Style - Folk-rock How are the elements used? Album - ‘Grace’ was Buckley’s debut album released in 1994. Grace Structure Voice • Typical verse chorus-structure, with bridge and guitar solo • Vocal has a very wide range Jeff Buckley towards end. • Falsetto – singing above normal top register • Intro is repeated after the choruses. • Vibrato used extensively • Ends with a short outro (same chords as chorus) • Combination of syllabic and melismatic writing Tonality and Harmony • Scoops up to notes (also known as portamento) Instruments/Ensemble • Song is minor or modal, most sections have a tonal centre of E • Screaming at points • Lead vocal and backing vocals • Unusual chord progressions – harmony is non functional • Vocal improvisations in the outro – showing off his soprano • Electric guitar • Plays broken chords at points (picking). At other points there range and virtuosity – top G!! • Acoustic guitar is strumming • Mutli-tracked vocal harmonies in bridge – also uses • Bass guitar • Chords seem complex but actually simple on the guitar. Uses vocalise (oohs and aahhs) • Drum kit technique of moving the same chord shape (which is a power • Verse 3 vocal is an octave higher, louder, uses falsetto, • Synthesizer (heard clearly in the intro – uses a wailing chord) up and down the fretboard, while keeping one or more growling, shouting and has a longer held note at the end sound strings open as a drone. nd • Improvised vocals at the end • Strings (added in V2, pizzicato in 2 pre-chorus) • Guitar uses drop D tuning – the lower E string is tuned down Use of electric guitar to the note D to give a darker feel. • Plucked or picked at the start with broken • Most sections have a tonal centre of E but Buckley uses a wide chords/arpeggios variety of chords that do not belong to one particular key. • Strumming in second part of intro and link Structure and Tonality Timbre and texture Percussive sound hitting the strings in link before V3 • Main texture is melody and accompaniment • Mostly clean guitar sound, distortion in Verse 3 and • Intro – just guitar and synth pad sound. • Seems complicated, but can be broken down into four strummed chords • Suddenly full band joins in, no vocal yet. sections • Verse 3 also has pick-scraping, sliding, glissando, palm • Verse 1 – vocals enter 1. Intro – Verse 1 – Pre-chorus – Chorus – muting, hammer-ons, pull offs, • Chorus – Backing vocals enter – very subtle. Double tracked 2. Link (from Intro) – Verse 2 – Pre-chorus – Chorus main vocals at points. 3. Bridge – • Strings are used from time to time Melodic/Musical Devices 4. Link – Verse 3 – Outro (same chords as chorus) • Ends Four main riffs in the piece: Dynamics i. Made up of semiquavers – played by electric guitar in intro • Quiet in intro ii. In the verses electric guitar plays broken chords • Volume increased by bringing more instruments. Three musical points about this piece that I like: iii. Acoustic guitar plays rhythmic, percussive riff in verses and Melody & Pitch choruses. Justify your points and use musical vocabulary. • Wide vocal range iv. In final section both guitars play a fourth riff Electronic effects • Falsetto used at points • Delay – creates an echo effect (repeats the note) • • EQ – on vocal line in middle 8, telephone like sound Tempo & Rhythm • Flanger – added to the electric guitar in the outro. Creates a Three musical points about this piece that I don’t like: • Steady 12/8 tempo swirly sound. Justify your points and use musical vocabulary. • Unusual as most pop songs in 4/4 • Distortion used on one guitar in Verse 3 • It feels faster though as the guitar plays semiquaver patterns • Effects are used most in verse 3 at the beginning. • Guitar ‘whisper effects’ used where they can be heard • Middle 8 – longer notes from strings. .