Monday, April 15, 2013

Journal #10 (Rhetorical analysis)


Jimi Hendrix is best known for his contributions to hard rock and blues rock music. Jimi Hendrix, in his album, uses an electric guitar that has light undertones in some parts and is very evident in others. The electric guitar, as well as other instruments such as a light bluesy drum set and base, also contributes to the sound of what we think of as blues. While he is singing, words, they are not easily understood in my opinion, but it is more about the sound of the music that contributes to the blues and his genre. The swinging, mellow, sound that accompanies most of his songs in this album is what makes it sound like the blues.

The Avett Brothers’ are more of folk type music. I have never heard of them before, but I really enjoyed listening to this album! The piano, drum set, banjo, violin, and clear voices all contributed to the overall impression and feeling of the music. The lyrics were very emotional and told a story. I enjoyed the harmony of the voices and appreciated the meaningful, genuine and soothing sound that they produced. All these things showed characteristics of the blues. The banjo, as we learned in class, has quite an extensive history. It was an African instrument that was first used to help express the emotions and feelings of the African American culture. The banjo was then brought to the stage where it was a main instrument of minstrel entertainment. The minstrel shows were first started out as a way to tell a story and it soon turned to a mockery of African Americans. It then became an instrument that was used to make revenue and was used for profit purposes.

The pitch and tone of the singing was varied as well as the rhythms that were in the songs. I really liked their song “Live and Die” the best because I think it highlighted all the main points of what we are analyzing. Between the lyrics, banjo, sound, and rhythms, this song varies and truly encompasses every aspect. It is a great representation.

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