Superstition - Wonder Pop Flashcards
Describe the harmony of the intro and verse section.
Static Ebm7 chord. Articulated with a few ghost notes on 2 clavinet tracks. Bass line plays crotchet root notes and every 2 bar phrases ends in a quaver riff including the tonic, m3rd and m7th.
Describe the harmony of the chorus.
Bb7, Cb7b5,Bb7,A7b5,Ab7. (Rising and falling chromatically with the non diatonic chords played as half diminished chords). Change every 2 beats. More complex with some more clashes leading to a very resolved feel when the main groove returns.
What notes does Wonder mostly craft his melody with?
Almost entirely Eb minor pentatonic but melismatic blue note (B double flat) sung on the word glass in verse 1 - shows bluesy influence.
How is the melody written (in terms of phrases and form)
ABAB 2 bar phrases with A phrase being higher (ends on Eb) than the B phrase (lower Gb ending).
Describe the riff which enters in the second half of the verses (after 8 bars)
Syncopated (uses tied semiquavers and dotted rhythms) minor pentatonic riff played with sax and trumpet and doubled the octave below on bass. 2 bar phrases. Each 2 bar phrase ends with an Ebm triad.
Describe the line played on saxes and trumpets in the chorus.
Not busy. Minims and the first three minims play the same note (F). Simplicity gives space for the more complex harmony to breathe.
Describe the line played by the saxes and trumpets in the bridge section.
Descending line based around Eb Dorian, due to its use of the major 6th (which in Eb minor is a C). Some light syncopated, but in general rhythmically simple and contrasts main clavinet riff.
Describe the HOWL! in the instrumental chorus.
Eb->high Gb then portamentos down to a Bb. Vibrato or bluesy feel to it while also being minor feeling.
Give 2 examples of melodic development in verse 3.
‘Thirteen month old baby’ begins on a high Db (octave above where it begins in verse 1)
The entire verse begins on high Bb.
Describe the drum groove
Backbeat. Four on floor. But swung hi hat improvisation adds a little interest. (Yk the commonly used rhythm and write it out)
Describe the main clavinet riff and the bass accompaniment
Outlines Ebm7 chord. Syncopated but majority of bars begin with 4 quavers (give stability) then the second half of the bar develops a bit (dotted rhythms and semiquaver rests). Ghost notes are used too (spooky!) 2 bar phrases.
Bass lines plays crotchets and 4 quavers to end each 2 bar phrase.
Describe the riff that enters halfway through the verse.
Syncopated sax and trumpet riff doubled by bass the octave below. Uses tied semiquavers and dotted rhythms. 2 bar phrases, 4 relatively independent layers give quasi polyphonic feel, ends in descending Ebm triad, minor pentatonic.
Describe the drum fill to end the chorus
On beat 4 of the third bar of the chorus there is a sextuplet drum fill across the toms. It continues in the fourth bar of the chorus using a relatively wide variety of instrumentation compared to when playing the main groove (open hi hat, toms, snare and bass drum) and ends with swung semiquavers on the floor tom, followed by half a beat of rest, giving a sense of ending to bring us into the next section.
Describe the outro section
Based around the clavinet playing the main Ebm7 groove - harmonically static. More drum fills and offbeat open hi hats decorate the beat. Melodies from previous parts of the song are played by sax and trumpet, such as the descending Dorian line from the bridge, or the syncopated riff of the second half of the verses.
