Edexcel Book

Acknowledgements
Published by Pearson Education Limited, 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL.

www.pearsonschoolsandfecolleges.co.uk
Copies of official specifications for all Edexcel qualifications may be found on the website:
www.edexcel.com
Text © Pearson Education 2016

Original illustrations © Pearson Education 2016
Cover photo © abstract/ Shutterstock
First published 2016
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 292 12312 7
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that specified you must apply in writing to the publishers.
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purchasing institution only. This material is not copyright free.
2
Teaching composing
Supporting students
Composing can be a very daunting thing to teach. If you are not a composer yourself, you may have struggled
with composing lessons when you were at school, and the thought of teaching it at GCSE level may leave you
feeling quite terrified. However, teaching composing at GCSE level is really a natural development of teaching
composing at Key Stage 3. The main difference is that students are not encouraged to work collaboratively at
Key Stage 4. Well, this is not entirely true: students must submit two compositions that are their own, unaided
work, but they do not have to spend the entire course composing by themselves. In fact, it is beneficial for
composition tasks to be included in the teaching of the set works so that the class works collaboratively to
explore important elements of the set works in a practical way. They can develop as composers together,
working on more sophisticated versions of the sorts of pieces they composed in Key Stage 3 lessons, as long
as they do not submit group work as a final GCSE composition.
For example, some students may form a temporary band along the lines of the Afro Celt Sound System. One
student takes charge of finding drum loops, another plays the talking drum, another plays acoustic guitar and
another plays tin whistle. The group spends a lesson improvising with some melodies they found in The Dance
Music of Ireland (‘O’Neill’s 1001’), putting the reels to some dance loops with unusual chord sequences on the
acoustic guitar interspersed with talking drum solos and cross-rhythms.
In this task, your students would learn:
● what it felt like for the original members of the Afro Celts when they first got together (although your
students will hopefully speak the same language!)
● why it is important to listen to each other in an ensemble
● why textural contrast is important
● how to sustain a piece for a period of time with a given stimulus
● how to develop melodies in an intuitive way
● many other valuable lessons about the set work itself, and about working with other musicians.
At some point your students will need to take a solo dive into the sometimes murky and often uncharted waters
of composing by themselves. If your students decide to tackle a similar task to the example above, they will find
it much harder to accomplish alone. They will probably become discouraged quite quickly and feel that they
lack the necessary skills for composing. This is why it is important to set the agenda for composing from the
outset of the course. Never give students a ‘blank page’ for composing unless you are sure that this is
something they feel comfortable with.
Starting to compose
When students start composing they need:
● clear boundaries
● scaffolding
● a composing ‘tool kit’
● achievable, bite-size tasks
● strict deadlines.
Clear boundaries
You should set a clear brief for any composition task, no matter how simple. If the task is to write a one-bar
motif, give some detail about the type of intervals, the tonality of the music, the expected duration of the notes
and the instrument on which the motif will be played. Also, let your students know what the next step is going to
be, for example to use sequence to develop the motif. Inevitably some (if not all) of your class will break some
of the ‘rules’. This is a good thing! They are pushing the boundaries and being creative. Sometimes their
creativity will work and sometimes it won’t. If the boundaries do not exist, then your students can’t push them.

1
Teaching composing
Scaffolding
Beginner composers need help in the same way that novice writers might use a template to write a letter or
essay. Tasks such as improvising an Indian rag have the opportunity for lots of scaffolding in that you can
provide the rag itself, the rhythmic cycle and the drone over which to improvise. In more traditional melody-
writing exercises you might give a worksheet with the correct number of bars ruled out, a bass line given and
cadences in place. As your students mature, you can gradually take away more and more of the scaffolding
until they are ready to ride the composition bike without stabilisers.
A composing ‘tool-kit’
We cannot expect students to be ready-to-go composers. Even the most talented performers with lots of grade
exams under their belts may find composing difficult and frustrating. It is important to provide composing tools
during the GCSE course (or before if possible) so that students can fill their toolbox and have an idea of what
tool to use to develop an idea or to harmonise a melody or to structure a composition. In order to build these
tools, students should be given a series of shorter, focused tasks rather than a full-scale composition brief.
Each task should focus on a specific aspect of composition such as developing motifs, song structures,
rhythmic grooves or textural contrasts. The exercises could contribute towards a full composition later on, but
their main aim is to build confidence and experience.
Achievable, bite-size tasks
This continues from the previous point in that the composition tasks you set could be small, self-contained
pieces of work, but it also refers to dividing a larger-scale composition task into manageable chunks. If
possible, each student should have an individual target for what they need to achieve by the end of the lesson
or by the time they return to the next lesson. Since people work in a variety of ways and at different speeds,
this is probably the hardest thing to keep on top of as a teacher, but it will stop anybody from coasting or
foundering in the waters of solo composition and building up an unhelpful internal narrative. If you can set
perhaps three or four differentiated targets and have the chance to glance at each student’s attempts from
week to week, you will ensure that no one is left behind or stays too long in a compositional dead end. It is
particularly easy to get used to dodgy harmony after listening to it week after week, so it is best picked up early.
Strict deadlines
Don’t be too soft at the start of the course! If you let deadlines slide for small tasks, you will end up with several
highly stressed students in your classroom after school leading up to the 15 May 2018 deadline and give
yourself sleepless nights. It is important to nurture an ethos of meeting deadlines for creative endeavours as
being punctual is not necessarily the most natural state of being for all musicians. Of course, deadlines should
be reasonable, taking account of other activities going on such as school shows, sporting events, exam weeks
and so on, but they must be seen as being important so that the first thing a student will let slide if they are
feeling a bit pushed for time is not their composing work.
Composition briefs
Edexcel will provide a set of four composition briefs at the start of the students’ final GCSE year. These briefs
are likely to be rather general in scope, so it is possible that one or more of your students will already have
written a piece of music that fulfils one of the briefs. However, students are generally better composers in their
second year of study, so it is likely to be advisable for each student to write a composition to one of the set
briefs rather than hope that something previously composed might fit.
As is always the case with composition work, the ‘ultimate brief’ is the mark scheme. Sometimes it is tempting
to ask what a composition by a famous composer would score according to the mark scheme, and doubtless
there are works that would not score full marks. However, the composer in that case was fulfilling a brief or
commission of their own and did not need to try to score full marks in a GCSE examination. While this may
seem rather frivolous, it does identify an issue that you need to be aware of – just because a piece sounds
good, it is not guaranteed that it meets all the criteria in the mark scheme. Always listen to your students’
compositions with the mark scheme in mind.
Good performers are not necessarily good composers

Sometimes the best performers are not natural composers. They can become rather frustrated by the way their
peers who have less formal training seem able to naturally write melodies and songs, while their own attempts
turn out to be quite stilted pastiches or overly flamboyant cadenza-like studies for their instrument. Such
students should be advised that this is a common scenario and that their hard-earned skills can still be put to
use. They may need to approach their music differently, particularly in terms of how they perceive repetition

2
Teaching composing
and simplicity. If they consider the structure of the composition first of all, then they can consider how to get
from one section to another, how they can reuse ideas, and where the climax of their piece needs to be. Then it
is more likely to have a sense of direction. If they start by sitting at a computer and inputting notes, then they
are likely to forget many of the lessons they have subconsciously absorbed in their years of training and create
a composition lacking direction and structure. It is good to encourage this type of student to analyse the
structure of some of the pieces they perform to see how the great composers put their compositions together.
This also helps to inform their performances. Also, the performer-composer should be encouraged to keep
things simple at the start and add flourishes and complexity after the foundations of the composition have been
laid, if they still think it necessary to do so.
Supporting weaker students

It can sometimes be hard to know where to draw the line between what is acceptable support and what is
unacceptable. You should not tell students what notes or chords they should use or ask them to change a
passage from this to that. However, you are teaching them how to compose, so it is expected that this tuition is
ongoing as they are completing their non-examined assessment. You can use abstract examples in short
‘exercises’ and/or in compositions that will not be submitted for final assessment and moderation to show how
to harmonise similar passages or demonstrate how certain chords work with certain melody notes. Weaker
students are likely to need more support than stronger ones at the teaching and training stages when it comes
to writing accompaniments or deciding how to combine instruments in a composition.
Some students need more scaffolding than others, and may need it for longer. Others may never be able to
compose successfully without some sort of template. It should be borne in mind that these students should not
be able to score the same mark as the students who are composing without their training wheels, but they
should still be able to submit a piece for assessment. In this case it is important to make clear if any of the
material submitted is not the student’s own. For example, if a left-hand piano accompaniment is provided for a
12-bar blues composition, this must be made clear to the moderator and the student can only receive credit for
the lines that they wrote.
Singer-composers
Sometimes singers who have little or no keyboard/guitar skills can hear what they want to do, can compose
natural melodies and sing them with aplomb, but struggle to come up with an accompaniment to match. One
thing they can do is to record their melody lines (on their phones, for example) and use the auto-
accompaniment function on a keyboard to find suitable chords while playing along to the recording. They can
then decide on how a guitar might play those chords and instruct a guitarist to accompany them using a
specific plucking pattern for their chord sequence.
Use of technology
Technology can be a hugely useful compositional tool. It is possible to layer ideas, enter things step-by-step
that are too difficult to play, hear instrumental combinations that you would never have physical access to, and
edit sounds in ways that would not be possible if performed live. However, it should be used with some caution:
students should not expect to ‘magically’ come up with ideas while sitting in front of a computer screen.
Software will encourage people to do things in a certain way such that, unless the composer sits down at the
computer with a preconceived idea, they will probably take the path of least resistance and end up with
something less than original – for example, many GCSE compositions have been submitted in C major, at
100bpm, with four beats per bar and almost all the notes being crotchets played in the middle two octaves of
the piano.
If using loops (either audio or MIDI), these must be declared so that the actual content of the loop is not
claimed as the student’s own work unless they have recorded it themselves. Significant sample or loop
manipulation can be considered musical development.
Composing tasks
The rest of this section consists of composing tasks. The first workbook contains general tasks to assist with
teaching students how to write and develop melodies. The remaining workbooks contain two tasks for each
Area of Study, roughly aligning to potential set briefs. The first task in each Area of Study is designed as a
support task for less able students and the second as an extension task for more able students.

3
A note from the publisher
In order to ensure that this resource offers high-quality support for the associated Pearson
qualification, it has been through a review process by the awarding body. This process confirms
that this resource fully covers the teaching and learning content of the specification or part of a
specification at which it is aimed. It also confirms that it demonstrates an appropriate balance
between the development of subject skills, knowledge and understanding, in addition to
preparation for assessment.
Endorsement does not cover any guidance on assessment activities or processes (e.g. practice
questions or advice on how to answer assessment questions), included in the resource nor does
it prescribe any particular approach to the teaching or delivery of a related course.
While the publishers have made every attempt to ensure that advice on the qualification and its
assessment is accurate, the official specification and associated assessment guidance materials
are the only authoritative source of information and should always be referred to for definitive
guidance.
Pearson examiners have not contributed to any sections in this resource relevant to examination
papers for which they have responsibility.
Examiners will not use endorsed resources as a source of material for any assessment set by
Pearson.
Endorsement of a resource does not mean that the resource is required to achieve this Pearson
qualification, nor does it mean that it is the only suitable material available to support the
qualification, and any resource lists produced by the awarding body shall include this and other
appropriate resources.

1
Using your Teacher Guide
This Teacher Guide has been written to be used in conjunction with the Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Music Student
Book and contains resources designed to help you progress your students through their GCSE studies.
Answers have been included to both the Areas of Study Workbooks in this guide and the Area of Study
questions in the Student Book.
Most answers will have definitive answers but some of the answers in this guide will be indicative and there will
be other acceptable answers.
All the files in this guide are fully downloadable Word or PDF files. For ease of use, you can either download
files on a document-by-document basis or as one complete file by downloading the Whole Teacher Guide.
This Teacher Guide also includes an online ActiveBook version of the Student Book. You will be able to find
this on your ActiveLearn bookshelf.

Introduction
About the Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Music series

The Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Music qualification and published resources are designed to inspire the next
generation of students in forming personal and meaningful relationships with music through the development of
musical knowledge, understanding and skills.
The resources consist of four products, all written to support the Edexcel specification for first teaching from
2016:
● a Student Book
● this digital Teacher Guide
● an Anthology containing printed scores of all eight set works
● a CD containing recordings of the eight set works.
Our Student Book and Teacher Guide cover all three components of the course (performing, composing and
appraising), and the Student Book includes a fourth section to support students in preparation for the
appraising exam, with a focus on the new extended writing questions.
Our resources assume no previous musical training beyond the KS3 curriculum, so the Student Book and
Teacher Guide include dedicated ‘Understanding Music’ sections to enable students of all abilities to access
the course content and make progress.
Because we know your time is precious, we’ve made sure all the sheet music is available to purchase in one
convenient printed Anthology. Additionally, all the audio music is on a separate CD so you can be confident you
are accessing audio versions that match the ones used in the exam.
The Student Book

Our Student Book follows the structure of the Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Music specification and contains all the
information needed for in-depth study of the eight set works that form the basis of the appraising exam.
Each Area of Study in the Student Book includes:
● contextual information on the period, style, movement or culture in which the set works were composed
● biographical information about the composer or artist
● a description of the key stylistic features and musical elements of the set works
● a detailed analysis of each set work, including bar numbers where appropriate
● exam-style questions with practical exam tips
● practice listening activities based on the set works
● ‘Wider listening’ sections drawing links between the set works and the recommended wider listening pieces
in the Edexcel specification
● glossary definitions of technical terms and musical vocabulary
● ‘Checkpoint’ sections (with ‘Strengthen’ and ‘Challenge’ tasks) to encourage students to check their
progress and reflect on their learning
● a summary of the main features of each set work.
Also included in the book is an exam preparation section with tips and guidance for success in the written
exam, including example questions and answers together with detailed notes and explanations about the
quality of the answers shown.
The Teacher Guide

This Teacher Guide has been designed to help you primarily in teaching and delivering the composing and
appraising components of the course. However, we know that some students will need support in
understanding the theory of music, so we provide a range of ‘Understanding Music’ materials to help them
consolidate their knowledge.
We’ve also included self-contained ‘workbooks’ covering each set work in the Areas of Study – which you can
download and give to students to support their listening and appraising skills.
The Teacher Guide is structured as follows:

1
Introduction
Scheme of work
A suggested scheme of work, showing one possible way to deliver the new qualification over two years, using a
holistic approach by drawing on different areas of the course content and showing where composing and
performing can be referenced.
Understanding Music
Related to the ‘Understanding Music’ section in the Student Book, this section includes a series of
downloadable workbooks to enable students to practise the theory they have read about in the Student Book:
● UM Workbook 1: Note values, rests and time signatures
● UM Workbook 2: Note names, clefs and key signatures
● UM Workbook 3: Major scales and intervals
● UM Workbook 4: Minor scales and intervals
● UM Workbook 5: Pentatonic, chromatic and whole-tone scales
● UM Workbook 6: Other intervals
● UM Workbook 7: The Circle of Fifths, chords and inversions
● UM Workbook 8: Jazz chords and chord symbols
● UM Workbook 9: Cadences and harmonisation
● UM Workbook 10: Ornaments and musical devices
● UM Workbook 11: Modulation
Teaching composing
This section consists of:
A Teacher notes, which will give you confidence in supporting students to develop their own compositions
B Composing tasks workbooks: Workbook 1 contains general tasks to assist with teaching students how
to write and develop melodies. The remaining workbooks contain two tasks for each Area of Study, roughly
aligning to potential set briefs. The first task in each Area of Study is designed as a support task for less
able students and the second as an extension task for more able students.
● CT Workbook 1: Writing and developing melodies
● CT Workbook 2: Composing tasks Area of Study 1
Appraising – Areas of Study workbooks

Eight workbooks are provided, one for each set work. They are downloadable and editable so you can adapt
them to suit your teaching context. They can be used for class teaching, homework or revision.* Each
workbook follows the same structure:
Section A: Musical contexts
Activities and short tasks that help provide context, set the scene, introduce the genre and get students thinking
about mood, background, themes or historical reference points.
Section B: Key features of the set work
More in-depth questions about the individual set work, designed to support listening and appraisal skills and
allowing students to practise writing extended answers.
Section C: Wider listening
Comparison of the set work with a suggested wider listening piece, using scaffolded questions to support
understanding and build up to the higher-level cognitive and writing skills needed for the 12-mark question in
the listening exam.
● AOS 1 Workbook 1: J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, 3rd movement
● AOS 1 Workbook 2: Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement

2
Introduction
● AOS 2 Workbook 3: Purcell: ‘Music for a While’

● AOS 2 Workbook 4: Queen: ‘Killer Queen’ from the album Sheer Heart Attack
● AOS 3 Workbook 5: Stephen Schwartz: ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked
● AOS 3 Workbook 6: John Williams: ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from Star Wars IV: A New Hope
● AOS 4 Workbook 7: Afro Celt Sound System: ‘Release’ from the album Volume 2: Release
● AOS 4 Workbook 8: Esperanza Spalding: ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ from the album Esperanza
*Please note that students will need access to recordings of the set works and suggested wider listening pieces
in order to complete some of these questions. If access to the Pearson Anthology and audio CD is not
available, the scores and tracks can be purchased from other sources, such as the Faber website
(http://fabermusicstore.com/6/Edexcel-GCSE.aspx), where scores can be bought individually. Recordings are
widely available but it will be important to check that the recording is the same as the one that will be used in
the exam. For more information about the specified recordings, see the document on the Edexcel website
entitled ‘Set works information’.
Answers to the Areas of Study workbooks 1 to 8

Answers to questions in the Areas of Study workbooks (with indicative answers for extended writing questions).
Answers to questions in the Student Book

The Student Book contains a number of listening questions as well as exam-style questions and checkpoint
questions. We have provided answers only to questions that are not subjective or based on an individual’s
opinion.
Preparing students for assessment

This section includes guidance for preparing students for the different assessments across the course,
including performing, composing and appraising. It has details about the types of questions that students are
likely to face in the appraising exam, along with an explanation of the command words and common pitfalls for
students to avoid.
Full glossary and revision glossary

The Teacher Guide contains a full glossary of musical terms as in the Student Book and, in addition, a version
without the definitions, which will be useful for revision purposes.
The Anthology
Pearson have worked in partnership with specialist music publishers Peters Edition and Faber Music to compile
an anthology of all the set works in a single volume. This includes original scores of those set works where
traditional music scores are not available. Students will need to follow the close analysis of the set works that
appear in the Student Book against the printed scores contained in this Anthology.
The audio CD anthology

The audio CD contains the recordings of all eight set works and should be used in conjunction with the
Anthology and the Student Book. It can also be used to play specific extracts from the set works where this is
indicated against listening questions in the Student Book or the workbooks contained in this Teacher Guide.
Areas of Study and set works

The table below lists the Areas of Study and the set works for Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Music
Area of Study Set works
Instrumental Music ● J.S. Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, 3rd movement
1700–1820 ● Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement
Vocal Music ● Purcell: ‘Music for a While’

● Queen: ‘Killer Queen’ from the album Sheer Heart Attack

3
Introduction
Music for Stage and ● S. Schwartz: ‘Defying Gravity’ from the album of the cast recording of Wicked
Screen ● J. Williams: ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from the soundtrack to Star
Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Fusions ● Afro Celt Sound System: ‘Release’ from the album Volume 2: Release
● Esperanza Spalding: ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ from the album Esperanza

4
Scheme of work
This scheme of work represents a suggested way of delivering the new course content over two years. It can be adapted to suit the requirements of your timetable.
Term Week Content
General introduction to the course

● Listening: Area of Study 3: Music for Stage and Screen. Film Music. Play a sample selection of film clips to generate discussion
about how music enhances film, and the importance of main title music to set the scene and mood.
● Analysing: Use the wider listening pieces (and other music) to discuss the structure and other elements of the music, e.g. the
1–3 repetition of the main theme.
● Composing: Select a short action clip (e.g. the Wallace and Gromit train sequence from The Wrong Trousers). Watch clip with
music and then without sound. Students compose their own music to accompany sound. Are they able to match sound to picture?
● Performing: Select a piece for solo performing, to be performed during week 7 (or before). Note that no examination recordings can
be done until term 4 of the course.
● Musical notation: Cover basics of notation and introduce simple scores to follow. This needs to be developed during the course.
Term 1
Area of Study 3: Music for Stage and Screen
Set work study (1) – ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’
● Listening: ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Williams)
● Analysing: Analyse the music (you could use the Student Book as a guide). Pupils can also keep a log of the theoretical terms they
4–7 learn throughout the course. Listening questions – Student Book/Sample Assessment Materials (SAMs).
● Composing: Free composition. The aim is for this piece to be completed in the first year. As a preparation, ask the students to
compose a short melody (between 8 and 16 bars long) and harmonise it using primary and secondary triads. The task may be
extended to include different accompaniment techniques (Alberti bass/broken chord piano accompaniment, etc.).
● Performing: Practice time for the first performance during practical lessons.

