“KILLER QUEEN”
QUEEN
FROM SHEER HEART ATTACK
“KILLER QUEEN”
LESSON 1
CONTEXT - STARTER ACTIVITY
START IN PAIRS:
Using the images, video and keywords on the desks, start to piece together the contextual
background of queen’s music, and in particular “killer queen”
*What musical features can you hear in the track that are representative of the musical style and
context of the piece. Discuss in relation to MELODY and INSTRUMENTATION
GROUPS OF 4
One member of each pair to talk to another member of the other pair, share findings, add to
discoveries and then be prepared to discuss your answers.
*Use musical elements and keywords when discussing answers
*Link musical findings to other music you are familiar with that use similar
techniques/instrumentation
TABOO
•
•
•
•
•
BACKING VOCALS
SINGING
HARMONIES
MULTI-TRACKED
OVERDUBBED
VERSE-CHORUS
FORM
STRUCTURE
BRIDGE
INSTRUMENTAL
C MINOR
3 FLATS
MAJOR
KEY SIGNATURE
E FLAT MAJOR
SYNCOPATION
OFF-BEAT
RHYTHM
ON-BEAT
WEAK/STRONG BEAT
MULTI-TRACKING
OVER-DUBBED
LAYERS
TEXTURE
RECORDING
GLISSANDI
PORTAMENTO
SLIDE
GLIDE
UP/DOWN
SYLLABIC
MELISMATIC
ONE NOTE
MORE THAN ONE NOTE
SCORE ANALYSIS
BACKING VOCALS
VERSE-CHORUS
C MINOR
SYNCOPATION
MULTI-TRACKING
GLISSANDI
SYLLABIC
HOMEWORK - LISTENING ACTIVITY
“God only knows” – Beach Boys
“Super Trouper” – Abba
1. Listen to the above two pieces for homework
2. Identify 4 musical features that we have analysed today that are used in each of the
tracks
3. Comment on the musical features in further detail, how they are used, linking them
to particular moments/instrumental parts in each of the songs
The full homework task will be on the website and we will start the next lesson by
listening to the tracks and feeding back your findings.
Due Monday 26th September
“KILLER QUEEN”
LESSON 2
PASS THE PARCEL:
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNT SO FAR?
• BLUE QUESTIONS: EASY (ONE WORD)
• GREEN QUESTIONS: MORE DIFFICULT
• RED QUESTIONS: CHALLENGING (DEFINITIONS AND
HIGHER ORDER ANSWERS)
MELODY
• The text setting is mainly syllabic.
• The backing vocals use a mixture of words and vocalisation (e.g. bars 8–9) to
the sound ‘ooh’ and bar 18 to the sound ‘ba’.
• The melody starts mostly conjunct with small leaps of a third or fourth.
• Bars 7 and 8 show an altered descending sequence.
• The verse and chorus combine conjunct and wide angular leaps in the melodic
line.
• Leaps often feature a rising major sixth (e.g. bars 6–7). There are some
exceptionally large leaps such as an octave in bar 62.
PERFORMING FORCES AND THEIR
HANDLING
• The vocal part = Freddie Mercury - high male voice – tenor.
– Lead vocals
– Backing vocals
– Piano
– Overdubbed with a honky-tonk (jangle) piano, four electric guitars, bass guitar and drum kit.
– Guitars and vocals are overdubbed to create a richer colour.
• Guitar techniques - slides, bends, pull-offs and vibrato.
• Recording techniques and effects including multi-tracking, EQ, flanger, distortion, reverb, wahwah, panning and overdubbing.
“KILLER QUEEN”
LESSON 3
HARMONY
• Most chords are in root position.
G
E
C
HARMONY
• Some chords are in first or second
inversion.
G
E
C
HARMONY
• There is some use of dissonance (e.g. bar 30).
• Seventh chords (e.g. bar 4).
• Circle of fifths (e.g. bars 20–21).
Use of altered and extended chords (e.g. F11 bar 47).
• Pedal used bars 27–30.
TONALITY
• The song is in Eb major.
• Opening in C minor and closing on an E♭ major chord, the tonality is ambiguous at times.
• There are many passing modulations, strengthened by perfect cadences but often followed by
parallel shifts, moving to a new key.
A perfect cadence is when chord V (5) movES to
chord 1(1), and is normally heard at the end of a
phrase/section
D
B
G
V
G
E
C
I
“KILLER QUEEN”
LESSON 4
TEXTURE
• The main texture is homophonic.
• Use of imitation.
• Use of layering
• Three-part texture during guitar solo.
• Use of panning (e.g. bars 42-43 backing vocals)
• Antiphonal (e.g. bars 67-68)
RHYTHM & METRE
• Tempo, metre and rhythm
• Moderato tempo with a dotted crotchet pulse of 112 beats per minute.
• The time signature is mainly in 12/8 compound quadruple time.
• Swung feel
• It does occasionally insert a bar of 6/8, which has the effect of extending the phrase length.
• Every verse and chorus start with an anacrusis (upbeat).
• Syncopation is frequent throughout (e.g. bars 44–46).
• Triplets in bar 18.
THEORY ACTIVITY – RHYTHMIC AND
MELODIC DICTATION