between the phonograph and the record player was that the record player electrically turned, and the phonograph needed a crank. The record player provided an opportunity for entertainment of the average person. It gave the middle class a way to listen to music that had been, in a way, denied to them by the high cost of live professional performances. This gave the record player a marketability; it was advertised and sold to the everyday man. It also helped improve the recording and production and the quality of recorded music. The microphone is a key component of any part of music production. There are many different types of microphones that are used for various reasons. The microphone was invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone in 1827; he was the first person to coin the term “microphone”. ( inventors, 1) Some examples of microphones are; dynamic microphones, condensor mics, and electret mics. The dynamic microphone is one that is made of a lightweight diaphragm, which is usually made of plastic film, is attached to a very small coil of wire suspended in the field of a permanent magnet. When a sound causes the diaphragm to vibrate, the whole assembly works as a miniature electricity generator, and a minute electric current is produced. Because the electrical output is so very small, it has to be amplified using a mic preamp before it is large enough to be useful. Dynamic microphones are best for up close recordings, because they have to be so close to the sounds in order to pick it up. Dynamic mics are good for drummers because they are so durable. However it won’t bring out the best sounds in instruments that have a lot of tones that range in the upper harmonics. (Choosing a Microphone: Types and Uses, 1) A capacitor (or condenser) microphone has two plates with a voltage between them. In the condenser mic, one of these plates is made of very light material and acts as the diaphragm. The diaphragm vibrates when struck by sound waves, changing the distance between the two plates and therefore changing the capacitance. Specifically, when the plates are closer together, capacitance increases and a charge current occurs. When the plates are further apart, capacitance decreases and a discharge current occurs. (Condenser Microphones, 1) Microphones are an important part of any musical production, as well as the instruments. The instruments are important to any piece of music, whether it be classical, rock, blues, jazz, metal, etc; Music would be nothing without the instruments. As the technology around music recording and production evolved, so did the instruments themselves. The theremin was the first stringed electronic instrument and was invented in 1919. One of the earliest innovators of the electric guitar was Lloyd Loar, an engineer at Gibson Guitar Company. (How Stuff Works, 1) The first commercially advertised electric guitar was made by the Stromberg-Voisinet company in 1928. The goal of the first electric pickups were to enhance the natural sounds of the guitar; however the first successful model (The Rickenbacker “Frying Pan”) was developed and sold in 1932. The Rickenbacker "Frying Pan" was an electric Hawaiian model, played flat in the lap, and it caught on immediately with Hawaiian-style guitarists. (How Stuff Works, 1) In 1939 Charlie Christian was the first person to create a playing style unique to the electric guitar. The electric guitar today is a large part of music (electronic or otherwise). In 1950, Leo Fender introduced the first electric guitar. It was made up of a four by four piece of pine wood and strings. This guitar later became The Fender Broadcaster which was the first solid body guitar to be electrically produced. The electric guitar is at the forefront of any music its involved in. Its role is to provide the melody of any piece of music its written for. The innovations made to the electric guitar made it possible for the electric bass guitar to evolve from its large and bulky ancestor the double bass. The double bass has been around for hundreds of years. The style and shape has progressed through time; variations in size and design have been made throughout time. The earliest known illustration of a double bass dates back to the 1500’s. The origins of the double bass have been traced back to 16th century Germany. It became more prominent around 1650 when wound gut strings were invented. The double bass is in the violin family, it resembles a violin but is much larger in appearance. The job of the bass in any musical piece is to provide the basic rhythm of the piece. The true birth of the bass guitar as we know it today, came in 1951 with the creation of the Fender Precision Bass. The bass evolution really started with the introduction of electronics and amplification. Lloyd Loar working for Gibson designed the first electric double bass. The bass used an electro-static pickup, but amplification of bass frequencies was as yet undeveloped, so there was no practical way of hearing the instrument. (ULTIMATE GUITAR TABS, 1) The first prototype was about the size of a cello, and featured a rudimentary pickup, but this was found to be too heavy, and the design was refined to be more like a guitar. This new bass was 42 inches long, solid body, made of black walnut and piano strings and, like the previous, featuring a pickup. ( ULTIMATE GUITAR TABS, 1) Some early examples of attempts to create an electrified bass are creations such as the Vega Electric Bass Viol from the 1930s, the Electrified Double Bass from Regal in 1936, and the Rickenbacker as well from 1936. (Music Gear, Equipment, Tuition & Reviews. , 1) Gibson pushed the evolution another step forward in 1938 with the invention of their Electric Bass Guitar which was still an upright instrument with a hollow body. The Precision Bass in 1951 made it possible for the bass to be easily transported, better heard, as well as being used in any genre of music. Leo Fender had the vision of the bass guitar finding its way into country music, instead it was jazz and jazz musicians who really took the instrument under their wing. The first documented jazz recording was released to the public in 1917. The musical environment of the 1950’s facilitated the creation and application of the instrument. (Schroeder, Dave C. The Evolving Role of the Electric Bass in Jazz: History and Pedagogy. Diss. U of Miami, 2011. Miami: U Of Miami, 2011. The Evolving Role of the