Killer Queen

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Vaudeville,

Glam,

Multi-track,

Middle 8,

Outro,

Capo,

Harmonic sequence,

Extended chord,

Scalic,

Harmonic rhythm,

1974

all effects overdubbed with voice and guitar, no synths.

moved beyond blues,

more adventurous structure,

unusual keys (for rock music),

anthemic melodies,

melodic, carefully crafted guitar melodies,

sense of theatrics,

music tech playing an important role, panning, equalisation is boosting or attenuating volumes of different frequencies, phaser, compression squashes dynamic range and allows for a bigger sound, balance independent control of different parts.

half spoken sections, sung sections,

syncopation,

Recorded on a 24 track tape reel!

Unbalanced phrases (4, 5 and 3 bar phrases),

The cord sequences owe more to musicals than to blues-based rock,

A standard rock song will often follow an adapted 12-bar-blues sequence for at least one of its sections,

Uncommon tonality,

Eb major but modulates frequently and makes use of harmonic sequences to create harmonic interest,

Contains extended chords,

Vamp (Short repeated accompanying phrase)

Circle of fifths (a series of chords in which the root note of the chord is a fifth lower or a fourth higher than that of the previous one),

Gospel-inspired parallel harmonies,

Harmony guitar parts are typical of how Brian May created a sound reminiscent of a saxophone section in a big band,

The time signature is 12/8 (12 quaver beats in a bar), could be thought of as 4/4,

3 quavers = dotted crotchet,

Syncopation used a lot in the piece,

Motifs sometimes alternate between different groups to create an antiphonal texture,

Anacrusis,

Many of Queen's melodies have made it into public consciousness,

The vocal line is almost entirely syllabic throughout the song,

Texture - parts introduced gradually, the opening is homophonic,

Legato backing for the choruses, staccato for melodies,

Flanger, flanging,

Word-painting,

Distortion,

Wah-Wah,

Reverb,

String bends,

Slides,

Pull-offs,

Vibrato,

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