Toto: Africa

Question 1

When was it made?

Answer 1

1981

Question 2

Who was it recorded by

Answer 2

American rock band Toto

Question 3

What music genre is it?

Answer 3

Soft-rock (love)

Question 4

Some intruments?

Answer 4

Djembe, xylophone, marimba, balafon

Question 5

Riff A’s rhythm

Answer 5

Syncopated, mostly repeated chord flat vii (Amaj) and concluding with chords vi (G#min) and ii (C#min). Reappears in verses

Question 6

Riff B’s rhythm

Answer 6

Begins with an anacrusis, and uses an ostinato pattern of five notes - based on the E major pentatonic scale - over the sustained chord ii (C#min)

Question 7

African influences

Answer 7

Unpitched percussion, syncopation, pentatonic scale, irregular ostinato groupings

Question 8

Verse 1’s bars?

Answer 8

9 bars + 9 bars + 9 bars + 8 bars (35)

Question 9

Why are 9 bar phrases unusual?

Answer 9

Phrases are normally 4 or 8 bars long

Question 10

Where does riff A begin?

Answer 10

When the vocal line ends in bar 8 each time

Question 11

In verse 1, is the melody line conjunct or disjunct?

Answer 11

Conjunct

Question 12

What is a melisma?

Answer 12

A vocal technique in which the singer sings several notes to a syllable

Question 13

Verse 2’s bars?

Answer 13

9 bars + 9 bars + 8 bars (26)

Question 14

What key is the chorus in?

Answer 14

A major and uses this common pop song chord sequence
vi-IV-I-V (F#m-D-A-E)

Question 15

Phrase 1 bars and solo, duet or trio?

Answer 15

4 bars - solo

Question 16

Phrase 2 bars and solo, duet or trio?

Answer 16

4 bars - duet

Question 17

Phrase 3 bars and solo, duet or trio?

Answer 17

4 bars - trio

Question 18

Phrase 4 bars and solo, duet or trio?

Answer 18

6 bars - trio

Question 19

Instrumental structure?

Answer 19

Similar harmony and phrase structure to the verse. Vocals are replaced by an instrumental melody played on synths and based off riff B.

Question 20

Instrumental melody on bars 66-69?

Answer 20

Descending melody using B major pentatonic scale and parallel 4ths. Notes are grouped in threes, ending with a triplet.

Question 21

Instrumental melody on bars 70-74?

Answer 21

An ascending and descending melody using the E major scale and parallel 3rds. Syncopation and triplet crochets.

Question 22

Instrumental melody on bars 75-77?

Answer 22

An ascending melody, otherwise using similar features. Note the acciaccatura grace notes.

Question 23

Intro structure

Answer 23

4 bars (repeated), b1-4, Riff A + B

Question 24

Verse 1 structure

Answer 24

35 bars, b5-39, “I hear the drums echoing tonight…”

Question 25

Chorus 1 structure

Answer 25

18 bars, b40-57, "It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you..."

Question 26

Link 1 structure

Answer 26

8 bars, b58-65, Riff A + B

Question 27

Verse 2 structure

Answer 27

26 bars,b14-39, "The wild dogs cry out in the night..."

Question 28

Chorus 2 structure

Answer 28

18 bars, b40-57, "It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you..."

Question 29

Link 2 structure

Answer 29

8 bars, b58-65, Riff A + B

Question 30

Instrumental structure

Answer 30

17 bars, b66-82, based on Verse and Riff B

Question 31

Chorus 3 structure

Answer 31

22 bars, b40 - 92, "It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you..."

Question 32

Outro structure

Answer 32

4 bars (repeated), b93-96, Riff A + B

Question 33

Instrumentation

Answer 33

Rock band (drum kit with additional percussion, lead and bass guitars, synthesizers, male lead vocals and male backing vocals)