Examine Electronic Textures

Introduction

Electronic music has many sounds: the eerie voice-like quality of the 1920s theremin; the electrifying guitar solos of 1960s superstar Jimi Hendrix; and the gritty digital distortion heard in contemporary music.

This activity provides an opportunity to explore some colorful electronic sounds and add them to a dramatic rock story. In particular, you will work with musical textures. In music, texture refers to the way melody and harmony combine to create layers of sound.

In this project, you will:

• Examine dramatic changes in musical textures within a song.
• Examine a variety of electronic textures.
• Integrate electronic textures into a rock tune.
• Create music in one of the following ways: write and sing original lyrics; experiment with vocal techniques; improvise and perform melodic and percussion instrumental parts.

Before you begin the activity, learn about the evolution of electronic music.

Print the worksheet before you begin.

Now continue to Section 1.