A level Music Revision - Bush

Question 1

Melody

Answer 1

CB:
Triadic shape
Hook uses Rising 5th, Rapid repeated notes, Syncopated anticipation

ADoS:
Rising 5ths
Melodic sequence
Minor third
Rising major sixth
Word-painting
Unresolved dominant note

UI:
Short phrases
Staccato refrains
Quasi-pentatonic shapes
Small range, portamento

Question 2

Harmony

Answer 2

CB:
Modal chord sequence
Moving by step using 7th and 9th chords
C#m7, Badd9, A6/9, Badd9

ADoS:
Opens with a modal sequence
C#m7, F#m/A, B
Tonic bass pedal

UI:
Chordal movement in thirds
A natural minor scale
Occasional D minor

Question 3

Tonality

Answer 3

CB:
Modal C# minor no key change

ADoS:
Verses in modal C# minor
Refreain and bridge in E major
Ends in E major

UI:
Modal A minor
No key changes
Finishes on an ambiguous Asus2 chord

Question 4

Rhythm + Metre

Answer 4

CB:
Fast medium tempo
Metre is 4/4 some 6/4
Bridge 3/2
Anticipatory syncopation
Rapid repeated notes
Accompanying string rhythms because more active near the end

ADoS:
Slow ballad
Simple 2/4
Switch to 5/4
Verse + Refrain use syncopation
Vocals start after first beat of bar
Outro:
Anacrusic pick up
Uses triplets ties and Lombardic rhythms
Ends with rit.

UI:
Begins very slow
Last four bars slow down again
Obsessive crotchet pulse articulated constantly in the bass
Repeated ten-bar rhythmic unit
Accompaniment ostinato
Vocal refrain uses ostinato accompaniment.

Question 5

Structure

Answer 5

CB:
VBCVBCICO

ADoS:
VRBVRBO

UI:
IVRVRVRVRO

Question 6

Sonority

Answer 6

CB:
Non-pop instruments
Accompaniment is the sextet:
Staccato chords
Violin riff
Violin countermelody
Fairlight samples:
Treated vocal samples
Two sampled tracks
Bush’s vocals:
Range of a tenth
Syllabic setting of the words
Wordless backing singers
Percussion used sparingly
Balalaika line

ADoS:
Voice and piano textures
Bouzouki
Irish whistle
Spoken vocal sample

UI:
Sythesised/sampled sound
Low tessitura
Vocal range limited to a 5th
Syllabic, some melismas
Similar effect of Mongolian throat singers

Question 7

Texture

Answer 7

CB:
Homorhytmic
String countermelody
Vocal sample
Polyphonic feel in chorus

ADoS:
Focus on vocal line
Refrain and bridge accompanied by block chords
Tonic bass pedal

UI:
Articulated bass pedal
Ostinato open 5th textures
Dialogue between vocal parts
Homorhythmic