1
Scheme of Work

Set work study (2) – ‘Defying Gravity’
● Listening: ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked (Schwartz)
● A general introduction to the history of musicals (you could use the Student Book as a guide) with a focus on the story and plot of
Wicked. If possible, have a look at some of the songs from the wider listening.
8–12 ● Analysing: Analyse the music (you could use the Student Book as a guide). This will take quite a lot of class time over the four
weeks.
● Composing: Students can continue to work on the free composition. For some, songwriting will be a popular option and the next
Area of Study on Vocal Music will follow this quite well. Look at verse–chorus structure, middle 8, intros, outros, etc.; use of two
contrasting chord patterns, etc.; how to set words to music effectively.
● Performing: How to improve musical performance. Use the performance assessment grids in the qualification specification (pages
16–18) to show how performances are assessed. Set improvement tasks following class performances.
Area of Study 2: Vocal Music

Set work study (3) – ‘Music for a While’
● Listening: ‘Music for a While’ (Purcell)
● Analysing: General characteristics of Baroque music and the story of the words of the song from the play. Link to musicals. This is
also a solo song, albeit in a different musical style. Look at ground bass compositions. The wider listening has pieces in ground
Term 2 1–2 bass form from Dido and Aeneas which would be worth looking at in detail.
● Composing: Students carry on with free composition. Some may wish to think about writing a ground bass piece in whatever style
they choose.
● Performing 1: Continue working on musical performance.
● Performing 2: Improvise over the 12-bar blues sequence using short motifs derived from the pentatonic/blues scale.
● Performing 3: Start work on an ensemble performance.

2
Scheme of Work

Set work study (3) – ‘Music for a While’
● Listening: ‘Music for a While’ – listening questions/skeleton score practice question – Student Book/SAMs.
3–5 ● Analysing: These three weeks could be spent in working through the analysis from the Student Book. Again, students should keep
notes of musical devices and terminology in a log. The summary section on each set work is a good place to start. Discuss music in
Restoration England and how this affected Purcell’s work. Also discuss the Purcellian ‘countertenor’ voice.
● Composing: Time for working on students’ own compositions.
● Performing: At this stage of the course, aim to identify possible pieces for solo performance for each student.

Set work study (4) – ‘Killer Queen’
● Listening: ‘Killer Queen’ from Sheer Heart Attack (Queen)
● Analysing: As this is in a completely different idiom from the Purcell, it might be worth bridging the gap with other vocal pieces from
6–7 the wider listening and elsewhere. This is a vast field and selection by the teacher will depend on time available. Could easily fill two
weeks’ teaching time. Good to look at several other Queen songs too.
● Composing: The deadline for completion of the free composition will be the end of term 3. A draft composition should be completed
by the start of term 3. The specification requires 5 hours of controlled conditions for the final write-up.
● Performing: Planning for provisional ensemble performances. Although this is early, ensemble performance takes a lot of time,
particularly if new to the students.
Set work study (4) – ‘Killer Queen’
8–11 ● Listening: ‘Killer Queen’. Listening questions/skeleton score practice question – Student Book/SAMs.
● Analyse the music (you could use the Student Book as a guide).
● Composition: Continuation of the composition work from weeks 6–7.
● Performing: Continuation of the performing work from weeks 6–7.
Time to work out provisional ensemble options.

3
Scheme of Work
Area of Study 1: Instrumental Music 1700–1820

Set work study (5) – Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 3rd movement
● Listening: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 3rd movement (Bach)
1–4 ● Analysing: Recap Baroque features (from Purcell study) and make links to this work. Discuss the background to the writing of these
six concerti and compare to Vivaldi solo concerto movements (in wider listening).
● Composing: The free composition piece should be in draft stage. This term, students will need to have 5 hours of time devoted to
the writing-up.
● Performing: Work continues on forming ensembles for next year’s recordings.

Set work study (5) – Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 3rd movement
● Listening: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 3rd movement. Listening questions/skeleton score practice question – Student Book/SAMs.
● Analysing: Work through the analysis of the concerto in detail. When complete, consider working on a comparison of similarities and
differences with the Purcell set work. This is good preparation for the essay question.
5–8
● Section B of listening paper: This would be a good time to start work on this question, which features some unfamiliar music.
Term 3 Choose an extract from one of the five works studied so far, and compare to another piece in that medium, e.g. Purcell solo song
with a Schubert solo song. Two sample questions are available – one in the SAMs and one in the Specimen Paper.
● Composing: Controlled condition time (5 hours) for write-up.
● Performing: Time to pursue solo and ensemble options.
Revision of five set works/summer examination revision

● Listening: Revision of pieces for end of year examination. The number of these will depend on the individual teacher. Suggest three:
one each from Areas of Study 1, 2 and 3.
● Section B of listening paper: This is good preparation for the 12-mark essay question in the exam.
● Composing: Completion of the free composition (and score/recording). Introduce set brief options (see SAMs) to get students
9–12 thinking about which Area of Study they will probably select in September.
● Performing 1 (solo): Possible to have a solo piece for assessment. Students perform their solo pieces to other students/teacher. If
performances are good, These can be used for assessment next year (Year 11). The performance is not allowed to be recorded
until the second year of the course.
● Performing 2 (ensemble): Time to rehearse. Students should be given plenty of time to rehearse together. Recording cannot take
place until next term at the earliest.

4
Scheme of Work

Set work study (6) – Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement
● Listening: Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement (Beethoven)
● Analysing: Background to Beethoven and Romantic movement. Development of the piano and common themes of Romantic
1–4 expression, e.g. love, tragedy, nature, etc. Look at wider listening pieces (and others) e.g. storm movement from Beethoven’s
Symphony No. 6.
● Composing: Composing to a set brief. The choice of four briefs (one prescribed brief per Area of Study will be published on the
Pearson website on 1 September 2017). Discussion and selection of topic.
● Performing: Time to prepare both solo and ensemble choices to be recorded in term 5.

Set work study (6) – Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement
Term 4 ● Listening: Sonata no. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement
● Analysing: This is a long analysis and has been allotted four weeks (weeks 5–8). Key elements to study include structure,
5–6 harmony, keys, melody and keyboard textures, etc.
● Section B of listening paper: More practice of the 12-mark question.
● Composing: Work continues on chosen set briefs.
● Performing: Continued from weeks 1–4.

Set work study (6) – Sonata no. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement
● Listening: Continuation of Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement. Listening questions/skeleton score practice question
7–8 – Student Book/SAMs
● Analysing: Continue and finish analysis (using the Student Book as a guide if you wish).
● Composing: Set brief composition work.
● Performing: Confirmation of solo and ensemble options.

5
Scheme of Work
Area of Study 4: Fusions

Set work study (7): ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’
● Listening: ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ from Esperanza (Esperanza Spalding)
● Analysing: Look at musical fusions. Perhaps use the wider listening and examples of bhangra and salsa as well. Discussion of the
9–10
fusion elements in ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’.
● Composing: Continue work on set brief composition.
● Performing: Rehearsal of solo and ensembles (as needed).

Set work study (7): ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’
● Listening: ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’. Listening questions/skeleton score practice question – Student Book/SAMs.
● Analysing: Student Book analysis focusing on melody, rhythm, texture and instrumentation.
11–12
● Section B of listening paper: More practice of the 12-mark question. Use a portion of this piece and another fusion.
● Composing: Completing the set brief piece again, planning in 5 hours of controlled conditions time for final write-up.
● Performing: Preparing for recordings next term.

Set work study (8): ‘Release’
● Listening: ‘Release’ from Volume 2: Release (Afro Celt Sound System)
1–2 ● Analysis: Another example of fusion. Background study of this group and several pieces from the album.
● Composition: Write-up time on set brief piece.
● Performing: Preparation for final performances including tidying up any music technology work and ongoing recordings.

Term 5
Set work study (8): ‘Release’
● Listening: ‘Release’
● Analysis: Analysis of the set work (using the Student Book as a guide if you wish).
3–6 ● Section B of listening paper: More practice of the 12-mark question. Use a portion of this piece and another fusion.
● Composition: Write-up time on set brief piece.
● Performing: Preparation for final performances including tidying up any music technology work and ongoing recordings.

6
Scheme of Work
Listening: Review of all eight set works

● Analysis: Discussion of the development of minimalism in music and how it went on to influence dance music. Analysis of the
set work. Discussion of the context of the composition and performance (multi-track recording) of the piece.
7–10
● Composition: Completion of set brief composition.
● Performing: Final recordings of any outstanding performance coursework.
Coursework
11–12 ● Focus on completion of all coursework, including completion of appropriate scores for compositions if outstanding.
Revision and examination practice

● Revision of all the set works including use of appropriate musical vocabulary for each work and the ability to respond to listening
questions on each work under the headings of the different musical elements.
Term 6 1–6 ● Practising examination-style questions, specimen papers and other practice papers.
● The first week of term may include last-minute recording of the odd piece of coursework, but all coursework must be assessed
and delivered to the moderator by 15 May 2018.
All performing and composition tasks may be substituted by other tasks from the Student Book, but sufficient time should be allowed for the completion of these tasks.
It is extremely useful to reinforce listening and analysing with composition tasks, but it would be inappropriate to expect a complete GCSE composition alongside study
for each set work.

7
Understanding Music
Workbook 1
Note values, rests and time signatures
Note values
1. What are the correct names of the following note values?
_____________ _____________ _____________ ____________
_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________
Rests
2. What are the corresponding rests for each of the following note values? Write them in
the empty second bar.

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3. Complete the following bars by inserting the correct rest (or rests) at the places
marked with an asterisk.
Time signatures
4. Insert the correct time signature for each of the following examples.

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5. Compose your own two-bar rhythm for each of the following time signatures.

Understanding Music
Workbook 10
Ornaments and musical devices
Ornaments
Ornaments are mainly used to decorate melody lines and have been a common feature in
music since the Baroque era. There are five main types of ornaments:
1. mordent
2. acciaccatura
3. appoggiatura
4. turn
5. trill.
The mordent
The upper mordent is commonly played starting from the written note to the note above and
back to the first note, as follows:
Written Played
The lower mordent is played starting from the written note to the note below and back to the
first note, as follows:
Written Played
The acciaccatura
This is often referred to as the crushed note. The small note with a line through it is played as
fast as possible just before the main note, hence it sounds crushed.
Written Played

Understanding Music
The appoggiatura
Although it looks similar to the acciaccatura, the aural effect is quite different – the
appoggiatura is a leaning note. It is usually approached by a leap in the melody line and
causes a clash or dissonance with the harmony, which resolves by step onto the second note.
The effect of the leaning note is to take half the value of the principal note, or two-thirds in the
case of a dotted note. Look at the following two examples:
Written Played
Written Played
The turn
As the name implies, this ornament turns about a note. It is essentially a decoration of a note
as it features the note above, the note itself, the note below and back to the note itself. There
is a slight difference when the turn occurs between two notes (see second example below).
Written Played
Written Played

Understanding Music
The trill
This is one of the commonest ornaments. It involves two notes played in rapid succession,
one after the other, and sometimes finishes with a turn at the end. There is no one set way to
play a trill and the number of notes will depend on the tempo of the music. The faster the
music, the fewer the notes that will be played in the trill; while the slower the music, the more
the notes that can be played.
Written Played

1. Name the ornaments and write out how each is played.
Written Played
(i) __________________________
(ii) __________________________
(iii) __________________________
(iv) __________________________
(v) __________________________

Musical devices
In examination papers, questions are often asked about ‘musical devices’. This strange term
is a catch-all for several unrelated musical phenomena. The term is used in examination
papers because it is often quite difficult to avoid giving away the name of the device in the
question without using the more general expression. The six examples below will give you an
idea of what examiners expect when they ask you to identify the ‘musical device’.
Drone Arpeggio
Pedal Broken chord
Alberti bass Ostinato / riff

Understanding Music
Workbook 11
Modulation
Modulation
When a piece of music changes key, it is said to have modulated to a new key. Modulation
provides an important contrast in a musical structure. A piece of music that stays in one key
will usually become monotonous and dull. So which keys should you modulate to, and how do
you actually do this?
Related keys
Generally, you should modulate to keys related to your home key by having a key signature
with the same or similar numbers of sharps or flats. These will include:
● the dominant
● the relative minor/major
● the subdominant
● the tonic major/minor.
If the key of your piece is C major, the closely related keys are:
● G major – dominant
● A minor – relative minor
● F major – the subdominant
● C minor – the tonic minor.
How to modulate
If you wanted to modulate from C major to the closely related dominant key of G major, you
could follow the example of the extract below, taken from the opening of Beethoven’s Piano
Sonata No. 3 in C major, Op. 2.
When you want to modulate to a new key, there are three things you must do.
1. Identify the point where you wish to start to move towards a new key, then find a
suitable pivot chord (a chord common to both keys). For example, in C major, a C
major chord is also chord IV in G major. From this point on, think in terms of the new
key and then use chords in the new key (see point ‘X’ in the extract above).
2. Use accidentals from the new key. In this case, F♯s are to be found in G major and
should appear in the melody and harmony (see point ‘Y’ in the extract above).
3. Make sure to introduce a perfect cadence in the new key: a modulation is not
confirmed until you do (see point ‘Z’ in the extract above). Modulation is not easy and
Understanding Music
is quite advanced for GCSE level. You will need lots of practice before you learn how
to effect a smooth and seamless change of key.
Modulating to related keys

Below are the openings from six themes. Complete the themes and modulate so that
you end in the new key as stated. Remember to insert the correct accidentals and
ensure that you end on the new key note. An example has been given. When you
are happy with what you have composed, remember to play it or get someone else to
do this for you. Try writing another eight-bar section that returns to the original key.
G major modulating to E minor (relative minor)
(i)
D major modulating to A major (dominant)
(ii)
C major modulating to A minor (relative minor)
(iii)
A minor modulating to C major (relative major)

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(iv)
E major modulating to A major (subdominant)
(v)
G major modulating to G minor (tonic minor)
(vi)
G minor modulating to G major (tonic major)

Understanding Music
Workbook 2
Note names, clefs and key signatures
Note names and clefs

1. Complete the names of the following notes from the treble and bass staves.
______ ______ ______ _______ ______ ______ ______ ______
______ ______ ______ _______ ______ ______ ______ ______
______ ______ ______ _______ ______ ______ ______ _____
______ ______ ______ _______ ______ ______ ______ ______

Understanding Music
2. Insert the correct clef for each of the following notes. At various times you will need to use
the following clefs: treble, bass, alto and tenor.

Understanding Music
3. Identify the words below by writing the note names under the staves.
a)
____________________________________________________________________
b)
____________________________________
c)
____________________________________________________________________
d)
____________________________________
e)
____________________________________
f)
_____________________________________________

Understanding Music
Key signatures
4. Name the major and minor keys that share the key signatures below. An example has
been given.
Major key Minor key Major key Minor key
B♭ major G minor
__________ __________
__________ __________ __________ __________
__________ __________ __________ __________
__________ __________ __________ __________
__________ __________ __________ __________
__________ __________ __________ __________
5. Insert the correct key signature for each of the following.
E minor B♭ minor D major
B minor C minor F major
D minor A major E♭ minor
E major B♭ major G minor

Understanding Music
Workbook 3
Major scales and intervals
Major scales
The C major scale is given below, along with the intervals between each note (T = tone,
ST = semitone).
Write out the following ascending scales using accidentals to show the sharps and flats
rather than key signatures. You do not need to label the intervals between the notes.
F major
A major
E♭ major
G major
D♭ major
B major

Understanding Music
Major and perfect intervals
An interval from the tonic note of the major scale to another note in the major scale will
always be major or perfect (as shown below).
perfect unison major second major third perfect fourth

(0 semitones) (2 semitones) (4 semitones) (5 semitones)
perfect fifth major sixth major seventh perfect octave

(7 semitones) (9 semitones) (11 semitones) (12 semitones)
1. Identify the following intervals:
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

Understanding Music
Compound intervals
Intervals that are greater than an octave can be worked out by imagining what the interval
would be if the notes were in the same octave and then adding the word ‘compound’. Notice
how the examples have been given with the notes vertically aligned – intervals can be
between two adjacent notes (as in question 1) or between two notes in a chord (as below).
2. Identify the following compound intervals. Some examples have been given below.
compound compound compound compound compound compound

major second major third perfect fourth perfect fifth major sixth major seventh
(14 semitones) (16 semitones) (17 semitones) (19 semitones) (21 semitones) (23 semitones)
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

Understanding Music
Compound intervals can also be named by counting from the lower note in the same
way as the intervals from question 2 above. The shortcut is to work out what the
interval would be if the notes were in the same octave and adding 7 (NOT 8) for the
extra octave.
3. Identify the following compound intervals. Some examples have been given below.
perfect major major

major ninth major tenth perfect twelfth
eleventh thirteenth fourteenth
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

Understanding Music
Workbook 4
Minor scales and intervals
Minor scales
The harmonic minor scale
The harmonic minor scale, like the major scale and the modes, contains the same notes
ascending as it does descending. The example below shows C harmonic minor along with the
intervals between notes:
If the C minor key signature is given, the scale would look like this:
Notice how the seventh degree of the scale has an accidental (B♮). This is because the
natural is not in the key signature. Since a major key and its relative minor key share the
same key signature, the presence of this ‘raised seventh’ is the quickest way to tell that the
key is minor. Note also the interval between the sixth and seventh degrees of the scale. This,
with three semitones, is one semitone larger than a major second, and is known as an
augmented second.
Using the same sequence of tones and semitones, write out the other scales ascending and
descending. For the first three scales, leave the key signature blank and write in all the
accidentals. For the last three scales, write in the key signature and just remember to add the
accidental for the ‘raised seventh’.
D harmonic minor
E harmonic minor
F harmonic minor

Understanding Music
G harmonic minor
A harmonic minor
B harmonic minor
The melodic minor scale

Unlike the harmonic minor scale, the melodic minor scale has a different set of notes and
intervals ascending and descending. The sixth and seventh degrees of the scale are raised in
the ascending form (with accidentals), but follow the key signature in the descending form.
In the example below (C melodic minor), notice how the sixth and seventh degrees of the
scale have accidentals to cancel out the flats of the key signature when ascending and then
have accidentals to reinstate the key signature when descending.
Using the same sequence of tones and semitones, write out the other scales ascending and
descending. Write in the key signature each time and remember to add the necessary
accidentals for the sixth and seventh degrees of the scales.
D melodic minor – ascending
D melodic minor – descending

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F♯ melodic minor – ascending
F♯ melodic minor – descending
B melodic minor – ascending
B melodic minor – descending
F melodic minor – ascending
F melodic minor – descending

Understanding Music
Workbook 5
Pentatonic, chromatic and whole-tone scales
Pentatonic scales
The pentatonic scale contains five notes (as opposed to seven notes in the major and minor
scales). The following example is of C major pentatonic, which uses the first, second, third,
fifth and sixth degrees of the corresponding major scale.
1. Complete the following pentatonic scales. For the first three scales, leave the key
signature blank and write in any necessary accidentals. For the last two scales, write
in the key signature.
A major pentatonic
E♭ major pentatonic
C♯ major pentatonic
G major pentatonic
D♭ major pentatonic

Understanding Music
2. Using one of the scales you completed in question 1, compose your own pentatonic
melody lasting for eight bars. Choose an appropriate time signature for your melody
and write in the key signature if one is needed. Remember your bar lines!
Chromatic scales
The word ‘chromatic’ literally means ‘coloured’. Chromatic notes add colour to music, but lots
of chromatic notes can make a piece lose its sense of key. Music that gives equal importance
to all twelve of the available notes is said to be atonal (not in a key). The chromatic scale
consists of all twelve available notes played in ascending (or descending) order. There is one
semitone between each adjacent pair of notes in the chromatic scale.
3. In the empty staves below, compose a melody by rearranging the twelve available
notes of the chromatic scale. Try to make the melody last for four bars without using
any of the notes twice. Remember to write in the time signature and bar lines.

Understanding Music
Whole-tone scales
Whole-tone scales consist of six pitches, each one tone apart. There are only two possible
note combinations for whole-tone scales, as shown below:
Starting on F:
Starting on F♯:
You could actually start on any one of the pitches in either scale and you would still use the
same group of six notes. Whole-tone scales were used extensively by impressionist
composers such as Debussy and Ravel.
4. Compose your own impressionist melody called ‘Clouds’ and write it in the blank
staves below. It can be in free time (you don’t need any bar lines).

