Excerpt+7

Question: The form of this excerpt is very simple. Describe the form and comment on the use of texture. You may wish to use a graphic representation.

**Form**: The overall form of the //excerpt// is Intro, A, B and A1. After the intro from the bass guitar, the piece uses a form similar to verse/chorus except that rather than lyrics and vocals, the 'chorus' summarises the mood of the piece using an improvisatory instrumental section. The beginning of an altered A section before the excerpt fades out suggests a continuation of this pattern throughout the remainder of the piece.

**Texture**: Although texture is a major contributor to contrast between the 3 sections, overall the piece uses a sparse, light texture throughout. In the verse, this is done via minimal instrumentation. In the instrumental section, although there are more instruments and all are playing at higher dynamic level, the dynamics are still deliberately hushed to allow the subdued, melancholy mood apparent in the verse to endure throughout the entire piece.

Specific examples of treatment of texture in section A and B:

**A:** **B:** // Excellent - name? 9/10 Description of instrument roles is exactly what is required here. Well done //
 * Minimal instrumentation (bass + voice) = sparse texture
 * Voice's varying rhythms in its melody and short note values help to fill out the beats in the bar, creating a thicker texture than if rhythms were repetitive and sustained.
 * Addition of drums fills out sound with semiquavers makes texture thicker and fills out the sound, providing a contrast from the intro (previous section)
 * As the verse progresses, the dynamics of each instrument rise in preparation for the louder dynamic in the instrumental sectional.
 * Subtle use of melisma in voice also aids in giving the impression of more sound sources = thicker-sounding texture
 * Synthesiser added on 1st beat of each bar to fill out chords = thicker texture
 * Drum kit uses ride cymbal to fill out pattern = thicker texture
 * Saxophone solo, like the voice, uses rhythmic variation in its melody, with an even greater emphasis on improvisation = filling out of sound = thicker texture

This excerpt is in two section plus an electric bass intro consisting of the bass guitar laying out the chordal harmony of the rest of the excerpt. Drums are added with a rhythmic pattern emphasising an offbeat back beat.

Part entries in order of appearence: -Bass Guitar has the bassline role, providing the chordal accompaniment for the solo female vocalist. It is very simple and repeatitious and descends before returning to the tonic. I, VII, VI, V, VII I. -Drumkit as previously mentioned has a syncopated beat but lands on beat one which with the bass guitar keeps the tempo of the excerpt. -Vocal line has a melody role, very free, provides narrative structure to the excerpt with the lyrics. -Each part is a layer which eventually creates a homophonic texture. -Piece begins very sparse but as it progresses it becomes more homophonic. || Texture: -This part is much more instrumental in nature as the voice cuts out. -Electric piano (or some sort of organ/synthesiser) is added and helps the bass guitar and kit with keeping the harmonic rhythm and tempo of the excerp, plus voicing the chords more of the bassline. -Added Saxophone has a melodic role and acts as another character telling the same story as the voice but in a slightly different way, with more ornamentation and freedom than the solo voice. -Slightly thicker texture with added chords in the electric piano but still homophonic as it remains accompaniment to the saxophone. || **Troy Rogan //I would describe the form more as theme and variation. Each time the bass line repeats, another layer is added above it. The melody gradually becomes more complex. Then the vocal part is replaced by a sax solo.// **
 * **Verse** || **Instrumental** ||
 * Texture:

**Form:** This excerpt has two main sections. The form is ABA, with the first section being briefly revisited at the end.


 * Texture: **

//Section 1: // -starts as monophonic, sparse texture: just electric bass playing a descending bass line accompanied by a soft and unobtrusive electronic-sounding beat -after one full cycle of the bass line, a female voice enters. She sings short melodic phrases which means the thin and sparse texture from before is kept, however the texture changes to homophonic with the introduction of a melody. -a drum kit is introduced next which creates a more complex polyrythmic accompaniment to the voice melody. However, the beat pattern is quite simple which means the texture is still quite sparse and uncomplicated. -auxillary percussion is added next which further complicates the polyrythmic accompaniment and thickens the texture a little. However, the texture is still very clear as each instrument was introduced separately allowing the listener to hear each part very clearly. //Section 2: // -Keyboard is introduced in section 2 playing chords. This thickens the texture however it is still relatively uncomplicated due to only one chord being played per bar -a tenor saxophone is introduced, improvising in longer phrases than the voice was previously singing. This thickens and adds complexity to the texture. -the drum kit, elec. Bass and auxillary percussion keep playing the same thing as they were playing in the first section which means the texture is still relatively clear as this creates a sense of familiarity -the voice drops out in section two Section one is returned to briefly at the end. This time, all instruments are introduced at once; there is no build up like was heard the first time. Also, another higher percussion instrument is introduced which adds complexity to the texture. Emily Sheppard

