New Dimension - Pan in ‘A’ Minor - WST Steelband Music Video - Forum

This is a great arrangement - I love "Pan in A-minor"...so I decided to do a brief analysis...I do hope I keep it brief

Intro (No established key specifically, just explores several keys on a familiar pan in A motif...exits INTRO with a G7 (00:24) "run" to the E7 drops (00:31) which preps for the A-minor theme...
Main Song (00:41-01:45) - Key:A minor
This is the actual song and preserves most of the harmonic changes as performed by Kitchener...It is a verse and chorus
Bridge I (01:45-02:01) - feels like a variation of the chorus with the bass responding to "calls" from the upper pans but then it also feels like an intro to the subsequent variation/interpretation. The crescendo also spurs the interest....
Variation I(02:01-02:33) Key: A-minor
The guitars and cellos are boss here. It is a bit difficult to hear what the tenor pans are doing but at times you hear the long-held notes that really work.... These passages are ferocious and it exits the section with an aggressive upward scale @ 02:31-that starts with triplets and then moves into the 16ths that leads to A MAJOR!! The harmonic progression is the same as the verse in the main song.
Variation II (02:33-03:05)Key: A major
The major key brings a new excitement here. But also, the A major to E maj. progressions just give the band members an opportunity to simply "JAM" and that is exactly what they do here...there isn't any familiar "Pan in A" motifs...just JAM...
Variation III (03:05-) Key: D minor
New key and the guitars and cellos return to a familiar theme that is punctuated by "full band drops" ...and that is it, we get more sweet arranging with the melody pans playing the familiar motif of the first half of the verse but slightly varied - and then the guitars/cellos punctuating with their own motif response. At 03:29-03:49 we get an interesting variation of the chorus...highlighted by an ascending rhythmic chromatic scale (03:49-03:52) that closes out this section
Variation IV (03:54-05:02)Key: Bb-minor; Style:I don't know!! :-( I am not that cultured to declare what style this is... but it feels very spanish-y like tango, or mambo or one of them seductive dance styles...
This section is one of the high points of this arrangement...it features a verse and chorus with some intricate harmonic and melodic mixes (especially in the guitar/cellos) but generally follows the overall harmonic progression of the actual song...
Variation V (05:03-05:47)Key: B-minor Style:Panorama time again (lol)
The entry into this section felt a bit rushed and sudden especially considering all the elegant entries we previously encountered but this section "burns" and allows the "pan people dem to get down." It is also an interpretation of the verse and chorus...and ends with a quick "full band" descending minor scale (05:46) - actually feels like a B-melodic minor...starting on C#
Variation VI - The Outro (05:47 to END)Key: B major
This is the beginning of the end - the major key forms an interesting contrast to the b-minor...also features impressions of the chorus....the harmonic progression is really interesting too, different from anything before (B-B7-E-Em x 2 then F#7) and then the final build up (on a B major chord and scale) to the "last drops." THE END...

I do not like that the piece ends in B Major!! especially when the piece is titled "Pan in A-minor"...not that anything is wrong with that really...the ending was finite and resounding...and I know "dem folks wuk hard" especially with the pace of the piece....it was a lot of music!!

Replies

Terry Alfred September 3, 2011 at 11:53am

Loved it!! This is a piece I certainly was able to follow with anticipation.What I liked is even with the variations throughout I still knew which song they were playing......
Kurleigh Lowe February 16, 2009 at 11:55pm

This is a great arrangement - I love "Pan in A-minor"...so I decided to do a brief analysis...I do hope I keep it brief

Intro (No established key specifically, just explores several keys on a familiar pan in A motif...exits INTRO with a G7 (00:24) "run" to the E7 drops (00:31) which preps for the A-minor theme...
Main Song (00:41-01:45) - Key:A minor
This is the actual song and preserves most of the harmonic changes as performed by Kitchener...It is a verse and chorus
Bridge I (01:45-02:01) - feels like a variation of the chorus with the bass responding to "calls" from the upper pans but then it also feels like an intro to the subsequent variation/interpretation. The crescendo also spurs the interest....
Variation I(02:01-02:33) Key: A-minor
The guitars and cellos are boss here. It is a bit difficult to hear what the tenor pans are doing but at times you hear the long-held notes that really work.... These passages are ferocious and it exits the section with an aggressive upward scale @ 02:31-that starts with triplets and then moves into the 16ths that leads to A MAJOR!! The harmonic progression is the same as the verse in the main song.
Variation II (02:33-03:05)Key: A major
The major key brings a new excitement here. But also, the A major to E maj. progressions just give the band members an opportunity to simply "JAM" and that is exactly what they do here...there isn't any familiar "Pan in A" motifs...just JAM...
Variation III (03:05-) Key: D minor
New key and the guitars and cellos return to a familiar theme that is punctuated by "full band drops" ...and that is it, we get more sweet arranging with the melody pans playing the familiar motif of the first half of the verse but slightly varied - and then the guitars/cellos punctuating with their own motif response. At 03:29-03:49 we get an interesting variation of the chorus...highlighted by an ascending rhythmic chromatic scale (03:49-03:52) that closes out this section
Variation IV (03:54-05:02)Key: Bb-minor; Style:I don't know!! :-( I am not that cultured to declare what style this is... but it feels very spanish-y like tango, or mambo or one of them seductive dance styles...
This section is one of the high points of this arrangement...it features a verse and chorus with some intricate harmonic and melodic mixes (especially in the guitar/cellos) but generally follows the overall harmonic progression of the actual song...
Variation V (05:03-05:47)Key: B-minor Style:Panorama time again (lol)
The entry into this section felt a bit rushed and sudden especially considering all the elegant entries we previously encountered but this section "burns" and allows the "pan people dem to get down." It is also an interpretation of the verse and chorus...and ends with a quick "full band" descending minor scale (05:46) - actually feels like a B-melodic minor...starting on C#
Variation VI - The Outro (05:47 to END)Key: B major
This is the beginning of the end - the major key forms an interesting contrast to the b-minor...also features impressions of the chorus....the harmonic progression is really interesting too, different from anything before (B-B7-E-Em x 2 then F#7) and then the final build up (on a B major chord and scale) to the "last drops." THE END...

I do not like that the piece ends in B Major!! especially when the piece is titled "Pan in A-minor"...not that anything is wrong with that really...the ending was finite and resounding...and I know "dem folks wuk hard" especially with the pace of the piece....it was a lot of music!!
- GospelPan > Kurleigh Lowe February 17, 2009 at 8:14pm
  
  Hey K,
  
  you ever thought about being a judge..LOL
  
  It must have taken time to break down this arrangement....great analysis!
  - Terry Alfred > GospelPan September 3, 2011 at 11:54am
    
    I agree,he is good for "me" to understand it all.... shoo .....lol
  - Kurleigh Lowe > GospelPan February 17, 2009 at 10:00pm
    
    Analysis is FUN - I am not sure I could say the same thing for judging....I do not envy judges or the work they do....that is not an easy task...but I would try it at least once....
- Pan Woman > Kurleigh Lowe February 17, 2009 at 7:16pm
  
  Excellent analysis kurleigh. These cats are bad.
- Kurleigh Lowe > Kurleigh Lowe February 17, 2009 at 12:04am
  
  Oh yea, and one other thing - this piece sounds amazing when listened to on a pair of good headphones....the recording is really clear and all the pans especially the bass really shine through! I wish the drummer didn't "OD" on the crash cymbal. :-)

This reply was deleted.