The Kings of Wessex Foundation School GCSE Music 2007-8 Course Handbook

The Kings of WessexFoundation SchoolChurch of England Schooland Specialist Technology CollegeGCSE Music 2007-8Course HandbookName: ……………………….. Tutor group: ……...(bring this handbook to every lesson)

ContentspageOverview of the Course 3Area of Study 1:Structure in Western Classical Music - 1600-1899Ground Bass &Variations 4Ternary Form 10Rondo Form 12Describing Music from Area of Study 1 13Area of Study 2:Changing Directions in Western Classical Music – from 1900Expressionism and Serialism 16Minimalism 18Experimental and Electronic Music 19Describing Music from Area of Study 2 23Area of Study 3:Popular Music in ContextDance Music 1985 – present day 26Songs from Musicals 29Britpop and its Influences 32Describing Music from Area of Study 3 34Area of Study 4:Indian Raga, African Music and FusionsIndian Raga 39African Music 39Fusions 42Describing Music from Area of Study 4 45Glossary of Terminology (by musical element and by AOS) 47--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AppendixGuidance on Completing the MUS200 form 55Tips to Improve your Composition 58Composition Feedback for Improvement Sheet 59Performance Feedback for Improvement Sheet 60Growth of Access to Music Through Technology 61GCSE Music Listening Diary 622

GCSE Music 2008 – An OverviewListening Examination (12 topics; 4 areas of study)1600-1900 1900-present day 1900-present day ancient-present dayArea of Study1Ground bass andVariation formTernary formRondo form10%Area of Study2Expressionism andSerialismMinimalismExperimental andElectronic Music10%Area of Study3Dance music from1985 - present daySongs in musicalsBritpop and itsinfluences10%Area of Study4Indian ragaAfrican musicFusions10%Composing Coursework(create, score and record two pieces)From oneArea of StudyComposition 115%From anotherArea of StudyComposition 215%Performing Coursework(perform from score and record two pieces)Free ChoiceSolo(with or withoutaccompaniment)15%Free ChoiceEnsemble(minimum oftwo players)15%NB: ONE performance must come from the same Area of Study as ONE Composition3

GCSE Music: Area of Study One – Ground Bass & VariationsPeriod: Baroque Classical RomanticDate: 1600 1750 1830 1900 2000Baroque PeriodBaroque means over-decorated and refers to the melody lines of music from c1600-c1750which were often ornamented over a strong bass line – nearly always played by a cello.In the middle of the texture a harpsichord or organ would improvise a part based on thechords indicated by figures beneath the written bass line - known as figured bass.Composers: Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741); Henry Purcell (1659-1695);George Frideric Handel (1685-1750); Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)During this period composers were employed either by the church to write sacred music(eg Bach and Purcell) or by wealthy aristocrats to entertain them (eg Handel and Vivaldi).In addition music was published for the well-educated who could afford instruments and sheetmusic to make music in their own homes (domestic music-making) – especially for keyboardinstruments. Some composers wrote music for the stage – eg masques & operas by Purcell;operas by Handel. Public concerts didn‟t exist.Classical PeriodThe Classical period was a reaction against the ornate Baroque style. Now grace, simplicity,restraint and elegance were emphasised. It took inspiration from the architecture of Greeceand Rome with its clear, balanced and symmetrical structures, such as four bar phraseswithin larger form such as variation form, ternary form and rondo form.Composers: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809); Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791);Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)During this period composers were employed more and more by wealthy aristocrats includingKings and Queens. The symphony and the string quartet were fully developed by Haydn,Mozart took opera to new heights, and Beethoven transformed the expressiveness of music.Romantic PeriodMusicians now began to express human emotions and their feelings about love, death,happiness, sorrow and the beauty of nature. Everything was now more expressive – alarger, louder collection of instruments in the orchestra, the piano too was much louder with itscast-iron frame. The balance and restraint of the Classical period now gave way to a muchfreer outpouring of passion.Composers: Franz Schubert (1797-1828) Frederick Chopin (1810-1849)Richard Wagner (1813-1883) Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)For the first time composers could make a living publishing and performing their own music. Theinfluence of the church declined, though the rich continued to sponsor music-making of all kinds,but now for the first time, the public could hear orchestras and pianists in public concerts.Examination questions may ask you to identify likely periods, dates and composers,the types of music that was performed and in what circumstances.4

Ground BassGround Bass is both a way of composing and a type of composition.It consists of a repeating bass line over which melodies and harmonies are variedthis variety often gets more complex as the piece proceedsUnity is created by the repeating bass and interest created by changes made above itThis makes Ground Bass a particular type of variation formGround bass was most commonly used in the Baroque Period (1600-1750)The most famous composer of ground bass pieces was Henry Purcell (1659-1695)Examination questions often centre on:tonality of a ground bass can be major or minorharmony will be mostly diatonic or chromatictempo can range from largo to allegroshape of the bass line will be mainly ascending or descendingmovement of the bass line will be stepwise, scalic, or mainly by leapsrhythm is often in equal note values or a limited variety of note lengths is usedlength of the Ground Bass pattern - usually 4 or 8 bars but 5 or 6 bars is not uncommonWell-known PiecesThe most famous ground bass pieces include:Canon by Pachelbel – the bass part could be described as being:major, diatonic, moderato in tempo, mainly descending by leap and step, in equal note valuesDido’s Lament from Purcell’s opera Dido and Aeaneas – which might be described as beingminor, chromatic, adagio, mainly descending by step with limited rhythmic variety, in triple timeScale of Ground Bass CompositionsMost ground bass pieces are only a couple of minutes long and form a short movement within alarger work such as a masque, ode or an operaA short ground bass pattern of only a bar or two long is known as a basso ostinatoA large-scale stand-alone piece which lasts five minutes or more and is not part of a larger workis sometimes given the title of chaconne or passacagliaThe ContinuoThe ground bass is nearly always played by the continuo groupa pair of instruments almost always present in Baroque musicThey play from the figured bass part mentioned earlierOne is a harmonic instrument – that plays the chords with and above the ground bassThe other is melodic sustaining bass instrument - which doubles the bass lineThe most common instrumentation for the continuo group is the combination of:harpsichord and cellopipe organ and cellolute and cello- for secular music (ie non-sacred)- for church music- if the music is for the home or stage5

