Samba Em Preludio by Esperanza Spalding Flashcards
describe the genre of SEP
- mixes brazilian samba with jazz; bossa nova
what bass techniques are used in SEP?
- double stopping
- passagework
- finger picking
- harmonicsw
what is double stopping? and how is it used in SEP
- playing 2 strings at once on a string instrument
- unusual and uncommon way of using bass
- lower clarity in lower pitches so she uses fairly high register double stops
what is a harmonic? and how is it used in SEP
- difficult to achieve
- don’t press fully on string - produces a sound, usually an 8ve, higher than the fret, as a ghostly sound
what is passagework? and how is it used in SEP
- virtuostic technique; flashy runs
- focus on scales and harmonic rather than melodic shaping
what is finger picking? and how is it used in SEP
- complex but gentler than strumming
- provides rhythm without drums
- articulation; can use different fingers to replicate different parts of a drum kit ie thumb as bass
what is chest register? and how is it used in SEP
- uses subdued and low key tone; sits in a comfortable alto range (lowest female voice type) and doesn’t belt
- uses chest to reverberate sound creating a rich big sound
describe the structure of SEP
sits in between simple head and changes arrangement and more complex structural forms
describe the instrumentation of SEP
- bossa nova often performed by a soloist accompanying themselves on nylon guitar, but piano, organ, double bass, and drums also frequently used
- stripped back instrumentation similar to mellow bossa nova tracks of early 60s
- improvised guitar solo with jazz influence
describe the harmony and tonality of SEP
- essentially tonal harmonies with Jazz and American Pop influence (complex)
- bass and voice create a sense of harmony despite mostly performing single notes
- B minor
what happens in the intro of SEP?
florid bass guitar solo
what was the improvised guitar solo in SEP influenced by and how?
- jazz; triplets, pentuplets, semiquavers, dotted rhythm
- Flamenco
what happens in verse 1 A of SEP?
8 bar idea repeated with different ending
what happens in the link in SEP?
bass solo picks up the tempo to move into the bossa nova rhythm for verse 2
what happens in verse 2 B of SEP?
10 bar idea repeated and changed the second time
what harmony is in the guitar solo in SEP?
played over chords of Verse 2
describe the tempo, metre and rhythm of the intro in SEP
- free tempo; lost - difficult to recognise strong pulse
- 4/4 mainly (almost wholly) but 5/4 b.3
- semiquavers; difficult to play because of speed and frets
describe the harmony and tonality of the intro in SEP
- B minor; common in Bossa Nova and despite complex harmony it doesn’t really modulate
- N.C
- harmonic on high G b.3
describe the melody of the intro in SEP
- ornamentation: mordent b.1 and fermata b.3 (adds to interest and free time feeling)
describe the texture of the intro in SEP
monophonic except some double stops (eg.b1)
describe the tempo, metre, and rhythm of Verse 1 initial idea in SEP
- slow tempo; rhythmic rubato
- slow, aimless triplets b4-5
- complicated rhythm (eg b.5-6) but not enough to lose sense of beat
- lots of syncopation in bass (eg.b.4-6)
- occassionally bossa nova type rhythm in bass (eg.b.6 & 9)
- lack of direction, wandering; no drums
describe the tempo, metre, and rhythm of Verse 1 repeated idea in SEP
- develops initial idea through rhythmic changes
- bossa nova type rhythm b.14 + 17
- vocal line contains complex rhythms eg triplets
- the bass progression b.15-16 now has triplets not semiquavers
describe the tempo, metre, and rhythm of verse 2 B in SEP
- more syncopated than A
- note values have doubled with the b.19 increase in tempo, so apparent increase in phrase lengths is false
- rhythmic interest provided through contrast eg. b.29-31 is chromatic and syncopated whereas b.32 is unsyncopated
describe the tempo, metre, and rhythm of the link in SEP
- ‘in tempo’ makes it sound as if it is moving in 2/2
- dotted crotchet and quaver rhythms
- bass solo picks up the tempo to move into the bossa nova rhythm for verse 2
describe the tempo, metre, and rhythm of the guitar solo in SEP
dotted rhythms and syncopation
describe the harmony and tonality of Verse 1 initial idea in SEP
- essentially tonal harmonies with jazz influence (complex)
- ends of sections tend to land on V despite not having traditional classical cadences eg b.11 ends on V
describe the harmony and tonality of Verse 2 B in SEP
- dissonance eg b.44 C + B7
describe the harmony and tonality of VDS to end in SEP
turnaround chords: C#7, G7b5, C#7b9, F#7
describe the texture of Verse 1 initial idea in SEP
mostly homophonic but sometimes bass is melodic enough to be a melody in its own right
describe the ttexture of the voice and bass duet in SEP
polyphonic; 2 melodies of the piece are combined
describe the melody of Verse 1 initial idea in SEP
- series of phrases linked by common rising arpeggio
- first or second note of each phrase descends by a tone or semitone in long downward sequence (eg.b.7 + 9)
- melody moves, unusually, by 3rd leaps and sometimes 7th and all phrases have the span of a 7th (except for the first, which is a minor 6th) (eg.b.8-9)
- low e shows low vocal range b.11
describe the melody of Verse 1 repeated idea in SEP
- vocal line contains many leaps and complex rhtyhms eg.b.15
- melody changes witth a jazzy flat 5th to prepare for descent to tonic
describe the melody of Verse 2 B in SEP
- contrasts A as this is now completely conjunct
- chromatic: Cmaj7b9 and F7b5 b.27-28
- chromatically descending b.31-32
- guitar plays improvised fills - licks - when singing stops to fill silence
- repeat of flattened 5th idea b.34 on
describe the ttexture of verse 2 B in SEP
bass and guitar accompanying melody and have contrapuntal melodic lines of their own; bossa nova style
describe the melody of voice and bass duet in SEP
- bass plays vocal part from b.4-11 (A) while voice sings b.23-38 (B)
- sense of intimacy; innermost emotions
describe the melody of DS to end in SEP
- second half of verse 2 followed by repetitions of last line
- guitar and bass play florid riffs during last held vocal note
