Samba Em Preludio (Esperanza Spalding)

Question 1

What Key is this piece in?

Answer 1

B minor

Question 2

What is the Structure of this piece?

Answer 2

Strophic - A head arrangement based on a main theme:
Intro - verse 1 - break - verse 2 - guitar solo - verse 3 - coda
16 bar sections
Virtuosic Guitar flourish at the end of the piece

Question 3

Harmony and Tonality

Answer 3

B minor
Conjunct - stepwise
Jazz harmony - not simple triads - extended, altered, substitution

Question 4

Name the Instrumentation

Answer 4

Female vocal
Acoustic bass guitar - virtuosic solo at start, double stops, mordants, glissando
Nylon-string acoustic guitar - chords + short melodies - has virtuosic solo

Question 5

Time signature

Answer 5

4/4

Question 6

Rhythm and tempo

Answer 6

Starts in a free tempo - pulse pulled around freely.

Tempo rubato - performer can pull back or speed up.

Syncopated Based on a Bossa Nova rhythm

Question 7

Bossa Nova rhythm

Answer 7

Dotted crotchet- quaver rhythm
(Like a salsa groove but doubled in lengths)
Heard in the bass part from bar 19

Question 8

Melody

Answer 8

Syllabic - more focus on bass guitar while singing
Beginning - sings ascending in broken chords
Stepwise - verse 2
Often sins highest notes (7ths) - bar 35, sings F of G sharp dim7

Question 9

Texture

Answer 9

Start is monophonic - is it really since double stopping (chords)
Overall MDH
Counterpoint between parts (voice and bass chords)
Bossa nova - polyphonic counterpoint - guitar + bass accompany melody
Sparse in places - creates intimate feel - just vocal and bass (fewer notes)

Question 10

Verse 1

Answer 10

2 8-bar stanzas
Rising arpeggio (broken chord) - in triplets
First note of phrase descends by semitone - descending sequence
Move sin 3rds - occasional 7ths

Question 11

Verse 2

Answer 11

2 16-bar stanzas
Stepwise
Ascending + descending sequences
Contrapuntal - voice + acoustic/bass

Question 12

Duet

Answer 12

Vocals sing verse 2

Bass guitar plays verse 1 - doubled note values

Question 13

Solo

Answer 13

Virtuosic - show off
Conjunct - small intervals
MDH - acoustic plays melody accompanied by bass
Trills, quintuplets, hammer ons, acciacaturas, extended chords

Question 14

Dad’s Notes-

List 4 Facts about the piece

Answer 14

Composed by Baden Powell

Baden Powell was Brazillian

Composed in 1962

Piece is sung in Portuguese

Millions of African people were brought to Brazil in the 1500’s and as a result, Their polyrhtymns influenced much Brazil music.This fusion of styles eventually became to be know as Samba

Esperanza Spalding re-arranged a version of this song in 2008

Esperanza’s music is a fusion of Jazz, Blues, Funk, Latin American.

Esperanza sings in English, Spanish & Portuguese

Question 15

Dad’s Notes-

What is the rhythm of the image?

Answer 15

The Bossa Nova Clave Rhythm

The Bossa Nova Clave Rhythm

Question 16

Dad’s Notes -

Name the instrumentation of the piece?

Answer 16

Esperanza Spalding’s instrumentation contains the following -

Low Pitched Female Voice
Acoustic Guitar
Acoustic Bass Guitar

Question 17

Dad’s Notes-

Summerise the Form & Structure of the piece

Answer 17

The structure of the piece is largely influenced by the words of the original song and the 16 bar chord patten which underpins the track.

The text feature four stanzas which are split between the two verses with some words being repeated for emphasis.

An instrumental section led by the acoustic guitar gives contrast. The introduction and coda sections create a sense of wholeness about the piece.

Structure is as follows-

Introduction (A Complex Bass Solo)

Verse 1 (An 8 bar repeated melodic idea)

Linking Section (The bass solo is increased in tempo bringing the song into Bossa Nova for the remaining sections)

Verse 2 (16 Bars)

Guitar Solo (Features a virtuosic improvisation and is played over the chords of the second verse)

Voice & Bass Duet (the bass guitar plays an augmented version of the vocal part for verse 1 whilst the voice sings the melody of verse 2. The bass part contains rhythm values that are twice as long as the vocal melody - eg the quaver triplet in the melody becomes a crochet triplet for the bass guitar)

Coda (The Acoustic Guitar and Acoustic Bass play embellished riffs)

Question 18

Dad’s Notes-

What are the Dynamics?

Answer 18

No Dynamics are printed but, the song is performed at a relaxed Mezzo Piano (mp) throughout.

Question 19

Dad’s Notes-

Melody Information

Answer 19

The two main melodies are heard in the first and second verses. Both are heard between the voice and bass in the duet section.

In verse 1, the melody phrases often begin triadically (Melody that only uses the notes of the chord being played. In the key of C Major the triad would be C,E & G). The starting note of each of these triadic melodic shapes get lower each time it is repeated. This is a descending Sequence.