Listening Guides

Listening Guide 16.1

Listening Guide 16.2

Listening Guide 16.1
"California Girls" 4 beats per measure

iTune link = California Girls

"California Girls" was recorded in 1965 and marks the fully developed songwriting and production style of Beach Boys member Brian Wilson. It contains all the familiar elements of mature Beach Boys records: cavernous echo, exotic instrumentation, unusual chord changes, and precision vocal work.
    The song begins gently with guitars playing a riff in octaves, saturated with heavy studio reverberation. The electric bass joins in the riff the second time, punctuated by occasional taps on the suspended cymbal. The third time through the riff, the horns enter softly with sustained chords. The intensity of the introductory riff builds when the horns accent the fourth beat of the measure and add more notes to the chords they are playing. The band finally slows the cadence of the introduction and the tune proper begins.
    The tempo of the song is set by the bass and a portable electric organ with two keyboards. One keyboard of the organ plays a bouncing repeated chord, using a bright, percussive timbre. The other keyboard on the organ and the electric bass play a four-note riff, reminiscent of a boogie-woogie bass line. After two measures of the new tempo, the drums and vocals enter. The strong backbeat does not sound like a single drummer playing on a single snare drum, but an army of drummers. The melody of the verse is sung in unison by the first vocal choir. Their sound is midrange and down-to-earth, giving the impression of any group of guys at the beach singing about girls.
    The sparkle is added on the chorus when the second male choir enters. This group sings in full harmony, topped by Wilson 's high, piercing falsetto. Just as this group reaches the word "girls," the first vocal group dovetails over them, repeating the same line. This counterpoint process occurs once more for the third line of this chorus. The vocal overlapping technique is strongly enhanced by Wilson 's harmonic scheme, where each entry of the melodic line is in a different key. Also notice that, in both choirs, the bass singer's melodic line moves quite independently of the other voices, adding to the rich overall texture of the choral sound.
    When the second verse is sung, the unison vocal group (melody) is supported by the falsetto-lead vocal group, singing backup chords on the vowel sound "ooh." On the second line of the melody, the second group adds motion and timbral contrast to the texture by alternating between the vowel sounds "ooh" and "aah." The same procedure is used for the second half of the verse, followed by the second chorus.
    After the second chorus there is a brief interlude that begins with bells and a light, high organ sound playing a slight variation of the boogie bass riff that set the tempo earlier in the song. The bass singer then sings a doo-wop style lead-in to the chorus. The chorus is now modified to create an endless vamp on the melodic line. The harmonic scheme has been altered so that the chorus remains in the same key, facilitating the extended repetition leading to the fade-out. The two groups are now singing at the same time; their lines are much busier but still do not sound cluttered.
    The composition and arrangement by Brian Wilson and the precision performance by the Beach Boys are a fine example of a production that is better than it had to be to put across a song about one's geographic preference for girls. It is a testament to Wilson and the group's artistry that so much intricacy took place without spoiling the surface character of a light, fun-loving song.

Listening Guide 16.2
"Teach Your Children" 2 beats per measure

iTunes link = Teach Your Children

This popular song by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young was recorded on their 1970 album Deja Vu for the Atlantic label. While the group was generally known for their soft rock and acoustic folk sound, "Teach Your Children" has a distinctive country flavor because of the prominent role of the steel guitar. This instrument would also be used in other folk rock bands such as Poco.
     The most distinctive feature of CSN&Y is their soft vocal blend, carefully honed from hours in the studio. The melody was usually the bottom note of the harmony; the upper voices provided a light, pleasing timbre to the overall sound of acoustic rhythm guitar and gentle drums.
     The song is about relationships between the generations. It asks parents to teach their children as best they can but to let them find their own way in the world. In the second verse, children are admonished to respond to their parents, to help them seek the truth in their advancing years so that they may find inner peace before they die.