Studied by 2 peopleRevision questions based on Kate Bush's 'Under Ice' from 'Hounds of Love' (1985)
Structure:
How can the song’s overall structure be described?
Through-composed but based on repetition of ideas
Structure:
What is the structure defined by?
Accompaniment figures and changes of time signature/rhythm
Structure:
Name all the sections of the song.
Intro - Verse 1 - Refrain - Verse 2 - Refrain - Verse 3 - Refrain - Verse 4 - Refrain - Outro
Tonality:
Describe the overall key.
A minor aeolian mode
Tonality:
Are there any developments in tonality?
No key changes
Tonality:
How is the tonality sometimes blurred?
Chromaticism
Harmony:
Describe the movement of the repeated chord sequence in this song.
Movement by 3rds
Harmony:
Name the chords of the repeated sequence.
Fmaj7(#4) - Dm9 - A(sus2) - Am/C
Harmony:
What scale are the chords taken from? (and name the exception)
A natural minor (apart from occasional D major chord)
Harmony:
Describe the harmonic feature in the first four bars of the song.
Articulated tonic pedal
Harmony:
What chord brings the song to an inconclusive close?
Ambiguous A(sus2) chord
Melody/Sonority:
Describe the overall the overall melodic range and how it changes towards the end.
Restricted range of a perfect 5th, higher in last phrase
Melody:
Describe the vocal ideas in this song. (3)
Short, staccato, refrain-like ideas
Melody:
Describe the melodic shapes in the more lyrical melodic sections.
Quasi-pentatonic shapes
Melody/Sonority:
Give three ways word-painting (a sinking effect) is created in the final vocal phrase.
Descending phrase, portamento effect, melisma
Texture:
How can the overall texture be described?
Melody-dominated homophony
Texture:
Describe the textures that appear throughout the song.
Articulated bass pedal textures
Texture:
Describe the ostinato texture frequently used over the bass.
Ostinato open 5th textures
Texture:
Describe the texture between the lead and backing vocals in the coda.
Dialogue
Texture:
Describe the texture of the vocal parts in the refrain.
Homorhythmic
Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
Describe the tempo and how it develops.
Starts crotchet = 65, accelerates to crotchet = 100, then to crotchet = 108
Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
Describe the change in tempo at the end of the song.
Rit.
Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
Describe the rhythm in the bass.
Obsessive crotchet pulse
Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
Describe the repetitive 10-bar metre pattern that appears in this song.
4/4 (2x), 3/4 (5x), 4/4 (3x)
Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
What rhythm do the accompaniment ostinato and vocal refrain use?
Two quaver crotchet rhythm
Rhythm, Tempo & Metre:
How does the repeated rhythmic pattern in this song create rhythmic displacement?
Creates a 3+3+2 crossrhythm across 2 bars of 4/4
Sonority:
How is synthesised and sampled accompaniment provided in this song?
Fairlight CMI
Sonority:
Describe the vocals throughout.
Low tessitura
Sonority:
What is the last sound heard in this song?
Sustained vocal sample with a moving frequency filter
Note
Flashcard