This is not to deny that the Black gospel music of the early twentieth

Question

New Project RC Butler 2019  -  Practice 2 RC Passages Everyday   
Passage # 242, Date : 01-Aug-2019
 This post is a part of New Project RC Butler 2019 .  Click here for Details

This is not to deny that the Black gospel music of the early twentieth century differed in important ways from the slave spirituals. Whereas spirituals were created and disseminated in  folk fashion , gospel music was composed, published, copyrighted, and sold by professionals. Nevertheless, improvisation remained central to gospel music. One has only to listen to the recorded repertoire of gospel songs to realize that Black gospel singers rarely sang a song precisely the same way twice and never according to its exact musical notation. They performed what jazz musicians call “ head arrangements ” proceeding from their own feelings and from the way “the spirit” moved them at the time. This improvisatory element was reflected in the manner in which gospel music was published. Black gospel composers scored the music intended for White singing groups fully, indicating the various vocal parts and the accompaniment, but the music produced for Black singers included only a vocal line and piano accompaniment.   1 
 1. Which of the following best describes “head arrangement” ( Highlighted )?

(A) A published version of a gospel song produced for use by Black singers
(B) A gospel song based on a slave spiritual
(C) A musical score shared by a gospel singer and a jazz musician
(D) An informally written composition intended for use by a gospel singer
(E) An improvised performance inspired by the singer’s emotions

2 
 2. The author mentions “folk fashion” ( Highlighted ) most likely in order to

(A) counter an assertion about the role of improvisation in music created by Black people
(B) compare early gospel music with gospel music written later in the twentieth century
(C) make a distinction between gospel music and slave spirituals
(D) introduce a discussion about the dissemination of slave spirituals
(E) describe a similarity between gospel music and slave spirituals

3 
 3. The passage suggests which of the following about Black gospel music and slave spirituals?

(A) Both became widely known in the early twentieth century.
(B) Both had an important improvisatory element.
(C) Both were frequently performed by jazz musicians.
(D) Both were published with only a vocal line and piano accompaniment.
(E) Both were disseminated chiefly by Black singing groups.

4 
 4. Of the following sentences, which is most likely to have immediately preceded the passage?

(A) Few composers of gospel music drew on traditions such as the spiritual in creating their songs.
(B) Spirituals and Black gospel music were derived from the same musical tradition.
(C) The creation and singing of spirituals, practiced by Black Americans before the Civil War, continued after the war.
(D) Spirituals and gospel music can be clearly distinguished from one another.
(E) Improvisation was one of the primary characteristics of the gospel music created by Black musicians.

ivanshrastogi01 · Answer

How is the answer in question no 3 is B and not A. Please Explain anyone

KanishkM · Answer

I can help you with this, as my bottom 2 were B and E.

Q) The passage suggests which of the following about Black gospel music and slave spirituals?

A) Both became widely known in the early twentieth century.

A can be eliminated because nowhere in the passage they have explicitly mentioned that both of them got widely known in early 20th century.

Only these lines are present in the passage 
This is not to deny that the  Black gospel music  of the early twentieth century  differed  in important ways  from the slave spirituals .

But nothing about their popularity is been spoken of in the passage

rinkumaa4 · Answer

Please provide the official answer  pathy , If you have.
Why Q-3 answer is B insyead of A?

KanishkM · Answer

Hey rinkumaa4 Till the time pathy replies Do have a look at the inline. https://gmatclub.com/forum/this-is-not- ... l#p2219148

rinkumaa4 · Answer

Hi  KanishkM , I have checked online but did not find any relevant.

KanishkM · Answer

rinkumaa4

Let me know if this helps

Q) The passage suggests which of the following about Black gospel music and slave spirituals?

A) Both became widely known in the early twentieth century.

A can be eliminated because nowhere in the passage they have explicitly mentioned that both of them got widely known in early 20th century.

Only these lines are present in the passage 
This is not to deny that the Black gospel music of the early twentieth century differed in important ways from the slave spirituals.

But nothing about their popularity is been spoken of in the passage

Luca1111111111111 · Answer

But where is it stated that slave spirituals also have an important improvisatory element?

aparna007 · Answer

can i get the explanatin forthe 4th question?

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Hello  aparna007

Explanation

4. Of the following sentences, which is most likely to have immediately preceded the passage?

Difficulty Level:   700

Explanation

To pick up the right answer for question #4 one should understand the question first. (Mostly the issue of non-natives)

What question is demanding?

Of the following sentences, which is most likely to have immediately preceded the passage?

Question says that among the following five answer choice which one can be immediately started before the passage, in other words it says find information which we can connect with the passage at the start of the passage. Now take a look at the answer choices.

(A)    Few composers of gospel music drew on traditions such as the spiritual in creating their songs. 
I have a doubt on this so keep this one, this could be connected at the start of the passage.

