Buckley: Grace 1994

Question 1

Instrumentation

Answer 1

o Soloist – Buckley
o Accompaniment:
1. Electric Guitars (printed in tab) – ‘Drop D’ tuning  (plucked and strummed)
2. Bass Guitar
3. Synthesiser
4. Strings
5. Drum Kit
6. Backing Vocals

Question 2

Texture

Answer 2

o Mainly Homophonic
o Drums & Guitars – rhythmic patterns and broken chords
o Synthesiser & Strings – add effects and vary texture
o Coda – texture thickens

Question 3

Technology

Answer 3

o Modulation – synthesiser at start
o Distortion – rough and harsh sound
o Flanging – subtle swirling sounds
o Overdubbing –vocal parts in bridge/guitar, thicker texture
o Equalisation – remove lower frequencies of voice

Question 4

Structure

Answer 4

o Intro – instrumental
o Verse 1 – voice
o Chorus 1 – voice (‘Wait in the Fire’)
o Intro – instrumental
o Verse 2 – voice
o Chorus 2 – voice (‘Wait in the Fire’)
o Bridge – voice (vocalisation)
o Intro – instrumental
o Verse 3 – voice (uses EQ)
o Coda – voice (improviser)

Question 5

Tonality

Answer 5

o E minor
o Ambiguous (introduction starts on F minor 7th chord)

Question 6

Harmony

Answer 6

o Chromatic Chords – unconventional of a rock song/ballad
o Parallel Motion (semitone steps in chorus F-Em-E♭)
o Dissonant (particularly chorus)

Question 7

Melody

Answer 7

o Improvised Quality (vocal part)
o Wide Range (over 2 octaves)
o Falling Phrases (reflect mood of song)
o Ornamentation (glissandos)

Question 8

Word-Setting

Answer 8

o Mostly Syllabic but Some Melismas (‘love’ and ‘fire’)
o Bridge – Vocalisation (wordless singing) and Falsetto (high notes)
o Word Painting – Buckley’s bleak outlook on love:
1. Verse 1: ‘cries’ set to a falling fifth, sounds like crying
2. Bridge: ‘pain’ and ‘leave’ in high register, sound fraught
3. Verse 3: ‘slow’ set to long note
4. Coda: thick texture built up to ‘drown my name’

Question 9

Metre

Answer 9

o 12/8 – Compound Time

Question 10

Rhythm

Answer 10

o Accentuation – bass drums (1,3) snare drum (2,4)
o Syncopation – free vocal melody
o Cross-Rhythms – quavers against dotted quavers