The Beatles: 'Tomorrow Never Knows'

Revision questions based on The Beatles' 'Tomorrow Never Knows' from 'Revolver' (1966)

Structure:

Describe the overall structure in one word.

Strophic

Structure:

Name all the sections of the song.

Intro - Verse (3x) - Instrumental - Verses (3x) - Outro

Tonality:

Describe the tonality.

Implied C major, flattened 7th reveals mixolydian mode

Melody:

Name the characteristics of the vocal melody. (3)

Mixolydian mode, major 3rd, flattened 7th

Harmony:

Which harmonic feature continuously appears throughout the song?

C pedal

Harmony:

How is a modal effect created in this song?

Flattened 7th

Harmony:

What scale does the guitar solo use?

Blues scale on C

Harmony:

What chord appears for most of the song (and which chord appears very briefly in the verse)?

C (Bb/C)

Texture:

Describe the overall texture of the song.

Melody-dominated homophony

Texture/Sonority:

How is variety created in the texture?

Various tape loops (often in between vocal phrases)

Texture/Sonority:

Give two ways the technology creates a sense of thickening texture.

Leslie speaker on vocals, artificial double tracking on lead vocal part

Texture:

Describe the piano texture at the end of the song.

8ves

Texture/Sonority:

Name some of the loops/tracks/layers in this song. (6)

Lead vocals, repetitive bass, drums, tape loops, tambura, sitar

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:

What is the time signature of the song?

4/4

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:

Describe the rhythm of the drums. (4)

Typical rock rhythm, kick on beats 1 + 3, snare on beat 2, 8th notes on hi-hats

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:

Describe the rhythm that appears in the verses.

Dotted rhythm

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:

Name six rhythmic features in the guitar solo.

Dotted rhythms, semiquavers, triplets, scotch snaps, syncopation, off-beat entry

Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:

How is a crossrhythm effect briefly created in the verses on the phrase ‘it is not’/’it is’?

Triplet

Sonority:

Name of the main musical influences of this song.

Indian music

Sonority:

What instrument plays a drone throughout?

Tambura

Sonority:

Which Indian instrument is featured in this song to mainly create fills between verses?

Sitar

Sonority:

Describe the drum pattern in this song.

Repetitive, modified through studio processing (including reverse cymbals)

Sonority:

Describe the solo in the instrumental. (2)

Electric guitar, ‘recorded and reversed’

Sonority:

How are the vocals affected in the outro?

Distorted by being run through a revolving Leslie speaker

Sonority:

What studio effect appears at the start and end of the song?

Fade in/out

Sonority:

Describe the first loop in the song.

Seagull effect (sped up vocals - laughter)