(B)    Spirituals and Black gospel music were derived from the same musical tradition. 
This could also be the answer so keep this one too as we can use this piece of text at the start of the passage

(C)    The creation and singing of spirituals, practiced by Black Americans before the Civil War, continued after the war. 
This is discussed in the passage so it is out of the demand of the question. Crossed

(D)    Spirituals and gospel music can be clearly distinguished from one another. 
Same as C - Cross this

(E)    Improvisation was one of the primary characteristics of the gospel music created by Black musicians. 
Same as C and D - Cross this too.

Now between A and B

A  is wrong because it talk about only half of the passage or it covers passage partially, we cannot connect it with the passage at the start of the passage as it talk about only about gospel music. But passage talk about gospel music, Spirituals as well as music tradition. So  B  Covers whole of the passage that is why  A  is wrong and  B  is correct.

Answer: B

Hope it helps

Pankaj0901 · Answer

Could you please explain how is B correct? A is wrong as nothing is mentioned about the popularity.

RahulHGGmat · Answer

Hi Expert.

Hope you are doing well.

I need your assistance with ques no 3 as I am unable to justify the answer provided in the passage.

Many Thanks in advance.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

This is a hard question due to the close answer options. The language  "the passage suggests that"  shows that this is an inference question and the answer will not necessarily mentioned explicitly in the passage. Read the question carefully and know what it demands us to find. Let have a look at the each answer choice.

3. The passage suggests which of the following about Black gospel music and slave spirituals?

(A) Both became widely known in the early twentieth century.

This is something which  could be true  but not  must be true , it is possible that the both music genre had been known widely but by reading the passage we only conclude that both were known to public, we can not say with guarantee that both were  Widely  known. The word widely makes it extreme.

(B) Both had an important improvisatory element.

Seems good, lets find its support in the passage. We have to find the improvisatory element of both in the passage.

improvisation  remained central to gospel music. One has only to listen to the recorded repertoire of gospel songs to realize that Black gospel singers rarely sang a song precisely the same way twice and never according to its exact musical notation.  They performed what jazz musicians call “head arrangements”  proceeding from their own feelings and from the way “the spirit” moved them at the time.  This improvisatory element was reflected in the manner in which gospel music was published.

Lets move on and try to find something better than this if we can find any.

(C) Both were  frequently performed by jazz musicians.

This option is out of scope, it is trying to induct unauthorized outside information

(D) Both were published with only a vocal line and piano accompaniment.

Same as C, Out of scope of the passage.

(E) Both were disseminated chiefly by Black singing groups.

This is the second close to the OA, Yes both were disseminated BUT do the Black singer groups were the  chief reason  for their dissemination?. What is wrong with this option is that it starts from good but unnecessarily extend or screeches it to make it out of of the passage. So the best option is B

Answer: B

RahulHGGmat · Answer

Hi  Sajjad1994

Thank you so much for replying to me in such a short span of period.

I will need more assistance from you in this as what I can infer from the passage is that Gospel music had an improvisatory element and Spiritual slavery does not. The author does not mention anywhere in Passage that Spiritual Slavery music was also improvised. The portion which you have mentioned in your previous revert, as per my understanding, talk about only Gospel music only.

Hence, I would request you to affirm me the portion where the author has mentioned that Slavery music had an improvisatory element.

Looking for a prompt response ahead from you.

AnirudhaS · Answer

I guess a different perspective won't hurt till you wait for Sajjad's answer.

So let us first see what the first 3 lines of the passages are doing - 
1. This is  not to deny  that the Black gospel music of the early twentieth century  differed  in important ways from the slave spirituals. 
2.  Whereas  spirituals were created and disseminated in folk fashion, gospel music was composed, published, copyrighted, and sold by professionals. 
3.  Nevertheless , improvisation remained central to gospel music.

So these are the functions of lines 1,2 and 3 - 
1. gospel music different from slave spiritual
2. what was the main difference between the two
3. what was the similarity between the two

The words underlined are very important to determine the function of the lines. In line 3, usage of the word "nevertheless" actually completes the sentence like this -
Nevertheless, improvisation remained central to gospel music as  to slave spiritual .

Hope this helps.

Saasingh · Answer

AnirudhaS

I was actually torn by this thought. To me too it seemed like the passage is an excerpt from a bigger passage that was initially talking about similarities between Gospel music and spiritual slave music. The start of the passage with "This is not to deny...." seemed like a very abrupt start. It does indeed give a notion that prior to this line, author must have stated some similarity between both music forms.

And then the author goes on to say "Nevertheless, improvisation remained central to gospel music.....". Calls for an unstated ellipsis... the only completion of that sentence could mean that Slave music and Gospel music were indeed similar when it came to improvisation.

I did feel this subtle shift, however, I was too afraid that I might be making an assumption/notion in my head when nothing as such is explicitly stated in the passage. This fear made me choose option A on question 3 (i knew A is nowhere stated, but I caved).

But, glad to know someone else had similar thoughts about the passage (tone wise).

Regards,
Saakhi

AnirudhaS · Answer

Saasingh 
I feel you! You have very nicely articulated your train of thought.

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This is not to deny that the Black gospel music of the early twentieth

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This is not to deny that the Black gospel music of the early twentieth

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