Music - Killer Queen

What is the overall structure of killer queen like?

verse-chorus form

Bars 1 - 14 (0:00-0:26)

What section is this called?

How does the instrumentation start and change?

What is the key?

What type of sequence can be heard in bar 7?

What enters in bar 8 using what?

What vocal technique is used in bar 11?

How do the first and second phrases differ in time signature?

• this is verse 1

• the instrumentation starts with six finger clicks, and them short detached chords are played by the piano before the bass and drums enter at the end of bar 6

• The key is tonally unstable, opening in C minor but quickly changing to Eb major

• A descending sequence is played by the guitar in bar 7

• backing vocals enter in bar 8 using vocables

• bar 11 lead vocal uses falsetto

• the first phrase is four bars in length, however the second phrase has been extended by the addition of a 6/8 bar (bar 10) to five bars in length.

Bars 14 - 22 (0:26-0:45)

What section is this?

How many bars are in the chorus? What is the phrasing?

What happens to the key here?

Describe the vocals in this section?

What technique is used on the word ‘queen’ in bar 15?

What effect is added to the phrase ‘laser-beam’ and what is the effect?

• this section is the 1st chorus

• there is 8 bars in the chorus, however the phrasing is 5 + 3

• Having apparently cadenced into Bb major, the key moves to D minor then C major before shifting in parallels to a circle of fifths then another slide to Bb major.

• lead and backing vocals sing together in harmony creating a four-part texture (bar 15), and the backing vocals use vocables (bar 18)

• a portamento slide is used on the word ‘queen’ (bar 15)

• the effect flanger is used on the phrase ‘laser-beam’ (bar 17) which makes it sound robotic

Bars 23 - 26 (0:45-0:51)

What section is this called?

Describe how the guitars play.

• this section is instrumental

• the guitars (1 and 3) play in thirds using slides and vibrato

Bars 26 - 38 (0:51-1:15)

What section is this?

Describe the backing vocals

When do the drums enter and how?

Describe the main vocal in bar 38

Describe the bass guitar?

• this section is verse 2

• the backing vocals are four-part vocals adding texture

• the drums enter early with a drum roll

• the main vocal uses spoken text for dramatic effect in bar 38

• the bass guitar develops its line from verse 1 by using pentatonic and chromatic scales (bars 37 and 38)

Bars 38 - 43 (1:15-1:24)

What section is this?

How is this different to chorus 1?

• this is the 2nd chorus

• it is as chorus 1, but it has been cut short using the first five bar phrase, leading directly to the guitar solo

Bars 44 - 61 (1:24-2:00)

What section is this?

How does it start of as?

How does it shift?

What type of pattern is chord sequence is seen in bars 44-47?

In bar 48, what technique do guitars 3 and 4 use against guitar 1, and how does it resolve in bar 50?

What happens in bar 51?

What techniques are used throughout this section?

• this section is the guitar solo

• it starts off as mimicking the lead part of the chorus before expanding into a three part guitar solo

• a descending pattern in the chord sequence in seen in bars 44-47

• in bar 48, guitars 3 and 4 use imitation against guitar 1 before coming together in bar 50 to create a three-part texture

• in bar 51, the harmony returns to the verse chord sequence, with the original melody.

• the guitars use techniques such as slides, bends, pull-offs and vibrato

Bars 61 - 69 (2:00-2:16)

What section is this?

How many bars long is this section?

What technique is used on guitar on beat 3 of bar 62?

What uses of word painting are there in this section?

Where is the climax of these piece?

What effect is added to the word ‘wild’ when it is repeated?

• this is verse 3

• unusually this is only 7 ½ bars long

• on beat 3 of bar 62, a ‘wah-wah’ effect is used on the guitar

• uses of word painting: ‘wah-wah’ mimics a cat’s meow, and precedes the line ‘playful as a pussy cat’. Also word painting on ‘absolutely drive you wild’

• the climax of the piece is at bar 67 on the word ‘wild’ with the vocals singing very high in four parts followed by a response from the band.

• there is also use of panning on the word ‘wild’ when it is repeated, switching from right to left

Bars 69 - 78 (2:16-2:34)

What section is this?

How is this similar and different to previous choruses?

What effect is used on guitars 3 and 4 at the end as they fade out?

• this is chorus 3

• it is similar to previous choruses in the way it uses the same lyrics, melody and effects but it is different as it has an addition of a guitar solo.

Bars 79 - End (2:34-2:59)

What section is this?

How does the music fade out?

How do the guitars play throughout the end?

What effect is used on guitars 3 and 4 at the end as they fade out?

• this section is the outro

• the music fades at the end over a chord of Eb major

• the guitars 1 and 2 play in thirds, and guitars 3 and 4 imitate eachother

• panning is used on guitars 3 and 4 to give an immersive effect, switching consistently from right to left

Texture:

What is the main texture?

What is there use of?

How many parts are there in the guitar solo?

How many parts are there in the chorus (vocals)?

• the main texture is homophonic

• there is use of imitation, layering, and panning

• there is a three part texture in the guitar solo

• there is a five part texture in the vocals in the chorus (4 backing vocals, 1 lead vocal)

Tempo, metre and rhythm:

What is the overall tempo?

What is the main time signature?

What time signature is sometimes added?

How does it feel?

What rhythmic device is used in bar 18?

What rhythmic device is frequent throughout?

• the overall tempo is moderato with a dotted crotchet pulse of 112 beats per minute

• the time signature is mainly in 12/8 compound quadruple time

• it occasionally inserts a bar of 6/8 which has an effect of extending the phrase length

• it feels swung

• triplets are used in bar 18

• syncopation is frequent throughout e.g bars 44-46