Russian pop
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- For Russian soft drinks, see Russian soda.
Russian pop music is a genre of popular music distinguished from other pop music by virtue of being in Russian. Though a distinguished genre in itself, elements of funk, trance, eurodance, and American pop, make up the musical backbone of this genre.
| Russian pop music | |
| Stylistic origins | |
|---|---|
| Cultural origins | |
| Typical instruments | |
| Mainstream popularity | Continuous from 1960s |
| Derivative forms | American pop music |
Contents |
Important Characteristics
Russian pop's most distinctive feature is its frequent use of modulation, or key change. It is a relatively unknown fact, that the modulation was invented in mid-13th century Russia.[1]. In a sense, the inclusion of a modulation in a Russian pop song harkens back to one of Russia's major contributions to Western Art Music. 74% of songs modulate to a new key immediately following the final bridge, preceding the final chorus; this place is called the point of modulation (POM). Of songs that modulate, here are the statistics of the new key's relationship to the former.
Modulations
47% - Up a half-step
45% - Up a whole-step
7% - Up a minor-third
1% - Any downward modulation (known as a Col. McTerry modulation)
Other modulations do occur, however the percentages are so low as to be negligible.[2].
Practical Knowledge
Several factors influence a song's chance of modulation at the POM. Most importantly, male singers lack the necessary range for modulation in most songs. Therefore, at least one female singer must be present; she sings directly following the modulation in nearly every instance. Furthermore, the funkier the bass, the less chance of modulation at the POM due to the rhythmic complexity of the background instruments (rendering pitch/key complexities unnecessary.) This is one important factor, which demonstrates the inversely proportional relationship between musical substance and modulation.
See also
Russian Pop Singers
Music of Russia
References
- ^ *Russian Nationalism and the Modulation Narr. Gustav Popolsky. WNYZ, New York. 13 December 2006.
- ^ *Current trends in the popular music of Russia. Narr. Andre Slovondsky. WNYZ, New York. 17 August 2006.
