Howlin' Wolf

Question 1

I’m Leavin’ You

What genre does this song belong to?

why?

Answer 1

Chicago Rhythm and Blues (Electric Blues)

Conventional blues

Electric instruments (guitars)

‘backbeat’ in drums

Question 2

I’m Leavin’ You

There is an instrument used which is associated more with blues from New Orleans - so-called Delta Blues

which one?

Answer 2

harmonica

Question 3

I’m Leavin’ You

What are ‘blue notes’

Answer 3

Notes where the pitch is bent down by the performer - especially the third, fifth and seventh degrees of the scale.

Question 4

I’m Leavin’ You

Explain ‘swung rhythm’

Answer 4

a swung rhythm is where the odd-numbered quavers (or semiquavers) are played late.

A very heavy swing can sound almost like triplets (which is how they are sometimes notated)

swing is really a notational device - triplety rhythms are notated ‘straight’ (no triplets)

Question 5

I’m Leavin’ You

What are ‘fills’?

Answer 5

bits of music played in a gap

here, the lead guitar plays in the gaps between vocal phrases (as does the piano at times)

Question 6

I’m Leavin’ You

what can we say about the texture of this song

Answer 6

melody dominated homophony

we could also add the the accompaniment is ‘layered’

You could say that there is a suggestion of antiphony between guitar and lead vocal, but the more informal ‘call and response’ is a more accurate way to describe this.

Question 7

I’m Leavin’ You

Is the song strophic?

explain

Answer 7

yes

six choruses - different words always set to the same music

Question 8

I’m Leavin’ You

What are the chords in the choruses

Answer 8

G7 C9 G7 D7 C9 G7

Question 9

I’m Leavin’ You

One of the only variations in chord is at the end of the intro and in the ‘turnaround’ at the end of each chorus

what happens?

Answer 9

the last 2 chords are D-flat - D9

Question 10

I’m Leavin’ You

Within each chorus there are two short vocal refrains.

What are the lyrics in these refrains?

Answer 10

1. I’m Leavin’ You
2. …treat me/you right…

Question 11

I’m Leavin’ You

Howlin’ Wolf mostly sticks to the minor-pentatonic scale on G

What is a minor pentatonic scale?

Answer 11

minor third - tone - tone - minor third (- tone)

think black keys on a piano, starting on E-flat

Question 12

I’m Leavin’ You

The drummer plays a ‘backbeat’

what is that?

Answer 12

a drum pattern which emphasises beats 2 and 4

(it’s so common now that we take it for granted, but it’s a product of the 1950s)

Question 13

I’m Leavin’ You

Total vocal range is a minor tenth

mostly though it spans which notes?

Answer 13

F to D (minor sixth)

Question 14

I’m Leavin’ You

What does the rhythm guitar do?

How is it different from the lead guitar part?

Answer 14

plays a riff in swung quavers, which is transposed up a fourth for the C9 chord and up another tone for the D7 chord (there are of course plenty of small variations)

It’s lower pitched than the lead guitar, the sound is much thicker (bassier) and there is no reverb

Question 15

I’m Leavin’ You

The pianist is mostly comping apart from a few fills

what is comping?

Answer 15

Improvising an accompaniment based on the chords

Question 16

I’m Leavin’ You

What is’ stop time’ and where does it occur in this track?

Answer 16

stop time dates from the earliest jazz and blues

quite simply, the band has lots of ‘stops’ - perhaps just playing the downbeat and a fill at the end of a bar

here it happens for the first four bars of choruses 2 and 3 (and their repeats)

Question 17

I’m Leavin’ You

structure?

(4 things?)

Answer 17

six choruses

choruse 4 is instrumental

choruses 5 and 6 are a repeat of choruses 2 and 3

there is an intro and a fade-out

Question 18

I’m Leavin’ You

tonality?

(3 things?)

Answer 18

G major throughout

no modulations

tonality not reinforced by functional harmony or traditional cadences

Question 19

I’m Leavin’ You

harmony?

(3 things?)

Answer 19

standard 12-bar blues in G

some blue notes

7ths and 9ths non-functional

‘chromatic auxiliary chord’ D-flat in turnarounds/intro

Question 20

I’m Leavin’ You

vocal melody?

(7 things?)

Answer 20

short phrases

mostly descending from D

‘treat me/you right’ rises

blue notes

minor pentatonic

syncopated

short glissandi/slides

Question 21

I’m Leavin’ You

rhythm generally?

(5 things?)

Answer 21

syncopated in all parts

swung or ‘shuffle’ feel

many triplets in the lead guitar and piano

drummer plays a backbeat, accenting beats 2 and 4

some semiquavers in the lead quitar

Question 22

I’m Leavin’ You

What are the main features of electric rhythm and blues found in this song?

Answer 22

12 bar blues chord sequence

lyrics about breakup of relatinship

electric guitars

harmonica

swung rhythm

slides/glissandi

comping piano

riff-based rhythm guitar

pentatonic scales