Queen Love of my Life Study Piece 3

Introduction, Interlude, Guitar Solo and Coda metre

4/4

Introduction, verses, Instrumental Bridge and Coda tempo

Tempo is moderately slow throughout.

♩ = 84.

Introduction and Instrumental Bridge rhythm

Regular rhythms.

Right hand = quavers.

Left hand = crotchets and semibreves.

Introduction dynamics

Starts quiet.

Crescendos.

Introduction melody

7 bars: 1 3-bar phrase, 1 4-bar phrase.

Piano - mostly broken chords.

Occasional repeated notes.

Trill used in bar 5 in piano.

Introduction tonality

F major at the start - tonic.

Bb major (temporary modulation) in the second phrase - subdominant.

Introduction harmony

Dominant pedal at the start.

G Gsus4 G G7 - three different types of a G major chord - builds tension at the end of the intro.

Introduction timbre / sonority

Piano.

Acoustic guitar.

Harp.

Introduction texture

(Mostly) melody & accompaniment.

Homophonic harp playing.

Verses metre

Mostly 4/4.

Some irregular bars such as a 3/4 & 2/4 bar.

Verses and Interlude rhythm

Some syncopation.

Mainly regular & repeated rhythms.

Verses dynamics

Mainly quiet.

Decrescendos at ends of phrases.

Verses melody

Frequent leaps balanced with stepwise.

Some repeated notes.

Rising octave leap ‘now you’ →

Lead vocal range - wide - F-A (10th).

Verses tonality

Starts in C major - dominant.

Modulates to F major from ‘(can’t you) see?’ - back to tonic.

Verses harmony

The harmony is diatonic.

1 or 2 chords per bar, but occasionally 3 or 4 chords per bar.

Perfect cadence in F major at end.

Verses timbre / sonority

Piano.

Bass guitar (high register).

Tenor voice.

Backing vocals in verse 2.

Verses texture

(Mostly) melody & accompaniment.

Homophonic in backing vocals - end of verse 2.

Instrumental bridge metre

Mostly 4/4.

Irregular 2/4 bar.

Instrumental bridge melody

Similar to introduction

Pitch bends in guitar solo at the end.

Instrumental bridge tonality

Bb major (similarities to the second phrase in the Introduction) - subdominant.

Instrumental bridge harmony

The harmony used is diatonic.

This section finishes on a home tonic chord of F major, before moving to the relative minor (D minor).

Instrumental bridge timbre / sonority

Piano.

Bass guitar.

Electric guitar at the end.

Instrumental Bridge texture

Melody & accompaniment.

Interlude tempo

♩ = 84.

Slight accelerando at the end.

Interlude dynamics

Fairly loud / loud.

Interlude melody

Repeated notes.

Some stepwise.

Some leaps.

Interlude tonality

D minor - relative minor.

G minor (passing modulation) - subdominant’s relative minor.

Interlude harmony

Mostly 1 chord per bar.

Complex chords used such as F#m7b5 & the first & only diminished 7th chord used (F#dim7th).

Interlude timbre / sonority

Electric guitar.

Piano.

Tenor voice.

Bass guitar.

Backing vocals in 2nd half.

Interlude texture

Melody & accompaniment.

Homophonic vocals at times.

Guitar solo tempo

♩ = 84.

Some rubato.

Guitar solo rhythm

Dotted rhythms.

Syncopation.

Longer notes.

Shorter notes, up to demisemiquavers.

Rhythmic intensity builds on the piano.

Guitar solo dynamics

Crescendos in piano.

Some forte.

Guitar solo melody

Glissandos, slides/portamento.

Higher register (up to top F).

Guitar solo tonality

Starts in F major.

C major (use of B naturals) - dominant.

Bb major (use of Ebs) - subdominant.

Guitar solo harmony

Starts with mostly tonic & dominant (7th) in F major.

Then does the same in Bb major.

Guitar solo timbre / sonority

Electric guitar.

Piano.

Cymbals.

Bass guitar right at the end.

Guitar solo texture

Melody & accompaniment.

Homophonic guitar passage near the end.

Coda rhythm

Uses the same material as halfway through the verse (but slightly varied to start with).

Repeated rhythms on the two final ‘love of my life’.

Coda dynamics

Back to fairly quiet.

Coda melody

Descending sequence on ‘love of my life’ at end.

Harp - arpeggiated chords at ends of some phrases & over final chord.

Coda tonality

Starts in D minor - relative minor.

Finishes in F major - tonic.

Coda harmony

The piece ends with a Gm7 - Bbm6 (minor subdominant) - F progression.

Plagal cadence to finish the piece.

Coda timbre / sonority

Vocals.

Backing vocals.

Piano.

Bass guitar.

Harp & electric guitar, near the end.

Coda texture

Melody & accompaniment