A comprehensive revision resource for the Edexcel Music A-Level set work Beatles, Revolver.
Packed with ALL the content you need to know about the set work and comes with detailed wider listening examples to help you write top essays! Very well-formatted - the perfect revision resource.
Written b...
Revolver – Eleanor Revolver – Here, Revolver – I Want Revolver –
Rigby (The Beatles) There and to Tell You (The Tomorrow Never
Everywhere (The Beatles) Knows (The
Beatles) Beatles)
Context Beatles: John Lennon (guitar/vocal) + Paul McCartney (bass/vocal) met in a Liverpool band, other members
later replaced with George Harrison (lead guitar) + Ringo Star (drums), established a record deal with
producer George Martin (classical upbringing, worked on many experimental records/film scores, interested in
experimentation with sound, technology + music) in 1962, interested in Indian culture, experimented with
hallucinogenic drugs, ‘Beatlemania’, in 1966 they stopped touring + spent more time in the recording studio,
changed face of pop music, extremely successful in UK + US
Revolver: seventh album, 1966, more experimental in use of unusual instruments/recording techniques + more
poetic/political lyrics, four-track recorders became available, musique concrete techniques
Ode to loneliness and Paul’s personal response to About difficulties of Beginnings of avant-
growing old ‘God Only Knows’ expressing emotions garde pop music,
Sad story of two lonely through words describes experience
characters, whose paths of LSD/ meditation +
cross when Father concept of awareness
Mackenzie oversees Rigby’s in the moment
burial
Perform String quartet (8 Reduced from typical pop Vocals, backing vocals Tambura, drums
ing instrumentalists on song (use falsetto), shaker, (slack-tuned, damped,
recording, doubling the Lead voice, backing vocals bass guitar, tack piano, compressed +
Forces
parts) Clean electric guitar, bass, drums recorded with massive
Sung by Paul McCartney in a drum kit Consistent echo), organ, tack
dispassionate English accent Double tracked instrumentation (lacks piano, tambourine,
with no vibrato and precisely development) guitar
enunciated More conventional Classical minimalist +
instruments classical Indian music
Sonority Classical instruments and Mandolin sound in B section Improvisation at the end Samples:
dynamic markings produced by using a Leslie – Indian (influenced by McCartney laughing
Heavy vocal panning (in Cabinet, which makes the Eastern music) sped up + higher pitch
stereo = production of sound vibrate Rock and roll (repeated = seagull
panning sound) – mainly High tessitura – up to an A chords/notes) Guitar solo recorded
vocal in right speaker on stave = very high tenor Double tracked and reversed
(relatively new technology), Horn-like timbre at end (distorted)
e.g. E-lea-nor = both right produced using volume Tape loops –
, and left, then left turned pedal drums/bass riff =
down/off for vocals Panning – top line = right repetitive
Very acoustic + few effects Artificial double
tracking vocals
Lennon wanted to
sound like Tibetan
monks chanting (used
Leslie Cabinet)
Structur Strophic: intro, verse, Intro, verse, verse, chorus 5-bar and 6-bar Strophic with
e chorus, verse 2, chorus, Intro AABA outro (B section irregular phrase lengths instrumentals
bridge (return of intro), goes to remote key and last Fade in and fade out Very repetitive
verse 3, chorus (melody from 2 sections are repeated) – (incarnation) Intro, verse, verse,
intro superimposed), coda called ballad form Intro, verse 1, link of verse, instrumental,
Verse: unusual 10 bar length Slow ballad two bars of intro verse, verse, verse,
divided into two A section: similar melody, material, verse 2, verse, outro
Chorus: 8 bars but different in lyrical bridge, verse 3, bridge,
content verse 3, outro (intro
Intro and outro = motif returns)
melodically different to rest Very repetitive
of song
Texture Melody dominated 3-note backing vocal 2-note backing vocal on Contributes more to
homophony with Melody dominated syncopation at ends of structure than verses
countermelodies homophony phrases Tambura/sitar drone,
Simple block chords Thick 3 part accomp and Robust, block accomp. bass + drums added
(staccato and accented in drums with appoggiatura samples + voice on top
intro) No backing vocals in B Melody dominated Sustained Hammond
Arpeggiaic staccato quaver section homophony organ + sitar loops
movement in viola bar 53 Verse 2: mellotron
onwards = varied accomp. string + seagull loops
added
Final verse + coda:
increasing number of
loops
Tonality Dorian mode in E (sharpened Modulation from G major to A major (intro = A7, C Mixolydian mode
6th + flattened 7th) Bb maj with F7 pivot chord D(sus4)/A, D/A) (major 3rd and
6th degree occasionally Bb: I VI II III G (minor Outro: rhythmic pedal flattened 7th)
flattened – resembles Aeolian 3rd) on A and alternating Ebs in guitar solo
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