One-ton stone: how rock 'n' roll became heaviness: how rock 'n' roll became heavy

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5965/2525530408022023e0103

Keywords:

heaviness, heavy music, rock, electric guitar, saturation

Abstract

The present article presents a bibliographical research, within the field of study of musical genres, about the development of what is conventionally called “heaviness” sound over approximately seven decades of rock history, which in its origin did not have such a characteristic of sound aesthetics – although there were already its beginnings, with the saturation caused by the use of high amplitude in low-power amplifiers in the late 1940s and early 1950s – but which gradually became evident over time, becoming a constant concern of many musicians or even a defining feature of several rock subgenres.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Leonardo Porto Passos, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Professor at the Cinema and Audiovisual graduation course at Unimep. Master and doctoral candidate in Music from the Institute of Arts of the State University of Campinas (IA-Unicamp). Postgraduate student in Didactic-Pedagogical Processes for Distance Learning Courses at Univesp. Postgraduate in Training of Writers by the Instituto Vera Cruz (2013). Graduated in Letters by Unip (2008). Nics Researcher. Member of the C4 and Genecine research groups. Research in the areas of musical composition, sound design (sound design), soundtrack, sound communication for games (game audio), game design and development, ludology (game studies), audio programming, computational music, musical cognition, processing of audio signal (ASP), accessibility, musical genres, sonology (study of sound), systematic musicology, ethnomusicology and narratology. He works professionally as a composer, sound designer, audio programmer and narrative designer (screenwriter). Electric guitar player. Amateur programmer. Brazilian, married, born in 1978. https://www.leoportopassos.com.br/

Manuel Silveira Falleiros, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Nucleus of Sound Communication at Unicamp - NICS/Unicamp. Permanent Professor of the Graduate Program in Music at I.A./UNICAMP. Career researcher PQ-UNICAMP, CIDDIC/COCEN. Composer, improviser, saxophonist. Develops research in musical improvisation, contemporary musical practices, analysis of improvised music, creativity and creative processes. Coordinates the group Contemporary Improvisation, Creative Processes and Musical Cognition dgp.cnpq.br/dgp/espelhogrupo/5225053539670789. He directs the experimental music group Coletivo Improvisado. manufalleiros.com

References

BERGER, Harris M. Metal, Rock, and Jazz: perception and phenomenology of musical experience. Hanover: Wesleyan University Press, 1999.

BERGER, Harris M.; FALES, Cornelia. “Heaviness” in the Perception of Heavy Metal Guitar Timbres: the match of perceptual and acoustic features over time. In: GREEN, Paul D.; PORCELLO, Thomas. Wired for Sound: engineering and technologies in sonic cultures. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2005. p. 181-197.

BIG Muff Pi. Electro-Harmonix, New York, [s.d.]. Disponível em: <https://www.ehx.com/products/big-muff-pi/>. Acesso em: 25 maio 2023.

CHACON, Paulo. O Que é Rock. 5. ed. São Paulo: Brasiliense, 1989. 80p. (Coleção Primeiros Passos 68).

COVACH, John. History of Rock, Part 1. Online course. Rochester: University of Rochester; Mountain View: Coursera, 2014. Disponível em: <http://www.coursera.org/learn/history-of-rock>. Acesso em: 25 maio 2023.

COVACH, John; FLORY, Andrew. What’s That Sound?: an introduction to rock and its history. 5 ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2018.

FALCÃO, Marcos. Efeitos para Guitarra e Outros Instrumentos. 2. ed. Rio de Janeiro: ed. do autor, 2022a. v. 1.

FALCÃO, Marcos. Guitarra, Efeitos e Rock & Roll. In: ALMICO, Rita et al. Rock: o livro. São Paulo: Hucitec, 2022b. p. 294-307.

FRIEDLANDER, Paul. Rock and Roll: a social history. 2 ed. New York; Abingdon: Routledge, 2018.

GRACYK, Theodore. Rhythm and Noise: an aesthetics of rock. Durham; London: Duke University Press, 1996.

HAGEN, Ross. Musical Style, Ideology, and Mythology in Norwegian Black Metal. In: WALLACH, Jeremy; BERGER, Harris M.; GREENE, Paul D. Metal Rules the Globe: heavy metal music around the world. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2011. p. 180-199. DOI: 10.1515/9780822392835-008.