Understanding Music
Workbook 6
Other intervals
Intervals
In Workbook 3, we looked at the major and perfect intervals. It is possible to have intervals
that are slightly smaller or larger than the major and perfect intervals, so you need to be able
to recognise these.
The other types of interval are:

● Minor
● Diminished
● Augmented.
Minor intervals
Minor intervals are one semitone smaller than major intervals. For example:
Major second Minor second Major third Minor third
Major sixth Minor sixth Major seventh Minor seventh
Diminished intervals
Diminished intervals are one semitone smaller than minor or perfect intervals. For example:
Minor sixth Diminished sixth Perfect fifth Diminished fifth
Notice how the intervals can be made a semitone smaller in two ways:
1. By making the higher note one semitone lower
2. By making the lower note one semitone higher.

Understanding Music
Augmented intervals
Augmented intervals are one semitone larger than major or perfect intervals. For example:
Major sixth Augmented sixth Perfect fifth Augmented fifth
Major, minor and compound intervals
1. Complete the following by describing each interval in full – for example, major third,
perfect fifth or minor sixth.
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
Augmented and diminished intervals
2. All these intervals are either augmented or diminished. Describe each one in full.
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________
_________________ _________________ _________________ _________________

Understanding Music
Workbook 7
The Circle of Fifths, chords and inversions
The Circle of Fifths

The Circle of Fifths helps us to visualise the relationship between different keys, how closely
or distantly keys are related to each other and how many sharps or flats each key has.
1. Complete the blank circle of fifths below, indicating all the keys, major and relative
minor and how many sharps or flats they contain.

Understanding Music
Triads and inversions

Triads are three-note chords containing a root, a third and a fifth.
If the root note is at the bottom, then the triad is in root position – so chord I in root position
could be labelled chord Ia (although the ‘a’ is normally omitted for root position chords).
If the third is at the bottom, then the triad is in first inversion – so chord I in first inversion
would be labelled chord Ib.
If the fifth is at the bottom then the triad is in second inversion – so chord I in second
inversion would be labelled chord Ic.
2. Write the tonic triad (that is, chord I) for each of the following keys in root position,
first inversion and second inversion, giving the correct chord name under each chord.
An example has been given for you (in G major). Remember accidentals, where
required.
(i) F major (ii) D minor
(iii) B major (iv) G minor
(v) E♭ major (vi) E minor
(vii) A major (viii) C minor

Understanding Music
Workbook 8
Jazz chords and chord symbols
Jazz chords
Triads form the basis of the harmony in much music from the Western Classical tradition.
They consist of a root note, a third and a fifth. Jazz harmony is usually based on seventh
chords, so you need to have an understanding of the different types of seventh chord. The
following example harmonises the scale of C major with seventh chords:
Chords I and IV are major seventh chords: they contain a major triad and a major seventh.
Chords II, III and VI are minor seventh chords: they contain a minor triad and a minor
seventh.
Chord V is a dominant seventh: it contains a major triad and a minor seventh.
Chord VII is a half-diminished seventh (or a minor seventh with a flattened fifth): it contains a
diminished triad and a minor seventh.
1. Write out the seventh chords in the following keys. Leave the key signature blank and
use accidentals for the first two examples and fill in the key signature for the last two
examples. Write out the chord symbols above the chords as in the example above.
D major
B♭ major
A major

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F major
Extended chords
Extended chords add another note(s) to the seventh chord. The dominant seventh is the most
commonly extended chord.
2. For each of the following, write out the seventh chord and add the extra note as
indicated by the chord symbol. It does not matter what octave the extra note is in so
long as it is higher than the root note.
C9 F9 D11 B♭11
A13 E♭13 G11 F♯13
Altered chords
An altered chord is one in which one or more of the notes has been sharpened or flattened.
Bm7♭5 is an example of this: the fifth has been flattened by one semitone compared to a
normal Bm7 chord.
3. Write down the chord symbol for each of the following altered chords. An example
has been given for you.
G13♭9 ____________ ____________ ____________
____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

Understanding Music
Workbook 9
Cadences and harmonisation
Cadences – musical punctuation

Cadences in music are somewhat like musical commas, semicolons and full stops in
language. You have learned about perfect, plagal, imperfect and interrupted cadences in the
Student Book.
1. Identify the key signature, then write the chord symbols underneath the stave and
identify the cadence. An example has been given.
Example
Key G major
Chords I V
Cadence Imperfect
(i) (ii) (iii)

Key
________________ ________________ ________________
Chords
Cadence
________________ ________________ ________________
(iv) (v) (vi)

Key
________________ ________________ ________________
Chords
Cadence
________________ ________________ ________________

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(vii) (viii) (ix)

Key
________________ ________________ ________________
Chords
Cadence
________________ ________________ ________________
Completion of cadences
2. Complete the following cadences with one note in the bass part and a three-part
chord in the top part. Write in the key signatures. An example has been given.
Example
Imperfect in G major
(i) (ii) (iii)
Imperfect in D major Plagal in C minor Interrupted in E♭ major
(iv) (v) (vi)
Perfect in C major Imperfect in C minor Perfect in A minor

Understanding Music
Harmonisation exercise – ‘Amazing Grace’
3. The melody of ‘Amazing Grace’ is printed below.

a) Complete the cadences where indicated.
b) Use the triads in F major (printed below) to harmonise the rest of the melody.

Answers to Area of Study questions in Student Book
Instrumental Music 1700–1820 AOS 1

Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, 3rd
movement
ESQ
Q1 (i) What is the key here?
B minor
Q1 (ii) How does this key relate to the opening key of the movement?
Relative minor
Q2 Why does only the harpsichord have a trill over the minim?
The harpsichord cannot sustain a minim duration as the sound from a plucked string quickly dies away. Playing
a trill effectively sustains the pitch of the trilled note.
Strengthen
S1 Two examples of texture
Many possible answers (see score):
● Monophonic: bar 1–2
● Homophonic: bars 307–310
● Polyphonic: bar 3 onwards
S2 Flute at bar 79 variant of opening

● Similarity of rhythm: first three rhythm values are the same in both cases.
● Similarity of interval: both start with a rising interval of a fourth followed by a descending fourth.
S3 Harpsichordist
Any of:
● directs ensemble
● plays solo part
● provides chords.
Challenge
C1 Key features of Baroque style:
● dance form of gigue from Baroque suite
● instrumentation of a Baroque orchestra
● use of harpsichord and continuo role
● ornamentation
● diatonic harmony with modulations to related keys
● use of pedals, suspensions, sequences.

1
C2 Similarities/differences to Tippett
Similarities:
● Both pieces are concertos.
● Both pieces use the idea of contrasting groups of instruments.
● Both pieces use string orchestras.
● Both are played at a fast tempo.
● Both pieces explore contrasting textures as well as playing together.
● Both pieces use a ternary structure (although the Tippett can also be interpreted as sonata form).
Differences:
● Tippett uses two string orchestras whereas Bach has a string orchestra with a concertino solo group of
flute and violin.
● The string orchestras in the Tippett piece are larger in number than Bach.
● There is no harpsichord (continuo) in Tippett piece.
● The Bach is in a major key, whereas the Tippett is modal.
Instrumental Music 1700–1820 AOS 1

Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique,
1st movement
ESQ
Describe three ways Beethoven achieves a sense of excitement and drama.
Any three of:
● dramatic key of C minor
● heavy chords in introduction
● dramatic chromatic runs in right hand: for example, in bar 10
● dramatic use of diminished seventh chords (for example, opening bars of introduction)
● expressive and sudden dynamic contrasts
● sforzando accents
● lively tempo
● exciting ‘rocket theme’ of exposition covering two octaves
● romantic harmony.
Listen
Q1 Choose another piece by Beethoven and give three reasons why the music conveys emotion to you.
Any three musical reasons.
Q2 Comparison with Haydn

Many responses will be made. Some suggestions include:
Similarities:
● The Haydn movement is fast like the Beethoven.
● The Haydn and Beethoven pieces have unbalanced phrases.
● There are sudden moments of silence in both pieces.
● There are modulations to remote keys in both pieces.

2
Differences:
● The two pieces are in different keys (C minor Beethoven, C major Haydn).
● They are in different moods.
● They make use of different forms (sonata form for the Beethoven; ternary scherzo for the Haydn).
● The Haydn movement is shorter and is a third movement rather than a first movement.
Strengthen
S1 Examples of different musical textures:
● Monophonic – for example, bars 187–194
● Homophonic – for example, bars 1–10 (introduction)
S2 What is unusual about the key of the second subject?

The key is E♭ minor as opposed to the expected relative major key of E♭ major.
Reason for choice:
The minor key is far more melancholy and sad, in keeping with the mood of the piece – namely, pathétique.
S3 Describe the opening ten-bar introduction, making three points.

Any three of:
● heavy chords
● use of fp (fortepiano)
● use of dotted rhythms
● diminished chords
● melody in right hand (with some descending runs)
● chordal accompaniment in left hand
● homophonic texture
● many sudden dynamic changes.
S4 Diminished seventh chord

● made up of four notes
● superimposed minor thirds
● based on seventh degree of scale (for example, in C minor the notes are B–D–F–A♭)
● resolves inwards to tonic chord (for example, b.1 beat three, diminished seventh of F♯–A–C–C♭ resolves
onto G minor chord).
Challenge
C1 Features of Romantic style
Points include:
● long lyrical melody lines
● expressive romantic harmonies (including diminished seventh chords) and large dynamic contrasts
● expresses powerful emotions, in this case related to suffering (pathétique).

3
C2 Listen to the second movement.

The mood is tranquil and peaceful and perhaps elegiac, too. This is achieved through:
● cantabile and legato playing
● sustained and lyrical melody lines
● a slow tempo.
C3 Development of piano
● This allowed for a more powerful range of dynamics and a wider compass of treble and bass notes due to
the increased range of seven and a half octaves.
● The piano could now be used more dramatically, with a variety of expression from very soft to very loud.
● The power of music written by Romantic composers placed greater demands on the physical capabilities of
the instrument.
Vocal Music AOS 2

Henry Purcell: ‘Music for a While’
ESQ
Describe two ways Purcell gives emphasis to individual words or syllables.
Any two of:
● ornaments on the word/syllable
● repetition, for example on ‘drop’
● use of rests after ‘drop’ for expressive effect
● long notes, for example on ‘Music’
● crescendos through the word ‘music’ second time
● melismas, for example on ‘pain’.
Strengthen
S1 How does Purcell bring the expressive text to life?
Through the use of word-painting, such as falling phrases on repetitions of the word ‘drop’ or the long melismas
on the word ‘eternity’.
S2 Mood
Mood is relaxing, ‘beguiling’, trying to pacify Alecto. This is achieved through:
● the slow, relaxing tempo
● the hypnotic repetitions of the ground bass
● flowing melody lines
● largely soft dynamics.
S3 Describe syllabic and melismatic.

● Syllabic means one note per syllable of text.
● Melismatic means more than one note per syllable.

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Challenge
C1 Describe the state of music in England during Purcell’s lifetime.
● Musical taste during the Restoration was largely for theatrical plays and entertainments.
● King Charles II had no taste for Italian opera, so Purcell was not commissioned to compose grand opera.
● In order to improve the state of church music, string orchestras were used to accompany verse anthems.
● Purcell and Blow restored the popular masque.
● In 1672 public concerts were set up and the public were allowed to choose some of the music.
C2 Explain ground bass.

The ground bass is played in the lowest part (hence the term ‘ground’). It is a repeating bass pattern of usually
two to four bars. In this piece it is three bars long.
Its function is to provide a structure and support to the melody and harmony of the song. In order to be
seamless, the ground bass and melody phrases overlap and only come together at the end of main sections.
C3 Name two features.

Any two of:
● use of ground bass (as a form)
● use of harpsichord
● use of bass viol
● use of continuo
● ornaments
● word-painting
● diatonic harmony
● functional harmony.
Vocal Music AOS 2
Queen: ‘Killer Queen’
Listen
Spotting differences
1 Listen for the difference in harmonic rhythm from the first four bars of the verse onwards. What effect does
this have?
● It makes it sound as though the section with the slower harmonic rhythm was building up to something.
● The faster harmonic rhythm increases the sense of excitement and movement.
● There is an increased sense of urgency, as if the subject of the song has somewhere important to be.
What effect does it have when the chords start changing on every beat – for example, in bar 18?
● It feels as if a section is drawing to a close or reaching a climax, much like the effect of a turnaround in jazz
music.
● It feels as if the music is leading us to the next section.
● It highlights the words, ‘guaranteed to blow your mind’.

5
2 Do you think the ending is effective when the song returns to E♭ major at the end?
Students will give a variety of responses, but they must be backed up with musical reasons such as: ‘Yes, I feel
it is effective because of the amount of times the E♭ major chord is repeated and because it is such a sudden,
unprepared move from the previous key.’
3 What words would you use to describe the key change here?
Any suitable words such as: sudden, dramatic, surprising.
Instruments
Can you identify the extra percussion used in the song?
● Bar 29 – triangle
● Bar 68 – chimes
Can you hear the one bar in the song where a second bass guitar has been overdubbed?
● Bar 38
ESQ
1 What is the key of this set work?
E♭ major. Give some credit to responses that state the song begins in C minor or is tonally ambiguous to begin
with or includes many modulations.
Why is this an unusual key for a rock song?

Rock songs are more usually in a key that is easy to play on the guitar. Examples include G major, A major, D
major and E major or minor. Rock songs in E♭ major are more often the consequence of a guitarist playing in E
major but with the guitar tuned down a semitone so that it sounds in E♭ major.
2 Name the studio technique that is used to record the layered guitar parts.
Overdubbing/multi-tracking
3 List three effects that have been used on the guitar part during the guitar solo.
Any from the following:
1. Distortion / overdrive
2. Reverb
3. Panning
4. EQ / equalization
5. Compression

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Strengthen
S1 Create a table with two headings: ‘heavy rock’ and ‘songs from musicals’. List the elements of ‘Killer Queen’
under the appropriate heading.
Heavy rock Songs from musicals

● Instrumentation of electric guitar, piano, ● Use of extended chords (11ths)
drum kit and bass guitar ● Many modulations
● A guitar solo ● Use of melodic motifs
● Multi-tracked vocals and guitar parts ● Lyrics telling the story of a specific
● Syncopation character
● Use of distorted guitar tone ● ‘Orchestrated’ feel of much of the
● Use of studio effects such as flanger production
● Vocal harmonies are almost choral at
times
S2 Write out the overall structure of ‘Killer Queen’ using fewer than 30 words.
Introduction – Verse (3 phrases) – Chorus (2 phrases) – Instrumental (4 bars) – Verse (3 phrases) – Chorus
(shorter) – Guitar solo (2 halves) – Verse (5 short phrases) – Chorus (2 phrases) – Outro (syncopated motif)
S3 Where is a ‘Circle of Fifths’ chord sequence used in ‘Killer Queen’?

Bars 20–21 and 75–76 at the words ‘recommended at the price, insatiable an appetite’.
Challenge
C1 Describe how the use of music technology has enhanced this song.
● The use of multi-tracking allows for the same musician(s) to record multiple tracks and to harmonise with
themselves. This was taken advantage of by Brian May with his multi-layered guitar tracks. The multi-
tracked vocal harmonies also make use of this technique.
● The use of a flanger effect at specific points in the music highlights parts of the lyrics such as ‘laser-beam’
or creates a ‘swooshing’ effect.
● The ‘wah-wah’ on the guitar sounds like a cat meowing (more word-painting).
● The use of panning to place instruments in the stereo field, making the listening experience more
interesting (especially on headphones).
● The use of reverb to make parts sound further forward or further back in the mix.
● Microphone positioning when recording to create different guitar sounds.
C2 What are the key elements of ‘Killer Queen’ that reflect Mercury’s love of the theatrical?
● the subject of the song
● ambiguous lyrics
● the vaudeville-inspired harmonies
● ‘oompah’ rhythms
● honky-tonk ‘jangle’ piano
● orchestrated production
● frequent modulations.

7
Music for Stage and Screen AOS 3
Stephen Schwartz: ‘Defying Gravity’ from Wicked
ESQ
Setting of words defying gravity.
● They are set syllabically and use a broken chord of D major.
● The second time the phrase is sung it goes to a high D on ‘ing’.
● There are other subtle variations of pitch and rhythm, too.
● The phrase is sung in two-part harmony and up an octave towards the end of song. Each time it returns,
though, it is sung in the same key.
Strengthen
S1 Explain what a motif is and give an example.
A motif is a short melody or cell containing a few notes. One example is motif x, with four pitches of D–E–F♯–G.
S2 Describe the music of the opening introduction (bars 1–14).

● It starts with dramatic chords.
● The texture is homophonic.
● The first melody phrases are half-shouted, half-sung.
● The phrases of the melody are developed and extended.
● The harmony moves chromatically down, so tonality (key) is uncertain.
● The melody introduces the interval of a perfect fifth at bar 6 on the word ‘ever’.
● The melody is sequenced and the range increases.
● Each witch has a different key centre – D major for Glinda and D♭ for Elphaba.
S3 Describe structure of song after opening introduction.

Structure has (introduction) – verses and choruses, dialogue sections, bridge sections, vamps, links and a
coda.
S4 Mood change
Accept any sensible answer such as from the end of a verse into a chorus, and so on.
S5 Give two musical reasons why you like or dislike this song.
Any two musical reasons. For example, mention of the melody, harmony, rhythm or orchestration.
Challenge
C1 Use of the fourth and fifth as a unifying device.
Used to create melodic material for verse. Fourths and fifths help to keep the strong and assertive feel to the
melody. These intervals pervade the whole song, too.

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C2 Identify three similarities and three differences.

Accept any features – for example, ‘Defying Gravity’ is a duet plus chorus number, whereas ‘Mama, I’m a Big
Girl Now’ from Hairspray is a solo song. Both songs are written in a major key and have a band
accompaniment.
C3 What pre-existing plot from a novel, film or play would you choose?
Any acceptable responses.
Music for Stage and Screen AOS 3

John Williams: ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from Star Wars IV:
A New Hope
ESQ
How does Williams create a sense of power and might?
Any three of:
● major key
● full symphony orchestra
● brass fanfare
● march-like tempo
● stately and bold
● strong melody
● Llud/very loud dynamics throughout most of the music
● driving triplet rhythms
● strong percussion
● any other valid point.
Strengthen
S1 Describe what you understand by quartal harmony.
Harmony built on superimposed fourths: for example, F–B♭–E♭–A♭.
S2 How does background music enhance the moving pictures on screen?

● It provides the mood music to the scene.
● It can synchronise with action in the moving pictures or create a mood, such as the space-like mood in the
quiet section – the ‘Rebel Blockade Runner’ theme in bars 36–38.
S3 Name three ways in which Williams creates a grand opening.

● loud from the start
● strong major key
● use of a fanfare with brass and percussion to create an impressive, ceremonial feeling.

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Challenge
C1 Compare with title music to Raiders of the Lost Ark. Give similarities.
● Both films have orchestral accompaniment.
● Both are in major keys.
● Both have strong themes (melodies) and are fast-paced.
● Accept any other valid point arising.
C2 Compare with title music to Schindler’s List. Give differences.

● Minor key(s)
● Tempo is slow
● Mood of the music is plaintive and melancholy
● Dynamics are much softer and restrained in the main
● Use lots of falling melodic lines, suggestive of sighing and grief
● Orchestration is much lighter- no use of Brass or Percussion (as in Star Wars)
● Legato and sustained playing.
● The differences reflect the fact that films are poles apart – they are completely different in mood and
character, explaining why there are so many differences in terms of music.
Fusions AOS4
Afro Celt Sound System: ‘Release’ from the album Volume 2:
Release
ESQ
Make a list under the headings ‘Africa’, ‘Ireland’, ‘European folk’ and ‘Western popular music’ and place the
instruments in the appropriate columns.
Africa Ireland European folk WPM

● kora ● bodhrán ● hurdy-gurdy ● synth(esiser)
● talking drum ● uilleann pipes ● accordion (pad/drone/string
s)
● tin/low whistle ● fiddle
● drum loops
● accordion
● samples
● fiddle
● electronic loops
Only credit accordion/fiddle once, though they can be in either column. Do not credit vocals.
Strengthen
What aspects of ‘Release’ make it a fusion?
S1 Instrumentation and sonority (timbre)
The combination of instruments from the African, Irish, European folk and Western popular music traditions.
S2 Rhythm
● The drum loops combine rhythms from African and Western popular music traditions. The syncopation and
polyrhythms are features of both of these traditions.
● The use of the bodhrán and the associated rhythms are from the Irish tradition, including the signature

10
triplets at the end of the rhythmic patterns.

