Listening focus

Name of the Song

What style of music is it?
What musical elements would you
expect to hear in a song in this style?
What is the time signature? Are there
any shifts in the time signature?
Is the piece in a Major or Minor Key?
Can you work out the structure (i.e.,
verse/chorus, AABA, AB)
What other features are there (solos,
breakdowns, acapella sections, vocal
harmonies etc)

What is the instrumentation?

Are there any effects or other none
instrumental sounds?
What type of rhythm or feel does the
song have? (e.g shuffle, 8 beat, latin,
one drop etc)
What type of vocal style is being
used? (Gospel inflections, vibrato,
melisma, screams, shouts, hiccoughs,
bluesy inflections, national, regional or
colloquial inflections etc)
Does the music modulate or have any
elements that create interesting
textural effects?

notes
Back to black
soul
One might expect a piano and voice.
Probably some drums
4/4
minor
Verse, verse, chorus, verse, chorus,
middle eight, chorus, outro
The song is lead by the piano, which
starts and finishes the song. The piano
plays straight chords throughout the
song. There is quite a repetitive chord
progression.
The voice, piano and drums, and few
strings in the background.

Its quite a straight 4/4 rhyme.

She has quite a soul, gospely voice.

Its quite a hard tone, works really well
with jazz and soul.

The piano plays an F during the

middle eight section, which is an a is a
slight change in the chord structure.