Area of Study 2: Vocal Music
What's covered
Key facts
Set work: Purcell: Music for a While
It is accompanied by basso continuo (harpsichord plus a bass instrument).
Set work: Queen: Killer Queen
Brian May's electric guitar solo is multi-tracked and harmonised.
Word-setting, ground bass and vocal techniques
The vocal line of 'Music for a While' is mainly syllabic, following speech rhythms, with melismatic moments; there is an extended melisma on the word 'eternal'.
Set work: Purcell: Music for a While
It is built over a ground bass: a short bass line repeated throughout.
Set work: Queen: Killer Queen
It makes heavy use of studio production and overdubbing.
Word-setting, ground bass and vocal techniques
Word-setting is syllabic (one note per syllable) or melismatic (many notes per syllable).
Set work: Purcell: Music for a While
Purcell's 'Music for a While' is a Baroque song.
Set work: Queen: Killer Queen
It features multi-tracked, layered close-harmony vocals.
Set work: Purcell: Music for a While
It uses word-painting, e.g. the melody falls on the word 'drop'.
Set work: Queen: Killer Queen
Queen's 'Killer Queen' (1974) is a pop and rock song.
Practice questions with answers
A taste of the 23 questions in this topic, answers marked. Sign up to practise the full set with spaced repetition.
Purcell's 'Music for a While' is from which musical period?
- ✓Baroque
- •Classical
- •Modern pop
- •Romantic
Queen's 'Killer Queen' (1974) is in what style?
- •Baroque opera
- •Gregorian chant
- ✓Pop and rock
- •Punjabi bhangra
What accompanies 'Music for a While'?
- •A brass band
- •A drum machine
- •A string quartet
- ✓Basso continuo
What repeats throughout 'Music for a While'?
- •A drum loop
- ✓A ground bass
- •A guitar riff
- •A sudden key change
What is a key vocal feature of 'Killer Queen'?
- •A single unaccompanied voice
- ✓Multi-tracked close harmonies
- •No vocals at all
- •Spoken word throughout
In 'Music for a While', which word is sung to an extended melisma?
- •Drop
- ✓Eternal
- •Music
- •Pains
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