● The rhythmic elements from all these traditions are blended together in seamless cross-rhythms and
polyrhythms.
S3 Melody
● The main melody is pentatonic, which is a feature of all four musical traditions listed above.
● The repetition of the melodic material is a feature of Western popular music.
● The modal nature of some of the melodies – for example, the uilleann pipes solo – is a feature of Irish
music.
● The fact that all these melodic features combine in one song makes it a fusion.
S4 Texture
● There are elements of the texture that are reminiscent of Irish traditional music ‘sessions’ where solos are
passed from one instrument to the other.
● The slow, un-metred introduction is reminiscent of Indian music, but can also be found in other cultures.
Challenge
C1 What are the elements that make African and Irish music work so well together as a fusion?
● The rhythmic drive provided by the drums in both cultures crosses over well in a fusion.
● The sound of the kora can be quite similar to that of the bouzouki, so it sounds natural together with the
rhythm provided by the bodhrán and the accordion.
● The often pentatonic melodies of African music can work well combined with almost any other style of
music.
● Neither culture depends principally on harmonic interest.
C2 Why do many popular music productions include instruments sourced from different musical cultures
around the world?
Most pop music producers are always looking out for timbres that will make their tracks stand out, so
instruments that sound different from the norm will be prime candidates for selection. The different timbres can
include interesting mechanical noises, slightly out-of-tune effects, sounds associated with other cultures that
may sound exotic, and so on.
What challenges would you face in trying to use these instruments in your own compositions?
● Sourcing good-quality instruments is the first problem – they are often not readily available.
● Finding someone who is able to play the instrument well. Although it may be easy to get a sound out of the
instrument, making it sound good is a significant step further.
● Knowing how to write idiomatic instrumental parts can be difficult if you are not familiar with the
instrument’s repertoire.
● The tuning of the instruments – they may not tune easily to Western equal temperament and so may sound
out of tune with other instruments in an ensemble.
● If you’re recording the instruments, there may be more mechanical noise than is desired.

11
Fusions AOS4
Esperanza Spalding: ‘Samba Em Préludio’ from the album Esperanza
ESQ
1 Both the first and second stanzas start with the phrase, ‘Without you...’. The third stanza begins differently,
with ‘Oh, what longing...’. State two ways in which this change is reflected in the Bossa Nova section
starting at bar 19.
● ‘Without you’ is reflected by the rising broken chords in the melody line, while ‘Oh, what longing’ is
reflected in the yearning, falling conjunct melody.
● ‘Without you’ is slower and feels more disjointed due to the tempo rubato, while the Bossa Nova section is
at a steady tempo, reflecting the lyrics, which read as if the songwriter has slightly more control over their
emotions.
● The Bossa Nova section includes the guitar while the ‘Without you’ section is without the second
instrument, reflecting the loneliness in the lyrics.
2 In what other ways does the music match the mood of the lyrics of this song?
● The music is in a minor key reflecting the lonely, longing, heartbroken mood of the lyrics.
● Deliberate dissonances (for example, in bar 44) reflect the anguish of the lyrics.
● The syncopation and anticipation of the beat reflect some of the impatience and discontent of the lyrics.
Strengthen
S1 In what ways can this set work be described as a piece of fusion?
● It contains elements of jazz in the:
o harmonies/jazz chords/extended/altered chords
o syncopated jazz rhythms.
● The guitar playing is influenced by Flamenco.
● Bossa Nova is itself a fusion of Brazilian Samba and jazz.
S2 How do the players learn songs without traditional staff notation?

● They use lead sheets that show the chord sequence/changes.
● They improvise over the chord sequence rather than playing pre-composed music.
● They learn the melodies ‘by ear’/aural tradition/oral tradition.

12
Challenge
C1 Using the techniques described above, work out all the chords for verse 2. Write out the names of the
chords and the notes they contain. Leave out optional notes as the guitar is unlikely to voice them.
Bar 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
Chord Bm11 Bm11 C♯m11♭5 F♯7♯5 B7/F♯ F7♭5 Em Em7
F♯7 Cmaj7♭9
Notes B, D, A, B, D, C♯, E, G, F♯, A♯, F♯, B, F, A, E, G, E, G,
E A, E B, F♯ C ,E D♯, A C♭, E♭ B B, D
F♯, A♯, C, E, B,
C♯, E D♭
Bar 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
♭9 ♭9
Chord C♯7 F♯7 A♯dim7/B Bm7/A G♯dim7 G♯dim7 G13 C9 F♯7
Notes C♯, E♯, F♯, B, A♯, C♯, A, B, D, G♯, B, D, G♯, B, G, B, C, E,
B, D A♯, E, E, G F♯ F D, F F, E B♭, D
G
F♯, A♯,
C♯, E
Bar 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46
Chord Bm♭6 Bm7 C♯m11♭5 F♯7♯5 B7/F♯ B7 Em Em
F♯7 Cmaj7♭9 F7 ♭5
Notes B, D, B, D, C♯, E, G, F♯, A♯, F♯, B, B, D♯, E, G, E, G, B

F♯, G F♯, A B, F♯ C ,E D♯, A F♯, A B
F♯, A♯, C, E, B, F, A,
C♯, E D♭ C♭, E♭
Bar 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Chord C♯7♭9 F♯7♯5 Bm♭6 Bm7/A G♯dim7 C♯7♭9 Bm F♯11♭9
G7♭5 F♯7
Notes C♯, E♯, F♯, B, D, F♯, A, B, D, G♯, B, D, C♯, E♯, B, D, F♯, A♯,
B, D A♯, G F♯ F B, D F♯ E, G, B
C ,E G, B, D♭, F♯, A♯,
F C♯, E
Note: other voicings including fifths, ninths and so on, where appropriate, are acceptable, especially where
indicated in the score – the above is following the guidance as set out in the Student Book for constructing
chords.
C2 Work out an alternative voicing for some of the chords.

Accept any reordering of the notes as long as the bass note is consistent with the chord symbol.

13
Answers to Area of Study Workbooks 1–8
Instrumental Music 1700–1820 AOS 1 Workbook 1

movement

Q1 Baroque comes from the Portuguese word for ‘pearl’ and refers to the ornate architecture of the period.
Q2 Any three features: gilding/gold/brightly coloured/paintings/figures (cherubs/angels etc.)/Latin

inscriptions/every surface covered/highly decorative.
Q3 a) Religious subjects/stories. b) Any valid points to support stated mood of painting and Baroque features.
Q4 Correct responses:
● Ornamented melody lines
● Contrapuntal textures
● Use of harpsichord as basso continuo
● Just one mood used in each movement.
Section B: Baroque features in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D

major, 3rd movement
Q1 Cello/harpsichord.
Q2 Basso continuo: plays bass line/figured bass/chords/fills in harmony.
Q3
a The ripieno is made up of strings (orchestra).
b The concertino is made up of two instruments, one flute and one violin.
Q4 In any order: monophonic/polyphonic (contrapuntal)/homophonic.
Q5 Lively mood: fast/two beats in a bar feel/triplets/major key/loud dynamics
Q6
a Pedal: a sustained (or repeated) note usually on the tonic or dominant and usually in the bass part.
If it is in the middle of the texture it is called an inner pedal, and an inverted pedal if at the top.
b Sequence: the repetition of a phrase at either a higher or lower pitch.
c Stretto: this is where the entries of subjects and answers occur closer together (e.g. at one-bar
distance as opposed to two) creating a sense of heightened tension and excitement.
d Subject: the main melody sounded at the very start.
e Countersubject: the melody that is played at the same time another part plays the subject, making
this part the countersubject.
f Answer: this is the answer to the subject, played a fifth higher or a fourth lower. If the answer is

1
exactly the same, note for note, then it is called a real answer; if slightly altered it is a tonal answer.
g Figured bass: musical shorthand for the continuo keyboard player, indicating the chords to be
played above the given bass part.
Q7 Patronage was a system where composers worked to commissions from their wealthy employers to earn
their living. They would then often dedicate the composition to this person.

Q1 and Q2
Features of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, 3rd movement and Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op.
6, No. 5, 2nd movement.
Bach Handel
Key: D major Key: D major
Time signature: Time signature:
Tempo: fast (gigue) Tempo: fast (allegro)

Genre: concerto grosso Genre: concerto grosso
Concertino group: flute and violin Concertino group: two violins and cello
Ripieno group: strings Ripieno group: strings and two oboes
Basso continuo: harpsichord/cello Basso continuo: harpsichord/cello
Diatonic harmony Diatonic harmony
Contrapuntal texture Contrapuntal texture
One prevailing mood One prevailing mood
Form: fugue and ternary combined Form: fugue
Sequences, suspensions, pedals Sequences, suspensions, pedals
Dialoguing / antiphonal exchange Dialoguing / antiphonal exchange
Instrumental Music 1700–1820 AOS 1 Workbook 2

1st movement

Q1 Famous writers of the period include Lord Byron, William Wordsworth and Percy Bysshe Shelley. Artists
include J.M.W. Turner and John Constable. Accept any correctly quoted painting, book or poem.
Q2 Nimrod (by Elgar). Mood is quite sad or melancholy/calm/peaceful or reflective/in memory.

Melody: long graceful lines/swooping intervals/falling 7ths.
Dynamics: mostly quiet (very quiet at start), builds (crescendos) to very loud (fortissimo), then dies away at end.
Key: major/E♭.
Tempo: (very) slow and stately.

2
Q3 Many Romantic composers possible, including Brahms (1833–1897), Tchaikovsky (1840–1893), Chopin
(1810–1849), Sibelius (1865–1957), Wagner (1813–1883), Liszt (1811–1886), Mussorgsky (1839–1881),
Berlioz (1803–1869), Rachmaninov (1873–1943).
● Music was expressive and often featured crescendos and diminuendos.
● Pieces were often descriptive and conveyed a particular emotion.
● Sonata form was used for first movements of piano sonatas.
● Harmony became more complex with chromatic chords.
Section B: Romantic features in the Pathétique, 1st movement

Q1 In any order: development and recapitulation sections.
Q2 Modulates to different (unrelated) keys / melodic (and or motivic) development
Q3
a In the exposition, the first subject is in the key of C minor and the second subject is in the key of
E♭ minor.
b The second subject in the recapitulation is in the unexpected key of F minor.
Q4 In any order: homophonic (or melody-dominated homophony) and monophonic.
Q5 Any two of: loud dynamics/sforzando (accents)/chords/chromatic harmony/diminished sevenths/rising

sequence patterns/octaves in left hand.
Q6
a Alberti bass: a broken chord-type accompaniment pattern often featuring the root–fifth–third–fifth
pattern.
b Transition section: a section in which the music modulates to the key for the second subject (in the
exposition). The same section in the recapitulation does not modulate.
c Diminished seventh: a chord built up of superimposed minor thirds, e.g. C♯–E–G–B♭.
d Murky bass: the effect created by the rapid low C octaves that accompany the rocket theme.
Creates a murky effect in the texture.
e Cadential the chordal progression of Ic–V(7)–I.
f Chromatic harmony: harmony featuring chromatic notes and chords – for example, diminished
seventh, augmented sixth.
g Dominant preparation: a passage built on dominant harmony in preparation for the tonic, usually at
the start of the recapitulation.
Q7 The word pathétique (meaning suffering) is represented in the music through minor keys, dramatic chords,
falling phrases, accented (sfz) notes.

3

Q1 and Q2
Features of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, 1st movement and Mozart’s Piano Sonata
in C major K. 545, 1st movement.
Beethoven Mozart
Key: C minor Key: C major
Tempo: varied. Slow grave section Tempo: fast throughout
Form: grave introduction, sonata form Form: sonata form
Coda No coda
Much more dense keyboard textures Largely, two-part textures dominate
Periodic phrasing Periodic phrasing
Mood of suffering Bright and upbeat mood
Chromatic harmony (diminished sevenths) Diatonic harmony
Melody based on scales and arpeggios Melody based on scales and arpeggios
Explores distant keys Modulations to related keys
Variety of accompaniments used Largely Alberti figuration (in left hand)
Vocal Music AOS 2 Workbook 3

Q1 Answers include the following:
Tempo: slow/steady tempo/tempo does not change
Key: minor/C minor = sadness
Melody: falling phrases/sighing phrases/word-painting – for example, on ‘languish’
Bass part: ground bass/solemn and repetitive
Q2 Tragic/desperate/grieving mood. This is achieved through solemn chromatic falling ground bass/slow-
moving melody/dissonances (bass and soprano)/minor key/falling melodic phrases/dissonant harmony,and so
on.
Q3 The three pieces share the following characteristics:

● All three pieces are in ground bass form.
● The three pieces are all sung by a soprano soloist.
● The harpsichord is used in all three arias.
● The vocalist uses melismas for descriptive word-painting.
Q4 Common Baroque composers include Handel (1685–1759), Bach (1685–1750), Vivaldi (1678–1741),
Telemann (1681–1761), Pachelbel (1653–1706).

4
Section B: Baroque features in Purcell’s ‘Music for a While’

Q 1 The song is written for a solo voice accompanied by a harpsichord and a bass viol.
Q2 Any three of: quavers/groupings of four notes/three bars long/some chromatic notes/ascends (in pitch)/A
minor/from tonic note ‘a’ to dominant note ‘e’/(ends with perfect cadence)/cadential (Ic–V(7)–I).
Q3
a This song is an example of a ternary da capo aria. The first section A is followed by a contrasting
section B and then concludes with a varied section A1.
b In section A1, the singer is free to add ornaments/ornamentation/decorations to some of the
words.
Q4
a flow/move continuously along
b grief/anguish/sadness, and so on.
Q5
b won’dring = falling semiquavers/conjunct/dotted note on ‘wo’/melisma
c eternal = melisma/semiquavers/second one falls in pitch/long, drawn-out phrase/sequences
d drop = quavers/quaver rest/drop in pitch/groups of three ‘drops’/syllabic
Q6
a Ground bass: a repeating bass melody, usually two to four bars long.
b Figured bass: musical shorthand indicating the chords to be played by the keyboard player.
c Da capo aria: a ternary-form aria – ABA1, where the repeat of section is often ornamented for
contrast.
d Word-painting: descriptive settings of words, such as falling intervals on ‘drop’, and so on.
e Syllabic: one note per syllable.
f Melismatic: more than one note per syllable, such as on the word ‘eternity’.
g Sequence: a repeated melody at a higher or lower pitch.
h Suspension: a harmonic dissonance which is prepared, suspended and resolved by step.
i Tierce de Picardie: a sharpened third in a minor key. Often at the end of a section (or piece).
Q7 A lament = falling (sighing) phrases / minor keys / slow tempo / dissonant harmony.

5

Q1 and Q2
Features of Purcell’s ‘Music for a While’ and G.F. Handel’s ‘The trumpet shall sound’ from Messiah.
Purcell Handel
Key: A minor Key: D major
Time signature: Time signature: 3/
Soprano voice Bass voice

Uses ground bass No ground bass
Harpsichord and bass viol Baroque orchestra and trumpet obbligato
Structure = ternary form Structure = da capo aria
Introduction Introduction
Slow tempo Fast tempo
Syllabic (some melisma) Syllabic (some melisma)
Word-painting, e.g. eternity Word-painting, e.g. shall be raised
Text based on Oedipus legend Text based on Bible
Beguiling, peaceful mood Lively, uplifting, positive mood
Mainly soft dynamics Mainly loud dynamics
Diatonic, functional harmony Diatonic, functional harmony
Perfect cadences Perfect cadences
Vocal Music AOS 2 Workbook 4
Queen: ‘Killer Queen’

Q1 Glam rock was most popular between 1971 and 1976.
Glam rock bands include: T. Rex/Kiss/The Sweet/Mott The Hoople/Alvin Stardust/Roxy Music
The list will depend on the bands cited but will include features such as flamboyant dress sense, use of make-
up, big hairstyles, posing with guitars, guitar-based rock music.
Q2 Heavy rock bands include: Led Zeppelin/Black Sabbath/Deep Purple/The Who/Kiss/Aerosmith/Thin

Lizzy/Judas Priest
Musical features may include:
 pentatonic-based guitar riffs
 distorted electric guitars
 simple, driving drum rhythms
 riff-based music

6
 screaming/high-pitched male vocals

 virtuosic guitar solos.
Other features will include: black clothes/leather/long hair/dark imagery/stage ‘antics’.
Q3 Points may include:

 Half the docks had closed.
 The dockland jobs had fallen to a third of their previous level.
 Manufacturing had plummeted.
 Unemployment doubled.
 IRA bombs caused devastation in 1973–74.
 There were strikes at manufacturing plants.
Q4
Glam rock: escapism – flamboyant outfits and outlandish characters to focus on make-believe glamour rather
than the harsh realities of everyday life.
Heavy rock: a recreation of the harshness of everyday life in the sound of the music. The best example of this is
Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’, where the main riff tries to capture the sound of a steelworks. Heavy rock allowed
the musicians to vent their anger and frustration through the aggression of the music.
Q5 Riff
Section B: Rock music features in ‘Killer Queen’

Q1 The four typical features of rock music:
 a driving drum beat
 distorted guitars
 powerful lead vocals
 riffs based on pentatonic scales.
Q2 A guitar chord that includes only the root and fifth is called a:
 power chord.
Q3 Answers should include some of the following:

 distortion/overdrive/fuzz
 wah-wah
 compression
 reverb
 delay
 tremolo
 flanger/phaser/chorus
 filters
 pitch shift/octaver/harmoniser/whammy.

7
Q4 Four techniques commonly used by rock guitarists:

 hammer-on
 palm mute
 string bend
 vibrato.
Q5 The texture of the introduction and first verse of ‘Killer Queen’:

 It starts with six finger clicks.
 There is careful placement of parts to avoid crowding the texture – sounds quite sparse even though
there are several instruments playing at once.
 The two pianos and vocals join in at the start of the verse.
 Drums, bass and electric guitar join in after the first four-bar phrase.
 Backing vocal ‘oohs’ complete the instrumentation.
 The texture is kept quite light due to the detached nature of most of the parts.
 There is mostly melody-dominated homophony.

Q1 and Q2.
Features of Queen’s ‘Killer Queen’ and The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’.
Queen The Beach Boys

Structure: verse–chorus structure with some Structure: Intro–V1–V2–Break–V3–Tag / Outro
unusual phrase lengths
Key: E♭ major (unusual for rock music) Key: E major/A major – deliberately ambiguous,
but E major is the tonal centre
Many modulations and use of harmonic Many modulations and use of diminished chords
sequence
Limited number of instruments – bass guitar, Many instruments used – famous for having
electric guitar, vocals, drum kit, piano, ‘jangle’ recorded 23 musicians
piano, percussion
Use of multi-tracking to layer parts Use of multi-tracking (the string parts were
overdubbed despite much of the instrumentation
being captured live)
Many backing vocal parts (multi-tracked) Many backing vocal parts (multi-tracked)
No synthesisers were used (other parts try to Orchestral instruments used (such as the
mimic the functionality of synths) French horn) as well as more unusual
instruments (accordion) and junk instruments as
part of the percussion section
Swung feel and use of syncopation Swung feel and use of syncopation
Fast tempo Very similar tempo to ‘Killer Queen’
Syllabic vocal line Syllabic vocal line
Vocal melody developed in instrumental parts Vocal melody developed in instrumental parts

8
Clear textural contrasts between sections Texture builds throughout

Careful placement of parts to avoid over- The increasing density of texture creates an
crowding the texture ecstatic climax to the song, which amplifies the
emotion in the lyrics. / The texture feels
somewhat overcrowded, especially towards the
end of the song.
Use of effects such as flanger, wah-wah and Use of effects such as reverb and delay
distortion
Dynamic contrast between verses and chorus Much of the song is at a similar dynamic level,
(quieter verses). Quiet intro. Fade-out at end but there are gradual crescendos too, for
example through the tag. Fade-out at end
Music for Stage and Screen AOS 3 Workbook 5

Q1 The main forms to be included are: vaudevilles/burlesque/opéra bouffe and operetta/Broadway
musicals/West End musicals, with some examples quoted.
Q2 Many examples for each category. One of each type given as reference:
● The Bible: Jesus Christ Superstar (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
● poetry: Cats (Andrew Lloyd Webber)
● literature: Les Misérables (Schönberg)
● theatrical play: West Side Story (Bernstein)
● Disney show: The Lion King (Elton John)
● film: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Richard and Robert Sherman).
Q3 The following list features different types of musical numbers to be found in a musical:
● Overture: instrumental piece played before the curtain rises. Gives mood of musical, quoting some of the
main melodies
● Duet: a song for two singers, singing together and in dialogue, which can also incorporate dialogue sections
● Chorus: a number for the whole cast to sing
● Aria: a solo song expressing a particular mood or emotion
● Trio: a song for three singers
● Instrumental number: orchestral piece often linking scenes of the musical
● Finale: the last number, usually for the full cast.
 Musicals often use forms taken from opera, such as aria, chorus and so on.
 Most musicals start with an overture.
 Musicals have band or orchestra accompaniments.
 Some musicals include dance.

