Tomorrow Never Knows

Question 1

This song is in strophic form. What does this mean?

Answer 1

The verses are set to the same music

Question 2

The tambura plays throughout the song. What part does the tambura play?

Answer 2

Drone

Question 3

Describe the drum kit part.

Answer 3

Rock rhythm

Question 4

How is the drum kit part different in “Tomorrow Never Knows’ than in the other 3 Beatles songs?

Answer 4

It is more prominent

Question 5

What studio technique is used to alter the sound of the drum part?

Answer 5

Reverse cymbals

Question 6

Which two Indian instruments are included in the song?

Answer 6

Sitar & Tambura

Question 7

Describe a tambura.

Answer 7

4 stringed instrument without frets

Question 8

Why does the tambura not play the melody line?

Answer 8

It doesn’t have frets

Question 9

How is a tambura played?

Answer 9

Plucked

Question 10

What was John Lennon under the influence when he wrote the song?

Answer 10

The hallucinatory drug LSD

Question 11

Where have the lyrics been taken from?

Answer 11

The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead

Question 12

What do the words “Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream” refer to?

Answer 12

The effect of the drug

Question 13

What recording technique has been used on the vocals?

Answer 13

Double tracking

Question 14

How does the song start?

Answer 14

An instrumental introduction (6 bars)

Question 15

Which chord is heard throughout most of the song?

Answer 15

C

Question 16

Which one other chord is heard within each verse?

Answer 16

Bb (with an added C)

Question 17

Which section is heard in between verses 3 & 4?

Answer 17

Instrumental

Question 18

Which instrument plays a fill in between each verse?

Answer 18

Sitar

Question 19

What does the bass guitar play?

Answer 19

Bass riff that does not change

Question 20

What is the time signature of the song?

Answer 20

4/4 (common time)

Question 21

Which rhythmic device is used at the start of each verse?

Answer 21

Anacrusis

Question 22

Which rhythmic device is created when the vocals sing triplets?

Answer 22

Cross rhythms

Question 23

What mode is the vocal melody based on?

Answer 23

Mixolydian in C

Question 24

Which recording technique is used on the guitar solo?

Answer 24

Recorded and reversed

Question 25

Which scale is the guitar solo based on?

Answer 25

Blues scale on C

Question 26

The guitar solo is based on a variation of another scale. What is the scale?

Answer 26

Pentatonic

Question 27

Which rhythmic device is heard at the start of the guitar solo?

Answer 27

Scotch snap (lombardic rhythm)