Music Set Piece 4 - Killer
Music Set Piece 4 - Killer
Music Set Piece 4 - Killer
Heart Attack)
(For component 3: Appraising)
‘Killer Queen’ uses lead and backing vocals, piano, overdubbed with a honky-tonk (jangle)
piano, four electric guitars, bass guitar and drum kit. Guitars and vocals are overdubbed to
create a richer colour.
The guitars use techniques such as slides, bends, pull-offs and vibrato.
The song uses plenty of recording techniques and effects including multi-tracking, EQ,
flanger, distortion, reverb, wah-wah, panning and overdubbing.
Note: These set works guides are Pearson’s interpretation of the set works and every effort has been made to ensure
these are appropriate for use in the classroom.
There may be other interpretations which are also valid and any such differences would not be considered errors, or
require any updates to the guides.
Melody
The text setting is mainly syllabic.
The backing vocals use a mixture of words and vocalisation (e.g. bars 8–9) to the sound
‘ooh’ and bar 18 to the sound ‘ba’.
The melody starts mostly conjunct with small leaps of a third or fourth.
Bars 7 and 8 show an altered descending sequence.
The verse and chorus combine conjunct and wide angular leaps in the melodic line.
Leaps often feature a rising major sixth (e.g. bars 6–7). There are some exceptionally large
leaps such as an octave in bar 62.
Structure
‘Killer Queen’ is in verse–chorus form.
Bars 2 (beat Verse 1 Unusual start with six finger clicks (which are heard
3)–14 (beat throughout) leading into verse 1. Melody starts on the
3) upbeat, anacrusis. The voice is accompanied by short,
detached chords played by the piano before the bass and
drums enter at the end of bar 6. Tonally unstable, opening
in C minor but quickly shifting. We have a descending
sequence in guitar 1 bar 7. Backing vocals enter in bar 8
using vocables.
Bar 11 lead vocal uses falsetto.
The first phrase is four bars in length, however, the second
phrase has been extended by the addition of a 6/8 bar (bar
10) to five bars in length.
Bars 14 Chorus 1 While the chorus is eight bars in length, the phrasing is 5 +
(beat 4)–22 3. Having apparently cadenced into B♭ major, the key
moves to D minor then C major before shifting in parallels
to a circle of fifths then another slide to B♭.
Note: These set works guides are Pearson’s interpretation of the set works and every effort has been made to ensure
these are appropriate for use in the classroom.
There may be other interpretations which are also valid and any such differences would not be considered errors, or
require any updates to the guides.
Bars 23–26 Instrumental Guitar 1 and 3 play in thirds using slides and vibrato.
(beat 3)
Bars 38 Chorus 2 As chorus 1. However, the chorus has been cut short
(beat 4)–43 using the first five-bar phrase, leading directly to…
Bars 44–61 Guitar solo Guitar solo, which starts off mimicking the lead part of the
(beat 3) chorus (see bars 20–21) before expanding into three part
guitar solo (see bar 23).
The chord sequences uses a descending pattern between
bars 44–47 (see bars 20–21).
At bar 48 guitars 3 and 4 use imitation against guitar 1
before coming together in bar 50 to create three-part
texture.
At bar 51 the harmony returns to the verse chord
sequence, with the original melody, embellished above.
The solo goes back to guitar 1 until bar 55 where guitar 2
and 3 again use a hocketting effect before coming
together.
The harmony is extended with a repeated imperfect
cadence for two bars leading into…
Bars 61 Verse 3 Unusually this is only seven and a half bars long. The first
(beat 4)–69 part of verse 3 is an extended variant of bars 12 and 13.
(beat 1)
Three-part guitar ‘response’ to vocal line on beat 3 at the
end of bar 62.
Word-painting of the words ‘absolutely drive you wild’.
The climax of the piece is at bar 67 on the word ‘wild’. With
the vocals singing very high in four parts followed by a
response from the band.
Note: These set works guides are Pearson’s interpretation of the set works and every effort has been made to ensure
these are appropriate for use in the classroom.
There may be other interpretations which are also valid and any such differences would not be considered errors, or
require any updates to the guides.
Bars 69 Chorus 3 Similar to previous choruses but with the addition of a
(beat 2)–78 guitar solo.
Bar 79–End Outro Music fades at the end over a chord of E♭ major,
although the harmony suggests a repeated IV–V–I
cadence, therefore fading on the subdominant with guitars
1 and 2 playing in thirds and imitation between guitars 3
and 4.
Texture
The main texture is homophonic.
Use of imitation.
Use of layering
Three-part texture during guitar solo.
Use of panning (e.g. bars 42-43 backing vocals)
Antiphonal (e.g. bars 67-68)
Note: These set works guides are Pearson’s interpretation of the set works and every effort has been made to ensure
these are appropriate for use in the classroom.
There may be other interpretations which are also valid and any such differences would not be considered errors, or
require any updates to the guides.