HARPER, Adam. Oxford, 2014. 439 f. Lo-Fi Aesthetics in Popular Music Discourse. Thesis (DPhil in Musicology) – Wadham College, University of Oxford

HERBST, Jan-Peter. Distortion and Rock Guitar Harmony: the influence of distortion level and structural complexity on acoustic features and perceived pleasantness of guitar chords. Music Perception, Oakland: University of California Press, v. 36, n. 4, p. 335-352, 2019. DOI: 10.1525/mp.2019.36.4.335.

HERBST, Jan-Peter. Heaviness and the Electric Guitar: considering the interaction between distortion and harmonic structures. Metal Music Studies, Bristol: Intellect, v. 4, n. 1, p. 95-113, 2018. DOI: 10.1386/mms.4.1.95_1.

HERBST, Jan-Peter. Historical Development, Sound Aesthetics and Production Techniques of the Distorted Electric Guitar in Metal Music. Metal Music Studies, Bristol: Intellect, v. 3, n. 1, p. 23-46, 2017a. DOI: 10.1386/mms.3.1.23_1.

HERBST, Jan-Peter. Shredding, tapping and sweeping: effects of guitar distortion on playability and expressiveness in rock and metal solos. Metal Music Studies, Bristol: Intellect, v. 3, n. 2, p. 231-250, 2017b. DOI: 10.1386/mms.3.2.231_1.

HERBST, Jan-Peter; MYNETT, Mark. Toward a Systematic Understanding of ‘Heaviness’ in Metal Music Production. Rock Music Studies, London: Routledge, v. 10, n. 1, p. 16-37, 2022a. DOI: 10.1080/19401159.2022.2109358.

HERBST, Jan-Peter; MYNETT, Mark. What is ‘Heavy’ in Metal? A netnographic analysis of online forums for metal musicians and producers. Popular Music and Society, London: Routledge, v. 45, n. 5, p. 633-653, 2022b. DOI: 10.1080/03007766.2022.2114155.

HOUAISS, Antonio (Instituto). Houaiss Eletrônico. Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, 2009. Versão 3.0. CD-ROM.

JOUAUD, Loick. The History of the Big Muff Over Time. Anasounds.com, Nice (FR), 8 Jun. 2022. Disponível em: <https://anasounds.com/big-muff-history/>. Acesso em: 25 maio 2023.

JUCHNIEWICZ, Jay; SILVERMAN, Michael J. The influences of progression type and distortion on the perception of terminal power chords. Psychology of Music, Thousand Oaks: Sage, v. 41, n. 1, p. 119-130, Jan. 2013. DOI: 10.1177/0305735611422506.

LILJA, Esa. Dealing with the 3rd: anatomy of distorted chords and subsequent compositional features of classic heavy metal. In: MODERN HEAVY METAL: Markets, Practices and Cultures – International Academic Research Conference, 2015, Helsinki.

Proceedings... Helsinki: Aalto University; Turku: International Institute for Popular Culture, 2015, p. 393-403.

LUIZ, Gisele Cristina. O Rock e a Invenção da Juventude. In: ALMICO, Rita et al. Rock: o livro. São Paulo: Hucitec, 2022. p. 28-40.

LUX, Michael; ORKIN, Daniel. The Pedal Movie. Direção e roteiro: Michael Lux e Daniel Orkin. Produção: Reverb.com. Chicago: Reverb.com, 2021. Vídeo online (142 min.). Disponível em: <https://reverb.com/page/the-pedal-movie>. Acesso em: 24 maio 2023.

MCDONALD, Chris. Exploring modal subversions in alternative music. Popular Music, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, v. 19, n. 3, p. 355-363, Oct. 2000. DOI: 10.1017/S0261143000000210.

MOORES, J. R. Electric Wizards: a tapestry of heavy music: 1968 to the present. London: Reaktion Books, 2021.

MUGNAINI JR., Ayrton. O Rock Antes do Rock. In: ALMICO, Rita et al. Rock: o livro. São Paulo: Hucitec, 2022. p. 21-25.

MYNETT, Mark. Achieving Intelligibility Whilst Maintaining Heaviness When Producing Contemporary Metal Music. Journal on the Art of Record Production, Association for the Study of the Art of Record Production, n. 6, n.p., 2012. Disponível em: <http://www.arpjournal.com/asarpwp/achieving-intelligibility-whilst-maintaining-heaviness-when-producing-contemporary-metal-music/>. Acesso em: 25 maio 2023.

