The elements of music to consider
Form and structure
The song is written in a verse-chorus format, which many pop musicMusic which has general appeal and is often linked to styles of the 1950s. Driven by a strong rhythmic element. songs follow. The structure is:
- introduction
- verse 1
- chorus
- verse 2
- chorus
- bridge
- verse 3
- chorus
- bridge
- chorus
Harmony and tonality
The essential features include:
- the overall song is in the key signatureA pattern of sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece of music indicating which are to be played. of E major but the four-bar introduction is in G major
- the verse uses four chordA collection of usually three notes played together. - E major, B major, B7 and F鈾 minor
- the chorus has three chords - D major, A major and E major
- the chord of D major is built on the flattened seventh of the key - a common feature in popular music
- the chorus follows a sequence of plagal cadence A type of cadence where chords IV to I are played. Makes the phrase sound finished, but is softer than a perfect cadence.聽In the key of Bb major, a plagal cadence is the sub-dominant third (Eb) leading to the tonic chord (Bb). as a chord progression, moving from D major to A major (IV - I) then A major to E major (IV - I)
- the bridge creates variety in a song and contains new chords and melodic material, such C鈾 minor 11 and F鈾 major
- the chromaticChromatic harmony uses notes from outside the key to colour the chords. in the vocal melody
- the final cadence is D major to E major (鈾璙II - I)
Rhythm, metre and tempo
The features to take note from the song are:
- the guitar and piano play mainly straight crotchets
- the bass guitar emphasises beats 1 and 3 in the verse and plays crotchets in the chorus
- the straight quavers are to be played with a swing feel equal to tripletA group of three equal length notes played in the space of two, eg three quavers played in the space of two quavers. quavers.
- the drum kit begins with crotchets and moves to swung quavers on the hi-hat
- the melody line is syncopationRhythm patterns where stressed notes are placed off the beat.
- the metre is 4/4
- The tempoThe speed that the music is played at. is marked moderately, 110 beats per minute (bpmBeats per minute.)
Instrumentation and texture
The instruments and studio techniques to be aware of in the Sgt. Pepper鈥檚 Lonely Hearts Club Band album include:
- overdubbingA process where new sounds/ music are added to an existing recording. enables multiple instruments to be recorded
- lead vocalThe voice as a musical instrument. and backing vocals
- piano
- electric rhythm, bass and lead guitar
- drums, tambourine and cowbell
- Hammond organ
- the introduction is mainly chordal
- the overall texture is 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.
- there is the use of a guitar fill and a drum solo
- call and response between the lead vocal and backing vocals
Pitch and melody
Remember the following points regarding melody and pitch:
- the lyrics are sung by Ringo Starr in the fictional character Billy Shears
- the song pitch has a 5 note vocal range (E - B), except the final note
- the melody is mainly conjunctA melody that moves by step.
- the verses have a syncopationRhythm patterns where stressed notes are placed off the beat. melody
- the chorus includes tripletA group of three equal length notes played in the space of two, eg three quavers played in the space of two quavers. and syncopation
- the chorus contains the melodic hookA technique often used in popular music to engage the listener eg, a riff.
- slight changes in pitch occur in the verse
- melismaSeveral notes sung to one syllable. melody passages