Question

Referring to the course materials on the origins of hip-hop, define the concept of a "break" (note that this is a specific contextual definition!) and give specific musical examples. Name the specific technologies that facilitated the manipulation and transformation of breaks in the 1970s (i.e., before the digital era), and describe some of the techniques used.

Answer 1

In hip-hop, a 'break' is a section of a song that is isolated and repeated, providing the foundation for the rapper. A famous example is the 'Amen Break' from 'Amen Brother' by The Winstons. DJs in the 1970s used turntables to manipulate breaks through techniques like scratching and sampling.

Step-by-step explanation:

A 'break' in the context of hip-hop refers to a specific section of a song where the funky instrumental groove is isolated and repeated. This break section provides a foundation for the rapper to perform their lyrics over. It is often characterized by a strong beat, catchy bassline, and rhythmic elements.

One example of a 'break' is the 'Amen Break,' which is a drum break taken from the song 'Amen Brother' by The Winstons. This break has been widely sampled in hip-hop, drum and bass, and other genres.

In the 1970s, before the digital era, DJs used specific technologies to manipulate and transform breaks. One important technology was the turntable, used to play vinyl records.

DJs would use various techniques like 'scratching,' which involved manipulating the vinyl record backward and forward to create unique sound effects and rhythmic patterns. They would also use 'sampling,' which is the process of recording and reusing small sections of a song's break to create a new composition.