MYNETT, Mark. Contemporary metal music production. Huddersfield, 2013. 311 f. Tese (PhD in Engineering and Technology) – School of Computing and Engineering, University of Huddersfield.

MYNETT, Mark. Heaviness in Three Dimensions: the use of sonic space in contemporary metal music production. In: ZAGORSKI-THOMAS, Simon et al. The Art of Record Production. 2. ed. London: Routledge, 2019. p. 66-79.

MYNETT, Mark. Metal Music Manual: producing, engineering, mixing and mastering contemporary heavy music. New York: Routledge, 2017.

NEMEROFF, Ben. Lead vs. rhythm guitar: what’s the difference? Fender, Los Angeles, [s.d.]. Disponível em: <https://www.fender.com/articles/instruments/lead-vs-rhythm-guitar>. Acesso em: 23 ago. 2023.

RAE, Kit. Big Muff π Page, July 2012. Muff Guts: the Big Muff circuit, wiring diagrams, schematics, replacement parts. Disponível em: <http://www.kitrae.net/music/big_muff_guts.html>. Acesso em: 25 maio 2023.

RAE, Kit. Big Muff π Page, March 2020. The Big Muff π: a history of all versions: part 1. Version 1: The Triangle Big Muff (1969-1973). Disponível em: <http://www.kitrae.net/music/big_muff_history.html#TriangleBigMuff>. Acesso em: 25 maio 2023.

REYES, Ian. Blacker than Death: recollecting the ‘black turn’ in metal aesthetics. Journal of Popular Music Studies, Hoboken: Wiley, v. 25, n. 2, p. 240-257, 2013. DOI: 10.1111/jpms.12026.

ROCK and roll. In: Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2023. Disponível em: <https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/rock-and-roll>. Acesso em: 22 maio 2023.

SIMPSON, Dave. How We Made You Really Got Me. The Guardian, London, 10 Jun. 2013. Disponível em: <https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jun/10/how-we-made-you-really-got-me>. Acesso em: 26 maio 2023.

SMALLEY, Denis; GRAS, Germán E.; ARAGÃO, Thaís A. Espectromorfologia e processos de estruturação. Revista Vórtex, [S. l.], v. 9, n. 1, p. 19, 2021. DOI: 10.33871/23179937.2021.9.1.19. Disponível em: <https://periodicos.unespar.edu.br/index.php/vortex/article/view/4302>. Acesso em: 25 ago. 2023.

TOLINSKI, Brad; DI PERNA, Alan. Play It Loud: an epic history of the style, and revolution of the electric guitar. New York: Anchor Books, 2017.

TRASH THEORY. Before Black Sabbath: how psychedelic rock became metal. YouTube, 13 fev. 2020. Disponível em: <https://youtu.be/Cuc0V_FRGNE>. Acesso em: 28 maio 2023.

WALLACH, Jeremy; BERGER, Harris M.; GREENE, Paul D. Affective Overdrive, Scene Dynamics, and Identity in the Global Metal Scene. In: WALLACH, Jeremy; BERGER, Harris M.; GREENE, Paul

D. Metal Rules the Globe: heavy metal music around the world. Durham: Duke University Press, 2012. p. 3-33. DOI: 10.1215/9780822392835-001.

WALSER, Robert. Running With the Devil: power, gender, and madness in heavy metal music. 5. ed. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2014.

WEINSTEIN, Deena. Heavy Metal: the music and its culture. Ed. revis. Boston: Da Capo Press, 2000.

WHITE, Glenn D.; LOUIE, Gary J. The Audio Dictionary. 3. ed. rev. and exp. Seattle; London: University of Washington Press, 2005.

WILLIAMS, Duncan. Tracking timbral changes in metal productions from 1990 to 2013. Metal Music Studies, Bristol: Intellect, v. 1, n. 1, p. 39-68, 2015. DOI: 10.1386/mms.1.1.39_1.

Published

2023-09-08

How to Cite

PASSOS, Leonardo Porto; FALLEIROS, Manuel Silveira. One-ton stone: how rock ’n’ roll became heaviness: how rock ’n’ roll became heavy. Orfeu, Florianópolis, v. 8, n. 2, p. e0103, 2023. DOI: 10.5965/2525530408022023e0103. Disponível em: https://revistas.udesc.br/index.php/orfeu/article/view/24006. Acesso em: 23 nov. 2024.