In our investigation into song forms we’ve seen how forms can introduce elements of repetition and contrast to your songs. For example, many popular songs use a verse and a chorus or refrain - two sections which are repeated but that also contrast with each other.
In this video, Adam is joined by Graham McElearney and Aziz Rissasy to perform a Congolese song Chamounde. This song uses a great deal of repetition, with the line “Chamunde, Waso muchisanga batukeba ndalu chimpande” repeated throughout. The only contrast occurs when we get a new melodic shape and melodic rhythm introduced for the middle section (listen out for “Maman Abertina eh mama”). Although the change here is subtle, it does introduce a sense of tension which is only resolved when we return to this central, repeating idea. This is a much subtler demonstration of how contrast and repetition can be used in your songs.
The values of contrast and repetition often play a central part in commercial popular songs - new sections are introduced where the shape of the melody, chords and other elements differ from the way they were used in the previous section. In other musical cultures and styles, however, a model of ‘varied repetition’ is used where we might see less harmonic change and sectional contrast. Instead, interest is placed on changes to texture, melody, instrumentation and rhythm rather than harmony or melodic shape.
In the song Laidu by the Malian singer and songwriter Rokia Traore the chords remain very stable throughout the entire song and provide a simple riff from the accompaniment over which the singer sings similar but slightly varied versions of the main melody. There is no obvious contrast of sections and a more hypnotic, meditative style emerges where the interest of the listener shifts to ways in which varied repetition is created and maintained more than how significant contrast is introduced.
…Read more
Less…