9
Section B: Musical features in ‘Defying Gravity’

Q1 ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’
Q2 Changes the rhythm and the harmony (chords).
Q3
a Type of melody = leitmotif
b Type of musical work = opera
Q4 Answer: fourths and fifths (in any order)
Q5 Answer: starts with loud accented chords/half-shouted/like a recitative/fast-paced melody/chromatic

harmony/ambiguous key/homophonic texture
Q6 Vamp/vamping: this is where a number of bars (two to four) are constantly repeated by the orchestra or
band until the actions are complete on stage. The dialogue has ended, too, and everyone is ready to
proceed to the next scene.
Q7
a tremolando: rapid repetitions on one note to give a wavering effect
b colla voce: literally ‘with the voice’, an instruction to the conductor to follow the vocalist
c metrical shifting: moving the accented beat to other beats in the bar
d hexatonic (melody): a melody made up of six notes of the scale
e circle of fifths: a pattern of chords whose root descends a fifth each time
f vocalisation: melody without words
g underscore: music that accompanies action on stage
Q8 Any three of: bell-tree/chimes/shaker/suspended cymbal/crotales/tin maraca and nut rattle/tam-tam.

10

Q1 and Q2
Features of Schwartz’s ‘Defying Gravity’ with Minchin’s ‘Naughty’ from Matilda.
Schwartz Minchin
Large pit band Smaller pit band
Duet Solo
Major key Major key
Moods change Bright cheerful mood throughout
Changes tempo frequently Same tempo (mainly)
Complex structure with many sections More traditional verse–chorus structure
Includes dialogue sections No dialogue sections
Declamatory melody Declamatory melody
Complex range of accompaniment styles Mainly single-beat chordal-type accompaniment
Melody is syllabic (some melismas) Syllabic settings
Brass and percussion feature prominently Brass and percussion feature prominently.
Saxophones (in third section) also used to
provide big-band jazz feel
Strong walking bass part Bassline does not follow walking bass pattern
Complex use of harmony Harmony more conventional
Use of many leitmotifs Uses just main melodies
Use of fourths and fifths in harmony/melody Uses a mixture of intervals, not just fourths and
fifths
Music for Stage and Screen AOS 3 Workbook 6

John Williams: ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from Star
Wars IV: A New Hope

Q1 Many answers possible, such as to heighten the drama/for chase sequences where there is no dialogue or
sound/conveying emotions of the characters (love/sadness/anger/violence, etc.).
Q2 There will be many answers from these Wallace and Gromit animations.
Q3 Flying theme: scalic ascent/constant ostinato suggesting movement/bold theme (doubled)/sweeping

melody/C major = bright key/diatonic/high woodwind parts/high pitched and so on.

11
● underscoring
● cues
● main title (theme)
● film score.
Section B: Film features in ‘Main title/Blockade Runner’

Q1 Any three of: tuba/trombone/French horn/trumpet
Q2 Quartal harmony
Q3 Any two of: fourths/fifths/sevenths/triplets/tonic to dominant opening notes.
Q4 Answers:
a Ternary form
b Varied repeat of section A
Q5 Any two of: soft dynamics/slow tempo/light texture/high-pitched piccolo/flute trills/harp/lengthened note
values/most parts in treble clef (lack of bass)/sustained (woodwind) chords.
Q6
a Fanfare: short and loud piece for brass instruments (and percussion). Celebratory in mood.
b Pedal: sustained note, usually in bass part.
c Added sixth chord: a chord with the sixth note added, such as C–E–G–A. This is a common chord
in jazz.
d Cue: a section of film music for a particular scene.
e Glissando: sliding from one note to another.
f Link: a short section of music joining two main sections together.
g Codetta: a short, rounding-off section.
Q7 March: in two time (for left–right marching)/strong regular beat/moderate tempo (unless specifically a slow
march)/melody uses straight on-beat rhythms/bass drum provides beat.

12

Q1 and Q2
Features of Williams’s ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from Star Wars IV: A New Hope and Howard Shore’s
‘Prophecy’ from The Lord of the Rings.
Williams Shore
Starts with fanfare No fanfare
March-like feel Much more relaxed and expansive. Steady
tempo
Orchestra Orchestra and large chorus (SATB choir).
Voices add mystical/sacred feel
Loud dynamics Starts softly and builds to loud. More contrasted
dynamics
Mood is heroic and powerful Music has an atmospheric and mystical opening.
Eerie mood
Percussion and brass feature prominently After build-up, percussion and brass featured
have prominent parts
Main tune dominates Various tunes, for example, Hobbit theme at end
of prologue
Harmony uses 4ths, 7ths, 11ths and quartal Much more traditional use of diatonic harmony
chords with some modality
Music has the feeling of movement Music creates an atmosphere (like an overture),
setting up the scenes to come
Fusions AOS 4 Workbook 7

Afro Celt Sound System: ‘Release’ from the album Volume 2: Release

Q1
WOMAD stands for: World Of Music, Arts and Dance
WOMAD festivals are events that celebrate the arts from around the world. They include performances by many
different musical groups as well as showcasing the work of artists and dance groups. They include workshops
for adults and children including cookery from around the world, circus skills, graffiti art and musical workshops
on a wide variety of instruments.
The festivals are meant to be quite hard to define and pigeonhole, so they will include many unusual/unique
workshops, artists and events to celebrate the diversity of art around the world.
Artists who have performed at WOMAD include: Asian Dub Foundation/The Beat/Broadway Sounds/Don
Cherry/The Chieftains/Drummers of Burundi/Echo and the Bunnymen/Roberto Fonseca/Peter Gabriel/The
Gloaming/Imrat Khan/Luna Pena/The Malmesbury Schools Project and Youth Music Voices/Prince Nico
Mbarga/Roots Manuva/Simple Minds/Martin Simpson/Sons of Kemet/Suns of Arqa/Wiyaala.
Q2 Class discussion

13
Q3 ‘Interlace’ is a decorative pattern achieved by interweaving strands of material. It is particularly well known in
Celtic art, especially in the engravings in The Book of Kells. Roman and Anglo-Saxon art also included interlace
quite widely. It is also known as ‘plaits’, which nicely describes the interwoven style.
Cultures that have used interlace in their art include: Anglo-Saxon/Celtic/Coptic/medieval Islamic/late
Roman/Norse.
Shared musical elements: can list any musical element supported with a reason – for example, melody:
pentatonic scales are used in Chinese and African melodies.
Q4 Note: in some African languages ‘music’ and ‘dance’ do not have separate words.
Events that incorporate dance and music include: agricultural rites/communication/children’s naming
ceremonies/funeral ceremonies/initiation rites/religious ceremonies/war dances.
Q5
 rhythm
Q6
 heterophonic
Section B: Features of African and Celtic music in ‘Release’

Q1
African European folk Irish Western Pop

kora accordion bodhrán bass guitar
shaker fiddle fiddle drum loops
talking drum hurdy-gurdy tin whistle samples
uilleann pipes synthesiser
Q2
1. synthesiser (drone)
2. talking drum
3. shaker/samples
4. bodhrán
5. drum loops (hi-hat enters early on)
6. kora
7. hurdy-gurdy

14
Q3 The sense of anticipation and excitement is built up by:

 starting with a fade-in with just one instrument
 gradually introducing instruments/thickening the texture
 a gradual, continuous crescendo
 much use of repetition with slight variations
 rising, scalic movement in the melodic parts
 the interaction of the rhythm parts becoming gradually more complicated
 rising chromatic movement just before 2:33.
Q4 A musical collective is a group of musicians in which the membership is quite loose – some members stay
for a while and others may only complete one project, tour or album before leaving. One or two of the members
(usually the founder members) are generally the main creative and driving force behind the ensemble. A band
differs in that the members generally share ‘ownership’ of the band more equally and stay in the group longer.
Q5
a Drone: a continuously held or repeated note, usually low in pitch.
b Ostinato: a persistent phrase or motif repeated over several bars or more.
c Overdub: the use of a multi-track recording device to layer recorded parts.
d Riff: a short passage of music that is repeated.
e Sample: a pre-recorded segment of sound, often manipulated in some way.

Q1 and Q2.
Features of Afro Celt Sound System’s ‘Release’ and Capercaillie’s ‘M’Ionam’.
Afro Celt Sound System Capercaillie

Structure: Intro–V1–break–V2–solos–V3– Structure: Intro–V1–break–V2–break–middle 8–
bld/outro C–solo–C–outro
Mostly split into eight-bar phrases Mostly split into eight-bar phrases
Modal (C Aeolian and C Dorian) Major (F#, but slightly flat, so could be in F major
but very sharp) with occasional modal sections
(briefly F# Mixolydian and F# Dorian) and D#
Aeolian
Static harmony Mostly static harmony, but follows a chord
sequence in the chorus
Synths, bass guitar, percussion and drum loops Synths, bass guitar, percussion and drum loops
Kora and talking drum No African instruments
Uilleann pipes, bodhrán, tin whistle Uilleann pipes, bouzouki
Fiddle, accordion, hurdy-gurdy Fiddle, accordion
Starts with male African vocal, then female vocal Starts with female voice in Gaelic and has male
enters singing in English and then a second backing vocals in chorus
male voice in Gaelic
Has no metre at start Has a metre throughout
Use of syncopation, triplets and polyrhythms Use of syncopation and polyrhythms

15
Vocal melody is mostly based on opening motifs Vocal melody is repetitive

Solo parts play melodies based on folk tunes Melodies based on folk tunes
Multi-tracked and layered texture Multi-tracked and layered texture
Gradually builds (starts with only one Starts with synth and drum loops and gradually
instrument) builds
Sudden drops in texture Texture changes are not so sudden
Dynamics gradually build with a fade-in and Starts with a fade-in
gradual crescendo
Occasional sudden drops in dynamics followed Dynamics generally stay at one level for a while,
by louder sections but include subtle swells
The dynamics generally build with the texture Dynamics build with texture
Fade-out at end Fade-out at end
Use of music technology for multi-tracking, fades Use of music technology for multi-tracking, fades
and effects (such as reverb) and effects (reverb and delay very noticeable)
Fusions AOS 4 Workbook 8
Esperanza Spalding: ‘Samba Em Préludio’ from the album Esperanza

Q1 Origins of jazz: New Orleans was an important trade centre in the 1800s, so people from many cultures
passed through and sometimes settled in the city. It was culturally mixed, already having changed hands among
the French, Spanish and United States. It included people from the Caribbean, slaves and ex-slaves from
Africa, settlers from European nations and Americans. All these cultures brought their own music to the city,
which gradually fused in the last decades of the century to become jazz.
Musical styles that fused to create New Orleans jazz include: blues/spirituals/ragtime/Creole music/Classical
music/American folk/African music/European hymns.
Q2 Answers will vary but should include some of the following points:
Louis Armstrong, although sometimes seen as playing into the hands of racists by appealing to and performing
to mostly white audiences, still included some subtle references in his songs, such as in ‘(What did I do to be
so) Black and Blue’. Billie Holiday sang a song called ‘Strange Fruit’ which had macabre lyrics painting the
picture of a lynching. Duke Ellington refused to play before segregated audiences. Jazz music’s most outspoken
contribution to the civil rights issue came during the bebop era when musicians often used their celebrity status
to have their opinions heard. Max Roach and Charles Mingus were both outspoken supporters of the civil rights
movement. John Coltrane was less vocal but still threw his weight behind Martin Luther King’s message.

16
Q3 There are many artists who could be added, but a representative sample might include:
Timeline: 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Jelly Roll Morton (1890–1941) Herbie Hancock (1940–)
Louis Armstrong (1901–71) Keith Jarrett (1945–)
Art Tatum (1909–56) Pat Metheny (1954–)
Billie Holiday (1915–59) Wynton Marsalis (1961–)
Thelonius Monk (1917–82)
Dizzy Gillespie (1917–93)
Ella Fitzgerald (1917–96)
Charlie Parker (1920–55)
Dave Brubeck (1920–2012)
Charles Mingus (1922–79)
Wes Montgomery (1923–68)
John Coltrane (1926–67)
Miles Davis (1926–91)
Q4 Four features typically found in jazz music:

 blues scales and notes
 improvisation
 riffs
 syncopation.
Section B: Features of jazz in ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’

Q1 Bossa Nova: new trend
Q2 Acoustic bass guitar
Q3 Any two of the following:

 syncopation
 Bossa Nova groove
 tempo rubato
 triplets.
Q4 The texture of the track:

 The texture is rather sparse throughout.
 It begins with solo bass guitar and is briefly monophonic.
 There is some chordal accompaniment and some polyphony.
 There is some occasional counterpoint between the voice, bass guitar and acoustic guitar.

17
Q5
a Dissonance: A dissonance is a note that does not belong to a common chord or triad – usually a
dissonance moves to a note that is not dissonant, thus giving a feeling of ‘resolution’.
b Altered chord: a chord in which one of the ‘normal’ notes has been altered by sharpening or
flattening it.
c Dominant seventh: a major triad with an additional note which is a minor seventh from the root.
d Circle of fifths: a series of chords in which the root note of each chord is a fifth lower or a fourth
higher than that of the previous one.
Q6 Answers will vary depending on students’ perceptions of the piece. The two parts of the answer must be
consistent with each other.
Q7 Any answers are acceptable if they use appropriate musical vocabulary to justify the response, under the
headings of the musical elements. If musical vocabulary is used inappropriately (for example, to describe the
wrong musical element) or is self-contradictory, this is not acceptable.

Q1 and Q2
Features of Esperanza Spalding’s ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ and Dizzy Gillespie y Machito’s ‘Pensativo’.
Esperanza Spalding Dizzy Gillespie y Machito

Structure: Intro–V1–break–V2–solo–V3–coda Main riff x 4 interspersed with a syncopated
chord break and homophonic riff – extended
solo with percussion and accompanying riffs –
fast main riff with rall at end – second extended
solo with different percussion patterns and
accompanying riffs – main riff x 1
Key: B minor Key: modal. Begins in C Mixolydian and moves
through several keys including a large section in
F Mixolydian
Jazz harmony used including extended, altered Jazz harmony used including extended, altered
and substitution chords and substitution chords – quite chromatic in
places
Solo female vocal throughout No vocals – completely instrumental
Syllabic throughout
Mostly stepwise movement in melody but with Some of the main riffs include stepwise
some broken chords at beginning movement – for example, the opening and
closing riff is mostly scalic
Acoustic bass guitar and nylon-string acoustic Big band with extended percussion section
guitar (doubled in the solo)
Starts in free tempo Is in a clear metre throughout
Time signature: Time signature: frequent changes in time
signature
Based on Bossa Nova rhythm Includes Cuban and Latin American rhythmic
elements
Very syncopated Very syncopated
Monophonic texture at the very beginning Solo at beginning accompanied by drum kit

18
Counterpoint between the parts Contrapuntal in many places, but also

homophonic in places
Very sparse texture in places, creating an Generally a very busy texture – a big band feel
intimate feel
Lots of light and shade in the dynamics, but Generally quite loud, but in the transition
generally relatively quiet due to the minimal between sections the dynamics are much
instrumentation quieter. Also, the statements of the main riff are
much quieter than the solo sections

19
AOS 1
Instrumental Music 1700–1820 WB 1

movement
To understand more about Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 it is helpful to explore the wider context – the
architecture, art and music that was typical of this period of history. The Brandenburg Concertos were
composed during the Baroque era, which spanned approximately 150 years, from 1600 to 1750.
1 Find out the origin and meaning of the word Baroque.
Write your answer here:
Baroque comes from …………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2 Search for a picture of the interior of St Paul’s Cathedral on the internet. Using your knowledge of the
meaning of the term Baroque, describe how what you have discovered about the music is represented in
the picture. Make three points.
Write your answers here:
3 Now research the prominent artists of the Baroque era. Choose one painting to print off and discuss in
class. Answer the following two questions:
a What is the usual subject matter of most paintings by Baroque artists?
__________________________________________________________________________________

AOS 1
__________________________________________________________________________________
b Referring to your chosen painting, find examples of two common features of Baroque music – the idea
of only one mood expressed in each piece and the use of ornaments to decorate the melody lines.
Describe these in the box below.
Artist: ………………………………………………………………………………………………
Name of painting: ………………………………………………………………………………..

Write a few sentences to describe how the painting you have chosen displays a particular mood and features
elaborate decoration.

AOS 1
4 Which four features are typically found in Baroque music?
 ornamented melody lines
 constantly changing moods
 contrapuntal textures
 use of harpsichord as basso continuo
 no sense of any key
 just one mood used in each movement
 piano used to accompany
 always played at a fast tempo

movement
Section B: Baroque features in the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D
major, 3rd movement
1 Name the two instruments that play the basso continuo in this work.
a __________________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________
2 Describe the part played by the basso continuo.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3 Explain how the ripieno and the concertino are made up in this set work.
a The ripieno is made up of _____________________________________________________________
b The concertino is made up of two instruments, one _________________ and one _______________

AOS 1
4 Name three different types of musical texture used in this movement.
a __________________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________
c __________________________________________________________________________________
5 Look at the two opening bars of the score. How are the features of a gigue captured in just these bars?
Make two points.
a __________________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________
6 Several key features of this Brandenburg Concerto movement are listed below. Give a brief definition of
each of the following:
a pedal ____________________________________________________________________________
b sequence _________________________________________________________________________
c stretto ____________________________________________________________________________
d subject ___________________________________________________________________________
e countersubject _____________________________________________________________________
f answer ___________________________________________________________________________
g figured bass _______________________________________________________________________

AOS 1
7 The Margrave of Brandenburg was a patron of music and often commissioned music to be composed.
Explain what you understand by the term patronage in music.

AOS 1

movement
In this section you will compare features of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, 3rd movement, with
G.F. Handel’s Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 5, 2nd movement.
1 Listen to both movements one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes, listing both
similarities and differences you can hear between the two works. One example of each has been given to
get you started: They both are in the same key. They have different time signatures.
2 Discuss your findings in class with your teacher.
Hint: think about the musical elements in your answers: pitch, melody, texture, tempo, sonority (timbre),
instrumentation, harmony, rhythm and metre.
Similarities:
● Same key – D major
Differences:
● Different time signatures

AOS 1
3 Thinking about what you discovered and learned in questions 1 and 2, decide for yourself which of the two
pieces you prefer and why. This weighing up of the quality and effectiveness of both pieces is called
evaluation, and you need to support your choice with good musical reasons. This will be expected in
question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer the Bach set work because it is a lively
gigue that conveys an uplifting mood and makes you feel good.
I prefer the piece ………………………………….. composed by ……………………………
My reasons for choosing this piece over the other are:

AOS 1

AOS 1

1st movement Sonata Op. 13 No. 8 in C– Movement 1
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Pathétique, was composed at the start of the Romantic era, a
period that spanned approximately 100 years, from 1800 to 1900. To understand the music it is helpful to look
at the wider context of the Romantic movement.
1 Find out who were the famous writers and artists of the period. Give one example of a writer and a title of a
book (or poem), and of an artist and a painting
A Romantic writer ……………………………………… Book/poem ………………………………………….…
A Romantic artist ……………………………………… Painting …………………………………………………
2 Some of the most common themes in Romantic music were about human emotions and feelings about
love, death, sorrow and the beauty of nature. Listen to a recording of ‘Nimrod’ by Edward Elgar and decide
on the mood of the music. Describe how the musical elements in the table below are used in the music.
I think the mood of the music is ……………………………………………………………….
1 Melody (is the melody made up of short or long phrases; does it move by steps, leaps or a mixture of
both?)
2 Dynamics (is the music loud, soft, changing?)
3 Key (is the music in major or minor key?)
4 Tempo (what is the speed of the music?)

1
AOS 1
3 Now research Romantic composers of the 19th century. Using the timeline below, add in the names, dates
and nationalities of at least six Romantic composers. One has been completed for you.
Timeline: 1800 1810 1820 1830 1840 1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900
1 Mendelssohn (1809–47)
(German)
2
4 Which four features are typically found in Romantic music?
 Music was expressive and often featured crescendos and diminuendos.
 Pieces were often descriptive and conveyed a particular emotion.
 The harpsichord was prominent in the Romantic era.
 Sonata form was used for first movements of piano sonatas.
 There was no sense of key in the music.
 Harmony became more complex with chromatic chords.
 Pieces were always very short .
 Music always had to be played at a fast tempo.

