samba

Question 1

what is the genre of the song?

Answer 1

bossa nova

Question 2

what instruments are used?

Answer 2

female voice, acoustic guitar, acoustic bass guitar

Question 3

what is the word setting like?

Answer 3

syllabic

Question 4

what are some features of the rhythm of the vocal line?

Answer 4

• triplets
• semiquavers
• rests
• rubato in the performance

Question 5

what are some features of the bass solo intro?

Answer 5

• virtuosic
• double stops
• wide leaps
• rapid semiquaver passages
• a mordent
• a harmonic
• glissando

Question 6

when is the bossa nova rhythm introduced?

Answer 6

verse two

Question 7

what is the structure of the song?

Answer 7

• bass solo intro
• verse 1
• verse 2
• guitar solo
• voice and bass duet
• coda

Question 8

when is the guitar introduced?

Answer 8

verse 2

Question 9

what chords is the guitar solo played over?

Answer 9

the chords of verse 2

Question 10

what does each part of the voice and bass duet play?

Answer 10

• bass plays vocal part from verse one
• voice sings part from verse b

Question 11

what key is the song in?

Answer 11

B minor, without any modulations despite chromatic notes

Question 12

what key are many bossa novas in? (as in minor or major)

Answer 12

minor keys

Question 13

what is the texture of the intro?

Answer 13

monophonic (except for the double-stopping part)

Question 14

what is the texture for most of the song?

Answer 14

homophonic (though the bass part at times becomes melodic enough to be a melody in its own right)

Question 15

what is the texture of verse three/voice and bass duet?

Answer 15

polyphonic or contrapuntal

Question 16

what are some features of the harmony?

Answer 16

• essentially tonal
• frequent chord extensions
• use of dim7 and chromatic chords

Question 17

what are some features of the melody of verse one?

Answer 17

• series of phrases linked by a common rising arpeggio shape
• first or second note of each phrase descends by a semitone or a tone in a long downward sequence
• moves mostly by thirds and some sevenths
• low vocal register

Question 18

what is the melody of verse 2 like?

Answer 18

• note values have doubled with increasing tempo
• almost entirely conjunct
• some use of sequence
• repeats some bars transposed up a fourth

Question 19

what metre is the song in?

Answer 19

4/4 (except for two bars) but the increase in speed makes it feel as though its moving in 2/2

Question 20

what is the rhythm of the song like?

Answer 20

• complex rhythms in vocals
• frequent triplets and rests
• syncopated rhythms in the bass part of verse 1
• fewer triplets in verse 2
• in verse two, the start of notes in vocal line tends to be off beat
• bass part plays bossa nova rhythm
• guitar is both syncopated and unsyncopated
• in verse three, vocals are less syncopated
• use of cross rhythms

Question 21

what is the tempo of the song like?

Answer 21

• free tempo at the start
• tempo doubles at bar 19 when bass starts bossa nova tempo
• verse one has lots of rubato

Question 22

what are features of the song that are from jazz?

Answer 22

• syncopations
• free tempo
• extended chords
• use of improvisation
• chromatic progressions
• swung quavers
• dialogue

Question 23

what are some latin/bossa nova features of the song?

Answer 23

• portuguese lyrics
• syllabic vocals
• bass adds bossa groove
• chromatic harmonies
• nylon-string guitar
• acoustic bass
• counter melody in guitar
• dialogue
• articulation of guitar solo

Question 24

what does the accompaniment play?

Answer 24

broken chords