//Excellent; I think the repeating bass line with variations over the top is an integral part of the texture. Sue 9/10//

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">There are two distinct parts in this song: the verse, introduced by a simple underlying bassline ; and the instrumental section with solo saxophone taking over melodic role. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Intro: Very sparse texture with only descending bass line --> monophonic.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">*__//In each verse, vocal melodic line repeats after each bass line descent. The first verse has only bass guitar accompaniment with voice, 2nd time drum kit added, 3rd time hand drum added creating a distinct stronger rhythm. The texture becomes more complex after each verse, adding interest to the unvarying vocal line.//__

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Verse: Homophonic - Solo vocal provides melody, Bass guitar repeats aforementioned descending line. Progressively (as described above) percussion (drum kit + hand drums) is added creating a more busy texture. A balanced texture is created through laid-back simple melodic and percussive lines of each individual instrument. No instrument dominates, however the vocal line leads with the lyrics expressing the intent of the piece through words.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Instrumental Interlude: Homophonic - Hihat: timka ta, saxophone provides main melodic line (solo), harmony outlined with chordal playing of synthesised keyboard rather than bass guitar line. Still very laid back feel with more interest and freedom in melodic line. The melodic line of the saxophone narrates during this interlude rather than lyrics. The rhythms are simple and one part is easy to distinguish from another with such a spread-out texture.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Return to Verse: Vocal line more improvisational and louder, a high range metallic-quality percussion instrument provides rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment. This distinct change in instrumentation demonstrates the contrast between the previous section and the returned verse very effectively.

<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Harriet Davies

<span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal;">**The excerpt is clearly defined by two distinctive sections, each characterized by their different textures and tone colours. Thus it is appropriate to discuss the two textures separately:**

<span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal;">**Verse:** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **Monophonic texture established by the solo electric bass guitar, outlining the roots of the harmonic counterpart in a descending bass line.** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **The bass line repeats yet now is the accompaniment to a female vocal solo, this creating a new texture, the expressive, raspy, low register tone colour of the soloist, in conjunction with the lyrics, helping to portray the narrative element of the work.** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **This is followed by the drum kit, which plays a syncopated, back beat figure with rim shots on the beats 2 and 4. The addition of the drum kit fills out the texture now complete with a small rhythm section. A new drum kit part, perhaps an overdub, is found later further complicating the polyrhythmic nature of the part.** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **As there are now several different parts playing together a homophonic texture is created.**

<span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal;">**Interlude:** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **There is an abrupt shift in texture as the vocalist sits out and the soprano saxophone and synthesized organ/keyboard enter.** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **The melodic focus moves from the vocalist to the new soprano saxophone soloist, who plays a new improvised melody.** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **The keyboard addition also thickens the texture, it “comping” for the soloist, outlining the actual chord qualities and extensions by playing droning block chords in rhythmic unison with the bass.** <span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; line-height: normal; text-indent: -18pt;">· **The overall texture is still homophonic, now even more so with the addition of the block chords in the keyboard part.**

<span style="color: #0032ff; font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace;">Matt

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Mateusz Gwizdalla:

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The form of this excerpt is verse/instrumental interlude/verse as well as a short introduction by the bass guitar.

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Including the short intro, the first section of the excerpt features an addition of layers and a growth of textures. The electric bass sets up a riff which goes on to play throught the excerpt with little variation. After one cycle of this riff the vocals enter, giving melodic interest and providing the lyrics which tell the meaning of the song. The drum kit enters playing backbeat rim shots as well as another rhythmic pattern using the sticks. The bass and drums do a turnaround and we go into the second part of the verse, this time with a hand-hit membranophone which sounds like bongos playing, adding greater rehythmic complexity and filling the texture.

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The next section comes at the end of the verses. The vocals drop out and the melodic interest is taken over by a solo soprano saxophone. The other parts keep as they were except with the addition of a synthesiser playing sustained chords to furthur accompany the sax and completing the rhythm section by adding a chordal voice to the bass line and drums.

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">The section that follows is another verse and in the little of it we can hear the layers are as they were at the end of the previous, but now with added cowbell.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Form: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Intro ABA

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Bass introduction: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Simple, hesitant, descending bass line played solely on it's own in the introduction though it plays the bass line repeatedly throughout the excerpt. Presented as a monophonic, sparse texture.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Verse: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">-Main melody-vocals enters, which is firstly accompanied by bass (homophonic texture) and a thin texture is still apparent. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">- Drums come in, add groove and feel, drumming starts to become more animated throughout the duration of the excerpt.

