Gospel’s Influence

 

Gospel’s Influence

This musical combination gives soul music a freshness and/or crispness with a strong feeling of emotion and excitement coming straight from the Gospel music influence. Soul as a dance music was part of its allure and popularity in the 60s. In the 50s, especially the late 50s, music was popular if it had a good beat to dance to, like much of the fast-paced rock & roll of the time.

Just like the preacher in the black Baptist church, giving a rousing sermon. The preacher pours his heart and “soul” into a very emotional and energetic delivery, where he is giving an over the top performance. Many of the greatest soul singers like Sam Cooke, Jerry Butler, Clyde McPhatter or Jackie Wilson are like those preachers. T

The backing singers in soul music resemble a Gospel choir while the lead singer would push the envelope and give more than 100% of his strength, almost to exhaustion at the end of the performance. Just like how James Brown does his over the top explosive, athletic performance, only to collapse at the end, being helped off stage with bruised knees.

where the harmony  some jazz elements from several forms of hard-bop and soul jazz.

 

 

Up Beat

The music of soul is fast paced with a lot of energy with an energetic pulse from the rhythm section’s bass, drums, and percussion. Soul music would often use other percussive instruments like congas, bongos, tambourines, claves and a myriad of other percussion instruments. Soul music would also incorporate brass support such as trumpets, cornets, trombones, saxophones, etc., as both rhythmic and harmonic and sometimes melodic color and support.

Soul music is similar to Gospel music in its up-tempo feeling that you get, where the whole congregation is swinging together as one. This upbeat fresh propulsive rhythm and horn section usually play in a simple duple (One, Two) or quadruple (One Two Three Four) meter with a tempo at or above 120 beats per minute (bpm). However, the speed of the tempo in soul music usually is not as fast as a Gospel meter which can be anywhere from 140 to 176 beats per minute or faster.

Soul music is that uplifting feeling you get when the lead singer is giving the final crescendo at the apex of an old spiritual. It is that electrifying feeling, the thrill of pins & needles you get when it truly feels like a spiritual “phenomenon”. It is like the music is touched by the Lord’s hand, the rush of endorphins flooding the bloodstream or a shamanic induced trance. The nature of soul music can conjure up strong emotional feelings that reflect an expression of the human state, unlike other genres.

I’ve had the pleasure of playing Gospel music in several groups and I can’t deny that feeling that overcomes you when playing Gospel or soul music, the only way to describe it is as spiritual. Gospel is a lot of fun to play, especially with a great choir, the music goes by so fast and then after you realize how much fun it was and that you received a good workout physically, mentally and of course spiritually.