The Beatles - Within You, Without You Flashcards
What does the dilruba play in bar 2?
The dilruba enters with a melody containing slurred notes using the notes of the khamaj thaat raga. It plays glissandos between these slurred notes.
What happens melodically when the dilruba melody finishes?
The swarmundal enters with an ascending glissando, playing the notes C,E,F,G,Bb.
What is significant about the tambura drone that lasts throughout?
It is pitched at C, but sounds like C# on the recording as it was played back at a higher speed
On what notes is the opening vocal melody based and what effect does this have?
The melody is based on a tritone (augmented 4th - E to Bb) which gives an unstable feel to the tonality
Describe the vocal melody in bars three to four of it
It is constructed from a sequence of descending perfect fourths
What does the cello do in the one-and-a-half bars between verses 1 and 2?
The cello plays a riff in these bars
What do the cello and violin do in verse 2?
They play a melody in unison
What happens to the vocal melody at the end of verse two?
It moves to a high register on the words “if they only knew” to emphasise the lyrics.
What does the dilruba do in the chorus?
It doubles the vocal melody
What do the violins play in the chorus?
They play a riff similar to that of the five-note cello riff between verses 1 and 2
What does the dilruba play in the instrumental?
The dilruba plays repeated variations of the melody from the verses adapted for 5/4
What do the violins play in the instrumental?
The violins play a pizzicato and arco melody and a call and response with the dilruba
What happens between the vocals and strings in verse 3?
There is imitative dialogue between them
What happens after verse 3?
There is a seven bar link to the final chorus during which the dilruba and strings play improvisatory passages based on the opening melody line heard in the intro
What is unusual about the harmony of the song?
There are no set chords on the score to indicate a key signature
What does the tambura do throughout harmonically?
The tambura plays a drone on C throughout in order to provide a tonal centre to the song. It is also played by the cello in the chorus
What type of harmony is featured in the verses?
Tritone (augmented fourth) harmony, in this case E and Bb
How does the song end harmonically and what does this represent?
The song ends with an unresolved harmony with the notes C and D sounding simultaneously, reflecting the idea that the issues relayed in the song have not been resolved
What is the tonality of the song?
The song is modal, having no discernible key signature
In what raga is the song written in?
The song is written in the khamaj thaat raga, similar to the western mixolydian mode. It uses he notes C, D, E, F, G, A, Bb
What is the structure of the song?
The structure of the song is:
- Introduction
- Verse 1
- Verse 2
- Chorus
- Instrumental
- Verse 3
- Chorus
What two genres is the song a fusion of?
Pop and classical Indian traditional music
Which Indian instruments does the song use?
The sitar, the swarmundal, the dilruba, the tabla, and the tambura
What western instruments does the song use?
Violins, cellos, acoustic guitar, and voice
What technology is used with the dilruba to create a specific timbre?
The dilruba is tripple-tracked which creates a thick timbre in the main instrumental section
What do the violins play in the instrumental?
The violins play pizzicato notes on a repeated high C. During this section, 8 violins and 3 cellos are added
What happens at the end of the song?
There is a short burst of laughter in order to relive the tension of the song
What is the tempo of the song?
The tempo of the song is written as rubato, so the speed is flexible
At what tempo is the into played?
A medium tempo called madhya laya
What happens to the time signature throughout the song?
It changes between 4/4, 2/4 and 5/4
In the introduction, what does the tabla play?
A triplet rhythm in the 2/4 bar
What does the tabla play throughout?
A 16-beat tintal
What does the dilruba melody in the introduction do rhythmically?
It combines dotted rhythms with syncopation
What does the vocal melody in the verses do rhythmically?
It contains lots of minims, reflecting the slow, reflective mood of the song
What happens to the time signature at the end of the verse line?
It changes from 4/4 to 5/4
What takes place in the chorus rhythmically?
It follows a simple crotchet rhythm throughout because it has a 4/4 metre with two time signature changes to 5/4 to accommodate the lyrics
What happens to the metre during the 35-bar instrumental section?
There are 27 bars in 5/4 and eight bars in 4/4. A new tala called the jhaptal is played in the 5/4 section and consists of ten beats
