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Stick notation:

Headless ‘stick notation’ has been written above the staff in several parts of the transcription to inform the drummer of the rhythms played by the other instrumentalists. While not strictly necessary for the execution of the piece, this can assist in appreciating the rhythmic relationship between the melodic/harmonic lines and the drummer’s part. The accents denote the beginning of each sequence of short phrases.

Theme 1:

The song’s first measure introduces the rhythmic theme with a ‘call and response’ phrase. The guitarist plays 4 muted semiquavers for the ‘call’. The drummer and orchestra ‘respond’ with 4 semiquavers in kind. The 12 semiquavers in the measure are naturally felt in 4 groups of 3, however it has been notated in 3/4 (generally felt in 3 groups of 4 sub beats) to maintain a consistent pulse between the sections.

Intro:

For the intro section, the drummer plays the quarter note pulse on the bass drum while the bass line continues to play in the implied compound meter heard in the previous section. This polymetric bass line lays the foundation for theme 2.

Theme 2:

The orchestra, led by the string section, plays descending (melodic minor) phrases based on the superimposed dotted quaver pulse.

Theme 3: 

This section is an extension of theme 2 and features a dramatic ending – with the drummer playing a descending tom rhythm with the orchestra. Theme 3 (bar 13/47) is the point that the internal repeat sign returns the drummer to after after the first time ending is played.

Pre Verse, Verse, Pre Chorus: 

The volume of the snare and bass drum drops to ‘piano’ for these sections. The snare part is played with the dominant hand playing the quaver pulse while the other hand plays the semiquavers in between. Orchestral snare, bass, and timpani drums were used to in the recording to accompany these orchestral/choral sections.

Guitar Melody:  

The metric modulation symbol at measure 81 announces a doubling of the tempo. The polymetric melody played by the guitarist is phrased in groups of 3 beats over the driving 4 pulse played on the snare drum. In the fourth bar there is a 2 beat turnaround (beats 1 and 2) before the 3 beat pattern begins again on the third beat of the measure and continues through to the end of the eighth bar. This rhythmic pattern is repeated in the second 8 bars of the section, but with an alternative ending (in the last 2 measures). In the third line, the drummer increases the intensity by playing eighth notes on the snare and floor tom in unison over a half note bass drum beat. In the last line, the drummer plays quarter notes on the bass drum leading up to a fill played on the snare drum which concludes the double time section.

Theme 3 – ending: 

For the third and last time that this section is played, the loose hi hats are accented on the ‘up beats’ behind the singer’s falsetto screams. The final rhythmic figure is followed by the sound of a 60′s era electric guitar playing a distinctive arpeggio, a final nod to the music from the James Bond movies.