Africa KO Flashcards
What is the structure of Africa?
Intro Verse 1 Chorus 1 Link 1 Verse 2 Chorus 2 Link 2 Intrumental Chorus 3 Outro
Instrumentation?
Soft-rock style band: Male lead and backing vocals, Lead guitar, 12 string acousitic, Bass guitar, Synths, Drum kit, Percussion
Dynamics
Mezzo-forte (mf) Choruses are Forte (f)
Texture
Homophonic
Time Signature
2/2 Cut common time
Tempo
Moderately fast
Tonality
B major Choruses A major
Harmony
Diatonic
Melody
Conjunct, pentatonic scale, vocal range less than 2 octaves to printed score
Riff what and where?
Built on ostinato
(repeated) patterns
Riff A & Riff B
Synchopation what and where?
Off-beat rhythms
Riff A
Syllabic what and where?
One note per syllable
Most of the song
Irregular Phrases?
First line spans 3 bars,
the second 5 bars
Verse
Riff A?
Repeated A major
chord followed by 2
minor chords in quick
succession
Synth
Riff B?
Quaver pattern using
pentatonic scale over a
suspended C#m chord
Tuned percussion
Pentatonic Scale?
Scale of 5 notes used a
lot in African music
Riff B & Instrumental
Straight Quavers?
On-beat rhythms
Riff B
Triplets?
Three notes in the
space of two
Instrumental
Inverted Chords?
E/G# - chord is played
with the G# in the bass
Chorus
Melismatic?
Many notes per syllable
Last word of chorus
“had” and
“conversation”,
“salvation” in verses
Conjunct?
Stepwise melody
Mainly conjunct
throughout
Vocal Improvisation?
Lead singer improvises
at the end of phrases
Last chorus
Countermelody?
Additional melody at the
same time as the original
Flute-like / recorder
instrument in
verse 2
Grace Note?
Decoration of the
melody
Instrumental
