2- Killer Queen - Queen Flashcards
Killer Queen Context
written by Freddie Mercury
Released Nov 1974
Queen band formed in London
First single form that album
“sheer heart attack”
When was it written
1974
Melody Killer Queen
Many syllabic text setting
Backing vocals- words and vocalisation (e.g. bar 8-9) to the sound of “ooh” and bar 18 sound “ba”
Starts manly Conjunct
Falsettto –> spoken text in vocals
start many small leaps of a 3rd or 4th
Bar 7-8 shows an altered descending sequence
Verse and Chorus conjunct and wide angular leaps
Leaps - rising rising major sixth (bar6-7) - large leaps e.g. octave bar 62
Sequences
Anacrusis
Portamento
Word painting “drive you wild”
Slides upwards on word “queen”
Vibrato
Pull offs
Slides defintion
Sliding from note to the other
Slides defintion
Sliding from note to the other
Bends definition
A musical note that is varied in pitch
Pull offs Defintion
A string is plucked by “pulling” the string off the fingerboard with finger used to fret the note
Vibrato Definition
A rapid, slight variation in pitch in singing that produces a stronger or richer sound
Syllabic Definition
When singing, each syllable has a note
Vocables Defintion
Use of syllables that have no meaning
Conjunct Definition
Where a melody moves by steps and not by leaps.
Anacrusis Defintion
An upbeat
Portamento Defintion
A slide from one note to another, especially in singing
Articulation Killer Queen
-
Falsetto Definition
Spoken text in vocals
Dynamics Killer Queen
Mf
Texture Killer Queen
Homophonic
Use of imitation
use of layering
three- part texture during guitar solo
Use of panning (e.g. bR 42-43 - backing vocals)
Antiphonal - e.g. bar 67-68
Antiphony Defintion
Swapping between different musical groups.
Hocketting Defintion
An effect produced by dividing a melody between two parts, where notes in one part coinciding with rests in the other.
Structure Killer Queen
Verse Chorus Structure
Verse 1 - start with 6 finger clicks
- first phrase is four bars in length
Chorus 1 - chorus 8 bars in length
Instrumental - Guitar 1 and 3 play in thirds using slides and vibrato
Verse 2 - 4 part basking vocals, drum enters early with drum roll with guitar 2 -
Bar 31- 33 has an inner chromatic descending pattern - main vocals spoken text for dramatic effect bar 38
Chorus 2 - shorter - first 5 bar phrase
Guitar solo - starts mimicking the lead part
Verse3 - 7 1/2 bar longs-
Chorus 3 - added guitar solo
Outro - music fades over a Eb major
Guitar solo
starts
mimicking the lead part of the chorus
expand into a three part guitar solo
descending pattern of chord sequence
guitar uses imitation
three part texture
hocketting effect
harmony extended with a repeated imperfect cadence for two bars
Harmony and tonality Killer Queen
Eb major
Opening - C minor - closed o nan Eb major chord
tonality ambiguous at times
many passing modulations
strengthen by perfect cadences by often followed by parallel shifts moving to a new key
most chords in root position
first and second inversions in chords
Seventh chords - bar 4
Altered and extending chords bar 47
pedal - bar 27
Extended chords
Circle fo fifths - bar 20
Circle of 5th definition
The relationship between notes where the tonality or chords jump by a 5th each time
Chromatic scale defintion
A scale using all semitones
Pedal defintion
A note which is sustained or repeated while chords change, often resulting In dissonance.
Instruments Killer Queen
- Piano, electric guitar and drums
- Electric guitar–> distortion, reverb, panning, multi-tracking, Wah- whah ( bar 63), overdubbing backing vocals e.g. bar 23, panning,
- 4 part guitar - overdubbing creates a rich texture
- Guitar plays slides, bends, pull- offs and vibrato
- Jungle piano
- emphasised backbeat - keeps time
- Snare drum rolls bar 28
- Snare drum semi-quavers to build excitement bar 67
- Open hi-hat cymbal rolls bar 26
- Falsetto - artificial high voice bar 22
Rhythm, tempo, metre
Moderate tempo
Dotten crotchets
pulse of 112 bpm
12/8 time signature- compound quadruple time
Swung feel
occasional 6/8 bar - effect of extending phrase length
Verse and Chorus starts with anacrusis
Syncopation frequent bar 44
Triplets bar 18
Tonality Killer Queen
E major
Modulates to Bb major at chorus
