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Structure

The structure follows verse-chorus and includes:

1. introduction
2. verse 1
3. verse 2
4. verse 3
5. chorus
6. repeated instrumental verse
7. chorus – plus additional bar
8. bridge
9. Latin instrumental outro

Instrumentation

Love of My Life combines both rock and Latin instruments:

• guitar - Carlos Santana
• vocal - Dave Matthews
• keyboards
• bass
• drums
• congas and percussion

Tonality and harmony

Santana changed the key from Brahms’s original key of C minor. Points of note are:

• the key is G minor
• the intro is based on a series of chords with added sevenths
• verse 1 is built on a two-bar chord sequence played three times
• At the end of verses 1 and 3, Santana brings back the last four chords played in the introduction accompanying the words 'me' and 'free'

Tempo

Latin music typically has a fast pace. Santana deploys:

• a tempo marked at crotchet = 90 bpm at the start
• the tempo increases to crotchet = 105 bpm during the Latin instrumental outro

Rhythm and metre

Differing from Brahms' original theme in 3/8, Love of my Life includes:

• syncopation, which is heard throughout
• rhythmic augmentation is used
• the rhythm elongates on the words me and free.
• the chorus has a syncopated feel and there are triplets at the end of the phrase
• syncopated Afro-Cuban dance rhythms, piano and bass are heard in the Latin instrumental
• the metre is 4/4

Dynamics

The piece is performed at a moderately loud volume. Significant changes include:

• the intro begins mf and becomes mp in the verse
• the Latin instrumental section is f and fades out at the end

Texture

The texture is mainly melody and accompaniment. Other techniques include:

• call and response between the guitar and voice in verse 2
• there is an imitative texture between the two guitars in the instrumental verse before they play in unison an octave apart
• during the chorus, the guitar and vocal melody play in unison

Melody

The melody is based on the cello theme heard in the third movement of Symphony No. 3 in F major by Brahms. Love of my Life implements the following:

• the vocal melody has a limited pitch range - perfect fourth - and revolves around the interval of a minor third
• there are short improvised guitar responses from Santana at the ends of vocal phrases
• falsetto and melisma on the words me and free are features
• imitation is used in guitar melodies
• the complex improvisatory guitar solo employs a range of techniques and is heavily syncopated and sequential