Queen - Killer Queen Flashcards
What is the range of the melody?
The melody has a wide range, going very high and very low!
How does the guitar solo relate to the song?
The guitar solo borrows ideas from the chorus and verse sections of the song.
What do the backing vocals include?
The backing vocals use words and vocalizations, like oohs and aahs!
What is the nature of the melody?
The melody is often conjunct, but with some wide angular leaps, including intervals of 6ths and octaves.
Why is the melody harder to spot in the chorus?
In the chorus, the melody is harder to spot on its own because of the backing vocal harmonies.
What vocal techniques are used in the vocal part?
The vocal part sometimes uses falsetto and includes spoken text.
What is a notable feature of the vocal part?
The vocal part contains a slide upwards on the word ‘queen’.
How are the lengths of melodic phrases characterized?
The lengths of the melodic phrases are often uneven, like when the extra 6/8 bar is added.
What is word painting used for in the song?
Word painting is used on the words ‘drive you wild’.
What is the main tonality of the piece?
The main tonality for the piece is Eb Major, which is unusual because it’s a hard key to play in on the guitar!
What happens to the tonality during the song?
The key changes (modulates) during the song.
In which key is the chorus?
The chorus is in Bb major.
What is tonal ambiguity?
There are points where the tonality is not clear, like in the first verse which starts with a C minor chord, making the key signature unclear.
How do the chord sequences behave?
The chord sequences move quickly through different key signatures, such as in the first half of the chorus moving quickly through D minor and C major.
What happens at the end of the last chorus?
The last chorus ends in Bb major, so the outro features a repeated Eb chord to reestablish the original key signature.
What is the tempo of the piece?
The tempo is moderate, with a dotted crotchet measured at 112 bpm.
What type of chord sequences does Queen use?
Queen liked to use adventurous chord sequences.
What types of chords are used in the song?
The song uses several altered or extended chords, such as 7ths and 11ths.
What is the position of most chords?
Most of the chords are in root position, but there are some chord inversions.
What kind of progression is found in the chorus?
There is a circle of 5ths chord progression in the chorus.
How are the modulations to different keys indicated?
The modulations to different keys are shown by perfect cadences.
What chord does the song start with?
The song starts with a C minor chord.
When is the piece’s key signature revealed?
You can’t tell that the piece is in Eb major until the chord is played halfway through the verse.
What is a notable feature of the chord sequence’s rhythm?
Some parts of the chord sequence contain a faster harmonic rhythm, like one chord every beat on ‘guaranteed to blow your mind’.
What effect do chord inversions create?
The chord inversions create descending and ascending basslines, such as the descending bassline during ‘built in a remedy’.
What is featured in the instrumental before the second verse?
There is a ‘vamp’ based around an F chord.
What is used in bars 27-30?
There is a pedal note used in bars 27-30.
Who sings the vocal part?
The vocal part is sung by Freddie Mercury, who has a high tenor voice.
What instruments are used in the piece?
The piece uses piano, electric guitar, bass, and drum kit.
What is notable about the backing vocals?
There are overdubbed backing vocals.
How many guitar parts are there?
There are 4 guitar parts that have been overdubbed to create a richer texture.
What is unique about the piano sound?
There is a slightly out of tune ‘jangle’ piano recorded on top of the main piano line.
What studio effects are used?
The song uses studio effects like multitrack recording, EQ, flanger, distortion, reverb, wah-wah, and panning.
What techniques does the guitar part use?
The guitar part uses slides, bends, pull-offs, and vibrato.
What is the main texture of the piece?
The main texture of the piece is homophonic.
How does the texture build at the start of the song?
The texture builds up gradually at the start of the song with each instrument entering one at a time.
What texture does the guitar solo use?
The guitar solo uses a three-part texture.
How are sounds spread out?
Sounds are spread out using panning.
What effect do the interweaving guitar and vocal parts create?
The interweaving guitar and vocal parts from the second verse give the piece a polyphonic feel at times.
What technique does the guitar solo employ?
The guitar solo uses imitation.
What effect does panning create in the backing vocals?
The use of panning in the backing vocals creates an antiphonal feel.
What genre is the song?
This is a Glam Rock song from the band’s third album.
When was the song released?
It was released in 1974.
How does Queen’s sound differ from standard rock bands?
Queen’s sound is unlike many ‘standard’ rock bands as they use adventurous harmonies and structures, and a theatrical style influenced by musical theatre and opera.
What is the time signature of the piece?
The time signature is mainly in 12/8 time.
What rhythmic feel does the piece have?
This gives the piece a swung feel, using swung rhythms.
What kind of beat does the song have?
There is a regular, danceable beat with a steady tempo.
What rhythmic technique is used throughout the song?
There is syncopation used throughout.
What is an anacrusis?
Every verse and chorus starts with an anacrusis (upbeat).
What extends phrase lengths?
There are occasional extra bars of 6/8 time to extend phrase lengths.
What rhythmic element is used in bar 18?
There are some use of triplets in bar 18.
What is the structure of the piece?
The piece has a verse-chorus structure.
What is the full structure of the song?
The full structure is: Intro (clicks), verse 1, chorus, instrumental, verse 2, chorus, guitar solo, verse 3, chorus, outro.
