Pop Ballads
A Brief History
Ballads have been around for a very long time, dating back to the 15th century! Originally, ballads were quite long and were used to tell a story. Modern Pop Ballads are also used to tell a story and the lyrics are very important and meaningful. Press play on the YouTube video to hear an example of a Pop ballad. What do you notice about the tempo and the instrumentation used? Can you hear how the texture changes in the second chorus (listen to the backing vocals). Do you know the correct musical terms for describing how the texture changes?
Suitable Decade
1970s, 1980s and 1990s
Ballads have been around for a VERY long time, dating all the way back to the 15th century! They are also still around today; there are many current Pop artists who perform Ballads. However, the OCR GCSE Music exam focuses on Ballads from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. TOP TIP: If you are asked to identify a suitable decade, you only need to put one of these decades, not all three!
Typical Features of Pop Ballads
A typical Pop Ballad will contain the following features. Remember this in case you asked to list typical features of a Pop Ballad in your exam.
Sentimental / Romantic Lyrics
This is REALLY important! Pop Ballads are usually love songs! And when they aren't written about love and relationships, the lyrics are still sentimental. This is an important feature of a Pop Ballad and it should be an answer you give if you are asked to list features of a Pop Ballad.
The Lyrics Tell a Story
Just like really early Ballads from the 15th century, the lyrics of a Pop Ballad tell a story. If you are asked to list typical features of a Pop Ballads, saying they have sentimental lyrics could get you a mark. Saying the lyrics tell a s tory could get you a second mark.
Verse and Chorus Structure
As with most types of Pop music, Ballads will typically have a Verse and Chorus structure. If you are asked to comment on the structure of a song (any Pop song, not just a ballad) and it has a Verse and Chorus structure, it is worth commenting on the fact the chorus is repeated.
Slow Tempo
Ballads are sentimental and meaningful. They typically have a slow tempo as this helps portray the right feeling, mood and emotions the lyrics are singing about.
Straight Rhythm
Pop Ballads typically use a straight rhythm. Click here to listen to a straight beat vs a swung beat. TOP TIP: Rock n Roll music is the only type of pop music in the exam that uses a swung rhythm.
4 Beats in a Bar
Rock music uses a 4/4 time signature, meaning there are 4 beats in every bar. This is not unique to Rock music; the majority of Pop Music will use a 4/4 time signature.
Legato notes
Legato is a type of articulation. Articulation refers to how notes are being played by an instrument or a group of instruments. Legato means that notes are played smoothly; the notes blend into one another.
Suitable Artists
LOTS of artists performed Pop Ballads in the 70s, 80s and 90s. You will NEVER be asked to name the artist playing the extract in the exam - this would mean learning every artist who performed a Ballad and the songs they performed!
Instead, you will be asked to identify a suitable artist. However, there were both male and female artists from the 70s, 80s and 90s who performed Ballads. So for Pop Ballads you need to remember one male artist and one female artist.
Remember these Pop Ballad artists...
Male - Elton John
Female - Whitney Houston
If you are asked to identify a suitable artist for a Pop Ballad and you put one of these artists (or any other Pop Ballad artist from the 1970s, 1980s or 1990s), you will get the mark no matter who is performing the extract of music in the exam. BUT, you must get the gender correct - you will not get a mark if you put a female artist and it is male artist singing in the extract. Like wise, if you put a current day artist (like Adele or Ed Sheeran) you will not get a mark because although these artist perform Ballads they are not from the 70s, 80s or 90s.
Instruments Used
Differnet styles of Popular Music will use similar instrumentation. A typical Pop Ballad would usually use the following instruments...
Drum kit
Bass guitar (electric)
Electric Guitar (distorted)
Vocals (and backing vocals)
Piano
Synthesizer
Other instruments sometimes included...
Synthesizer (basically a keyboard, but use the word synthesizer)
String section (e.g. violins and cellos)
Brass section (e.g. trumpets and trombones)
Wind section (e.g. saxophones and oboes)
Instrument Techniques
Piano
The piano will typically play a big part in a Pop Ballad. If you hear a Piano, there is a good chsance it will be playing chords. There a few different ways a Piano player can play chords on a Piano. These two technoques are good to remember...
Block chords - when all the notes of a chord are played together at the same time.
Broken chords - when the notes of a chord are seperated and played individaully.
Click here to hear an example of block and broken chords.
Guitar
If there is a guitar solo, the techniques will be the same as those you learnt when looking at Rock n Roll and Rock music. The only difference is the guitar solo in a Pop Ballad will not be improvised.
A guitar can also play block and broken chords, but we use slightly different language.
On guitar we play block chords by strumming. This means we strum the strings on the guitar.
To play broken chords on a guitar we use a technique called picking, where we pick the individual notes of a chord on the guitar.
Technology
As music grew and developed into new styles and genres so did technology. Advancements in technlogy meant that musical artists could become more experimental. If you are asked to identify how trechnology has been used in a Rock song, the following answers will get you a mark.
TOP TIP: you will not be asked to explain what these forms of music technology are. If you are asked to list how technology has been used single worded answers for this type of question are perfectly fine.
Amplification
Electric instruments are nothing without an amplifier! Electric guitars and basses plug into an amplifier; this is how we hear them!
Distortion (if heard in the Pop Ballad extract)
We have already spoken about this. It is an effect applied to electric guitars. It gives them the Rock sound. Some Pop Ballads are influenced by Rock music; this type of Ballad will use distorted guitar. do not confuse it with a Rock song - Ballads are much slower than Rock songs.
Reverb
This is like an echo. It is usually used on guitars and vocals.
Delay
This is a type of effect, usually used on guitars and vocals. The delay effect will reproduce something you say into a microphone or play on the guitar. The band U2 use a lot of delay on the guitar riffs they use. Click here to find out more about reverb and delay and what they sound like.
Multitracking
This is a recording technique. It allows you to record something, rewind back to the start and then record something else alongside the first thing you recorded. This technique is used to create multiple layers in a song. Have you you ever listened to a band with just one guitarist or one singer but the song has lots of backing singing and multiple guitar lines and wondered how they did it? The answer is multitracking! Click here to find out more about multitracking.
Pop Ballad Singing
The lyrics of a Pop Ballad are VERY IMPORTANT. A Ballad is all about the story; the lyrics tell the story while the instrument accompany the vocalist.
The singing in a Pop Ballad is usually of quite a high standard. Singers will use the same techniques as other styles of Pop music but more exaggerated!
Falsetto - Using head voice to reach a higher pitch. Click here to hear it.
Glissando - Sliding from one note to another note. Click here to hear it.
Melisma - Stretching a word or syllable over multiple notes. Click here to hear it.
Narrow range of notes - This is typical of a Pop song. A ballad might use a wider range - use your ears before putting this as an answer.
Powerful singing - Ballads are normally performed by powerful singers with strong voices.
TOP TIP: Try to only comment on the vocal techniques you hear in the extract. For example, only put falsetto if you hear falsetto being used. Do not put shouting or rough if the singer does not have this vocal tone.
If there is more than one singer, you could comment on the following...
Singing in unison (multiple singers singing the same thing at the same pitch).
Singing in harmony (multiple singers singing the same thing but using different pitches/notes).
Further Listening
The YouTube videos below are good examples of Pop Ballads. Can you hear any of the features we have spoken about above?