LINK: MUSICAL FORM AND THE FAB FOUR

From the time they burst onto the musical scene in Britain in 1962 to their breakup eight years later, the Beatles forged a musical path that was transformational in sound, style, instrumentation and form. This course will focus on examining the details of two elements of their musical style: formal structure and instrumentation. The exploration of the Beatles' catalog will include repertoire form their earliest works through their mature output. Our in-depth study will combine elements of listening and musical analysis to examine and dissect their individual compositions. This examination will lead to an identification, deconstruction and ultimate diagram of the song's musical elements (melodic and rhythmic motifs, instrumentation, phrasing, repeated and diverse sections, etc.) to determine and name a song's specific musical form. Repertoire will come from all thirteen of the Beatles' released albums between 1963-1970, plus the Past Masters Collection released in 1988. Through these musical methodologies, FA 2688 will present elements of conscious critical listening, musical theory, and formal analysis to contribute to the student's understanding of the structure of each of the musical compositions studied. Prerequisite: EN 125 or EN 1250 or equivalent. Corequisite: EN 2850.