On the Aesthetics of Rock Music

Author(s): Ladislav Račić

Source: International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music , Dec., 1981, Vol.
12, No. 2 (Dec., 1981), pp. 199-202
Published by: Croatian Musicological Society

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/836562

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DISCUSSIONS, IRASM, 12 (1981), 2, 181-202 199

ON THE AESTHETICS OF ROCK MUSIC

In recent days much has been written about rock mu

and amateurish manner. We are informed about the very phenomenon
by much information treated mainly unsystematically; if treated in a more
systematic way, then usually on the basis of a positive or negative attitude
towards the phenomenon. On the other hand, scores, texts, records and
other forms of recording are broadly distributed in society. Electro-acoustic
devices for the reproduction and the recording of sound, as well as the
techniques of recording, have reached a high level of quality and appli-
cation. One could even get the impression that there is no need at all to
write about this vivid and wide-spread musical genre - important to some,
insignificant to others - in a scientific way. However, the dimensions of
the social presence of rock music and its musical novelty and vitality prompt
us to try to situate this form of musical communication in today's musical
and social reality.
The problem with considerations of rock music has been that they
are more sociological than aesthetic in character. All the studies have stop-
ped at the text and at some external, generally accepted characteristics of
music in relation to the reactions of the recipients. It happened thus that
the notion of youth music took deep roots, although the first rock musicians
are now in their forties and still occupy themselves more or less actively
with rock music. Besides this, the analysis of the text was the most simple
way of penetrating the phenomenon of rock music and of establishing
criteria for its evaluation, as well as of an easier understanding of the re-
lation between work (if this concept fits into this category) and recipient.
There have also been attempts to explain rock music by all kinds of atti-
tudes and feelings belonging to a certain social stratum and its possibilities
were consciously reduqed to expression. However, the music itself -
deprived of the text - expresses a very small number of concepts, so that
according to such a position of musical expressiveness it would be difficult
to explain the wide range of (often contradictory) feelings connected with
the sound of an electric guitar. Above all, rock music includes a whole
range of compositions within the frame of which it is not possible to gen-
eralize easily.
In order to approach the aesthetic analysis of rock music, it is necessary
to touch upon the question of progress in music. This is, in fact, the aspect
from which critiques are most often made, reproaching this cultural phe-
nomenon for, through its musical characteristics, turning back to old-
-fashioned forms of expression, exhausted long ago and rejected as such.
The concept of progress must be divided into the technical one, comprising
the development of technical procedures and means used, and the artistic
one, by which the progress of the aesthetic value of a piece of music is
understood.1 We have to agree with the existence of technical progress in
1 Ivan SUPICIC, Estetika evropske glazbe (Aesthetics of European Music), Yu-
goslav Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb 1978, p. 188.

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200 DISCUSSIONS, IRASM, 12 (1981), 2, 181-202

music, because even a superficial analysis of compositions in a histo

perspective gives evidence of a permanent changing and introducing
new artistic procedures. On the contrary, it seems that there is no
in the artistic qualities of music. It can be observed within only a
stylistic period or the >>opus<< of a certain composer. Our intention
explain that rock music includes some elements of technical progr
that in works in some styles and the compositions of certain author
are often performers too - new artistic values can be found, althou
musicians never ask if a composition is aesthetically valuable, but if it
sounds good.
The sound of rock music is based on specific instruments which repre-
sent a partial revolution concerning traditional sound sources. Almost all
instruments use, directly or indirectly, electro-acoustical devices which
give that characteristic sound colour without which there exists no authen-
tic rock composition. Electric guitars most often use the sound modified
electronically, assuming the cantability of Carlos Santana's guitar or Jimi
Hendrix's robustness of improvisation.
A very important characteristic of rock music is the permanent pres-
ence of metre (most often of a dance-like type), in principle realized by
the drummer and bass-guitarist and with the possible help of the rhythm-
-guitarist and the pianist. The rhythm of the leading melody is strongly
opposed to the metre, so that in some styles of rock music (funky, ska, jazz-
-rock, etc.) we can find very interesting and inventive rhythmical-contra-
puntal solutions. In this way the rhythmic tension of the musical flow is
obtained, which is also a characteristic of this phenomenon.
Enrico Fubini has shown very clearly that a major chord has a com-
pletely different aesthetic meaning and effect in Mozart than, for example,
in Wagner's Parsifal.2 This example can be extended to the aesthetic effect
and meaning of a major chord in rock music too. Although all three chords
are composed according to the same acoustic principle, they should not be
observed from the same analytical point, because they occur in completely
different contexts.

In the majority of rock music compositions a relatively simple melod

-harmonic setting prevails. The use of common tonal chords, but also th
joining in a very free manner, frequent parallelisms of fifths accompan
by a very peculiar rhythm represent a new harmonic treatment which
should not be considered from the viewpoint of traditional harmony. Mel-
odic lines of voices and improvised solos usually move within the frames
of the pentatonic scale and the segments of melodic-rhythmic movements
form part of the codex of stylistic procedures in rock music. Beside the
rhythmic counterpoint mentioned above, in some rock groups (Uriah Heep,
Queen, Boston and others) we find the use of polyphonic procedures with
greater or lesser respect for the classical understanding of counterpoint.
The musicians who perform such compositons can be - by their perform-
2 Enrico FUBINI, Struktura i vremenitost glazbe, Zvuk, 1969, No. 91, p. 6.

