Beyoncé, "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)” (2008) The following chart shows the areas to listen for for this assignment. Time

Section

First line of lyrics

0’00”

Intro

“All the single ladies, all the single ladies”...

0’11”

Verse 1

“Up in the club, we just broke up, I'm doing my own little thing”...

0’31”

Chorus

“Cause if you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it”...

0’41”

“Oh, oh, oh...”

0’51”

“If you liked it, then you should have put a ring on it”...

2’00”

Bridge

“Don't treat me to the things of the world”...

1) In what meter is this song?

  2) The intro (0’00”-0’11”) features a call-and-response between the main vocal and the backing vocal (presumably Beyoncé’s own voice.) What musical characteristics do you find in the three repetitions of “all the single ladies” sung by the backing vocal?

3) What are the scale-degrees used in the first iteration of the line “all the single ladies?” (Do not list immediately repeated scale-degrees.)

4) Beyoncé is known for her wide vocal range. With the help of a piano (or other instrument,) list the highest and the lowest notes heard in the bridge of the song.

© 2014 Joshua Ng

5) What is the Interval between the two notes listed above?

6) The bridge contrasts with the verses and the choruses regarding pitch choice. What is the most important factor contributing to the difference?

7) The following staff notates the first five measures of the bridge. Attempt to fill in the missing notes, the note values of which are already given above the staff. (The syncopated rhythm is removed for simplification.)

#4 & 4

˙

œ œœœ œ œ œ œ

œ™ œ J

œ œ œ œ œ

‰

œj

Don't treat me to the things of the world. I'm not that kind of girl. Your

&

#

œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœœ love is what is I prefer, what I de serve

œœœ Œ œ œ œ œ

Here's a man that

© 2014 Joshua Ng

Answer Key 1) 4/4 2) Suggested answer: One voice is added for each repetition after the first. The voices added harmonize the melody. ^ 3) 1 and 5^ 4) Highest note: D5. Lowest note: F#3. 5) Compound minor 6th (minor 6th plus an octave) 6) Suggested answer: The use of different modes (minor in the bridge and major in the rest of the song.) 7)

#4 ˙ & 4

j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ J

Don't treat me to the things of the world. I'm not that kind of girl. Your

# & œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œœœ œœœ Œ œ œ œ œ love is what is I prefer, what I de serve

Here's a man that

© 2014 Joshua Ng