Introduction The song I have chosen is “If I Ain’t Got You” produced and recorded by Alicia Keys. In “If I Ain’t Got You” Alicia Keys sings of cherishing the ones you love and not focusing on material or superficial things. Complex and other sites have reported that the inspiration for the song came from the tragic death of Aaliyah, an R&B singer who died in a plane crash in 2001. Keys is reported saying that Aaliyah’s death “made everything crystal clear to me—what matters, and what doesn’t” (Osei). Events Event 1 occurs from 0:00-0:23. During this event, the piano plays a fast melody that creates the building block for the rest of the song. It is repetitious and forms a simple pace for the song. The tempo and the pace of the piano remain constant throughout this time. This melody plays about seven times and at the beginning of the fourth time Keys begins humming along with the melody. Keys’ humming is in a low tone to compliment the piano melody creating a soothing sound that is consonant to the listener’s ears. This humming also demonstrates Alicia Keys’ connection to the song. …show more content…
Through timbre, the listener can hear the addition of the drums because it creates a beat that is complementary to the melody of the piano to make the sound bluesy. The beat of the drums is constant and relaxed. The melody of the piano changes from the first event slowing down in its pace and beat to correlate with the beat of the drums. Keys sings in a soft, soothing and low tone. In this event, she elongates and increases her volume when singing the word “power.” The change of melody of the piano, addition of the drums, and soft singing voice contributes to the portrayal of a bluesy and soulful vibe to the listener because it is relaxed and