Bohemian Rhapsody Analysis: Terms Used in The Song
Bohemian Rhapsody Analysis: Terms Used in The Song
Bohemian Rhapsody Analysis: Terms Used in The Song
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Instruments used in Bohemian Rhapsody:
NOW USING YOUR SCORE: LETS FIND EXAMPLES OF THE FOLLOWING IN THE SCORE
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NOW FOLLOWING THE SCORE FOR THE VOCAL PART ONLY:
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Eleven bars of vocal harmony accompanied with piano and cymbals (bars 12/13) and bass guitar
(bars 15)
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 in bar 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
List 3 features of the song which were unusual for ha pop song of the 1970s
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EXERCISE ON PAGE 117 AND 118 BASED ON INTRODUCTION BARS 1- 16
1. The opening four bars are sung a capella. Explain what this means
(1)______________________________________________________________
(11)_____________________________________________________________
4. Listen to the 4 bars again and complete the rhythm of the melodic outline below
__________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________
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________________________________________________________________j_________________
_______________________________________________
4. How does the music paint the picture of the wind blowing?_____________
________________________________________________________________
5. From the following list, select any 3 features which you hear in this excerpt. Refer to the
appropriate text in each feature
Syncopation_________________________________________________
Chromatic movement_________________________________________
Panning____________________________________________________
Glissando___________________________________________________
in bar 17: solo voice enters with a lush (rich) melody accompanied with piano/bass guitar
the melody has syncopation (tied notes and also short note followed by a longer note..eg quaver
followed by a crotchet)
syncopated rhythms feature in the snare drum (it plays on the 2nd + 4th beats) in bars 25-32
there is a descending bass and L.H piano line in bars 23/24 and 27
there are crash cymbals heard in bar 24. This is an example of wordpainting “thrown it all away”
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it moves back to the key of B flat major in bars 31/32
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Verse 2 bars 34-46
LYRICS:
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13 bars of solo voice with backing vocals, piano, percussion and bass guitar. (Electric guitar joins in
after 8 bars)
There is wordpainting “sends shivers down my spine” with the use of a belltree
The bass guitars are “overdubbed” in bar 42 as the electric guitar enters on the words “and face the
truth”
Backing vocals sing a “countermelody” in bar 44 “any-way the wind blows” against the main vocal
line
THERE IS A 4 BAR PIANO INTERLUDE IN VERSE 2 BUT ONLY A 2 BAR INTERLUDE IN VERSE 1
THE MOOD IS TENSE AND ANGRY IN VERSE 2 WHILE ITS REGRETFUL IN VERSE 1
LEAD GUITAR PLAYS GUITAR LICK (SOLO) BASED ON PENTATONIC SCALE (DOH-RE-ME-SO-LAH)
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DESCENDING CHROMATIC LINE IN THE OVERDUBBED ACCOMPANYING GUITARS AND LEFT HAND
AND BASS GUITAR (49, 53,54)
ENDS IN “A MAJOR”
KEY IS “A MAJOR”
WORDPAINTING IN BAR 61 “THUNDER BOLT AND LIGHTNING” WITH THE USE OF PERCUSSION
6 BARS OF REPEATED MELODY “IM JUST A POOR BOY” WITH ACCOMPANIMENT-6 PART VOCALS
BAR 77 = 10j BARS OF ALTERNATING SOLO AND VOCAL HARMONY “EASY COME EASY
GO….BISMILLAH…NO WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO….LET HIM GO…”
STEREO PANNING BAR 82-84 (WE WILL NOT LET YOU GO..”
STABBING CHORDS IN BAR 86 AS INTENSITY RISES IN VOCALS, PIANO, GUITARS AND PERCUSSION
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SECOND GUITAR INTERLUDE (BARS 96-99) THIS SECTION IS HARD ROCK
SOLO VOICE SINGS MELODY WITH DESCENDING REPEATED NOTES AND SYNCOPATION (BARS 100-
102)
THERE ARE ALSO “TRIPLET” RHYTHMS IN THE MELODY (3 CROTCHETS FOR THE PRICE OF 2)
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SYNCOPATION IN MELODY
CHANGE OF TIME SIGNATURE TO 2/4 IN BAR 103 AND KEY SIG TO D FLAT MAJOR. THE IDEA OF THIS
IS TO JOLT THE LISTENER
BARS 113-122
IT FEATURES A RISING LICK WITH OVER DUBBING (BARS 117-120: THIS IS MISSING ON YOUR SCORES)
BARS 128 SOLO VOICE WITH PIANO AND BASS, PERCUSSION AND SOME LEAD GUITAR
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LEAD GUITAR PANNED IN BAR 134-136
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