2
AOS 1
1st movement Sonata
Section B: Romantic features in the Pathétique, 1st movement
1 The piece is structured in sonata form. The first section is called the exposition. Name the other two
sections.
a __________________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________
2 Describe one feature of the development section.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3 Complete the following sentences about the melodies (subjects) in this set work.
a In the exposition, the first subject is in the key of ________________________ and the second subject
is in the key of ________________________ .
b The second subject in the recapitulation is in the unexpected key of ________________________ .
4 Name two different types of musical texture used in this movement.

a _______________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________
5 Listen to the opening few bars of the introduction of this sonata. How is a dramatic mood captured in the
music? Make two points.
a __________________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________

3
AOS 1
6 Several key features of this sonata movement are listed below. Give a brief definition of each of the
following:
a Alberti bass ________________________________________________________________________
b transition section ___________________________________________________________________
c diminished seventh __________________________________________________________________
d murky bass __________________________________________________________________
e cadential__________________________________________________________________
f chromatic harmony __________________________________________________________________
g dominant preparation ________________________________________________________________
7 Explain how the subtitle of pathétique (meaning suffering) is represented in the music.

4
AOS 1
1st movement Sonata
In this section you will compare features of Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8, 1st movement, with Mozart’s
Piano Sonata in C major K. 545, 1st movement.
1 Listen to both movements one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes, listing both
similarities and differences you can hear between the two works. One example of each has been given to
get you started: They both have the same structure. They are in different keys.
Similarities:
● Same structure – sonata form
Differences:
● Different key signatures – C minor / C major

5
AOS 1
3 Thinking about what you discovered and learned in questions 1 and 2, decide for yourself which of the
two pieces you prefer and why. This weighing up of the quality and effectiveness of both pieces is called
question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer the Mozart wider listening piece because it
is fast and lively, conveying a happy and uplifting mood.
I prefer the piece ……………………………………. composed by………………………….

6
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 3

Like the Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in Workbook 1, this song by Henry Purcell was composed during
the Baroque era. To understand the music it is helpful to look at the wider context of Purcell’s vocal music of
this period.
1 Find out about Purcell’s famous opera Dido and Aeneas (c.1689). The opera contains choruses, dances
and solo songs, several of which are in ground bass form.
Listen to the solo song ‘Ah, Belinda’, which comes from near the start of the opera. (Context: at this point
Dido is feeling sorrowful and anxious as she waits for Aeneas.)
Answer the following question:
How is this mood achieved through the following?
Tempo ………………………………………………. Key ……………………………………………………..
Melody ………………………………………………. Bass part ……………………………………………….
2 The most famous ground bass piece from Dido and Aeneas comes towards the end of the opera and is
sung by Dido. The aria is called ‘When I am laid in earth’. Write a short paragraph, as if for a note in an
opera programme, about this piece. Describe the mood of the music and how this is achieved.
This is the final aria in the opera. It is sung by Dido …

1
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 3
3 Which four features are found in ‘Music for a While’ as well as the two arias from Dido and Aeneas?
 All three pieces are in ground bass form.
 They are all in the same key.
 The three pieces are all sung by a soprano soloist.
 The tempos change in each aria.
 The harpsichord is used in all three arias.
 The texture of each aria is contrapuntal throughout.
 Each piece has at least two contrasting moods.
 The vocalist uses melismas as descriptive word-painting.
4 Now research other famous composers of the Baroque era. Using the timeline below, add in the names,
dates and nationalities of at least four other Baroque composers. Purcell has been included as an
example.
Timeline: 1650 1660 1670 1680 1690 1700 1710 1720 1730 1740 1750
1 Henry Purcell (c.1659–95)
(English)

2
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 3
Section B: Baroque features in ‘Music for a While’

1 The song is performed by a solo voice accompanied by a _________________ and a
__________________ .
2 The piece used a ground bass throughout the song. Give three features of the ground bass used in this
piece.
Hint: think about the length, note values, shape of phrase, etc.
a _________________________________________________________________________________
b _________________________________________________________________________________
c _________________________________________________________________________________
3 Complete the following sentences about the structure of this set work.
a This song is an example of a ternary da _____________________ aria. The first section A is followed
by a contrasting section _____________________ and then concludes with a varied section A1.
b In section A1, the singer is free to add _____________________ to some of the words.
4 What is the effect of the following two techniques used between the vocal melody and ground bass parts?
a The vocal melody and ground bass part overlapping each other throughout helps the music to
_______________________________________________________________________________ .
b The use of dissonant intervals between vocal melody and ground bass parts creates feelings of
_______________________________________________________________________________ .
5 (i) Listen to the first two sections of the song (bars 1–28). How are the following words set to music?
a music (bars 4–5)
b wond’ring (bars 10–12)
c eternal (bars 19–21)
d drop (bars 23–25)

3
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 3
The first one has been done to help you.
a The word music is set to two notes and is syllabic (mu-sic). The first syllable is a long note followed by
a short quaver note on the second syllable. The second ‘music’ is a fifth higher in pitch.
b _________________________________________________________________________________
c _________________________________________________________________________________
d _________________________________________________________________________________
(ii) Why are these words in particular chosen by Purcell to be set to music in the way they are?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
6 Several key features of this song are listed below. Give a brief definition of each of the following:
a ground bass _______________________________________________________________________
b figured bass ______________________________________________________________________
c da capo aria ______________________________________________________________________
d word-painting _____________________________________________________________________
e syllabic __________________________________________________________________________
f melismatic ________________________________________________________________________
g sequence ________________________________________________________________________
h suspension _______________________________________________________________________
i tierce de Picardie __________________________________________________________________
7 Explain how the characteristics of a lament are represented in the music.

4
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 3
Henry Purcell: ‘Music for a While’’’

In this section you will compare features of Purcell’s ‘Music for a While’ with G.F. Handel’s ‘The trumpet shall
sound’ from Messiah.
1 Listen to both da capo arias one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes, listing
both similarities and differences you can hear between the two works. One example of each has been
given to get you started: They both use word-painting. Only one uses a ground bass.
Similarities:
● Word painting (e.g. the long, drawn-out melisma on the word eternity in Purcell and the ascending
melody to the words the dead shall be raised in the Handel piece).
Differences:
● Only one piece uses a ground bass (Purcell).

5
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 3
question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer the Handel wider listening piece to the
Purcell because it is uses a bass voice as opposed to a soprano and also features a prominent solo
trumpet part.
I prefer the piece ………………………………….. composed by……………………


6
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 4
Queen: ‘Killer Queen’ from the album Sheer Heart Attack

To understand more about ‘Killer Queen’ it is helpful to explore the wider context of the music of the era. Queen
were a rock band at heart, but included elements from other sources that helped shape their unique sound.
They have sometimes been labelled as a ‘glam rock’ band because of Freddie Mercury’s stage antics and
costumes and the sense of grandeur they liked to portray.
1 Find out some details about glam rock.

Glam rock was most popular between ………………………… and ………………………….
List three glam rock bands:
1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
List the features (musical or otherwise) that are shared by the bands you have listed above:
2 Find out some details about heavy rock in the early 1970s.

List three heavy rock bands:
1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
List the features (musical or otherwise) that are shared by the bands you have listed above:

1
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 4
3 In the 1970s music and the arts provided welcome escapism from some of the harshness of everyday
life. Search the internet to find six facts about 1970s London (or the UK in general) that would have
contributed to this atmosphere of hardship.

Six facts about 1970s London:
1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
5 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
6 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4 Explain the different ways that glam rock and heavy rock bands responded to the events and
circumstances of the early 1970s.

Glam rock bands responded to the circumstances of the early 1970s by:
Heavy rock bands responded to the circumstances of the early 1970s by:
5 Which of the following terms best describes a short, repeated musical phrase played on electric or bass
guitar in the context of heavy rock?
 ground bass
 ostinato
 pedal point
 riff

2
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 4
Section B: Rock music features in ‘Killer Queen’

1 Which four of the following are typical features of rock music?
 a driving drum beat
 choral interludes
 complex chord sequences
 distorted guitars
 key signatures with more than one flat
 odd time signatures
 powerful lead vocals
 riffs based on pentatonic scales
2 A guitar chord that includes only the root and fifth is called a:
 distorted chord
 dominant chord
 power chord
 substitution chord
3 List four effects that are commonly used by rock guitarists to alter the sound of the instrument.

Four effects commonly used by rock guitarists are:
1 __________________________________________________________________________________
2 __________________________________________________________________________________
3 __________________________________________________________________________________
4 __________________________________________________________________________________
4 Which four of the following are playing techniques commonly used by rock guitarists?
 arco
 col legno

3
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 4
 hammer-on
 hand stop
 palm mute
 slap and pop
 string bend
 vibrato
5 Describe the texture of the introduction and first verse of ‘Killer Queen’.

4
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 4

In this section you will compare features of ‘Killer Queen’ by Queen with ‘God Only Knows’ from Pet Sounds by
the Beach Boys.
1 Listen to both tracks one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes, listing both
similarities and differences you can hear between the two works. One example of each has been given
to get you started: They both feature a lot of backing vocals. ‘God Only Knows’ uses more percussion
than ‘Killer Queen’.
Similarities:
● They both feature a lot of backing vocals.
Differences:
● ‘God Only Knows’ uses more percussion than ‘Killer Queen’.

5
AOS 2
Vocal Music WB 4
question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer ‘Killer Queen’ because you like the multi-
tracked guitar solo and the way it develops melodic material from the vocal part.
I prefer the piece …………………………………… by ……………………………………….

6
AOS 3
Music for Stage and Screen WB 5

Stephen Schwartz’s song ‘Defying Gravity’ from the musical Wicked was composed in 2003. To understand the
music of this song it is helpful to look at the wider context of musicals in general.
1 In the 1770s, some of the earliest forms of musicals were called vaudevilles. Briefly describe the history of
musicals from their earliest forms to the present day.
2 Musicals have been based on stories from the Bible, poetry, literature (fiction/factual), theatrical plays,
Disney shows, and shows adapted from the screen (film). Give one example of each of these genres that
has been made into a musical. State the name of the composer as well.
Musical adapted from:
the Bible ………………………………………………… music by ……………………………………..…...………
poetry ………………………………………..………..…. music by ………………………………….……………….
literature …………………………………………..…..… music by ………………………………………..…………
theatrical play ……………………………………......… music by ………………………………………………..…
Disney show …………………………………..….....….. music by ………………………………………………..…
film ……………………………………………....…….... music by …………………………………………………..

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AOS 3
3 Now research into the different types of musical forms found in musicals. Write a sentence to describe each
of the following:
overture ………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………..
duet ………………………………….………………...…………………………………………………………………..
chorus ………………………………….……………………………………………………………...…………………..
aria ………….…………………………….………………………………………………………………………………..
trio ………………………………….………………………………………………………………………………….…..
instrumental number ………………………………….……………...…………………………………………………..
finale ………………….………………….………………………………………………………………………………..
4 Which four features are typical of musicals?
 Musicals often use forms taken from opera, such as aria, chorus and so on.
 Musicals are all written in the same style.
 Most musicals start with an overture.
 Musicals have band or orchestra accompaniments.
 All musicals have two acts.
 All musicals end in tragedy.
 Some musicals include dance.
 There are never any spoken parts in musicals.

2
AOS 3
Section B: Musical features in ‘Defying Gravity’
1 The main melody in the song is based on notes taken from another melody in another musical. What are
the lyrics of this original melody? The first word has been given for you.
‘Somewhere ___________________________________________________________________________
2 Name two ways in which Schwartz disguises the tune that he borrows in ‘Defying Gravity’.
a _________________________________________________________________________________
b _________________________________________________________________________________
3 Schwartz uses short melodies to represent characters in the song: for example, the unlimited theme,
based on the first seven notes from the melody ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. What are these called, and
in what other type of musical work were they first used by composers, such as Wagner?
a Type of melody _____________________________________________________________________
b Type of musical work ________________________________________________________________
4 The song uses two intervals in much of the melody and harmony. Which two of the following intervals are
they?
a fourths and fifths

b minor and major thirds
c seconds and sixths
d sixths and sevenths
5 The opening section reflects the anger between Glinda and Elphaba. Describe the music of this section.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3
AOS 3
6 During the dialogue sections, the orchestra has to vamp until the singers have completed saying their
lines. What does it mean to vamp?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
7 Several key features of this song are listed below. Give a brief definition of each of the following:
a tremolando _________________________________________________________________________
b colla voce __________________________________________________________________________
c metrical shifting _____________________________________________________________________
d hexatonic (melody) __________________________________________________________________
e circle of fifths _______________________________________________________________________
f vocalisation ________________________________________________________________________
g underscore _________________________________________________________________________
8 The orchestration of Wicked combines traditional classical instruments with popular musical instruments
(e.g. electric guitar, drums, synthesised sounds on keyboard), plus a heavy emphasis on percussion.
Name three of the more unusual percussion instruments not found in a common orchestra line-up.
a ………………………………………..
b ……………………………………….
c ……………………………………….

4
AOS 3

In this section you will compare features of Schwartz’s ‘Defying Gravity’ with Minchin’s ‘Naughty’ from Matilda.
1 Listen to both songs one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes, listing both
to get you started: They both are in major keys. One song is for two singers and the other is a solo song.
Similarities:
● Both are written in major keys.
Differences:
● One song is a solo (‘Naughty’) and the other is a duet (‘Defying Gravity’).

5
AOS 3
question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer the Schwartz set work to the Minchin
because it is a dramatic duet song with action as opposed to a solo number.
I prefer the piece ……………………….…………. composed by ………….…………………

6
AOS 3
John Williams: ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from

Star Wars IV: A New Hope

To understand more about John Williams’s score for Star Wars IV: A New Hope it is helpful to explore the wider
context of film music in the 20th and 21st centuries.
1 Explain the purpose of using music in films. Give an example of a sequence from a film (other than Star
Wars) where music plays an important part and describe how this is achieved.

The purpose of using music in films is to
My example: ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
This music adds to the sequence in the following ways:
2 Music can be used effectively in films of all genres to convey different emotions or moods (such as love,
anger, excitement, power, fear). Using the internet or YouTube, look at some of the Wallace and Gromit
animations. Choose two contrasting emotions and give an example of each from two different Wallace and
Gromit clips.
Mood 1 .……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Identify the film clip or sequence. Describe the scene:
Mood 2 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Identify the film clip or sequence. Describe the scene:

1
AOS 3
3 Watch the clip from the film ET, directed by Steven Spielberg, in which the boys on bicycles are being
chased and then take off into the sky. The John Williams score that accompanies this clip is called the
‘Flying Theme’.
John Williams: ‘Flying Theme’

Write a few sentences to describe how the music depicts the scene where the bicycles take off and magically
fly into the air.
4 Which four of the following are typical features of film music?
 underscoring
 only piano used to accompany the film
 cues
 main title (theme)
 ternary form
 film score
 always in major keys
 no harmony

2
AOS 3

Section B: Film features in ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’
1 Name three brass instruments that play in the opening fanfare section of the piece.
a _________________________________________________________________________________
b _________________________________________________________________________________
c _________________________________________________________________________________
2 The opening fanfare uses chords that contain notes in intervals of fourths. What is the name given to this
type of harmony?
______________________________________________________________________________
3 Listen to the main Star Wars theme. Give two features of this famous melody.
Hint: think about the intervals used and any rhythmic features.
a _________________________________________________________________________________
b _________________________________________________________________________________
4 The Star Wars theme is structured in three sections – A, B and A1.
a What name is given to this structure?
_________________________________________________________________________________
b What does the 1 after the second A mean?
_________________________________________________________________________________

3
AOS 3
5 Listen to the Rebel Blockade Runner theme that follows the main title theme. The music at this point is
much more static and has a ‘spacy’ feeling. How is this achieved in the music? Make two points.
Hint: think about the instruments used, dynamics, etc.
a __________________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________
6 Several key features of this piece of film music are listed below. Give a brief definition of each of the
following:
a fanfare ___________________________________________________________________________
b pedal ____________________________________________________________________________
c added sixth chord __________________________________________________________________
d cue ______________________________________________________________________________
e glissando _________________________________________________________________________
f link ______________________________________________________________________________
g codetta ___________________________________________________________________________
7 Explain what you understand by a march in music, and how this can be applied to the main title theme of
Star Wars.

4
AOS 3


In this section you will compare features of Williams’s ‘Main title/Rebel Blockade Runner’ from Star Wars IV:
A New Hope with Howard Shore’s ‘The Prophecy’ from The Lord of the Rings.
1 Listen to both extracts of film music one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes,
listing both similarities and differences you can hear between the two works. One example of each has
been given to get you started: They both use an orchestra. Only one starts with a fanfare.
Similarities:
● Symphony orchestra used in both
Differences:
● Only one piece opens with a fanfare (Williams)

5
AOS 3
two pieces you prefer and why. This weighing up of the quality and effectiveness of both pieces is
called evaluation, and you need to support your choice with good musical reasons. This will be
expected in question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer the John Williams piece to
the Howard Shore because it is catchy and memorable as a main title theme.
I prefer the piece ………………………….………. composed by……………………………..

6
AOS 4
Fusions WB 7
Afro Celt Sound System: ‘Release’ from the album

Volume 2: Release
To understand more about ‘Release’ it is helpful to explore the wider context – how music from around the
world was making its presence felt in Western popular culture in the 1990s. Afro Celt Sound System’s first
album, Volume 1: Sound Magic, was recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios in 1995 when they were
invited along with many other artists to be involved in a week of collaboration and recording. They have also
played at WOMAD festivals around the world.
1 Find out what WOMAD festivals are and list five other artists or bands who have performed at them.

WOMAD festivals are …………………………………………………………………………………………………...
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Five other artists or bands who have performed at WOMAD are:
1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
4 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
5 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2 Art and dance from around the world are also celebrated at WOMAD festivals. On the internet, find an
example of African art and an example of Celtic art. Print off the images and discuss the use of colour and
patterns in class.
3 What is ‘interlace’ in art? What cultures used interlace in their art? Give an example of how two or more
cultures use a musical element (such as melody, harmony or rhythm) in similar ways.

Interlace is …………………………………………………………………………………………………....................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
Cultures that used interlace in their art:
1 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
2 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
3 ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
A musical element that different cultures share is ________________.
Explain the similarities in how they use this element:

1
AOS 4
Fusions WB 7
4 Dance and music are very important in many aspects of African life. Find out what events include dance and
music as a key element in West African countries.
5 Which of the following is usually most important in African music?
 harmony
 melody
 rhythm
 tonality
6 Which of the following indicates a musical texture in which more than one instrument is playing the same
melodic line, but slightly differently?
 heterophonic
 homophonic
 monophonic
 polyphonic

2
AOS 4
Fusions WB 7

Volume 2: Release
Section B: Features of African and Celtic music in ‘Release’
1 Fill in the table below to place the instruments under the correct headings:
African European folk Irish Western pop
Instruments:
accordion bass guitar bodhrán drum loops fiddle
hurdy gurdy kora samples shaker synthesiser
talking drum tin whistle uillean pipes
2 List the instruments in their order of appearance from the start of the track to 2:33 (they are not all used
up to this point).
1 ……………………………………………………… 6 ………………………………………………………
2 ……………………………………………………… 7 ………………………………………………………
3 ………………………………………………………
4 ………………………………………………………
5 ………………………………………………………

3
AOS 4
Fusions WB 7
3 How is the sense of anticipation and excitement built up in the first two and a half minutes of this track?
4 What is a musical ‘collective’ and how does this differ from a normal band?
5 Give definitions of the following terms:
a drone ____________________________________________________________________________
b ostinato __________________________________________________________________________
c overdub __________________________________________________________________________
d riff ______________________________________________________________________________
e sample ___________________________________________________________________________

4
AOS 4
Fusions WB 7

Volume 2: Release
In this section you will compare features of ‘Release’ by Afro Celt Sound System with ‘M’Ionam’ from Beautiful
Wasteland by Capercaillie.
1. Listen to both tracks one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes, listing both
to get you started: They both include drum/percussion loops. The first voice heard in ‘Release’ is male,
but the first voice heard in ‘M’Ionam’ is female.
2. Discuss your findings in class with your teacher.
Similarities:
● Both tracks contain drum/percussion loops.
Differences:
● The first voice heard in ‘Release’ is male, but the first voice heard in ‘M’Ionam’ is female.

5
AOS 4
Fusions WB 7
3. Thinking about what you discovered and learned in questions 1 and 2, decide for yourself which of the
question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer ‘Release’ because you like the long,
gradual build-up of texture and dynamics at the beginning of the track.
I prefer the piece …………………………………… by ……………………………………..….

6
AOS 4
Fusions WB 8
Esperanza Spalding: ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ from the album Esperanza

‘Samba Em Préludio’ by Roberto Baden Powell de Aquino and Vinícius de Moraes, performed by Esperanza
Spalding, is an example of Latin jazz. To understand the music it’s helpful to look at the wider context of jazz
music and its fusions. Jazz music itself is a fusion of many different sorts of music that came together at the
start of the 20th century in New Orleans.
1 Find out about the origins of jazz music. What musical styles went into the New Orleans melting pot to
create New Orleans jazz?

The origins of jazz music:
Musical styles that fused to create New Orleans jazz:
2 The start of the 20th century in America was beset with issues of racial inequality. Find out how these
issues were expressed through jazz music.

