Tomorrow Never Knows

Stucture

• Strophic

• 3 Verses

• Instrumental

• 3 Verses

• Outro

Tonality

• C major is implied but continual flattened 7th reveals it is in mixolydian mode.

• Mixolydian on C

Melody

• Vocal melody is in the mixolydian mode characterised by a major third and flattened 7th

• Use of saveral repeated adjacent notes at the start of the verses

• Melody often outlines the chord (C major)

Harmony

• Continuous pedal on C

• Flattened 7th creating a modal effect

• The guitar solo makes use of the blues scale on C

Texture

• Melody-dominated homophony with lead vocal over repetitive bass, drums and tape loops as well as tambura and sitar

• Variety of texture is created through the use of various tape loops often sounding in between the vocal phrases

• The texture is thickened through the useof music technology including a leslie speaker on the vocals, and artificial double tracking on the lead vocal part.

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre

• Common 4/4 time

• Typical rock rhythm on drums with the kick on beats 1 & 3 and the snare on beat 2 along with quavers on the hi-hat

• Characteristic dotted rhythm pattern used in the verses

• Variety of rhythms in the guitar solo including dotted rhythms

Sonority

• Influenced by Indian music

• There is a tambura drone throughout, and the use of a sitar used mainly as a pre-recorded fill between the verses

• Repetitive drum pattern, modified through studio processing including reverse cymbals.

• Bass riff also does not change

• Electric guitar solo is distorted using tape techniques, including being played in reverse.

• Vocals include new technique of artificial double tracking