Tupelo Honey
A mindmap for Tupelo Honey by Van Morrison made using the Edexcel notes. Please feel free to make suggestions/comment :)
- Created by: Nora
- Created on: 05-05-13 10:17
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- Tupelo Honey
- Performing Forces
- Mainly syllabic but some melisma (bar 11)
- Range of 11th in vocal
- some falsetto
- Backing vocals in dialogue with lead (verses 2,3,4, Coda 1 + final coda)
- Both Guitars used in restrained melodic way; some strummed chords; dialogue with lead vocals; short florid passages high in register
- Drums play reasonable straight rock beat; more cymbals and tom tom fills towards end
- Piano and organ provide chordal backing, piano occasionally plays improvised fills
- Bass plays repetitive line with improvised variations
- Flute plays simple two-bar idea at beginning and end
- Morrison provided basic chords and instructions then improvised
- Texture
- Mainly homophonic
- Internal movement e.g. electric guitar in dialogue with vocals
- Instrumental section initially complex three-part polyphony; then sax drops out but rhythmic complexity of guitars increases
- Intensity and passion build as piece progessses
- Louder and busier until 41-44
- Instruments drop out at 41-44
- Further build up during verse 4 to end
- Structure
- Verse/Chorus structure with intro, instrumental, middle 8 and coda
- Flute solo at beginning and end
- Repetition of similar chord sequences
- Contrasts achieved by changes in: instrumentation; texture; melodic material
- Tonality: Bb major with no modulations
- Harmony
- Diatonic
- Slow regular harmonic rhythm
- Four chord ostinato
- Phrase 1,3,4: Bb-Dmin-Eb-Bb
- Phrase 2: Bb-Dmin-Eb-F
- Occasional ornamental chromaticism
- Melody
- Melody line ornate and rhythmically complex
- Many improvised variants on melodic shape
- Based on pentatonic scale (Bb, C, D, F, G)
- Three note motif (D,F and G) e.g. opening flute
- Melody uses higher end of male range, highest note in Bar 37, Bb
- Rhythm and Metre
- Slow ballad 4/4 tempo
- Vocal line is syncopated and contains anticipations and retardations
- Many phrases start on second semiquaver beat
- Rhythmic complexity of solos(bar 21-36) cross rhythm layering (ber 34-35) semiquavers + triplets in acoustic
- Bass uses repeated rhythmic ideas, particularly in bars 2 and 4 of phrases
- Performing Forces
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