1
AOS 4
Fusions WB 8
3 Research the main figures in jazz music through the 20th century, starting with Jelly Roll Morton and Louis
Armstrong. Put them into the timeline below:
Timeline: 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000
Jelly Roll Morton (1890–1941)
Louis Armstrong (1901–71)
4 Which four of the following are typically found in jazz music?
 blues scales and notes
 improvisation
 no sense of metre
 riffs
 samples
 sonata form
 syncopation
 uillean pipes

2
AOS 4
Fusions WB 8

Section B: Features of jazz in ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’
1 This piece is in a Bossa Nova style. What is the English translation of ‘Bossa Nova’?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
2 What instrument does Esperanza Spalding play in this track?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
3 Name two rhythmic features in this track.
a __________________________________________________________________________________
b __________________________________________________________________________________
4 Describe the texture of this track.
5 Explain what is meant by the following terms:
a dissonance ________________________________________________________________________
b altered chord _______________________________________________________________________
c dominant seventh ___________________________________________________________________
d circle of fifths ______________________________________________________________________

3
AOS 4
Fusions WB 8
6 Describe the mood of the piece. How does this reflect the lyrics?

The mood of the piece:
How the mood reflects the lyrics:
7 Do you think ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ is a suitable title for this piece? Give musical reasons for your answer.
Hint: You should refer to the musical elements to justify your response.

4
AOS 4
Fusions WB 8

In this section you will compare features of ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ by Esperanza Spalding with ‘Pensativo’ from
Afro-Cuban Jazz Moods by Dizzy Gillespie y Machito.
1 Listen to both tracks one after the other carefully and then complete the following boxes, listing both
to get you started: Both tracks begin with a solo, low-pitched instrument with extra parts entering later.
‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ starts in a free tempo after which a steady tempo is maintained throughout, but
‘Pensativo’ changes tempo frequently.
Similarities:
● Both tracks begin with a solo, low-pitched instrument with extra parts entering later.
Differences:
● ‘Samba Em Prelúdio’ starts in a free tempo after which a steady tempo is maintained throughout, but
‘Pensativo’ changes tempo frequently.

5
AOS 4
Fusions WB 8
3 Thinking about what you discovered and learned in questions 1 and 2, decide for yourself which of the two
pieces you prefer and why. This weighing up of the quality and effectiveness of both pieces is called
question 9 of the listening paper. For example, you might prefer ‘Pensativo’ because the bigger band has a
wider range of timbres making it more interesting to listen to.
I prefer the piece …………………………………. by …………………………………………..

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Workbook 1
Writing and developing melodies
Common features of melodies

Composers of pop songs try to find a catchy melody that will become a hit for them. In most cases, famous
melodies are quite simple. They are repetitive, have a catchy rhythm and are easy to sing and remember.
When you compose your melodies, you will need to include the following:
● repeated notes
● stepwise movement
● some leaps.
A melody that only contains one of these features will be monotonous, dull or awkward! If you write a short
melody using only one feature, you will see what it is like.
If you look at the famous melody of the National Anthem, you can see there are eight repeated notes, four
leaps and 28 stepwise movements. So this melody is made up of just 10 per cent leaps, 20 per cent repeated
notes and a massive 70 per cent of stepwise movement (up and down).
When writing melodies, it is usual to start and end on the key note. Do not be afraid to repeat notes, and use a
lot of stepwise movement with some leaps. It is also a good idea to occasionally ‘fill in’ your leaps with stepwise
movement, as this simple opening melody from Minuet in G by J.S. Bach shows:
Constructing melodies in balanced phrases

A phrase is a musical sentence. When you compose your melodies, try to write in phrases that last for two or
four bars, as the National Anthem is written. This regular structure is called periodic phrasing. At the end of
each phrase there should be some musical punctuation called a cadence point. This helps to structure your
melody.
Your melodies do not necessarily have to be in balanced phrases – it is possible to create interesting effects
using phrases containing odd numbers of bars, but it can sound a little odd if you aren’t sure of what you are
doing.

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Developing and extending a melody

When you have written your initial melody, the temptation is to write another to follow it and then another and
so on. It may seem that this is the best way to make your melody interesting. However, this is not the case. If
you keep on introducing new musical material, it is quite dull for the listener because they never hear
something more than once and so never recognise your musical motifs. Strange as it may sound, you need
some repetition to make your melody interesting. Too much repetition will be dull or annoying, but too little will
be unpredictable and will also lose your listeners’ attention.
When composers write a melodic idea they show their skill in how they develop it.
So how do you develop a melody? Here are some common techniques, each of which is explained further
below:
● repetition
● sequence
● motivic development
● expanding and contracting
● inversion
● retrograde
● variation
● introducing new material.
Repetition
This is not, strictly speaking, development of your melody, but it is an important and useful technique. The start
of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 has a short, three-note melodic fragment that is played three times before it
changes. Repeating things so they are heard three times is surprisingly common in music. Think of it as the
‘rule of three’: play three times and then do something different.
Sequence
A sequence is a short melody (usually a bar or two) that is repeated, but at a higher or lower pitch. Again, the
‘rule of three’ can be applied by playing a bar-long melody, repeating it up a tone, repeating it up another tone
and then doing something different. Vivaldi used sequences a lot in his string compositions.
Motivic development
You can sometimes split your melody into short fragments (called motifs), each just two or three notes long,
and then develop these separately. Beethoven and Haydn were masters of taking short motifs and making
entire pieces out of them. The first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 is a prime example. You can
use any of the other techniques listed on this page to develop your motifs.
Expanding and contracting
When you have an interval in your melody such as a fourth or fifth, you can expand it (make the interval bigger,
such as a sixth) or contract it (make the interval smaller, such as a third). If your interval forms a short two-note
motif, you can apply the ‘rule of three’ by playing the motif once, then expanding or contracting it twice.
You can also expand or contract the rhythm of your melody. When you apply this technique to note lengths, it is
called augmentation when you expand the note lengths, and diminution when you contract them. It is
interesting to try augmenting just certain parts of your melody to see what effects you can create.
Inversion
When you turn something upside down, you invert it. You can do this with melodies by turning the intervals
upside down. There are two ways you can do this:
1 If you have an upward leap of a fifth you can turn it into a downward leap of a fifth.
2 Instead of leaping up from a C to an E (a rising third) you could leap down from a C to an E (a falling
sixth).
Treat inversion with some care – use your ears to check that it sounds good. You don’t need to be too strict – if
it sounds good then use it, if not then don’t! Rachmaninov used the inversion technique in his Rhapsody on a
Theme of Paganini to create a beautiful melody that sounds almost completely different from the original.

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Teaching composing
Retrograde
This is when you play a melody back to front. Try it with ‘Happy Birthday’ and see if anyone recognises it. The
same principle applies to retrograde as to inversion – use your ears to judge if it works or not.
Variation
You can write a variation on your motif or melody to extend it. This will sound as if your melody is gradually
evolving. To vary it you can add notes in between the leaps, change the rhythms, change the register it is
played in, and use combinations of the other techniques.
Introducing new material
Again, this is not development as such, but it is an important element in melody writing. At some point you will
need to introduce fresh melodic ideas. You need to ensure that the new ideas work with the original melodies
and motifs by having some sort of unifying factor (e.g. a shared rhythmic motif).

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Teaching composing
Developing melodies
Use the technique indicated to extend the given melody fragments. Don’t forget to add clefs and key
signatures, where needed, on the blank staves.
1 Repetition and sequence
2 Motivic development
3 Expanding and contracting

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4 Variation
5 Combine several melodic development techniques to extend the given fragment into a 16-bar melody.

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6 Now repeat the task for part 5, but this time you have to compose your own one-bar melody to develop.

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Teaching composing
Workbook 2
Task 1: Ground bass

Compose a piece for a melody instrument and a bass instrument. The bass instrument is to play a ground bass
that is four bars long and the melody instrument is to play a melody using the pentatonic scale. The ground
bass should consist of one note per bar. The melody notes can be as long as you want, but the melody should
get gradually busier as the piece progresses. Your piece must be at least 16 bars long.
Your composition is to be used as background music for a procession.
Choose four notes from the following for your bass line. Your ground bass should begin on an A.
Your melody should use the following notes. You can use them in any octave you wish.
Melody instrument: _________________________________________________________
Bass instrument: ___________________________________________________________

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Task 2: Solo piano piece

Compose a sonata form piece for solo piano that includes as many of the following as possible:
● a slow introduction
● tremolo in the left- and/or right-hand parts
● a change of key to the relative major or minor
● another modulation to a more distant key
● use of the full pitch range of the piano
● a range of articulation
● a wide dynamic range
● pedal techniques as a feature of the music
● two contrasting subjects (the first and second subject)
● a bridge passage between appearances of the first and second subject.
Your composition is to be used to demonstrate how the modern piano has a wider pitch and dynamic range
than the pianos used in Beethoven’s era.
Write out the melody for your first subject here:

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Write out the melody for your second subject here:

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Teaching composing
Workbook 3
Task 1: Chant
Write a chant that will work to the rhythm below. Your composition is to be performed at a suitable event such
as a football match or demonstration (this will be determined by the lyrics you choose).
The leader chants the first three notes and the chorus (crowd vocal) repeat.
You can change the rhythm to suit what you want your chant to be. You can break up a sentence across
several bars – the crowd vocals just have to repeat whatever the leader calls.
Extend the chant so that the whole thing (including responses) lasts for 16 or 32 bars. Write out your lyrics.
Now can you put a tune to the chant? You could start by singing the first three notes of the major scale up and
down, and get gradually more adventurous as you progress.
As an extension task, try some of the following:
● Instead of repeating the same melody, create a slightly different, ‘answering’ melody for the crowd.
● Include some clapping or foot stamping to provide a rhythmic accompaniment.
● Include harmonies in the crowd response.
● Make the rhythm more complicated as the chant progresses.
● Repeat the whole thing at an increasing tempo.
● Dovetail the call and response (so that the response begins before the call has finished).

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Task 2: Exploring production techniques

Compose a song for solo voice with backing vocals and instrumental accompaniment. You should analyse your
set works and wider listening pieces to get an idea of structures you might use, but you can also use an original
structure or one you have borrowed from a song of your choice. Create textural contrast in your use of the
backing vocals.
You should write the song for yourself to sing or for a particular singer you know.
Your song is to be used to showcase the vocal talent of the singer for whom you have written the song, with the
backing vocals to be provided by members of the school choir.
Extension task: exploring production techniques for your song

When you have written a song, you may have done enough to score good marks at GCSE, but it may not be
presented in the best possible light. The mark scheme considers texture as one of the elements to be marked,
but in a pop song the texture is not just about how the instruments are combined.
If you listen to any pop song, you can analyse the studio effects and edits that have gone into creating it. Some
things are easy to spot – like a delay that causes the vocal to echo, or an obvious reverb that makes it sound
like the saxophone is a long way away. Some things are harder to spot, such as the way the lead vocal part
was compiled from five or six separate recordings, or the subtle EQ and filtering that has made the overall
recording sound so impressive. It takes a long time to learn how to apply this sort of studio magic to make a
song ready for release to the general public, but you can start by considering what you could add (or take
away) to make it sound more polished.
Consider the following and see if they could apply to your song:
● adding a bass guitar to create depth and weight at the low end of the pitch range
● another lead vocal doubling the original one during the chorus to give it more impact
● another lead vocal doubling the original an octave above or below at some points
● more backing vocal harmonies, but very carefully placed for maximum impact
● synth backing chords to help gel the sound together
● an acoustic guitar added during the build to the chorus, plucking broken chords
● a second acoustic guitar added in the chorus
● panning the two acoustic guitars left and right in the stereo field to give the impression of width
● a distorted electric guitar playing power chords along with the harmonies in the chorus, but low in the mix
so that it doesn’t mask the important parts
● adding a tinkling piano line or pitched percussion part to highlight a line in the verse
● adding subtle sound effects in various places to make the texture interesting
● including a sudden drop in the number of parts for a line or two, then reintroducing them
● adding string countermelodies in the second verse
● adding pizzicato strings during the pre-chorus
● experimenting with studio effects on the vocals and backing vocals.
As you can see, there are endless ways that you can continue to polish your song after you have finished the
basic composition. Consider these options, and others that may be more suitable to your song, before you
hand in the final copy.

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Workbook 4
Task 1: Landscape of noise

Compose a 1-minute soundscape for a science-fiction film depicting a post-apocalyptic landscape.
Your soundscape must consist only of sounds that you have recorded yourself or found as samples and
imported into a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) such as Cubase or Logic.
For this task, you have been asked to record some samples into an audio editing package and to turn them into
a 1-minute piece of music. How are you going to do this?
Like most compositions, it is good to start with the structure and then fill in the gaps.
● What is the film about?
● What is your scene depicting?
● What sort of noises would there be in this scene (list them)?
● Write out a timeline (from 0 to 60 seconds).
● Create a graphic score on this timeline indicating when certain noises occur.
How can you develop your samples? Investigate the effects you can add and how you can edit the sounds in
your software:
● Experiment with reverbs and delays.
● Try shifting the pitch or stretching the samples (time-stretching).
● Layer the sounds on different tracks.
● Play the samples backwards.
● Cut the samples into small sections and jumble them up.
● Make the sounds move from left to right in the stereo field.
Separate your sounds into lists of short, percussive sounds and longer, sustaining sounds. Treat the
percussive sounds almost like a drum kit and the sustaining sounds as if they were a string section or synth
chords. Create separate rows on your timeline for the different types of sound and indicate where they occur.
Make sure your piece builds to a climax at the end, perhaps ending with sudden silence or just a single,
lingering, sustained sound.

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Task 2: Combining musical ideas and sound design

Compose a soundscape 2–3 minutes long for a science-fiction film depicting a post-apocalyptic landscape. In
your piece there should be some distinct themes that would be used later in the film in different contexts. You
might include musical themes for some of the following:
● the hero
● the love interest
● the main villain
● hope
● despair
● an important object, such as the ring in the Lord of the Rings cycle.
You must also include samples (short audio recordings) of sounds in your piece and develop these sounds so
that they act more like instruments than sound effects. You must use at least four recordings of sounds that
would be appropriate for your chosen scene. You can record them yourself or source them from a sample CD
or an online sample library.
In a film there will be background music to support the images on screen. Sometimes there are sound effects in
addition to orchestral or synthesised music. Sometimes the sound effects form part of the music. The difficulty
is in avoiding the sound effects being simple add-ons to the music (e.g. a dog barking). If you were to use a
dog bark, could you edit the sample so that it has been changed almost beyond recognition?
You should use a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) or some other software that allows you to manipulate
samples.
Try some of the following:
● experimenting with reverbs and delays
● pitch-shifting or stretching the samples (time-stretching)
● extreme EQ and filtering
● distorting the sound with available distortion plugins
● layering the sounds on different tracks
● playing the samples backwards
● cutting the samples into small sections and jumbling them up
● making the sounds move between left and right in the stereo field.
How can you combine these sounds and the more traditional musical content? Can you find some pitch content
in the sampled sounds? Perhaps you could use the shorter, more percussive sounds in combination as a drum
loop.

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Workbook 5
Task 1: Percussion fusion

You can complete this task using either instruments or music technology.
1 Select four to eight percussion instruments or sounds that come from different parts of the world: for
example, the bodhrán (Ireland), tabla (India) or djembe (Africa).
2 Fill in the first column of the grid below to indicate the names of the instruments you have chosen.
Instrument 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
3 Place an X in at least five of the boxes in the same row as your first instrument. These will be the notes that
you play. The more Xs, the busier the instrument will be. When you are composing your piece, you will
decide on how long each box lasts – it might be a quaver or a semiquaver. In time the grid will represent
one or two bars. These one or two bars will be repeated over and over when the instrument is playing. You
will decide on when the instrument is playing in point 6 below.
4 It is a good idea to input your rhythm into a sequencing package to hear how it sounds, or to count out the
beats against a metronome at a suitable tempo setting. Practise the first part before you add any others.
5 Repeat steps 3 and 4 for your other instruments. Each time you add an extra instrument, check if it sounds
good with the other parts. You should ensure that some parts are busier than others and that at least one
part keeps a fairly steady, simple beat.
6 You need to create some textural contrast, so draw out a timeline mapping the piece as a whole, to indicate
when each part is playing. Make sure that there is some point in the piece when all the instruments are
playing at the same time and another point when everything stops suddenly (for a bar or half a bar).
7 Practise your piece with other members of the class or input it into sequencing software.
8 Edit your composition based on the results of stage 7.

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Task 2: Jazz harmony arrangement

The following is a famous folk melody called ‘Londonderry Air’.
1 Harmonise the melody with standard triads in the key of E♭ major.

2 Add some major, minor and dominant sevenths to your triads as appropriate. Do not overdo this.
3 Identify the chords that could be extended, altered or substituted, and experiment with new chords.
4 Arrange your harmony for a saxophone quartet.

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Glossary
Acoustic guitar: does not require amplification, unlike an electric one.
Added notes: notes that are added to a basic triad, such as a seventh or a ninth.
Added sixth chord: a common chord in jazz and popular music, a triad with the sixth added above the tonic.
Affection: the prevailing mood in a Baroque movement.
Alberti bass: a figuration commonly used in the Classical period, made up of broken chords used as an
accompaniment. Named after a now-forgotten composer called Domenico Alberti.
Altered notes: notes in a chord that have been sharpened or flattened by a semitone, such as a flattened fifth.
Answer: in a fugue, the subject repeated in response to its initial appearance, usually a fourth or fifth lower or
higher than the preceding subject. If it is an exact transposition of the subject it is a real answer; if not it
is a tonal answer.
Anthemic, anthem: a song with a strong, memorable melody which has rousing or uplifting characteristics.
Antiphonal: music performed alternately by two groups which are often physically separated.
Appoggiatura: an ornament often referred to as a ‘leaning in’ note. The appoggiatura leans on the main note,
commonly taking half its value and starting a semitone or tone higher. For example, if the main note is
a crotchet and the smaller grace note a quaver, then the player plays two equal quavers.
Arpeggiated: the chord is spread, normally from the bottom note to the top.
Articulation: the manner in which a note or sequence of notes is played, for example, staccato, legato,
accented.
Atonal: music that does not have a key of any sort.
Attack: how the note sounds when it comes in – a slow attack will sound like the note is fading in and a fast
attack will sound quite percussive.
Augmented: doubling (or more) of the original notes’ durations.
Augmented chord: a triad built on two major thirds, such as A♭–C and C–E.
Background music, underscore, underscoring: non-diegetic music adding to the mood of the scene,
reinforcing dramatic developments and aspects of character.
Bar lines: vertical lines ruled down through the stave, indicating bars.
Bare fifth: chords lacking the third and therefore ambiguous in terms of major/minor tonality.
Bars: the manageable chunks into which music is divided.
Basso continuo: continuous bass parts provided for harpsichord and stringed instruments such as bass viol
and lute. The players add chords and melody.
Binary form: a structure of two sections, A and B. Each section is repeated. In the A section the music
modulates from the tonic to the dominant key. In section B, the music starts in the dominant and
explores other keys before returning to the tonic at the end of the section.
Bitonal: refers to music in two keys at the same time.
Block triads: major or minor triads in root position, built up in thirds.
Breakdown: when many of the parts drop out of the musical texture for a short period of time.
Bridge passage: a linking passage often used to change the key of the music (to modulate) in preparation for
the second subject.
Broken chord: when the notes of a chord are played one at a time rather than being sounded simultaneously.
Build: the gradual introduction of more instruments.
Cadential: this refers to a progression of chords forming a cadence. For example, Ic–V7–I is known as a
cadential The refers to the first chord being in second inversion – that is, a fourth and sixth
above the bass (e.g. G–C–E).

