Sr Alaslistas

bohemian rhapsody………….…an analysis
TERMINOLOGY USED IN THE SONG
* SCARAMoUCHE = HE IS A CHARACTER IN ITALIAN OPERA. HE IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE A CLOWN/FOOL (THEATRICAL REFERENCE)

* FANDANGO = A SPANISH DANCE ACCOMPANIED BY GUITARS AND CASTINETS. MOZARTS OPERA “THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO” HAS A FANDANGO IN IT (OPERATIC REFERENCE)

* GALILEO = AN ITALIANPHYSIcIST/ MATHEMATICIAN/ AND ASTRONOMER FROM THE 16TH CENTURY (HISTORICAL REFERENCE)

* FIGARO = HE IS A SERVANT CHARACTER FROM MOZARTS OPERA (OPERATIC REFERENCE)

* BISMILLAH = THIS IS AN ISLAMIC PRAYER MEANING “IN THE NAME OF ALLAH” (it’s the SAME AS SAYING “IN THE NAME OF GOD”) THIS IS A RELIGIOUS REFERENCE
* BIELZEBUB = THE DEVIL SECOND TO SATAN-THE ARCHANGEL EXPELLED FROM HEAVEN.THIS IS A LITERARY REFERENCE TO A POEM CALLED “PARADISE LOST”

STRUCTURE OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

INTROBARS 1-5SOFT ROCK | MAIN SONGVERSE 1BARS 17-34BALLADSTYLE | VERSE 2 BARS 35-46BALLADSTYLE | GUITARINTERLUDEBARS47-54HARD ROCK | OPERATICSECTIONBARS55-95OPERATICSTYLE | GUITARINTERLUDEBARS 96-99HARD ROCK | 2ND SONG(VERSE)AND RIFFBARS100-122HARD ROCK | RECAP AND CODABARS123-138SOFT ROCK |
BFLAT ANDG MINOR | B FLAT AND E FLAT | B FLATAND E FLAT | E FLAT | A MAJOR | E FLAT | E FLAT | E FLATB FLATF |

Instruments used in Bohemian Rhapsody:

Guitar, bass guitar, drum kit, vocals and piano |

Introduction section bars 1 – 4
* Key signature: B flat Major
* Time signature: 4/4
* The time signature changes to 5/4 in bar 3. This allows the music to follow the rhythmof the words
* There is no instrumental introduction (compositional technique)
* 4 bars of vocal a capella singing (performance technique)
* This vocal part was multi-tracked (recording technique)
* There is overdubbing in these 4 bars (recording technique)
* There are repeated notes in the vocal line
* There is syncopation (bar starts with a rest or tied notes)NOW USING YOUR SCORE: LETS FIND EXAMPLES OF THE FOLLOWING IN THE SCORE |

Introduction to Bohemian Rhapsody

g

NOW FOLLOWING THE SCORE FOR THE VOCAL PART ONLY:
WRITE THE FIRST 7 BARS IN YOUR MANUSCRIPT

Bars 5 to 16 features of the music
* Eleven bars of vocal harmony accompanied with piano and cymbals (bars 12/13) and bass guitar (bars 15)
* There are changing timesignatures
* The melody contains repeated notes and syncopation
* In bar 5 the piano enters playing g minor chord (triad)
* The piano plays broken chords
* In bar 8 on the words “I’m just a poor boy” backing vocals sing a counter-melody
* In bar 10 the guitar chords chromatically fall by a semi-tone while the vocalist sings “easy come easy go”
* There is stereo panning inbar 11 on the words “little high little low” (left to right)
* There is word-painting in bar 12/13 on crash cymbals on the words “anywhere the wind blows” (called “Flanging”
“Flanging” means to record 2 separate tracks of cymbals and then put the 2 tracks back together but out-of-sync

Getting to know the score: handout page 117
1. -Name the album from which this single was taken2. When was the album recorded?
3. What was the origin of the title of the album?
4. When was the album released?
5. When was the single “Bohemian Rhapsody” released?
6. Who composed this single?
7. Describe briefly the instrumentation in this song?
8. Comment briefly on the vocal part
9. List 3 features of the song which were unusual for ha pop song of the 1970sEXERCISE ON PAGE 117 AND 118 BASED ON INTRODUCTION BARS 1- 16Here is the listening excerpt based on these bars |

1.83 introduction (bars 1-4)
1. The opening four bars are sung a capella. Explain what this means

2. What is the tonality of these four bars?

3. describe 2 musical features of this opening
(1)______________________________________________________________...