Graceland

Question 1

What are the dynamics in the song Graceland?
(3)

Answer 1

• mostly mezzo forte
• second chorus feels louder than the first due to adding backing vocals
• ends with fade-out, a studio technique providing gradual diminuendo

Question 2

Describe the articulation in Graceland
(1)

Answer 2

• song has a legato feel due to sustained chords throughout + reverb

Question 3

Describe how Paul Simon uses rhythm in Graceland’s accompaniment
(2)

Answer 3

• accompaniment provides ‘travelling rhythm’ in fast quavers
• drums provide strong backbeat that emphasises the weak quavers between beats

Question 4

Describe how rhythm is used in Graceland’s vocals
(4)

Answer 4

• melody of each section begins with anacrusis
• Simon sings triplets in verse 2 and 3
• free, narrative style singing in verses to fit the words
• choruses have a more regular rhythm, but still have syncopation (contrasts with strict quavers in ‘Memphis Tennessee’)

Question 5

How is Graceland structured?
(2)

Answer 5

• Verse and chorus form
• Opening instrumental unusually long

Question 6

Describe the melody in Graceland
(5)

Answer 6

• repetitive melody like a long journey
• most lines in the verses are a descending phrase, starting with an ascending 6th or octave interval
• melodic title hook ‘Graceland’ is a descending major 3rd from G# to E
• whole song has the vocal range of an octave with conjunct and disjunct movement
• vocal line is mainly syllabic, but emotional lines are melismatic

Question 7

What is the metre of Graceland?
(just 1)

Answer 7

4/4

Question 8

What is the instrumentation/timbre/sonority for Graceland?
(6) (+ footnote)

Answer 8

• Western instruments mostly
• Acoustic, electric, drumkit and fretless bass play travelling rhythm
• Pedal steel guitar from American country music
• Everly Brothers sing backing vocals, Paul Simon sings tenor lead vocals
• electric + fretless play syncopated riffs in octaves for choruses
• washy reverb in mix, giving song a sense of space

All very reminiscent of early rock’n’roll records, nostalgic feel

Question 9

Describe the tempo of Graceland
(3)

Answer 9

• 118bpm
• moderato but has a fast feel due to quaver rhythm in drums and fretless bass’
• steady tempo throughout

Question 10

Describe the texture of Graceland
(3)

Answer 10

• melody and accompaniment
• Accompaniment mostly homophonic with lead singer or pedal steel providing melody
• occasional call and response between singer and pedal steel

Question 11

What’s the tonality in Graceland?
(2)

Answer 11

• E major throughout
• diatonic

Question 12

Describe the harmony of Graceland
(3)

Answer 12

• almost entirely based around primary chords I, IV and V (E, A, B)
• occasional 6th chords (C#m) in verses
• instrumental includes some D major, giving a mixolydian feel

Question 13

Describe how dynamics are used in You Can Call Me Al
(3)

Answer 13

• mostly mezzo forte, goes forte in the chorus
• ‘na-na-na’ section is quieter, mp
• song gets louder in outro before fade out

Question 14

How is articulation used in You Can Call Me Al
(1)

Answer 14

• Articulation of synth/brass/sax riff makes it staccato, giving it a punchy effect

Question 15

Describe the rhythm in You Can Call Me Al
(3)

Answer 15

• the song makes heavy use of syncopation
• speech rhythm follows natural patterns of speech in verses (semi-spoken)
• ‘na-na-na-na’ riff is also syncopated

Question 16

What is the structure of You Can Call Me Al
(2)

Answer 16

• in verse and chorus form
• includes a penny whistle solo and repeating sax/brass riffs

Question 17

Describe the melody of You Can Call Me Al in the melodic riffs
(3)

Answer 17

• heavy use of ostinato, particularly in the synth brass and saxophone riff
• the riff is two bars long, highly syncopated
• 2-bar riff in bass line throughout with improv in the gaps

Question 18

Describe the melody of You Can Call Me Al in the vocals
(4)

Answer 18

• Paul Simon’s vocals in verses have the (small) range of a 5th (F-C)
• mostly triadic
• nearly every vocal line descends to an F
• range of 2nd and 3rd chorus much higher than 1st as they end on a high phrase ‘You can call me Al’, giving the whole song a range of a 9th

Question 19

Describe the melody of You Can Call Me Al in the penny whistle solo
(4)

Answer 19

• probably improvised but explores two melodic features, 8 bars each
• uses the Kwela style from South Africa
• first penny whistle idea falls from a high to a low C (octave)
• second penny whistle idea starts with a rising triadic figure before falling to low C (larger range)

