Africa toto Flashcards
When was Africa recorded?
18th October 1981
Who are the composers of Africa?
David Paich, Jeff Porcaro
Tempo and Metre
Tempo: 92
Metre: 2/2
Texture
Homophonic, melody and accompaniment
Dynamics
Limited dynamic range, mf to f
Harmony and Tonality
Mostly major
Almost entirely diatonic
Uses a mixture of root position chords, inversions and extended harmony.
Rhythm
As in all Rock and Pop music, there is a mix of syncopation and on-beat rhythms.
Structure
Intro, Verse 1, Chorus 1, Link 1, Verse 2, Chorus 2, Link 2, Solo(instrumental), Chorus 3, Chorus 4, Outro
RIFF A chords
A major - G sharp minor - C sharp minor 7
All in root position
RIFF A
Played on the CS-80 synthesizer, first bar syncopated then next two bars on beat, using root position chords that move in parallel motion. Doubled by the bass guitar and by a marimba.
RIFF B
Uses a kalimba voice on the GS-I synthesizer, Riff B uses a pentatonic scale C sharp minor, repeated 5 quaver pattern in descending parallel 4ths, cross-rhythms
Verse chords
B, D sharp minor 7, G sharp minor 7, B/F sharp major, A/E major, F sharp major 11, E major 9/G sharp major
B/Fsharp WHAT DOES THIS MEAN
Play B chord with F sharp in the bass
Melody
Vocals are tripled, relatively low tessistura: octave B to B, almost entirely conjunct, word setting is syllabic apart from the melismas found on the last word of all but the last phrase, diatonic, syncopation
Backing vocals verse
Third phrase one octave higher
End of the last phrase third below
Guitars verse
Lead guitarist plays a short repeated figure with a clean sound whilst palm muting for the first 4 bar phrase. 12 string acoustic guitar then plays syncopated pattern.
Synth and piano verse
Synth uses sustained chords with the right hand (dotted rhythms) and doubles bass guitar in left hand. Also plays RIFF A. Piano plays RIFF A each time.
Bass guitar verse
Mixture of roots and different partials of each chord using the same rhythm in each bar.
Drums and percussion verse
Looped 2 bar pattern:
- 2 bar conga pattern repeat the first bar of their 2 bar pattern
- high cowbell drops out at the start of verse 1 not reappearing until bar 207
- marimba joins at every appearance of RIFF A
- bell tree sounds just before chorus 1
- drum fill in bar 58 + 59
Chorus 1 chords
Phrase 1:
F sharp minor, D major, A major, E major
Phrase 2+3:
F sharp minor 7, D major, A major, E major
Phrase 4:
F sharp minor 7, D major add 2, A major, C sharp minor 7, E major, F sharp minor + E/G sharp major (same bar)
Lead vocal chorus
Second crotchet of each phrase with an extremely narrow range (minor 2nd A-G sharp) except at the end (extends to a 4th A-E), syncopation, syllabic until the long melisma on ‘had’
Backing vocals chorus
Homorhythmic with the lead vocal, generally two BVs but in bar 69 briefly splits into three BVs, the final two notes of the chorus has just one BV
Guitars chorus
12 string guitar plays ascending and descending arpeggios in quavers, lead guitar uses distortion plays simple idea on the fourth bar of every phrase leading into a long sustained note, last three bars of chorus lead guitar plays three chords loudly, finishes chorus by doubling the bass guitar plays
Synth and Piano chorus
Synth 1 is joined by synth 2 and uses strings sound, plays sustained chords, piano plays throughout the choruses
Bass guitar chorus
Bass plays root notes of each chord, rhythm includes a ghost note, fourth bar of phrase 1+2+3 it plays a chromatic note
Drums and Percussion chorus
Crash and ride cymbal plays crotchet quaver quaver crotchet quaver quaver, last bar of chorus involves hi hat and china cymbal
Link 1
8bar passage is identical to bars 9 -16 of the intro, only difference is a gong sounds on the second beat of the second bar, live drum stops here
Verse 2
Verse 2 is almost identical to Verse 1, verse 2 only repeats 9 bar phrase twice, start of final phrase it rises to a major sixth before descending back to the tonic, characteristic grave notes. Treble recorder plays a backing line (conjunct descending notes), bar 92 the upper recorder part doubles one of the BVs
Backing vocals verse 2
First phrase: 3part chord on the ‘Ooh’
Second phrase : on the ‘Serengeti’ they create a four-part texture
Chorus 2
Identical to chorus 1
Link 2
Identical to Link 1
Solo (instrumental)
Harmony and Structure
- Phrases of 4,3,2 bars
- incorporating RIFF A
- just one repeat of the nine-bar phrase
Solo(instrumental)
Timbre
- synthesizers set to flute-like voice
- a xylophone-like voice is added for the second phrase onwards
Solo(instrumental)
Melody and Rhythm
-Phrase 1: 2 part texture, based on parallel 4ths(with occasional 3rds), regular quavers with a triplet and the end, B major pentatonic scale, repeating groups of three quavers creating cross rhythms and syncopation, sequence
-Phrase 2: parallel 3rds, quaver and crotchet triplets, E major, rhythm makes it feel improvised
-Phrase 3: regular quavers, parallel 4ths, B major pentatonic scale, ascends
Solo(instrumental)
Vocal
Return in bar 150 singing a slightly modified version of the end of verse 1, three backing vocals, suspended chord
Solo(Instrumental)
Piano
The piano is far higher in the mix during the Solo section
Chorus 3
Chorus 3 is largely the same as Chorus 1 + 2
-Bass guitar: more decorated, lots of passing notes and improvised variations on the original bass line
-Lead guitar: more prominent, second half of chorus 3 it plays an ascending figure based on F sharp minor pentatonic
-4th phrase of Chorus 3 repeats the third phrase
- IN THE FINAL BAR OF CHORUS 3 AN ADDITIONAL LEAD VOCAL ENTERS SINGING A (presumably) IMPROVISED VOCAL IN A VERY HIGH REGISTER acting as an anacrusis into Chorus 4
Chorus 4
Follows the 4-chord pattern of previous choruses, it uses the extended fourth phrase to lead into the Outro.
- backing vocals do not build up gradually, continue the full 3/4 part texture
- improvised lead vocal soars over the top of the texture, hitting the highest vocal note of the whole song, Top E
- piano is more prominent in this Chorus
Outro
-Based on the intro, alternating RIFF A and RIFF B, using chords of the intro with no vocals
-Bass guitar plays some decorative lines, played in the high register
-xylophone: plays short repeated figure in bars 195-212
-Pangi shell shakers: on beat from the beginning of the outro till the end
-wood block: ostinato
-more cowbells
-extra conga
Music fades out.
Roman numerals of chorus chords
vi-IV-I-V
