The AQA strands
- Blues music from 1920 to 1950.
- Fusion music incorporating African and/or Caribbean music.
- Contemporary Latin music.
- Contemporary folk music of the British Isles.
Blues and African and Caribbean music
- Blues grew from African American work songs and spirituals. It uses the 12-bar blues (chords I, IV and V), blue notes (flattened third, fifth and seventh), call and response, and swing rhythms.
- African music features polyrhythms (several rhythms layered), drums such as the djembe, call and response singing, and repetition.
- Caribbean music includes reggae (off-beat "skank" chords, prominent bass), calypso and steel pans.
- Fusion music combines styles, such as African rhythms with Western pop.
Latin and folk music
- Latin music includes salsa, samba, bossa nova and tango, with syncopated rhythms, clave patterns, and percussion such as congas, bongos and timbales.
- Folk music of the British Isles was passed on by ear. Features include modal melodies, drones, simple accompaniment, and instruments such as fiddle, accordion, tin whistle and bagpipes.
- Many folk songs are strophic and tell stories. Guernsey has its own traditional songs, some in Guernésiais, the island's language.
Key terms
- Blue note
- A flattened note (third, fifth or seventh) used in blues.
- Polyrhythm
- Several different rhythms played at once.
- Clave
- A key repeating rhythm pattern in Latin music.
- Reggae
- A Jamaican style with off-beat chords and prominent bass.
- Fusion
- Music that combines different styles.
- Folk music
- Traditional music passed on by ear.
- Djembe
- A West African hand drum.