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Canon: parts copy each other in exact intervals, often at the fifth or octave, but at different beats of the bar.
The song ‘London’s Burning’ is a good example.
Cantata: the word derives from the Italian cantare and means ‘sung’. A cantata is an extended piece in several
movements, comprising chorus, recitative, chorale and aria with an orchestral accompaniment.
Capo: a clamp fastened across all the strings on the neck of a stringed instruments to raise their pitch.
Chopin, Frédéric (1810–49): Polish composer of piano music in the Romantic style.
Chord voicing: how the notes in a chord have been spaced out, and the order in which they occur.
Chromatic: 1) (harmony) from the Greek for ‘colour’. The term is used to describe notes that are not diatonic
(part of the key of the music). 2) (melody) ascending or descending in semitones.
Circle of fifths: a series of chords in which the root note of each chord is a fifth lower or a fourth higher than
that of the previous one.
Classical era: the musical period extending from c.1750 to c.1820.
Clave: the rhythm closely associated with the Latin percussion instrument known as ‘claves’ (short squat sticks
that are struck together).
Coda: a section sometimes added at the end of a piece or movement.
Codetta: a short coda concluding a single section within a movement.
Colla voce: literally, ‘with the voice’. This is an instruction to the band and the musical director to follow the
vocalist’s tempo.
Compound interval: one extending over more than an octave. A compound third could be a tenth or a
seventeenth and so on up.
Compound metre: a metre in which the beat is dotted and subdivides into groups of three.
Compound time signature: when the bar feels like it needs to be split into groups of three (having a group of
three ‘mini’ beats in a ‘big’ beat). For example,
Concertino: the smaller group of soloists in a concerto grosso.
Concerto grosso (plural concerti grossi): a concerto for more than one soloist. The phrase literally means a
large concerto. It is usually written in three movements in the order fast–slow–fast.
Conjunct: movement by step.
Consonant: intervals or chords that sound pleasant; the triads and intervals of a third and sixth are examples
of this.
Contrapuntal: when two melodies are played ‘against’ each other and interweave – almost the same as
‘polyphonic’; written in counterpoint.
Counterpoint: literally means ‘tune against tune’. It is the simultaneous combination of two or more melodies
with independent rhythms.
Countersubject: the melody played after the subject or answer has been sounded. The melody is literally
counter (against) the subject.
Cover: a new version of an existing song.
Crescendo: getting gradually louder.
Cross-rhythms: rhythms that cross the usual pattern of accented and unaccented beats, creating irregular
accents and syncopated effects.
Cue: a section of music in a film. Here it refers to the whole track.
Da capo aria: ABA or ternary form. Often the repeated A section would be ornamented by the singer. Da capo
means ‘again from the beginning’.
Dance suite: in Baroque music the suite comprised a series of dance movements. By the time of Purcell,
suites were composed of four main movements called the allemande, courante, sarabande and gigue.
These movements are based on dance forms from different countries. Optional extra movements

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include the air, bourrée, gavotte, minuet and prelude.
Decay: how the note dies away after being sounded.
Dialoguing: instruments literally ‘in dialogue’, playing one after the other, swapping ideas.
Diatonic: notes that belong to the key of the piece (literally ‘of the key’).
Diegetic music: this is music contained within the action of the film and is included in the story – for example,
music played in a bar. If a character in the story can hear the music, it is diegetic. Most film music is
non-diegetic.
Diminished seventh: a four-note chord made up solely of minor-third intervals.
Diminuendo: getting gradually quieter.
Disjunct: movement by leap.
Dissonant intervals: the intervals that are dissonant (clashing) are the minor and major second, the minor and
major seventh and the tritone (augmented fourth or diminished fifth).
Distortion: an effect that increases the volume and sustain on an electric guitar as well as making the timbre
more gritty or smooth depending on the settings.
Dominant: the fifth note of the scale or key – the strongest note after the tonic.
Dominant preparation: a passage focused on the dominant chord to create expectation for a return to the
tonic.
Dominant seventh: chord V with added minor seventh.
Drone: a continuously held or repeated note, usually low in pitch.
Drum loops: a pre-recorded drum pattern repeated on a loop, over which other music can be laid.
Dynamics: marks in the score indicating to the performer how loud or soft their part should be played.
Effects: electronic devices designed to enhance or alter the basic sound quality (e.g. delay, reverb).
Enharmonic: two identically sounding pitches with different names – for example, E♭ and D♯.
Extended chord: a chord with at least one added note, such as the ninth.
Fanfare: a celebratory piece for brass instruments (and sometimes percussion) often marking the opening of
an important event or ceremony. The music is short and loud and often features arpeggios and broken
chords. An inspiring example of a fanfare for brass and percussion is Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the
Common Man.
Figured bass: a form of musical shorthand that the keyboard player reads from the score to play the intended
harmony. 53 (often not indicated so players would automatically assume root position if there was no
figuring) indicates a root position chord; 36 (or just 6) is a first inversion; and 64 is a second inversion
(64 is always written and not abbreviated). In each case the two numbers are obtained by counting
upwards from the bass. For example, if the notes are C–F–A, then C to the top note A is a sixth and
from C to the F is a fourth. Other combinations of numbers indicate more complex harmony.
Accidentals such as a sharp or flat placed in front of the figure affect that note, and an accidental on its
own only applies to the third of the chord.
First subject: the first theme or melody.
Flanger, flanging: an effect creating a swirling or swooshing sound.
Forte: loud.
Fortissimo: very loud.
Fugal exposition: the initial statements of the subject and answer.
Fugue: a musical form comprising an exposition, middle section and final section. The music is contrapuntal.
Fusion: the blending of two or more musical styles, usually from different cultures.
Gavotte: a medium-paced French dance in ] time beginning on the third beat of the bar. It was popular in the
18th century.
Glam: a genre of rock known for over-the-top, glamorous dress sense including platform shoes, glitter and

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flamboyant hairstyles.
Gospel music: a musical style with roots in the black oral tradition in which vocal harmonies play a prominent
role.
Groove: in the context of the student book this is a drum loop. It can also mean ‘rhythmic feel’.
Harmonic rhythm: the rate at which the chords change.
Harmonic sequence: when a chord sequence is immediately repeated at a higher or lower pitch.
Heterophonic: two or more instruments playing the same melody at the same time, with each embellishing it in
a slightly different way.
Hi-hat: a pair of cymbals mounted on a special stand so that they can be sounded by pressing a pedal that
clamps them together as well as by striking.
Homophonic: a texture comprising a melody part and an accompaniment.
Imperfect cadence: a cadence ending on chord V and sounding incomplete. Usually preceded by chord I, II or
IV.
Independent parts: the instruments or voices are each doing different things. Note that a part that is simply
harmonising another (e.g. in thirds) throughout the piece is not considered independent.
Interrupted cadence: most commonly comprises chord V followed by chord VI. So-called because it interrupts
an expected perfect cadence, V–I.
Interval: the distance between two notes.
Inversions: major or minor triads with either the third (first inversion) or the fifth (second inversion) in the bass.
Jukebox musical: when the score for a musical is made up of existing songs, usually all by the same artist or
with a strong thematic link.
Key signature: a series of sharp or flat signs placed next to the clef sign on every stave, which tells us the key
of the music in the following bars.
Kick drum: also known as ‘bass drum’ – the biggest drum in a drum kit, set sideways-on to the audience and
drummer. It is played by pressing a pedal which moves a beater to strike the drum skin.
Lament: a song with a sorrowful mood. Often slow and in a minor key.
Ledger lines: mini lines used to extend the pitch upwards above the stave or downwards below it.
Legato: played in a smooth fashion (the opposite of staccato).
Leitmotif: a recurring musical idea which is associated with a particular theme, character of place.
Level descriptors: the parts of a mark scheme that describe what you need to do to achieve that level.
Loop: a short repeated passage, often involving electronic drums.
Lyrical: songlike, flowing.
Melismatic: refers to vocal melody with several or even many notes per syllable.
Metre: refers to the number of beats in a bar and how they are subdivided.
Metrical shifting: the downbeat is shifted to a different part of the bar.
Mezzo: the Italian name for half but in the context of dynamics, this means 'moderately'. For example, mezzo
forte is moderately loud
Middle 8: connects two sections of a pop or rock song but is not necessarily eight bars long.
Middle C: the note used as a reference point for all instruments and clefs.
Mix: the relative volume of the different parts in a recording and their place in the stereo field.
Monophonic: refers to a musical texture comprising a single line which can be sung or played by several
people.
Mordent: there are two types of mordent: ‘upper’ and ‘lower’. The upper mordent is made up of the main note,

4
the note above the note and the main note again, all played as quickly as possible. The lower mordent
goes from the main note to the note below and back to the main note again.
Motif: a short melodic phrase of just a few notes.
Multi-track: a recording of a performance (or performances) on separate tracks in which each track can be
edited individually to change levels, add effects, etc.
Murky bass: the fast octave repetitions in the bass.
Neapolitan chord: a chord built on the flattened supertonic note.
Obbligato: an essential melody part that must be played.
Octave: a series of eight notes occupying the interval between (and including) two notes – for example,
between one C and the nearest C above or below it.
Onomatopoeic: the music setting sounds like the word, for example, drop.
Ornament: notes that decorate a melody. These are shown by small notes (grace notes) immediately before
the main note or symbols above it. Examples include the mordent, the trill and the turn.
Ostinato: a persistent phrase or motif repeated over several bars or more.
Ottava alta: a symbol (a little dotted line with 8va at the beginning) indicating that notes should be played an
octave higher than written.
Ottava bassa: a symbol (a little dotted line with 8vb at the beginning) indicating that notes should be played an
octave lower than written.
Outro: a concluding section, sometimes like a coda in Classical music.
Overdubbing: recording an instrumental or vocal part over previously recorded music.
Pad: a synthesiser sound designed to be used in chords as opposed to lead lines.
Panning: giving sounds different levels in the left and right speakers so that it sounds as if they are coming
from a new direction.
Passagework: a constantly moving passage, often in patterns of quick notes such as semiquavers. It often
includes sequences.
Passing modulations: modulations where the new key only lasts for a few bars (or less) before modulating to
another key.
Patronage: a system whereby composers earned money from a wealthy individual for writing music. The
person who commissioned (asked for) the music was known as a patron.
Pedal: a sustained or repeated note in the bass. It may clash with harmonic changes above it. Pedals are
usually on the tonic or dominant notes, so would be called either a tonic or a dominant pedal.
Pentatonic: a five-note scale or a melody that uses only five different notes.
Perfect cadence: a cadence comprising two chords. A perfect cadence is chord V followed by chord I.
Piano: quiet.
Pianissimo: very quiet.
Polyphonic: literally, ‘many sounds’; more than one melody sounding at the same time or entering at slightly
different times so that melodic lines overlap.
Polytonal: chords that are built from two or more keys simultaneously.
Pull-offs: when a note is sounded on the guitar by plucking the string with the fretting hand.
Range: how many octaves an instrument can play. For example, a guitar can play notes over three and a half
to four octaves.
Register: refers to how high or low in pitch a piece of music or a musical part sounds.
Relative minor: the minor key based on the sixth note of the major scale.
Reverb: an effect which creates the impression of being in a physical space.

5
Ride: a type of cymbal sometimes used to offer a counter-rhythm to the main beat.
Riff: a short passage of music that is repeated.
Ripieno: the larger group in a concerto grosso.
Rit./ritardando: slowing down.
Romantic era: the musical period extending from c.1810 to c.1900.
Romanticism: an artistic and intellectual movement that began in Europe in the early 1800s and lasted for
approximately 100 years. Romanticism is characterised by an emphasis on the individual's expression
of emotions and their freedom of imagination, as well as a love of the natural world. Another common
theme was the idea of the individual’s rebellion against established social rules and conventions, which
led to the rise of the virtuoso heroic soloist in Romantic concertos.
Sample: a pre-recorded segment of sound, often manipulated in some way.
Scalic: music that is based on scales ascending and/or descending in pitch.
Second subject: the second theme or melody.
Semitones: the 12 equally spaced intervals into which an octave is divided.
Sequence: the repetition of a musical phrase at a higher or lower pitch than the original.
Sforzando: an accent showing that a note or chord should be played with greater force than other notes
surrounding it. Often shown in the score as sf or sfz.
Side sticks: hitting the edge of the snare drum with the sticks held sideways.
Simple time signature: when the beat naturally divides into two equal halves.
Simultaneously sounding: there has to be a significant proportion of the music in which there is more than
one part being performed at the same time. You cannot just sing one verse and have someone else
sing the next verse, because the parts are not sounding at the same time.
Snare roll: a rapid succession of hits on the snare drum.
Snare: a drum with a series of loosely strung metal wires in contact with the lower skin, which create a distinct
‘buzzing’ or ‘rattling’ noise when the drum is struck.
Solo concerto: a concerto for a single instrument accompanied by an orchestra.
Solo: an extended, improvised melodic line played by a single instrument (guitar, sax, piano, etc.) over a given
chord sequence, usually as an interlude in the middle of a song.
Sonata form: a large-scale form invented in the Classical era comprising three sections: exposition,
development and recapitulation. Not restricted to sonatas.
Spelling: deciding between enharmonic equivalents.
Staccato: played in a detached fashion.
Static harmony: when the harmony remains on a single chord for a prolonged period of time.
Stereo field: how the sounds have been positioned in the left and right speakers.
Stile italiano: Purcell was influenced by the Italian style, which was characterised by the concertato style, the
trio sonata, double-dotted notes, dramatic recitatives and da capo arias.
Stretto: entries of the subject occur closer together than before, heightening the tension of the music.
Subject: the short main theme of the fugue.
Suspension: prolonging a note to create a dissonance with the next chord.
Swung: music that has a triplet feel, even when notated with straight quavers.
Swung rhythm: often used in jazz, the first of a pair of quavers is given a slightly longer duration and the
second a slightly shorter duration, creating a ‘skipping’ feel.
Syllabic: when one note is sung per syllable.
Syllabic word-setting: one note per syllable of a word.

6
Syncopated: when a weak bar or a note in between beats is purposely accented.
Syncopation: emphasising beats of the bar that are normally unaccented.
Synthesiser: an electronic musical instrument that creates sounds by manipulating combinations of waveforms
or by modifying existing sounds.
Techno: a style of electronic music.
Tempo rubato: literally means ‘robbed time’. This is a technique where the performer can pull back (or speed
up) the tempo for expressive effect.
Ternary (or ABA) form: a simple musical form in three sections with an ABA structure.
Texture: the character of a piece of music created by the interaction of its various parts.
Tierce de Picardie: refers to a sharpened third in the tonic chord in music in a minor key.
Ties: small arcs drawn from one note head to the next, indicating that you should add up the tied note values
and hold the note on instead of sounding it a second time.
Timbre: the particular tone colour of an instrument or voice.
Time signature: included at the start of a piece of music, it shows what note values are used to count the
pulse and how many beats there are in a bar.
Tremolando/tremolo: rapid playing on the same note to produce a wavering, tremulous sound.
Tone: an interval of two semitones.
Transition: a section used to take the music from one key to another by modulation. Sometimes also called a
bridge section.
Triads: three-note chords.
Trio sonata: a piece for Baroque ensemble comprising two violins, cello and harpsichord (or organ).
Triplets: a horizontal square bracket that lets the performer know that the three notes should be played in the
time it normally takes to play two.
Turnaround: a set of (usually four) faster-moving chords to get the music back to a repeated section.
Tutti: all parts playing at the same time.
Undoubled: the part you are performing is not being performed in another instrument or voice at the same
time. It is fine if someone is harmonising, but they cannot be playing the same notes as you.
Unison: more than one part playing the same melody at the same pitch.
Vamp: a short repeated accompanying phrase.
Variant: a phrase whose shape resembles the original.
Vaudeville: a form of comic musical theatre from the 1880s.
Vibrato: a technique used to cause rapid variations in pitch. The term ‘vibrato’ is Italian and is the past
participle of the verb ‘vibrare’, which means to vibrate.
Vocalisation: wordless singing using a vowel syllable such as ‘ah’.
Wah-wah: a filter effect in which the peak of the filter is swept up and down the frequency range in response to
the player’s foot movement on a rocker pedal.
Word-painting: depicting a word in music to imitate its meaning.

7
Revision Glossary
Acoustic guitar: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Added notes: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Added sixth chord: _______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Affection: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Alberti bass: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Altered notes: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Answer: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Anthemic, anthem: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Antiphonal: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Appoggiatura: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

1
Arpeggiated: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Articulation: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Atonal: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Attack: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Augmented: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Augmented chord: _______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Background music, underscore, underscoring: ________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Bar lines: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Bare fifth: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Bars: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

2
Basso continuo: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Binary form: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Bitonal: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Block triads: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Breakdown: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Bridge passage: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Broken chord: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Build: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Cadential: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Canon: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

3
Cantata: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Capo: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Chopin, Frédéric (1810–49): ________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Chord voicing: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Chromatic: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Circle of fifths: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Classical era: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Clave: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Coda: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Codetta: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

4
Colla voce: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Compound interval: _______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Compound metre: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Compound time signature: _________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Concertino: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Concerto grosso: _________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Conjunct: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Consonant: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Contrapuntal: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Counterpoint: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

5
Countersubject: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Cover: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Crescendo: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Cross-rhythms: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Cue: ____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Da capo aria: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dance suite: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Decay: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dialoguing: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Diatonic: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

6
Diegetic music: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Diminished seventh: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Diminuendo: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Disjunct: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dissonant intervals: _______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Distortion: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dominant: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dominant preparation: ____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dominant seventh: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Drone: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

7
Drum loops: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dynamics: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Effects: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Enharmonic: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Extended chord: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Fanfare: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Figured bass: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
First subject: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Flanger, flanging: _________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Forte: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

8
Fortissimo: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Fugal exposition: _________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Fugue: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Fusion: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Gavotte: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Glam: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Gospel music: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Groove: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Harmonic rhythm: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Harmonic sequence: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

9
Heterophonic: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi-hat: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Homophonic: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Imperfect cadence: _______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Independent parts: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Interrupted cadence: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Interval: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Inversions: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Jukebox musical: _________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Key signature: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

10
Kick drum: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Lament: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ledger lines: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Legato: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Leitmotif: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Level descriptors: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Loop: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Lyrical: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Melismatic: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Metre: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

11
Metrical shifting: _________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Mezzo: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Middle 8: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Middle C: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Mix: ____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Monophonic: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Mordent: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Motif: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Multi-track: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Murky bass: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

12
Neapolitan chord: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Obbligato: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Octave: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Onomatopoeic: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ornament: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ostinato: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ottava alta: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ottava bassa: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Outro: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Overdubbing: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

13
Pad: ____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Panning: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Passagework: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Passing modulations: _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Patronage: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Pedal: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Pentatonic: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Perfect cadence: _________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Piano: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Pianissimo: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

14
Polyphonic: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Polytonal: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Pull-offs: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Range: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Register: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Relative minor: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Reverb: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ride: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Riff: ____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ripieno: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

15
Rit./ritardando: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Romantic era: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Romanticism: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Sample: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Scalic: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Second subject: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Semitones: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Sequence: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Sforzando: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Side sticks: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

16
Simple time signature: ____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Simultaneously sounding: _________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Snare roll: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Snare: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Solo concerto: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Solo: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Sonata form: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Spelling: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Staccato: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Static harmony: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

17
Stereo field: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Stile italiano: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Stretto: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Subject: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Suspension: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Swung: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Swung rhythm: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Syllabic: ________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Syllabic word-setting: _____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Syncopated: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

18
Syncopation: ____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Synthesiser: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Techno: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Tempo rubato: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ternary (or ABA) form: ____________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Texture: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Tierce de Picardie: ________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ties: ____________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Timbre: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Time signature: __________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

19
Tremolando/tremolo: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Transition: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Triads: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Trio sonata: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Triplets: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Turnaround: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Tutti: ___________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Undoubled: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Unison: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Vamp: __________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

20
Variant: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Vaudeville: ______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Vibrato: _________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Vocalisation: _____________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Wah-wah: _______________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
Word-painting: ___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

21

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Acknowledgements

Published by Pearson Education Limited, 80 Strand, London, WC2R 0RL.

Text © Pearson Education 2016

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

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Good performers are not necessarily good composers

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Supporting weaker students

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© Pearson Education Ltd 2016. Copying permitted for

© Pearson Education Ltd 2016. Copying permitted for

About the Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Music series

The Student Book

The Teacher Guide

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Appraising – Areas of Study workbooks

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● AOS 2 Workbook 3: Purcell: ‘Music for a While’

Answers to the Areas of Study workbooks 1 to 8

Answers to questions in the Student Book

Preparing students for assessment

Full glossary and revision glossary

The audio CD anthology

Areas of Study and set works

Area of Study Set works

Vocal Music ● Purcell: ‘Music for a While’

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© Pearson Education Ltd 2016. Copying permitted for

Term Week Content

General introduction to the course

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Area of Study 3: Music for Stage and Screen

Area of Study 2: Vocal Music

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Area of Study 2: Vocal Music

Area of Study 2: Vocal Music

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Area of Study 1: Instrumental Music 1700–1820

Area of Study 1: Instrumental Music 1700–1820

Revision of five set works/summer examination revision

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Area of Study 1: Instrumental Music 1700–1820

Area of Study 1: Instrumental Music 1700–1820

Area of Study 1: Instrumental Music 1700–1820

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Area of Study 4: Fusions

Area of Study 4: Fusions

Area of Study 4: Fusions

Area of Study 4: Fusions

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Listening: Review of all eight set works

Revision and examination practice

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_____________ _____________ _____________ ____________

_____________ _____________ _____________ _____________

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© Pearson Education Ltd 2016. Copying permitted for

© Pearson Education Ltd 2016. Copying permitted for

Pedal Broken chord

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