Music analysis Baker Street Ben Hutchings
Concept
Pitch
Intro 0:00 0:25
Sax solo 0:25 0:45
Verse 1 0:45-1:15
The piece begins in C major.
The piece changes to A major at start of
the solo.
The key changes back to C major.
The synthesisers are very high pitched
and utilize only a small range. There is a
glissando at the end of the intro.
A effect is used to bend the pitch of the
synthesizers.
Duration
4/4-time signature (duple time)
The synthesisers play long, legato notes,
with the occasional triplet rhythm. The
rhythms are overall played freely.
The drums play straight and on the beat.
Throughout the intro the bongos and crash
cymbal play rolls (Quick, successive notes
at the same pitch).
The solo is played in the upper register of
the saxophone. Every 2nd bar features an
octave jump, and on the 1st a glissando is
used between the notes.
The saxophone uses a technique known as
scooping, in which the player bends the
pitch higher.
The electric guitar player slides between
notes.
In terms of duration of notes, the sax solo
is same phrase repeated 4 times with
slight variations.
The sax uses syncopation, utilized through
the use of quavers and dotted crotchets.
The drums play a steady beat, whilst the
electric guitar plays suspended notes on
the beat.
The vocals are in the tenor range, and do
not vary much in terms of pitch. (A 3rd is
the biggest jump).
The electric guitar is playing much higher
than it was before, and is playing the
same chords as the acoustic guitar.
The accordion is playing in its highest
octave. Overall the piece has a mid
high range, as there is no bass
drum/guitar.
The rhythms of both the drums and the
melody are on the beat. The main
melody is a combination of quavers,
crotchets and minims.
After every second line, the accordion
plays a descending arpeggio in
semiquavers.
The electric guitar is playing chords on
the off beats. It is played in a jarring way,
as if it was staccato.
The bongo is playing a small syncopated
rhythm of semiquavers and crotchets.
Tone colour
Instruments: Flute like Synthesiser,
snare and cymbal drums, bongo.
Instruments: Alto saxophone, drums,
electric guitar, guitar (chords) and bongo.
The tone colour is very ambiguous. The
synthesisers are mystic and almost eyrie.
The use of snare and cymbals instead of
bass keeps the tone colour of the piece
light and airy.
The sax plays very relaxed and almost
husky. The drums continue to play only
with the cymbals and the snare. Bongos
and shakers are added to give the beat a
chilled vibe, retaining mildly similar tone
colours to that of samba music.
The electric guitar uses a distortion effect
which adds to the husky/chilled tone
colour.
Dynamics
and
expressive
techniques
Texture
Overall, the intro is moderately soft. The
bongos and cymbals crescendo through
their rolls, which are followed by a sudden
drop in dynamics back to MP. There is a
crescendo again leading up to the sax
solo.
In the first bar of the solo, the sax
crescendos to a double forte during the
glissando. It retains the same loud
dynamic throughout the solo, except for
slight decrescendos at the end of each
phrase.
Homophonic (with a very simple drum
beat). The texture is sparse but builds up
at the end of the intro as in leads into the
sax solo.
The drums do not become louder to match
the saxophone. Instead they remain
moderately soft throughout (MP).
Homophonic. The texture is fuller than the
intro, which is helped by the increase in
dynamics and the addition of the electric
guitar.
Instruments: Male vocal, accordion,
drums, bongo, acoustic guitar and
electric guitar.
The tones colour of the verse is very
light. The drums and chords are very
minimalistic, and there is little to no
bass.
The male vocal has a smooth and
restrained. It doesnt much, and the
singer doesnt use many expressions.
The drums continue to be relaxed with
an almost Latin feel.
The melody of verse has the same
dynamics throughout, which are
moderately soft (MP). The
accompaniment is even quieter (P)
Homophonic. The texture this out, as the
rhythm section is reduced to simple
beats and chords.
Concept
Bridge 1:15 1:45
Sax solo 1:45 2:25
Verse 2 + Bridge 2:25
3:28
Pitch
The male vocal stays in the tenor range.
