Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? Flashcards
What album does it come from?
Play
When was it released?
1999
What is the song based on?
Two samples taken from a 1953 recording of a gospel choir
What is sample A like?
It is sung by a male singer and is used in the verses
What is sample B like?
It is sung by a female singer and it is used in the choruses
What has happened to the samples in order to change the meaning of the words?
They have been manipulated
How does Moby create a vintage feel with the samples?
Moby hasn’t cleaned up the surface noise
How is the melody created?
The samples are looped
What structure does the piece have?
A verse-chorus structure
How are the verses and choruses created?
The samples are looped
What is the one bar’s silence that comes after the second verse called?
The breakdown
How is the texture built up?
Individual tracks are introduced one by one
What happens to the texture after the breakdown?
It becomes thinner
What does the accompaniment use to vary the texture?
Static chords
What metre is the song in?
4/4
What is the tempo?
98 bpm
What rhythmic device is used in the piano, vocal and sythesised strings?
Syncopation
What happens to the rhythms of each section to create contrast?
Rhythms are varied between sections
What equipment did moby use to produce the track?
Synthesisers, sampler, drum machine, sequencer
What are the synthesisers used for?
To produce string, bass and piano sounds
What is the sampler used for?
Used for the vocal samples, as well as the breakbeat rhythm on the drum track
What is the sequencer used for?
To trigger the sampler and synthesisers
What is panning used for?
To place sounds in the stereo field
What are the ‘electronic ghostings’ on the male vocal sample when it first comes in?
Remnants of the backing singers in the original sample
What other effects are used to create an echo-like sound?
Reverb and delay
What has happened to the echoes?
They have been processed with EQ to remove the lower frequencies
What is the harmony like?
Entirely diatonic
What is the chord sequence that the first sample is set to?
Am, Em, G, D
Amazing, Emily, goes, dancing
Which two chord sequences are used for the second sample?
C, Am, C, Am then F, C, F, C
What key is it in?
The verse use the Dorian mode on A
The choruses are in C major
