Howlin' Wolf - I'm Leavin' You

• Introduction.
• Verse 1: 12 bar blues.
• Verse 2: 'Stop' chorus.
• Verse 3: 'Stop' chorus.
• Guitar and harmonica solos.
• (Dal segno al coda)
• Verse 2
• Verse 3 (-2 bars)
• Coda.

• Vocables/**** syllables.
• No big leaps.
• Stepwise and arpeggios.
• Blues scale/pentatonic.
• Starts push rhythm/anacrusis/upbeat.

Tempo/rhythm:

• Moderate shuffle
• Swung.
• Quintuplet in vocals - bar 34.
• Triplets interacting with swung quavers.

Tonality:

• G major
  • uses the blues scale
  • G major pentatonic
• No modulation.
• I7 and IV9 chords used a lot.
• Bass always plays the root of the chord.

Blues scale:

• Particularly noticable in the solos. 
• Blues notes often playes in close proximity to the natural notes of the scale to emphasise the blues scale.

Pentatonic:

• Piano chords improvised on the G major pentatonic scale.

Dynamics:

• Few markings.
• Transcribed from live recording.

Devices:

• Improvisation
• Bends = pushing the string to bend the note.
• Hammer ons.

Timbre:

• Guitar plays down an octave.
• Voice - rough blues voice.
• Clean guitar sound.

Articulation:

• Open to interpretation - lazy improvisation

Texture:

• MELODY DOMINATED HOMOPHONY.

Instrumentation:

• Vocals - melodic.
• Lead guitar - melodic.
• Rhythm guitar - chords.
• Bass guitar - root of the chords.
• Piano - improvisation on given chords.
• Drums.
• Harmonica - melodic.

• Falling triad - D, Bb, G.
• Classic blues.
• Pattern of three 4 bar phrases.
• Small variations imply this is improvised around the structure.
• Straight forward and syllabic.
• Use of "whoo", slides, bends, half spoken words.
  • typical blues.

• Swing quavers, shuffle rhythm.
• Simple drum fills at the end of verses.
• Piano improvisation - starts shuffle but moves to triplets. 
• Syncopation in bar 2.

• Isolated chords on downbeat.
• Allows solos to cut through.
• Bar 18 drums play triplets - busier texture.
• Bars 18-22, lead guitar in a higher register.
• Bar 31 - cross rhythms.