Question 20

Describe the melody of You Can Call Me Al in the fretless bass
(4)

Answer 20

• plays a countermelody to vocal line in second half of each verse
• at 3:44 there is a 2 bar solo
• the solo is actually a one bar descending solo followed by a reversed version
• technology has been used to create the retrograde version of the bass line, making it oddly palindromic

Question 21

What is the metre of You Can Call Me Al?
(1)

Answer 21

It is in 4/4 throughout

Question 22

Describe instrumentation/timbre/sonority in You Can Call Me Al?
(6)

Answer 22

• Paul Simon’s tenor lead vocals
• electric, bass, fretless bass (unusual in Western pop), penny whistle
• percussion including drumkit, synth drum sounds, djembe
• loud drum fills at the end of sections with syncopated tom toms
• trumpets, saxophones and baritone saxophone
• backing vocals with portamento slides up to notes (probs sung by Ladysmith Black Mambazo)

Question 23

What’s the tempo of You Can Call Me Al?
(1)

Answer 23

• 130bpm (allegro)

Question 24

What’s the texture of You Can Call Me Al?
(3)

Answer 24

• synth/brass/sax riff has a chordal homophonic texture
• short palindromic bass solo is monophonic
• mostly, the piece has a melody and accompaniment texture

Question 25

Describe the tonality of You Can Call Me Al (2)

Answer 25

- in F major throughout - diatonic

Question 26

Describe the harmony of You Can Call Me Al

Answer 26

- intro, choruses and outro only use the primary chords I, IV and V - verses and instrumentals include the minor chord II (Gm) - verses end with imperfect cadence but choruses end with perfect cadence (C-F)

Question 27

How are dynamics used in Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes? (3)

Answer 27

- whole song has a gradual crescendo - intro is mp, band section starts mf, at instrumental break it becomes forte - pattern repeats until fade out at the outro causes gradual diminuendo

Question 28

Describe the articulation in Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes (1)

Answer 28

-mostly legato throughout

Question 29

What are the rhythmic features in Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes? (3)

Answer 29

- many aspects of the melody including title hook uses syncopation - vocal lines use a narrative speech rhythm, some of which is very complex, using triplets and dotted rhythms - swung quavers in the intro

Question 30

Describe the structure of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes (5)

Answer 30

- a modified verse and chorus form - includes extended intro featuring LBM singing acapella followed by lyrics in Zulu - over the top of this, Paul Simon sings a countermelody repeating title hook 7 times - intro is in the isicathamiya style - instrumental breaks are featured between verses and choruses + extended repetitive outro

Question 31

What are the melodic features of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes? (5)

Answer 31

- features a frequent melodic title hook - intro is repetitive with mix of conjunct and disjunct movement and a range of a minor 7th (B - A) - verses are in a higher register, mostly syllabic with occasional melisma - chorus opens with a high melisma sung in falsetto, contrasting to the tenor range in the rest of the song -'ta na na na' melody in outro uses melodic sequence repeating one note higher

Question 32

Describe the metre of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes (2)

Answer 32

- in 4/4 throughout - intro is swung

Question 33

Describe the instrumentation/timbre/sonority of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes (5)

Answer 33

- Paul Simon on lead vocals and guitars (added chorus effect) + backing vocals by LBM - fretless bass and percussion including djembes and drumkit - trumpet, tenor sax, alto sax - subtle synth - harmonised brass/sax riffs in call and response with other instruments + glissando on the fretless, sounds like Township jazz

Question 34

What is the tempo in Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes (2)

Answer 34

- unaccompanied intro has faster tempo at 140bpm but feels relaxed and unhurried - rest of the song is slower at 111 bpm, moderato

Question 35

Describe the texture of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes (4)

Answer 35

- opening of intro is in the isicathamiya style with close harmony (homophonic texture) - when Paul Simon starts singing the strong melody above the chordal choir, texture becomes melody and accompaniment - some elements of call-and-response, e.g. empty as a pocket - after band starts, rest of the song is in melody and accompaniment

Question 36

Describe the tonality of Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes

Answer 36

- tonality is major - intro is in E major, the rest is in F major (a semitone higher) - All the music is diatonic.

Question 37

How are harmonic devices featured in Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes?

Answer 37

- intro and the rest of the song only uses the primary chords (I, IV and V) in their respective keys (E, A and B) then (F, Bb and C) - 7 repetitions of title hooks have different harmonies: - 1st harmonised with the tonic - 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th over a perfect cadence (B-E) - 4th and 7th over a plagal cadence (A-E)