Killer Queen

Question 1

Melody

Answer 1

• mainly syllabic
• backing vocals use mixture of vocals and vocalisations
• starts mainly conjunct with small leaps of 3rd or 4th
• leaps often feature rising major 6ths
• both conjunct and angular leaps in melody

Question 2

What is the structure of ‘Killer Queen’?

Answer 2

verse-chorus form

Question 3

Texture

Answer 3

• homophonic
• layering
• imitation
• three-part texture during guitar solo
• panning
• parallel motion

Question 4

Tonality

Answer 4

• E♭major
• starts in Cm
• tonally ambiguous at times
• many passing modulations

Question 5

Harmony

Answer 5

• altered and extended chords
• seventh chords
• mainly root position with some 1st and 2nd inversion
• circle of 5ths
• some dissonance

Question 6

Tempo

Answer 6

moderato and dotted crotched pulse of 112 beats per minute

Question 7

Metre

Answer 7

• 12/8 compound quadruple
• some bars in 6/8 to extend phrase length

Question 8

Rhythm

Answer 8

• swung feel
• verses and choruses start with anacrusis
• syncopation

Question 9

Verse 1

Answer 9

• anacrusis
• short detached piano chords (accomp.)
• tonally unstable
• guitar descending sequence
• vocables in backing vocals
• falsetto
• 1st phrase 4 bars; 2nd phrase 5 bars (extended by one 6/8 bar)

Question 10

Chorus

Answer 10

• phrasing: 5 + 3
• second chorus just first phrase
• vocables in backing vocals
• portamento slide on ‘queen’
• EQ and phase-shifter on ‘laserbeam’
• circle of 5ths
• vocal stabs on ‘ba, ba, ba, ba,’ (backing vocals)
• four part texture
• chorus 3 has a guitar solo

Question 11

Instrumental

Bars 23-26

Answer 11

guitar 1 and 3 play thirds using slides and vibrato

Question 12

Verse 2

Answer 12

• bass guitar uses pentatonic and chromatic scales
• main vocals uses spoken text
• four part backing vocals
• otherwise same as verse 1

Question 13

Guitar Solo

Answer 13

• mimics lead part of chorus then extends into three part guitar solo
• guitars 3 and 4 imitate guitar 1
• then three-part texture
• repeated imperfect cadence in last two bars

Question 14

Verse 3

Answer 14

• only 7 and ½ bars long
• climax ‘wild’
• 4 vocal parts sing very high
• 3 guitar wah-wah response

Question 15

Outro

Answer 15

• fade out over E♭ chord
• panning

Question 16

Name the accompanying instrument heard first at ‘Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet’.

Answer 16

piano

Question 17

Describe the accompaniment during phrase of ‘Moët et Chandon in her pretty cabinet’. (5)

Answer 17

• chords
• Cm
• staccato / detached
• played in piano RH
• added 7th (chord)
• on beat

Question 18

Describe how the vocals in the chorus are different to those in the first verse. (3)

Answer 18

• panned
• “ba, ba, ba, ba,” instead of “ooh”
• louder

Question 19

Name the studio effect heard only in the chorus.

Answer 19

flanger

Question 20

Name three features of the vocal texture in the second chorus.

Answer 20

• parallel (motion)
• chordal
• homophonic / melody and accompaniment
• 3/4 parts

Question 21

Describe how the texture changes towards the end of the guitar solo. (5)

Answer 21

• polyphonic
• then homophonic
• imitation
• parallel (motion)
• layering
• (guitar) parts added

Question 22

Name three playing techniques used by the solo electric guitar in the guitar solo and describe the sound produced by the playing technique.

Answer 22

• pitch bends and distorts / changes pitch
• portamento / glissando / slides and slides between pitches
• vibrato and rapid change of pitch

Question 23

Describe how the band create a musical climax at ‘drive you wild’. Comment on instrumentation.

Answer 23

• drum fill
• snare roll
• guitar solo
• high vocals
• multiple layers of vocals

Question 24

Describe how the band create a musical climax at ‘drive you wild’. Comment on rhythm.

Answer 24

• on beat
• long notes in vocals
• SQs in drums

Question 25

Describe the part played by the electric guitar at the start of the third chorus. (5)

Answer 25

- melodic - countermelody - palm muted - starts with sustained high notes - countermelody - emphasises backbeat (2 and 4) during vocal phrases

Question 26

Name the playing technique heard on the snare drum at '*kept the same address*.

Answer 26

drum roll

Question 27

Give five features of the backing vocals at '*Met a man from China*'.

Answer 27

- vocables / vocalisation - parallel motion - overdubbed - harmony - chords / chordal - homorhythmic - layers / multiple parts / 4 parts

Question 28

Name the studio effect heard at '*anytime*.

Answer 28

- EQ - panning - reverb

Question 29

Identify differences in **harmony** between the start of the 2nd verse and the start of the 2nd chorus.

Answer 29

- verse had pedal - verse starts minor - different chords in chorus - 2 chords per bar in chorus

Question 30

Identify differences in **instrumentation** between the start of the 2nd verse and the start of the 2nd chorus.

Answer 30

- verse has drum roll - bass guitar has more notes / more complex in chorus - more complex drum-kit part

Question 31

Identify differences in the **vocals** between the start of the second verse and the start of the second chorus.

Answer 31

- chorus in close harmony - chorus in parallel motion - chorus in higher pitch - backing vocals / more than one part in chorus - portamento / slide in chorus

Question 32

Identify five similarites between the start of verse 1 and the start of verse 2.

Answer 32

- chords - key - melody - syllabic - metre - tempo - piano - solo vocal line

Question 33

Identify five differences between the start of verse 1 and the start of verse 2.

Answer 33

- finger clicks in 1 - drums in 2 - drum roll in 2 - guitar melody in 2 - pedal in 2 - distortion in 2 - sampled cymbal in 2

Question 34

Describe the backing vocals in verse 1. (5)

Answer 34

- chords / harmony - parallel (motion) - overdubbed - vocables - homorhythmic - 3 parts

Question 35

Describe how the backing vocals in the second verse are different to those in the first verse. (3)

Answer 35

- sing words - more parts - enter earlier - more prominent in the texture