Killer Queen Flashcards
Killer Queen
Queen,
1974,
Rock,
No original notation
Killer Queen Melody
Mostly step,
Leaps get wider as the piece continues,
Rising octave in bars 20-21,
Verses start with a 2 bar vocal phrase that goes from C to G,
Unusual bar lengths in the chorus,
Portamento on queen bar 15,
Chorus followed by a four bar bridge,
Word setting is almost all syllabic,
Backing use nonsense syllables,
2 octaves and a third range.
Killer Queen Articulation
Phaser effect on laser beam,
Vibrato e.g. bar 7,
Tremolo e.g. bar 28 drum rolls,
Slide e.g. bar 34,
Pitch bend e.g. bar 30,
Overdubbing to produce multiple guitars,
Distortion on the guitar solo.
Killer Queen Dynamics
No dynamic markings
Killer Queen Tonality
Eb Major,
Sometimes ambiguous,
Verses start on C minor,
Choruses start on Bb major,
Both modulate quickly,
Ends with a perfect cadence in Eb major.
Killer Queen Structure
Verse Chorus form,
Bar 2 Verse - Bar 14 Chorus - Bar 23 - Instrumental - Bar 27 Verse - Bar 38 - Chorus - Bar 51 Verse - Bar 69 - Chorus - Bar 79 Outro,
Guitar sole bars 44-61.
Killer Queen Harmony
Root position triads with occasional inversions and 7th chords,
Mainly diatonic with occasional chromatic chords e.g. bar 9,
Expressive Dissonance, e.g. bar 11,
Tonic Pedal at the start of each verse,
Dominant pedal after the first two choruses,
Parallel harmonies e.g. bar 15-17 from Multi tracked backing vocals,
Circle of 5ths in Bars 20-21,
bell chords in bar 55
Killer Queen Instruments
Vocals and backing,
Piano,
Guitar,
Drums,
Bass.
Killer Queen Rhythm
12/8,
Moderatly fast,
Frequent syncopation e.g. bars 3, 7, and 8,
Each verse and chorus begins with anacrusis, one or more notes before the first strong beat of a bar.
Killer Queen Texture
Homophonic gradually increasing in density,
Guitar plays parallel 3rds after the first chorus,
Brief contrapuntal fragments in the accompaniment e.g. bar 62.
