Africa - Toto

Riff B

• On beat

• Marimba

• Quavers

• 4th apart

• B major pentatonic scale

Riff A

• Syncopated → on beat

• Dotted crotchet, quavers, crotchet, minim, minim tied to semibreve

• Synthesiser

• Stacatto

• A, G#min, C#min

• Root position

Introduction

• MF

• syncopated

• Riff A + Riff B

• Cut common time (2/2)

• First instrument - percussion

• Second instrument - keyboard/ synthesiser

• Third instrument - marimba

• Monophonic → homophonic

• C#min

Verse 1

• Syncopated

• Mostly conjunct

• Melisma

• Sybalic

• Riff a at the end of each phrase

• Lead and male backing vocals

• 2 bar drum fill

• Drum

• Synthesiser

• Bass guitar

• Homophonic

• B maj

Chorus 1 +2

• Forte

• Ties + syncopated

• Dotted crotchets

• Riff A+ B at the end

• Narrow range

• Conjunct

• Male vocals

• Electric guitar

• Power chords

• Distorted

• Harmony builds to three voices

• A maj

• Diatonic

Verse 2

• Shorter that verse 1

• Countermelody

• Synth

• Flute

• Conjunct

• Legato

• 1 bar drum fill instead of 2

• More backing vocals than verse 1

• B maj

Instrumental

• Generally on beat

• End of phrase is syncopated

• Parallel 4

• 2 9-bar phrases

• Based on riff b

• Starts descending

• Mix of conjunct and disjunct notes

• Both ascending and descending

• Grace notes

• Riff at middle and end

• Synth

• Marimba

• Flute

• Voice at the end

• Homophonic

• B Maj pentatonic

Chorus 3

• Longer than other choruses

• Melismatic

• Virtuosic

• Improv

• High register

• Electric guitar at the end of each phrase

• Thicker texture

• Polyphonic

• A Maj diatonic root position

Outro

• decrescendo

• Syncopated

• Riff a and b

• Bass guitar

• At the end we are left with percussion and marimba

• C#min