Out of all the music I have heard recently, the one that I believe was the best exhibit source for this assignment was “Getting Better” by the Beatles. Unlike the other songs in the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, this one has an indirect tension that is prevalent as the band explores some cheerful, hopeful reminiscences, strung together to create this musical piece. The main anecdote that this song embodies is that of the once hospitalized Ringo Star, who had tonsillitis and pharyngitis; this caused the band to find a replacement for the time until he could recover, so Jimmy Nichol served as the substitute. Every time Nichol played, the band asked how his playing was doing, and he would always respond by saying that it was getting
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The first verse, which is catchy and upbeat, has an element of back and forth between the two main vocals (e.g., 0:09-11 and 0:11-13). When the chorus begins, the chord progression (0:00-09) makes a comeback, and the tense notes, surprisingly, blend with the appealing and light vocals. This ingenious relationship is personified through the lead vocal, Paul McCartney, who is challenged by the counterpoint harmonies that follow each line (i.e., the second vocal). The second voice sings in falsetto (i.e., singing in a higher octave than the normal pitch, of the lead) to create a counterpoint/contradiction to McCartney’s vocal; however, the counterpoint can serve as tension followed by the release done by McCartney (or vice versa). For example, when Paul sings, "a little better all the time" (0:28-31), it is followed by a higher toned “it can’t get worse” (0:31-33) and then returns to the original vocal range. All of the verses use the bouncy, possibly rock, drum beat as a way to contrast with the chorus, which helps the audience transition from one section of the piece to the next. Unlike the previous verses, the rhythm of the third verse (1:36-1:57) is done in unpredicted, lopsided triplets (which causes tension), but by the end of the verse, the rhythm returns to the steady, cheerier beat (sense of release) as it enters the chorus once again (1:57-2:37). In the last several seconds of the song (2:38-2:48), the song alludes to the unresolved tension from before as the music fades. This mood is created through the guitar that plays rather tense, jagged chords and the low beat of the drums, which includes the return of the abnormal triplets present in the third verse. Is it used to show that the “getting better” will not end because more trouble is, always,
The first verse, which is catchy and upbeat, has an element of back and forth between the two main vocals (e.g., 0:09-11 and 0:11-13). When the chorus begins, the chord progression (0:00-09) makes a comeback, and the tense notes, surprisingly, blend with the appealing and light vocals. This ingenious relationship is personified through the lead vocal, Paul McCartney, who is challenged by the counterpoint harmonies that follow each line (i.e., the second vocal). The second voice sings in falsetto (i.e., singing in a higher octave than the normal pitch, of the lead) to create a counterpoint/contradiction to McCartney’s vocal; however, the counterpoint can serve as tension followed by the release done by McCartney (or vice versa). For example, when Paul sings, "a little better all the time" (0:28-31), it is followed by a higher toned “it can’t get worse” (0:31-33) and then returns to the original vocal range. All of the verses use the bouncy, possibly rock, drum beat as a way to contrast with the chorus, which helps the audience transition from one section of the piece to the next. Unlike the previous verses, the rhythm of the third verse (1:36-1:57) is done in unpredicted, lopsided triplets (which causes tension), but by the end of the verse, the rhythm returns to the steady, cheerier beat (sense of release) as it enters the chorus once again (1:57-2:37). In the last several seconds of the song (2:38-2:48), the song alludes to the unresolved tension from before as the music fades. This mood is created through the guitar that plays rather tense, jagged chords and the low beat of the drums, which includes the return of the abnormal triplets present in the third verse. Is it used to show that the “getting better” will not end because more trouble is, always,