defying gravity

Question 1

what key is the original song?

Answer 1

Db major

Question 2

what key has it been transposed to in the anthology?

Answer 2

D major

Question 3

what style of music is it?

Answer 3

musical theatre

Question 4

what sort of instruments are there?

Answer 4

• duet for vocals
• uses a large orchestra
• woodwind section (incl piccolo, bass clarinet, and cor anglais)
• brass
• string sections with a harp and three keyboards
• percussion (drum kit, tubular bells, timpani)
• electric guitar

Question 5

what effect is used on the electric guitars?

Answer 5

over-drive

Question 6

how is the brass section used?

Answer 6

they play homophonic chordal music in an almost fanfare like mannar

Question 7

what are the strings used to do to create excitement?

Answer 7

tremolo

Question 8

what instruments play a high pitched ostinato?

Answer 8

synthesiser and glockenspiel

Question 9

what is the text-setting like?

Answer 9

syllabic

Question 10

what ranges are Elphaba and Glinda?

Answer 10

soprana

Question 11

what is the melody like?

Answer 11

• starts conjunct
• verse and chorus combine conjunct and wide angular leaps
• leaps often feature a rising perfect fifth

Question 12

what is the structure?

Answer 12

verse-chorus

Question 13

what is the tempo like at the very start?

Answer 13

free tempo - colla voce

Question 14

what does the orchestra play at the start?

Answer 14

chordal stabs with sparse monophonic moments, then becomes chordal and sustained

Question 15

what is the first verse like?

Answer 15

• homophonic chordal opening
• major
• legato, conjunct melody
• tremolo strings
• dissonant harmony for accompaniement

Question 16

what key is the bridge in? (unlimited section)

Answer 16

g major

Question 17

what key is the third chorus (chorus after the bridge)?

Answer 17

returns to D major

Question 18

what is the texture like in the verses?

Answer 18

melody dominated homophony

Question 19

what are some aspects of the texture throughout the song?

Answer 19

• there are some homophonic chordal moments
• ostinato accompaniment
• E + G in unison, sometimes in harmony such as thirds
• contrapuntal ending

Question 20

what sort of keys does it modulate to?

Answer 20

• B major
• F major
• G major
• B minor
• D major

Question 21

what position are the keys played in?

Answer 21

root

Question 22

what are the chord progressions like?

Answer 22

often unrelated

Question 23

what are some features of the harmony?

Answer 23

• root position chords
• unrelated key changes
• some dissonance
• pedal
• sus chords

Question 24

what tempo is the bridge?

Answer 24

moderato

Question 25

what tempo marking is the first chorus?

Answer 25

andante

Question 26

what tempo marking are the choruses and some verses?

Answer 26

allegro

Question 27

what tempo marking is the ending?

Answer 27

maestoso

Question 28

what are the time signatures?

Answer 28

- 3/2 triple time - 2/2 duple time - 4/4 quadruple time

Question 29

what is the rhythm like?

Answer 29

- lots of syncopation - uses push rhythms - dotted rhythms - triplets (both quaver triplets and crotchet triplets) - predominantly crotchet and quaver based - rests are common - pause marks

Question 30

what is the melody of the title hook like?

Answer 30

it is mainly triadic

Question 31

what is the title hook?

Answer 31

a melodic fragment designed to get the listener's attention and which uses the words of the song's title