节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2012-09-06
难易度:Medium
关键字:jug, rhythm, fiddle, whiskey, jug band, washboard, wind instrument
I hope you had a great break.
Welcome back.
Jug band music may not be as famous as its big brother - jazz music.
But there's no question it deserves recognition as its own music genre.
And it deserves recognition for its role in the development of American popular
culture.
For example, jug music influenced rock & roll.
OK. Let's learn more about jug music's history on the left side of page 19.
Jug Bands.
Jug bands have long been a part of the world of jazz and blues music.
African-American musicians created this style of music around the beginning of
the 20th century in Louisville, Kentucky.
Later, jug bands became popular in other river towns like Memphis, Tennessee,
and New Orleans, Louisiana.
Traditional instruments like the guitar and the violin, or "fiddle," were
already popular in southern music.
When musicians discovered they could play musical notes with whiskey jugs, the
jug band was born.
Welcome back, friends.
We're glad you're here studying some southern music with us.
We're looking at jug bands, the homemade instruments that can create some very
interesting and beautiful music.
All right.
Now Kaylah, there's a reason that we say this music comes from the American
South.
And that is because of where it originated, where it started.
It's... jug bands have long been a part of the world of jazz and blues music.
Now jazz and blues music are two different styles but are very similar.
And you can recognize them by their distinct rhythm patterns as well as their
original cord patterns.
It's a very unique and very special sound that we recognize today.
Now this is the base, the root of jug bands as well.
OK. Now Kaylah, we know that this started in the American South.
But when and where exactly did it begin?
Well, African-American musicians created this style of music around the
beginning of the 20th century in Louisville, Kentucky.
Now African-American musicians are also credited with creating a lot of the
original jazz and blues.
So it makes sense that these styles all go together.
Yeah, they're sort of related.
A lot of the same musicians created the same styles of music.
That's right.
Now it started in Louisville, Kentucky.
And Kentucky is one of the southeast United States along with the other towns
that showed up and...
Later, jug bands became popular in other river towns like Memphis, Tennessee,
and New Orleans, Louisiana.
All right.
Now friends, we just said that these are river towns.
And what that means is that these towns are built next to rivers, or there is a
river that runs through them.
And these are important to the towns.
It's not like it's just on the outside of the city.
These are important towns that use the rivers for transportation, for trade, for
entertainment, for food, for living.
So these towns base a lot of their living off of the... the river.
And therefore, a lot of things came through there, just like music.
That's right.
And this was important for the spread of jazz, blues and jug bands because
people on these boats got to experience it and then travel around the country.
Well, let's find out what makes up a jug band.
There are some traditional instruments.
And when we say traditional, we mean that these are things that we recognize as
an actual instrument,
not something that you would have made at home but something you probably would
have to buy.
Right. These are common instruments like the guitar or the violin.
Now we might also call a violin a fiddle.
That's right.
A "fiddle," as Ryan said, is a violin.
But when we say you are fiddling, or using it as a fiddle, it is played
differently.
A violin has long, beautiful sequences of sound.
It's more classical in its sound.
But a fiddle is played differently.
That's right.
Now a guitar, you pluck the strings with your fingers.
And a violin, you have what's called a bow.
And you move that across the strings.
And you would also do that with a fiddle.
Usually when you fiddle, you play a little bit faster.
That's right.
It's a very upbeat and entertaining and very exciting style of playing the
violin.
Now we already... these were already popular in southern music.
So these instruments were already being used.
OK. So when musicians discovered they could play musical notes instead of using
traditional instruments,
they learned they could do that with whiskey jugs, then the jug band was born.
That's right.
Now so musicians discovered, that means probably someone was playing with a jug
and discovered it could make this different sound,
make these different musical pitches and went: Hey, this would be great.
And I already have whiskey jugs laying around, so let's try it.
All right.
Well, "whiskey," friends, is a very dark, strong alcoholic drink.
And so they usually drink it out of these jugs.
And when they finish it, they keep those jugs.
And someone one day discovered you could play musical notes.
Now today, we think of whiskey being served in a bottle, and that is how we do
it now.
But back in olden days, whiskey was served in a very large jug.
And you can see a picture in this article.
It's good to look at so you understand just how large a whiskey jug can be.
And usually it is made of a ceremic or stone material, so it's very heavy.
So it creates some very hollow, very full sounds for this band.
Yeah. And they're pretty big, so you can make a nice loud, deep sound like a...
when you blow into the jug.
And that became very popular.
That's right.
Now we're going to talk more about jug bands.
Maybe you want to start one.
We'll talk about the different instruments, how you can make and play them at
home tomorrow.
But first, we need to visit the Chat Room, and then watch Michelle's Language
Tips.
Hey, Bryan, how was lunch?
Oh, not bad.
Have you eaten yet?
Oh, not yet.
I've been reading this really inspiring story about a woman from a poor family
who later became the president of a successful company.
Oh, neat.
Can I read it after you're done?
Oh, I'm done.
Here you go.
Oh, thanks.
You know, I really admire this woman.
She born two children before she turned 20.
Uh, Ken, you should say she bore two children before she turned 20.
Bore? But isn't the word "born"?
Yes, but that's not how you use it.
Bore, B-O-R-E, is the past tense of bear.
To bear a child means to give birth to a child.
Oh. So that's why we should say she bore two children before she turned 20.
Right. But it's better to say she gave birth to two children before she turned
20.
It's much clearer.
Oh, to give birth. Got it.
So how do I use "born"?
You use it in the passive.
The passive?
So I should say the two children were born by their mother?
No, not quite.
You use the passive but leave out the "by." The two children were born before
their mother turned 20.
Oh, OK.
And the tense should be?
Past tense.
You should always use past tense with the word born.
Well, thanks for the English lesson.
You bet.
And thanks for the recommended reading.
Sure.
(Chinese).
Hi, everyone. I'm Michelle.
(Chinese).
And time really flies.
Don't forget to come back tomorrow.
I'll see you then.
Bye-bye.
Thanks again, Michelle.
We appreciate that.
Without a doubt, the ability to coax fun and infectious songs out of homemade
instruments like washtubs,
washboards, broom handles, spoons and jugs is creativity at its best.
You know, using non-musical things to create music isn't as unusual as you might
think.
Remember Tchaikovsky's famous Overture of 1812?
It calls for real cannons that fire.
And what about hip-hop scratching technique?
Just a descendant of the jug band washboard, if you ask me.
OK, everyone, please join us for another slice of American culture, the jug
band, tomorrow.
Until then, take care.