Jeff Buckley- 'Grace'

Question 0

Genre

Answer 0

Rock ballad

Love themed

Question 1

Date of composition

Answer 1

1994

Question 2

Tempo

Answer 2

64 bpm

Question 3

Metre

Answer 3

12/8 time

Question 4

Melody

Answer 4

Melodic line falls with glissando’s

Question 6

Verse (melody)

Answer 6

Low in Buckley’s voice range
Moves by step
Buckley slides from high to low notes (sense of gloom)

Question 7

Pre-chorus (melody)

Answer 7

Higher in pitch

Ironic “my fading voice”

Question 8

Verse 1- (word painting-melody)

Answer 8

“Not afraid to die” falls down to low E

“Love” falling melisma (lots of notes to one syllable)

Question 9

Verse 2- (word painting-melody)

Answer 9

“Oh my love” on high E, full of emotion, sounds desperate

“Believe my time has come” higher A and falls off- desperation, emotion, passion

Question 10

Middle 8- (word painting-melody)

Answer 10

“Pain” and “leave” are high notes, anxious to leave the pain behind
“Goes so slow” very long notes

Question 11

Intro (Harmony/Tonality)

Answer 11

E minor
Full of tonal ambiguity
Starts on F minor chord, only lands on E minor in bar 3
Then we hear D major and A major

Question 12

Verse (Harmony/Tonality)

Answer 12

Combination of power chords with an E minor drone

Minor key

Question 13

Link A (Harmony/Tonality)

Answer 13

Minor

Question 14

Link B (Harmony/Tonality)

Answer 14

Major key

Question 15

Chorus (Harmony/Tonality)

Answer 15

Combinations of power chords with an E minor drone

Question 16

Pre-chorus (Harmony/Tonality)

Answer 16

Modal key

Question 17

Instrumentation

Answer 17

Voice- male, huge range, sings falsetto in middle 8
Electric guitars x2 lowest string tuned to D
Acoustic guitar
Bass guitar
Full drum kit- focus on toms in verse

Strings
Synthesisers

Question 18

Link A (instrumentation)

Answer 18

Clean electric guitar sound
‘Pull offs’ used
‘Guitar whispers’ turning the volume up after the note is played with reverbe and delay on the sound

Question 19

Middle 8 (instrumentation)

Answer 19

Telephone EQ used on the voice ‘reminds me of’

Question 20

Final link (instrumentation)

Answer 20

Col Legno, strings struck with the back of the bow- time ticking away

Question 21

Verse 3 (instrumentation)

Answer 21

Very high singing but not falsetto, strains his voice emphasising the emotion

Question 22

Technology

Answer 22

Delay and reverbe- on electric guitar (guitar whispers)
Flanger effect-gives the guitar a thick metallic sound
Synthesiser- eery effect on the word “sorrow”
Telephone EQ- harsh and clashing effect

Question 23

Structure

Answer 23

Link- A and B
Verse 1
Pre-Chorus
Link
Verse 2
Pre-Chorus- pizzicato strings
Chorus
Middle 8- vocalisation (no words, emotional) layers on voice
Link
Verse 3
Coda

Question 24

Texture

Answer 24

Homophonic throughout (melody+accompaniment)

Layers added and taken away throughout, maintaining interest in a repetitive piece

Use of toms and cymbals effects texture

Question 25

Chorus (melody)

Answer 25

Minimal and repetitive

‘Wait in the fire” x4

Question 26

Texture (verse 2)

Answer 26

More complex texture, thicker than in verse 1 due to additional sound effects on guitar

Question 27

Texture (Link)

Answer 27

Link takes texture back down
A- no kit, bass or acoustic guitar- builds anticipation, guitar plucked
B- much thicker whole band playing, guitar strummed (brighter)