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DISCUSSIONS, IRASM, 12 (1981), 2, 181-202 201

ing qualities - top instrumentalists (organist and composer Keith Em

guitarist Eric Clapton) and vocal soloists (Robert Plant from the group
Led Zeppellin).
One very important characteristic of rock music is its imaginative
approach to arrangements with no servitude to any formal patterns, which
sometimes gives it the shape of an authentic artistic creation. The musical
form of such compositions can be very different and cannot be reduced
to any prescribed scheme because of the frequent intertwining of the A, B
or C parts with instrumental interludes or improvisations. In any case, the
analysis of all the aspects of this musical genre should be performed on its
own terms, and not by means of rules obtained by studying some other
musical genres.
>>In the musical language< - as was stated by Jacques Chailley-
>laws are confirmation of constants 'a posteriori' which find their justi-
fication in absolutely unchangeable physical and psychological data and
their application in the continuity of the historical phenomena of the met-
amorphosis of language. Rules are only the totality of procedures which
can develop, mark a certain style and are condemned to disappear with
it<<.3 It is therefore very important to stress that the rules of rock music are
found in the major part of today's society's musical thought, that they have
provided evidence of their vitality by blending with many of today's mu-
sical genres (pop music, some kinds of folk music, chanson, jazz and art
music), and that their existence is aesthetically perfectly justified. The
stylistic figures and syntactic principles by which they are mutually con-
nected form a widely accepted language which can be organized in such
a way that it achieves full artistic value. Today's education sho,uld be found-
ed in such a spirit, led by the fact that art has always been an expression
of all the strata of the human soul, and that art has always been both free
and necessarily imprisoned by the medium through which it is conveyed,
not allowing for any additional limitations. While academic circles pass
in silence over the inflation of all traditional means of musical expression,
seizing upon the smallest meaning (often outside music) attributed to con-
temporary music, the new performing practice, amateurism and creativity
of rock music burn brightly. Distinguishing the collective image of a
>good< performance for listeners from the collective image of a >good<<
performance for performers, Stith Bennett draws attention to their mutual
discordance today: >The possibilities for a lack of 'fit' between musician
and non-musician aesthetics is more common than established academic
musicians care to recognize, even though experienced performers in a
genres are resigned to playing for audiences in which only a minority is
actually following their artistic intentions - or those of the composer<<.
Rock music, as well as pop music as a whole, is trying to overcome this
discordance between music performing and the needs of contemporar
listeners. The mass-media have, at last, enabled that a broad diapason of
3 Ivan SUPICIC, op. cit., p. 122.
4 H. Stith BENNETT, On Becoming a Rock Musician, The University of Mas
sachussets Press, Amherst 1980, p. 7.

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202 DISCUSSIONS, IRASM, 12 (1981), 2, 181-202

music information arrives and is evaluated by every recipient, and th

highly artistic music is no more the privilege of certain closed social g
Because of this our aim is to evaluate a piece of art ontologically, an
according to the category in which it is found.
In its textual patterns, rock music has brought very different k
of themes, which we will not present, but we will mention that they
from everyday life-scenes (especially in the compositions of the New W
used in a direct and non-pretentious way) to particular meditations a
lyric moods. Ideas are sometimes articulated directly, !in everyday wo
or according to the laws of traditional poetics. Owing to the musical
guage of rock music, some words and constructions sound completely
sual, attracting various associations. In their most successful creation
rock musicians affirm new and creative perspectives of reality, sear
for their own vision and concept of the world. In this sense, texts a
precious indicators of the intellectual preoccupations of rock lovers.
In his book On Becoming a Rock Musician, Stith Bennett gave
interesting analysis of young rock beginners. According to his t
anybody can become a rock musician who finds an appropriate group
gardless of his music knowledge. The author writes about rock begin
> ... there are no students taking notes in the classrooms of rock, the
simply inexperienced groups<<.5 An instrument or singing are learn
>ongoing< instructions, by recordings and problematically in collabora
with other members of the group. Rehearsals are performed in
a way that everybody may affirm his own music ideas by displa
them and experimenting until satisfying results are obtained. It is e
cially interesting to see with how much enthusiasm young people ente
groups of rock musicians when on their way they have to overcome
difficulties as buying expensive instruments, searching for room for p
cal work and performing, reading the necessary literature and listeni
records, recordings etc. All these difficulties are intensified by the at
which only partially recognizes the musical and social legitimacy of
music and by the non-existence of a broader interest in this cultural
nomenon.

It is necessary to stimulate rock music more stro

scientific and other research by the means of which t
be critically evaluated in all its aspects. Although c
is not suitable for writing down the peculiar melodie
the totality of the sound of rock music compositions,
would nevertheless be an analysis of the stylistic pro
in an adequate manner, so that this musical genre co
and confirmed in its musical aspect. At the same tim
sary to create new criteria by the means of which th
of the aesthetic values of rock music compositions c
and usefully applied in a broader music education.
Ladislav RACIC
Zagreb
5 Ibid., p. 3.

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