Queen Seven Seas of Rhye Study Piece 4

Introduction metre

4/4

Most of the song tempo

♩ = 127

Lively and fast

Introduction rhythm

Piano plays semiquavers for 8 bars.

Syncopation.

Drum fill with triplets.

Introduction dynamics

Begins mezzo forte.

The bass and lead guitars enter fortissimo.

Introduction melody

Riff - arpeggiated / broken chords.

Guitar pitch bend.

Introduction harmony

2 chords (D & G major) - arpeggiated.

Power chords.

Final chords: D, Em (Em9) and A7 (dominant 7th).

Introduction, verses, bridge 1, final instrumental and outro tonality

D major.

Introduction texture

The opening two-bar riff is a piano solo, played in octave unison.

Introduction technology

Reverb & stereo panning.

Introduction timbre / sonority

Piano.

Drums.

Electric guitars.

Bass guitar.

Verses and bridge 1 metre

Mostly 4/4.

One bar of 2/4 at the end.

Verses rhythm

Syncopation.

Dotted rhythms.

Drumbeat has a strong backbeat.

Verses dynamics

Loud.

Slightly quieter when instruments drop out leaving vocals solo.

Verses melody

‘The seven seas of Rhye’ - hook with a descending shape.

Lead vocal range - 1 octave.

Leaps are heard before each vocal hook.

Verses harmony

Chords are mostly tonic (D) & subdominant (G).

Verses texture

Melody & accompaniment.

Guitar layers add polyphony.

Verses technology

Reverb & stereo panning are added to the vocal lines.

The lead vocal part is double-tracked in verse 3.

Verses timbre

Piano less prominent.

Backing vocals in verse 3.

Bridges rhythm

Syncopation.

Bridge 1 dynamics.

Loud.

Slightly quieter on “forever” but with a slight crescendo as the pitch lifts higher.

Bridge 1 melody

Blues notes (F♮) are sung & played by guitar in bridge 1.

Freddie Mercury ends with high D, showing off wide vocal range.

Bridge 1 harmony

Four chords ascend by step - D major, E minor, F# minor and G major.

C major chord - bVII.

Bridge 2 tonality

G major (subdominant) then back to D major at the end.

Bridges texture

Melody & accompaniment.

Backing vocals are homophonic.

Bridges technology

Overdubbing is used for four part vocals and multiple guitars.

Bridges timbre

Backing vocals added in the bridges - high pitched, close harmony.

Instrumental solo rhythm

Syncopation.

Semiquaver runs at the end.

Instrumental solo dynamics

A diminuendo is heard on the lead guitar at the end of the solo section and verse 3.

Instrumental solo melody

Lead guitar plays short descending scalic passage before solo & ascending scalic passages at end of solo.

Instrumental solo harmony

Bb major (the tonic - chord I) and Eb major (the subdominant - chord IV) alternate throughout.

Instrumental solo tonality

Unusual modulation to the key of Bb major, the flattened submediant (6th note).

Returns to D major at the end.

Instrumental solo texture

Melody and accompaniment.

Instrumental solo technology

Light distortion on the guitars.

Echoes are heard at the end of the solo, followed by feedback created by the electric guitar.

Instrumental solo timbre

Guitar more prominent.

Techniques:

• portamento

• palm muting

• vibrato

• power chords

Final instrumental rhythm

Syncopation.

Lots of drum fills at the end.

Fina instrumental dynamics

Loud.

Final instrumental melody

Electric guitar ad libs in an improvisational style.

Final instrumental harmony

Tonic pedal.

Final instrumental texture

Polyphonic - many different layers at once.

With an accompaniment.

Final instrumental and outro technology

The song ends with a cross fade.

Instruments blend into the band singing ‘Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside’

Final instrumental timbre

Piano, drums, electric guitar, bass guitar.

Vocals near the end.

Outro rhythm

Swung rhythms.

Outro tempo

Slightly slower than before.

Outro dynamics

Loud vocals.

Quickly fades out at the end.

Outro melody

The nursery rhyme / traditional song ‘Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside’ is sung during the outro.

Outro harmony

Diatonic.

Outro texture

Octave unison.

Outro timre

Instruments quickly fade out.

Vocals and stylophone.