Musical description
Instrumentation
Esperanza Spalding鈥檚 arrangementPresentation of an existing composition in a different way, eg changing or developing structure, texture or instrumentation. of Samba Em Prel煤dio involves only the following three instruments:
- low pitchThe frequency of a sound. Sounds with a high pitch have a high frequency. female vocalThe voice as a musical instrument.
- acousticAn instrument that sounds without any electric assistance. guitar
- acoustic bass guitar
Form and structure
The structure of Samba Em Prel煤dio is largely influenced by the words of the original song and the 16-bar chordA collection of usually three notes played together. pattern which underpins the track.
The text features four stanzas, which are split between the two verses with some words repeated for emphasis. An instrumental section led by the guitar gives contrast, and the introduction and coda sections create a sense of wholeness.
The structure is summarised as follows:
- introduction - a complex bass guitar solo
- verse 1 - an 8-bar repeated melodic idea
- linking section - the bass solo increases in tempoThe speed or pace of performance in speech, dance or music. to move the song into bossa novaA musical style from Brazil which originates from samba music. It is syncopated, but slow and lyrical in style. style for the remaining sections
- verse 2 - 16-bars
- guitar solo - features a virtuosityPerformance at a very high level of musical skill and ability.improvisationComposing music on the spot or during a performance. and is played over the chords of the second verse
- Voice and bass duet - the bass guitar plays an augmentationA rhythm that is repeated with longer durations. version of the vocal part for verse 1 while the voice sings the melody of verse 2. The bass part contains rhythm values that are twice as long as the vocal melody (e.g. the quaver triplet in the melody becomes a crotchet triplet in the bass.)
- codaClosing section at the end of a piece of music, song or movement. - the guitar and bass play embellished riffA recurring pattern, often on guitar.
Dynamics
No dynamics are printed, but the song is performed at a relaxed mezzo pianoA dynamic instruction often seen in the score as mp. This means perform at a moderately quiet volume. (mp) throughout.
Melody
The two main melodies in Samba Em Prel煤dio are heard in the first and second verses. Both are heard between the voice and bass in the duet section.
In verse 1, the melody phrases often begin triadic melodyMelody that only uses the notes of the chord being played. In the key of C major the triad would be the three notes C, E and G. (i.e. built around the notes of a chord played one at a time in an ascending patter). The starting note of each of these triadic melodic shapes get lower each time it is repeated. This is a descending sequenceA pattern of musical notes that are repeated moving up or down the scale.
Verse 2 employs stepwise movement and repeated melodies. Bars 31 to 34 copies bars 23 to 26 for example, but sung a fourth higher.
In the second verse, the vocal melody and the guitar solo feature a flattened fifthThe fifth note of the scale is flattened, eg the flattened fifth of C major is Gb.; here F# (note 5 in a B minor scale) is flattened to F natural. Many jazzA genre of music that has swing and syncopated rhythms, and extended chords. musicians make use of the flattened fifth interval to obtain a distinctive sound and to create a soulful mood or expression of sorrow.
Texture
The opening bass guitar introduction is monophonicA texture consisting of a solo musical line.. From the first verse the song is mainly melody and accompanimentA type of texture where there is only one clear melody and an accompaniment that plays different notes and rhythms but is supporting the melody. - the female vocal and the guitar. The voice and bass duet is polyphonicTwo or more melodies or parts that play at the same time, weaving in and out of each other. as the two melodies from verse 1 and verse 2 are combined. The bass and vocal lines are so independent that this texture can be described as counterpoint'Tune against tune' - two or more independent musical subjects that contrast with each other..
The opening bass guitar introduction
Metre and rhythm
Samba Em Prel煤dio is in 4/4 time, which can sound like two minimA note which has a value of two crotchet beats. beats in a bar instead of four clearly defined crotchet beats. This is a feature of the bossa nova.
The opening 3-bar introduction is in free timeMusic without a time signature or clear first beat in a bar., whereas verse 1 is very slow with a lot of rubatoTempo fluctuates by speeding up or slowing down.. The music then quickens to a bossa nova tempo (about 140 bpmBeats per minute.) in verse 2 before returning to free tempo in the coda. The rhythms are complex throughout the song because of the amount of syncopationRhythm patterns where stressed notes are placed off the beat., tripletA group of three equal length notes played in the space of two, eg three quavers played in the space of two quavers. and rests.
cross-rhythm An effect created when two or more conflicting rhythms are heard at the same time. Eg one may be in simple time and another in triple time. between the voice and guitars are heard throughout the song.
Harmony and tonality
The song is in B minor throughout, with complex harmonies and many extended chordA chord that adds additional notes to a triad, such as the seventh, ninth or eleventh note of the scale. , diminished chordA chord that is a collection of minor thirds stacked on top of one another. intervals, flattened fifth and chromatic chordA chord that doesn't belong to the key signature of the piece, eg chord C# major, in the key of C major. to lend variation.
Sonority
Spalding sings in a very low female register 鈥 the lowest pitch she sings is the E below middle C and the highest is up ten-pitches to G. The bass guitar employs the techniques of double stoppingOn a stringed instrument playing two strings at once, plucked or bowed., mordentA type of ornament which suggests the performer plays the printed note, immediately the one immediately above and then the printed note again. and harmonicWhen an instrument produces a related pitch to the played note, usually by an octave fifth or third. .