Electric Bass in Jazz: History and Pedagogy, 1) The novelty of the bass guitar around the 1950’s attracted most people to come and watch jazz musicians. Bassist Monk Montomgery became one of the first to bring attention to the instrument. Graham, a bassist from the jazz group called Sly and the Family is famous for developing the technique known as right hand slapping. Right hand slapping today is used in jazz to create a sort of “slapping” and “popping” sound. It adds a funky jazzy sound to any piece of music. When playing on the upright bass, slapping is usually used in rockabilly music. Slapping on the bass guitar is usually used in funk, jazz, rock, disco, and many other genres. One well known bassist, Flea, of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers is well known for his slapping technique. He is a bassist known the world over for his talent. Gene Simmons is another well known bassist in the rock genre. There has been a large evolution in rock music to create the many sub genres that exist today. Many of these sub genres still use the four basic components of any good rock and roll. Lead vocals, an electric guitar, a bass guitar, and drums.Some sub genres of rock and roll are; alternative, metal, black metal, acid rock, deathcore, art punk, blues-rock, crust punk, pagan metal, punk rock, neo-psychedelia, wizard rock, and stoner metal; just to name a few. These subgenres have many different components to them. Black metal, for example, is a lot different than crust punk. Black metal is a very heavy type of metal thats lyrics usually have to do with satan or the devil. Crust punk is made up of anarchy punk, hardcore punk, and extreme metal. Punk itself was created in England in the 1980s. There was a punk revolution in the states as well, around this time (1980’s) the underground scene was developed. Underground meaning house shows, which are usually held in someone’s house or basement. Or in an “underground” not very well known club or music venue. Through this, people who were poorer or from a hard family life found an outlet in a scene and music genre that allowed them to meet others, and release the rage everyday life gave to them in a some-what nonviolent way. This is a huge part of punk and metal in general. Even though these genres can sound similar and are from the same ancestor, the two have nothing to do with each other. There are thousands of different combinations of rock, punk, and metal. Rock itself is a direct descendant of blues and jazz. It was heavily influenced by rhythm, which is what the bass’ purpose is in music. Rock and roll is centered around an electric guitar, and electric bass guitar, drums, and a singer. Rock is all about meaning, and a steady 4/4 time signature. The bass’ purpose is to give a steady lead to the rest of the band. The bass player is responsible for linking the chords and rhythm of a song. This is what gives the feel to a song. A song can have a blues feel, a rock feel, a pop feel, etc. The bass is what creates this feeling that the audience receives from the piece of music. Another primary function of the bass is to keep time, or create a pulse to the music. Music is a very important thing in the lives of humans everywhere. It has evolved, as has technology. With the evolution of technology and amplification music has progressed and become what its known as today. Music is expression, and to create this expression you need such things as microphones and instruments. These inventions and instruments have evolved so much over the past hundreds of years. Also, there are many types of music and ways to play the music, change the pitch and sound, create different rhythms etc. There is no one definition of jazz, or one definition of rock. There is currently millions of different songs to listen to and thousands of different ways to do so. The phonograph is a little out of date, but if you're lucky enough to own one, you can listen to records. There are plenty of classic albums, jazz, rock, metal, and punk. Even blues, pop, reggae, rap, hip-hop, etc. There are many different types of instruments to create good music. The guitar, bass guitar, and drums are amongst the most popular for all types of music. Over the past 50 or 60 years, musical technology to create and amplify music has greatly progressed. it’s now easier than ever to record music. Cell phones, tape recorders, and some computers have software that allows people to record their singing/instrument playing and upload it to a website or app that can be shared with anyone in the world. Playing to a crowd has never sounded better. The amplifiers used to make the instruments sound a certain way, and make it loud enough to be heard inside a gigantic stadium. Take the bass, for example. It can be amplified in such a way now without it being lost under all the instruments, or being much too big. The instruments themselves have been modified in a way to give off specific sounds when they're played a certain way. The electric guitar has knobs and pedals you can adjust to give it a specific sort of sound. In conclusion, music has evolved so much since the first song ever written (called Hurrian Hymn number 6) and become something that could be considered the greatest invention of man. Music as we know it began with Edison’s creation of the phonograph in 1877. Ever since then, people have figured out a variety of ways to play their instruments to create music, distribute it, discuss it, and create groups of people who follow the music. There are so many different types of people who like different types of music, but music itself is universal and a part of everyday life. The bass guitar and the electric guitar have furthered music and its genres and subgenres. Without the two instruments, there would be no jazz or rock and roll. Today there exists tons of different options of music and ways to create it. The creation of records, tapes, and cd’s has also given people (especially those who are poorer) a cheap source of entertainment, and an overall inspiration. A certain musical group or genre is enough to start an entire revolution and counter culture. The 1960’s proved that, if the music has a powerful message like that of The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, and Jimmy Hendrix then its enough to start a huge change in the way people see, think, and act. ................
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