Instrumental - Louis Armstrong

Question 1

What typical features of the period dose it have?

Answer 1

• Improvisation

- Instrumentation

Question 2

What are features of melody?

Answer 2

• Conjunect
• Head at bar 7 begins on anacrusis
• Arpeggio based melody throughout
• Ornamentation, e.g. grace notes at bar 42.4
• Fm arpeggio at bar 51
• Sequence at bar 63-65
• Chromatically descending sequence at bar 45 of left hand piano, descending in 10ths

Question 3

What are features of rhythm?

Answer 3

• Not many rests
• Scotch snap at beginning of bar 9
• Triplets, demisemiquavers, sextuplets
• Syncopated chords at bar 42 of piano part
• Each time the head repeats it is always improvised hence the varied rhythms
• Rhythm varied notably in triplets at bar 46
• Rhythm embellished with tremolo at 50.3
• On beat strict rhythm comping in piano at bat 55-62
• Long notes in section at bar 55 contrasts rhythmic comping and flamboyant quavers before

Question 4

What are features of harmony?

Answer 4

• Wide tessitura
• Bb augmented chord at (b.6) - variated perfect cadence
• Substitution Am chord at 24.1
• False relation of D natural before Db at bar 43
• Piano solo doesn’t follow 12 bar blues - it is a series of substitutions
• Diminished 7th chord at bar 48
• Right hand in octaves at bar 47 so more together
• Cadence point at 52-53 (Bb7-Eb)
• Half dim chord in inversion at bar 53.2
• Fm arpeggio at bar 51
• Dominant pedal from bars 63-65 in LH piano
• Inverted half dim agani at bar 65-66
• Very chromatic ending, like decorated plagal cadence

Question 5

What is the structure and features of it?

Answer 5

• 12 bar blues chorus/head arrangement with variations plus a 6 bar intro and 2 bar coda
• Most sections begin with anacrusis
• 5 choruses long

Question 6

What is the tonality and what does the piece modulate to?

Answer 6

• Key of Eb throughout
• Implied Cm in opening trumpet arpeggio
• Bbm implied in bar 5
• 12 bar blues chord structure with substitution chords