<span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Instrumental Interlude: <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">- Keyboard comes in thickening texture and indicating a change in sections. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">- Alto saxophone interprets melody sung in the previous section (verse) by the vocalist, adds own jazz inflections on interpretation. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">- Drums uses cymbal which ultimately fills out texture with the 'wash-like' sound. <span style="color: #800080; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">- Rhiannon Johnstone

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">This exerpt is based on the repeating pattern of an electric bass line. Layers are added and subtracted to create variation. <span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Intro - Electric bass begins with chromatically descending ostinato pattern (4 bars long), repeats throughout exerpt.

<span style="color: #ff00ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A - Verse like section. Bass continues, and sweet female voice enters with short repeated phrases. The melody is legato, simple and has a medium range. The texture in thin and simple. A1 - light drumkit enters with rim clicks on the snare accenting beats 2 and 4. Gives the groove a steady tempo and pulse. A2 drum pattern becomes more complex, emphasising beat 1. more driving

B -Instrumental interlude. Voice drops out and alto saxaphone enters with improvisational lines based around the original melody sung by female vocalist. The melody is extended on, using a wider range of notes and longer phrases. A synthesiser keyboard plays chords to fill out the sound behind the saxaphone. The drums play on the ride cymbal, providing a more energetic feel.

A3 - returns back to verse like section with the vocals re-entering (sax and synth drop out). Drums provide variation by playing on a cowbell. fade out.

Lena

This excerpt uses a very simple repeated Electric Bass line which involves the use of chromaticism, repetition and variation. The form is simpe ABA style and each section is defined by the repeated phrase of the Electric Bass Guitar.

Introduction: Monophonic Texture Bass Guitar melodic line is fairly short and detached. Bass Guitar Line mainly involves the use of chromaticism. This Groovy Bass Line keeps a constant feeling of movement.

A: (Verse) Solo female voice part enters and then leads the Bass Guitar through the section. Solo voice uses longer phrases and ornamentations on notes like pitch bending and sliding. Bass Guitar line continues to be the same short and detached chromatic style. Solo voice line is a lot more legato and smooth compared the the shorter style of the Electric Bass Guitar.

A1: This section is almost the same as the original A section except for the change in lyrics and the adding of a drum kit line. The drum kit uses an emphasis on beats 2 + 4. and this keeps a constant moving feel.

A2: Voice still leading the ensemble. Bass Guitar still playing its chromatic ostinato except for the occasional ornamentations and turns to return back the start of the next section.

B (Instrumental Interlude): Alto Saxophone leads the ensemble now and has taken over the Female Solo voice part, playing an improvised melody. Electric Synthesiser is added to the texture playing the harmonic line and moves alongside with the Bass Guitar.

A3: Back to the same as the A2 section. Female solo Voice line has taken the lead again in the ensemble. Lyrics have changed again in the Female Voice Line. Added cowbell towards the texture also. Saxophone and Synthesiser have both finished playing too. Then fade off into the end of the excerpt.

Joshua Lee

===** 1. (Intro) only one instument - the descending, repeating bass line, monophonic texture. Bass line outlines the tonality with very sort phrases and short articulation. A strong rhythmic pulse is still maintainted even with the use of many rests. **===

===** 2. Solo female voice. More legato articulation in contrast to bass line. Bass line continues underneath voice. Use of pitch-bending, narrative lyrics, and arch-like, longer phrases in the vocal line. **===

===** 3. Drum kit is added to the texture while existing instrumentation continues. Drum kit has a repeating ostinato with emphasis on beats 2 and 4. The drum kit provides a more definate pulse and creates a thicker overall texture. **===

===** 5. Instrumental interlude. Saxophone and synthesizer enter and voice drops out. Saxophone improvises on the melody using ornamentation and a wider range of notes than the voice. The saxophone line is also highly articulated. Synthesizer provides harmonic structure behind saxophone solo. **===

** Justine **
//**Here is my sample response. Sue:**//

// The excerpt uses Air and Variation form. Each verse is repeated with different lyrics and different instrumentation and texture. The texture gradually becomes thicker as the song builds up, which increases the intensity and then thinner again. The music follows this structure: // // A: Bass intro, very deep and resonant sound, soft dynamic, monophonic texture. Female voice enters, mid register, thin texture. // <span style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">// A1: Voice and bass continue. Drums enter, providing a ‘popping sound on the rim of the snare drum. Creates a slightly fuller sound and a stronger rhythmic energy and slightly thicker texture. // <span style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">// A2: All instruments continue. Drum kit rhythm becomes more complex using shorter note values and adding congas alongside the drum kit to create a thicker texture and more rhythmic drive. // <span style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">// A3: Voice and bass tacet while drum kit(playing same full rhythm as A2) is joined by synthesizer, playing chords and saxophone takes an improvised solo. Texture is quite thick as synthesizer fills the sound out with sustained chords. // <span style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 36.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;">// A4 Voice and drums only, with added cowbell. This decreases the thickness of the texture and the intensity of the music. It seems to be going full circle and heading backing toward the simpler, thinner style of the opening //