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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)
