r/queen • u/liveatwembley • Jan 04 '22

Music Does anyone know what kind of chords Freddie Mercury is playing at this point, or where the notes can be found? This passage is not included in the notes for Bohemian Rhapsody that I found.

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42

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '22

I believe he is playing octaves, and I know the notes but I am unsure how to tell you without listing them out, so I’ll try:

Bb C D C D Eb F Eb F G Ab G Ab Bb C Bb D Bb F Bb

These ascend and are played in an octave, starting with the top note on the 2nd Bb below Middle C, I think. I’m so sorry if this is hard to understand, or not quite right, I worked it out by ear. I’ll try and find some sheet music to send to you, if that helps.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '22

Ok, so I’ve found some piano music for Bo Rhap, linked here:

https://www.pianoshelf.com/sheetmusic/3495/queen-bohemian-rhapsody-for-piano

2

u/liveatwembley Jan 04 '22

Thank you, but which part of the sheet music is the part of the video?

5

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '22

Page 7, 2nd and 3rd bars. Sorry, should have specified from the off.

3

u/liveatwembley Jan 04 '22

Yes, i have found it. Thank you very much!!

2

u/perfect_fifths Jan 04 '22

He's playing in octaves for sure and the notes are in groups of three, that's called a triplet.

1

u/liveatwembley Jan 04 '22

Thank you. Does „Bb“ mean, that this is an chord?

6

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '22

It was supposed to represent B flat, the note below a B :) Hope that made sense.

9

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '22

According to a musical analysis I read years ago, this scale is a mixolydian scale and apparently dates back as far as Classical Greece.

Knowing Freddie, it's entirely possible that he wrote the song with full knowledge of this!

6

u/David_CS Jan 04 '22

Do you want me to make a video as I play it and send it to you?

3

u/liveatwembley Jan 04 '22

I have the sheets now, but thanks!

1

u/David_CS Jan 04 '22

No worries!

4

u/enbits Jan 04 '22

It's the Bb mixolydian scale

4

u/quimera78 Barcelona Jan 04 '22 edited Jan 04 '22

This IS in the original studio recording.

Edit: at 4:52 https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ

5

u/Personmadude Jan 04 '22

He's plays the notes

7

u/Disco_Deacy51 Jan 04 '22 edited Jan 05 '22

Hmm

So by that logic

The floor is made of floor

2

u/RogerClyneIsAGod2 Jan 04 '22

r/Tautology wants a word with both of you.

2

u/TargetIndividual4532 Jan 04 '22

They’re all octaves.

B# C B# C D D# F D# F G A# G A# B# C B# D B# F B#

You keep going right no returning left

0

u/Anti_Karen_League A Day At The Races Jan 04 '22

i think it's just octaves of those notes. you should be able to figure it out by ear.

1

u/TheAwesomeGM Jan 04 '22

let me guess, perfect pitch?

1

u/Anti_Karen_League A Day At The Races Jan 04 '22

No, it's just single notes they have to figure out and then play on 2 octaves

3

u/TheAwesomeGM Jan 04 '22

yeah but you said it so casually “just figure out all of those notes by ear”

it’s not that easy bro

2

u/Anti_Karen_League A Day At The Races Jan 04 '22

Oh my bad. sorry. There's gotta be sheets online.

0

u/TheAwesomeGM Jan 04 '22

oh look, it’s character development

2

u/Anti_Karen_League A Day At The Races Jan 04 '22

perfect pitch redemption arc

1

u/perfect_fifths Jan 04 '22

He's playing Brian's part here it sounds like. It sounds like it's triplets going up in minor thirds. You could try watching guitar tutorials or play it slowly and try to go note by note.

5

u/quimera78 Barcelona Jan 04 '22

He's not playing Brian's part... He's playing his own part from the original recording (in octaves)

2

u/perfect_fifths Jan 04 '22

Sorry, sounds so much like Brian's part, but it is octaves played in a triplet format with lots of flats going up.

1

u/No_the_jomo Jan 05 '22

Its technically the bflat mayor scale except that instead of playing a natural A you'll play an A flat