Sonority and Production Techniques
The vocabulary of sound in popular music: what sonority means, the timbres of voices like falsetto and belt, guitar techniques like the palm mute, and effects like distortion.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
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The sound of pop music
Sonority means the timbre, or quality and character, of a sound. In popular music, different instruments, voices, techniques and effects each create their own sonority. This module teaches the vocabulary for describing them, from vocal timbres like falsetto to guitar effects like distortion.
Words for sound
Learn these four terms before you describe the sound of a song.
Voices and guitars
Singers and guitarists each have their own techniques.
Name it, then say its effect
To reach the top grades, name the exact technique and describe its effect on the sound, for example distortion giving a fuzzy, aggressive tone, rather than just saying the guitar sounds different.
Match the vocal timbre
- falsetto
- belt
- rap
- scat singing
- a male voice singing very high
- a loud, powerful singing voice
- rhythmic spoken words in time to a beat
- singing nonsense syllables like an instrument
Match the technique or effect
- palm mute
- pitch bend
- distortion
- double-tracking
- resting the hand on the strings for a muffled sound
- bending a note up or down in pitch
- a fuzzy, overdriven guitar sound
- recording a part twice for a fuller sound
What is sonority?
What does sonority mean?
- The quality or character of a sound, its timbre.
- The speed of the music.
- The loudness of the music.
- How many layers of sound there are.
Vocal timbres
Select the TWO vocal timbres.
- Falsetto.
- Scat singing.
- Palm mute.
- Distortion.
Order the guitar sound
Put the steps in order to build up a recorded guitar sound.
- A guitarist plays an electric guitar
- Distortion is added for a fuzzy sound
- The sound is amplified to make it louder
- The part is double-tracked for a fuller sound
Sonority and the studio
In popular music, _____ means the quality of a sound. A male voice singing very high is called _____. On a guitar, resting the hand on the strings gives a muffled sound called a palm _____. A fuzzy, overdriven guitar sound is called _____. Recording a part twice for a fuller sound is called _____-tracking.
Count the timbres
How many vocal timbres are named here: falsetto, belt, rap and scat singing?
Spot the two guitar techniques
Tap the TWO guitar techniques.
- palm mute
- pitch bend
- falsetto
- belt
- rap
Voice, guitar or effect?
Decide whether each is a vocal timbre, a guitar technique, or an effect.
- A singer sings nonsense syllables like an instrument
- A player rests a hand on the strings for a muffled sound
- A fuzzy, overdriven sound is added to the guitar
Describe the sonority
Describe the sonority of a popular song you know. Name the instruments and voices you can hear, and any techniques or effects such as distortion or falsetto.
- Name the instruments and voices
- Describe a vocal timbre or guitar technique
- Name an effect and the sound it makes