Verse 1 Africa

• verse 1 is 35 bars long and in B major, with 4 phrases
• phrase 1 is 9 bars long from bar 5-13
• phrase 2 is from bar 14-22 and is 9 bars long
• phrase 3 is bar 23-31 and is 9 bars
• phrase 4 is bar 32-39 and is 8 bars
• the reason phrase 1,2 and 3 are 9 bars in length is because riff a begins as the vocal line ends on bar 8 each time
• the melody for the first three phrases is unusual because each one falls into two vocal lines of three and five bars, ending in a silent bar
• the melody moves conjunctly in a syncopated rhythm and is mostly syllabic
• the harmonic rhythm of the first three phrases is slow and the chords change only once each bar with the exception of the last bar when riff a comes in
• the chord pattern of each 9 bar phrase goes:

  Bar 1 - I (B)

  Bar 2 - iii (D#m)

  Bar 3 - vi (G#m)

  Bar 4 - Ic (B/F#)

  Bar 5 - natural VIIc (A/E)

  Bar 6 - iv^9d (E/F#)

  Bar 7 - vi (G#m)

  Bars 8&9 - Riff A
• the final 8 bar phrase begins in exactly the same way as the previous three phrases, however the fourth bar in the melody begins an octave higher than previously stated and is harmonised by a backing vocalist moving in parallel motion at an interval of a 3rd below
• harmonically the chord vi (G#m) is sustained for an extra bar, allowing Riff A to be started in the fifth and sixth bars with chord ii sustaining until the end of the phrase
• the chord pattern for the final 8 bar phrase goes:

  Bar 1 - I (B)

  Bar 2 - iii (D#m)

  Bar 3 - vi (G#m)

  Bar 4 - vi (G#m)

  Bar 5&6 - Riff A

  Bar 7 - ii (C#m)

  Bar 8 - ii (C#m)