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 = Questions =

What kind of effect does African-American music have on modern music?

What makes one type of music different from another type?


 * African American culture has influenced music in our society in a number of ways. Rock is one example of that influences. R&B which had a big effect on Rock was improvised to make what Rock is today.There are many genres in Rock including Pop rock, Hard Rock, Progressive, and just plain ol' Rock and Roll. But not all of them sound the same because their from the same music genre. One example of the difference of these sub-genres is Progressive Rock, it takes in elements from Jazz and Classical music in it's rhythm, while Pop rock uses light lyrics and has usually guitar based songs (See "Game of love" below). Elements like call and response, syncopation, and polyrhythm are very important elements in music. These elements are the ones that can help us make connections from modern music to ancient African music.**

= Music Samples =  media type="file" key="michelle branch & carlos santana - the game of love.mp3" width="240" height="20" "Game of Love" Carlos Santana feat. Michell Branch Pop Rock September 17, 2002


 * "Game of love" is a song with a good example of a non-verbal response when thinking of the Call and Response element in music. In the chorus after Michell sings a line, Santana's responds to her with his guitar. The call and response in this song makes both the sub-genre and song unique. It also makes a good connection to African music because of the old style Call and Response in not only tribal music but in other cultural songs in their experiences.**

media type="file" key="14 SEVEN RINGS IN HAND.mp3" width="240" height="20" "7 rings in Hand" Arrangement and Music: Rumblebee Vocals By: Steve Conte Hard/Progressive Rock March 17, 2007 
 * Syncopation is something really noticeable in this song. "7 rings in hand" uses a lot of the guitar element and stresses a lot of unstressed beats. Which makes it a good example of syncopation. In the beginning of the song and in between many lines, instead of having a steady beat, the guitar stresses the beats and makes a strong harmony what could have been a normal or weak beat. **

media type="file" key="beatles - hey jude.mp3" width="240" height="20"  "Hey Jude" The Beatles Rock August 26, 1968


 * "Hey Jude" has a steady beat and you could hear a lot of polyrhythm. Through out the song you can hear two rhythms playing at the same time. For example, you can hear the guitar and piano play similar beats, but the tambourine has a different beat than the rest of the instruments. This song relates to African American culture because in many tribal dances they have many drums that play different beats while the people dance. This gives a song more of dancing feel, even if it's just tapping the floor with your shoe.**

Closing Comments

 * Modern day music has been influenced greatly by African American culture. African American culture has different beats and rhythms which are improvised to make different styles of music like rock. Elements like syncopation, polyrhythm, and call and response are passed down from song to song and music will always be an improvisation of the original African American music.**

= Bibliography = "Hey Jude by The Beatles Songfacts." Song Meanings at Songfacts. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2010. .

"Santana: Game of Love featuring Michelle Branch." Santana: Songs, Albums, History, Gear, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2010. .

"Seven Rings in Hand (song)." Sonic Retro. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 May 2010. .