There are only 4 unique notes sung buy
the singer in this section, and the jumps
between notes are small.
The pitch of the saxophone is the same as
the first solo, except for the descending
arpeggio at the end of the repeat.
The pitch is the same as the first verse
and bridge. However, the higher pitched
bongo is played more often. The
synthesizer glissandos are more
frequent, making the piece as a whole
higher.
Duration
The synthesizer plays descending
glissandos in a high octave.
There is more emphasis on the guitar
slides, and the slides have a bigger pitch
change.
The electric guitar now plays lower chords,
and the bass guitar is added to give the
piece more depth.
The bass drum and bongos are also used
more, making the solo seem lower than
the first one.
The vocals sing a rhythm of 7 quavers
followed by a dotted crotchet.
The duration of notes is the same and
they are played in the same relaxed way
as the first solo.
The chords are played on the beat. The
bass is also played on the beat, but has a
more complex rhythm.
Tone colour
The synthesiser plays quick successive
semiquavers.
Instruments: Vocals, bass guitar, electric
guitar, drums, synthesizer, acoustic guitar
and bongos.
The tone colour remains the same as the
verse.
The only change is that the solo is
repeated, and the sax plays a descending
arpeggio in crotchets, in which the rhythm
section slows down (ritardando)
Instruments: Alto saxophone, drums,
electric guitar, guitar (chords) and bongo.
The tone colour is mostly the same as the
first sax solo, except the emphasis on the
guitar slides give the solo a more
grungy feel.
The duration of the notes and the verse
itself is the same length as the first
verse, except for the bongo, which is
playing a different rhythm. The
synthesizer glissandos are more
frequent.
Instruments: Male vocal, accordion,
drums, bongo, acoustic guitar and
electric guitar.
The tone colour is the same as the first
verse and bridge.
Dynamics
and
expressive
techniques
Texture
Concept
Pitch
The piece as a whole is louder during the
bridge. The singer uses an effect in which
his voice is doubled, to strengthen the
dynamics and depth of the piece.
This sax solo as a whole is louder than the
previous one. In terms of expressive
techniques, the saxophone plays relaxed
and freely (almost rubdato)
The lower instruments are also louder, and
are much more apparent in this section.
There are two crescendos, one at the star
of the solo, and one before it repeats.
The synthesizer decrescendos down its
glissando. The piece crescendos into the
2nd sax solo.
Homophonic. The synthesizer glissandos
add another layer of harmony, making the
piece more dense.
Homophonic.
This verse and bridge is slightly louder
than the first one.
Homophonic. The texture is the same as
the 1st verse and bridge.
Since the instruments are louder, and the
rhythm section is more prominent, this sax
solo has a more dense texture than the
first.
Guitar Solo 3:28 4:02
The solo starts with a mid range slide. This slide is repeated throughout the solo, played by a different guitar.
The solo is played in the guitars highest register, and is played using the frets closest to the guitars body. The guitar also uses
scoops and vibrato to modulate the pitch.
Duration
Tone colour
The rhythm section is playing at the same pitch as the rest of the piece.
The guitars solo is off the beat and syncopated. The notes are played very freely. The actual notes are a combination of long notes
(sometimes with vibrato) and quick semiquaver rhythms.
The rhythm section plays on the beat.
Instruments: Electric guitar x2, Drums, bongo, acoustic guitar.
The tone colour of the guitar solo is very free and has an improvised feel. The guitar had a slight distortion effect, and the
accompanying guitar has a bigger one.
Dynamics
and
expressive
techniques
Texture
The accompanying guitar slides are played with a decrescendo.
The soloist guitar crescendos into every phrase. On the long notes the dynamics are modulated. As a whole the solo is forte.
The rhythm section plays at the same MP dynamic as the previous sections, and so feels much quitter than the soloist.
Homophonic. The effect of the guitar makes the piece seem fuller.