Vocal MusicYou need to be able to recognise the following voice types:Treble unbroken boy’s voice Soprano high female adult voiceCountertenor adult male ‘falsetto’ voice Contralto low female adult voiceTenor high male natural voice (Alto is a term used to indicate a male orBass low male natural voice female voice of similar pitch – but is best avoided)The vocal parts may be set syllabicallyor melismatically- one note to each syllable- many notes to a syllableWord-painting is used to describe when the composer illustrates the meaning of the text in themusic eg Ev‟ry Valley Shall be Exhalted from „Messiah‟ where the words „mountain‟ „hill‟ „low‟„crooked‟ „straight‟ are illustrated in the profile of the melodic line.In the most effective ground bass pieces, especially those by Purcell, the composer constructsthe melody so that it is often mid-phrase each time the ground bass pattern reaches itscadence (the last two chords of a phrase). This creates a strong and more interesting structurethat is bonded like a brick wall eg Dido’s Lament:Vocal MelodyGB GB GB GB GB GB GB__________________________________________________________________________My Notes:6

Variations:Variations are usually presented as a set of short movements based on a theme, but withmodification to one or more of these qualities:Melody (pitch and rhythm) Instrumentation DynamicsHarmony Articulation TempoTonality Texture MetreThe theme has to be memorable so that you can recognise it to some extent when it isdisguised in the variations which follow.Early Baroque English composers wrote variations for keyboard (virginal or harpsichord).Each variation is progressively more complex and centres on a particular type offiguration.Classical and Romantic pieces often used themes based on another composer’s melodyeg Diabelli Variations by Beethoven, it may be a very well-known folk song or hymn tune.Variations tend to start simply and become more complex. For example this may beachieved mainly through varying the rhythm:Theme:Variation 1:Variation 2:Variation 3:Variation 4:Variation 5:Variation 6:Mainly in minimsMainly in crotchetsMainly in a dotted rhythmmainly in quaversmainly in syncopated rhythmmainly in quaver tripletsmainly in semiquaversMid-Baroque composers often composed a set of dance movementeg a gavotte, a bouree or a sarabande, and wrote a set of variations on each.TempoIn variations from the Baroque and Classical periods, composers tended not to vary thetempo of the theme and the variations that follow eg Handel’s variations ‘The HarmoniousBlacksmith’, but in Romantic variations, tempo becomes an important way of changing themood of a variation eg Elgar’s Enigma Variations. Some variations are very slow andsome are very fast; others change tempo subtly within each variation.Rubato is the term used to describe these subtle changes in tempo found in Romantic Musicto give heightened expression.Form and TonalityBaroque themes and the variations which follow tend to be in:Binary Form: ie ABor more often in Double Binary Form: AABBAfter starting in the tonic key the music modulates (ie changes key) towards the end of theA section, going to the dominant or relative key. The B section starts in this new key andmodulates back to the original key (the tonic).tonicAdominanttonicAdominantdominantBtonicdominantBtonicModulation (ie changes of key tend to be to the dominant key or to the relative key) but inworks from the Romantic period modulation can be much more frequent and to other keys.7

Other famous sets of variations:J Pachelbel:J S Bach:Schubert:Beethoven:Paganini:CanonThe Goldberg VariationsThe Trout QuintetVariations on Mozart’s Don Giovanni24 CapricesExamination questions often focus on making comparisons between the theme and avariation or one variation and another. You need to be very clear about the music elements:and be able to focus in on each element to comment on changes.When comparing music use musical terminology and ask yourself whether:Melody:moves mainly by step or leapchanges range or tessituracan use a small section or motif from the themehas a recognisable rhythm you can name(eg semiquavers, triplets, dotted, syncopated, even note values etc)Harmony:simple I, IV, V chords or more complex chords usedTonality:major, minor, modal, chromatic, changing tonalityInstrumentation:melody instruments, harmony instruments, which instrumental family dominatesArticulation:legato, staccato, pizzicato, tremolandoTexture:melody and accompaniment, monophonic, homophonic, imitativeDynamics:compare main dynamics, including accents, gradual and sudden changes in dynamicTempo:compare main tempo changes but also subtle changes eg rallentando, rubato, pauses etcMetre:Has there been a change in the beats per bar, compound time or simple timeNB it is important that you say where in the extract these changes happen(eg accents at the beginning of variation 2; a rallentando at the end of variation 4 etc)8

My Notes:9

GCSE Music: AoS1 – Ternary FormForm refers to the overall structure of a piece in terms of new or repeated material(ie the architecture of a piece which unfolds over time to the listener).Binary Form is:A B or A A B B (also known as double binary)and most common in shorter pieces from the Baroque and Romantic periods.Ternary Form: is a structure in which the first section A is repeated after a contrastingsection B in the middle – which is known as the episode ie:A B A..This can be small scale as in ‘Twinkle, twinkle little Star’ or on a much larger scale.Each A section is self-contained and sounds complete in itself with a full close cadenceat the end. The B section however has a more open ending – often a half close cadencethat is designed to lead effectively into the final A section. Is this true of ‘Twinkle, twinklelittle star’?Whilst this form is usually symmetrical, sometimes the first section is repeated ie:A A B A - which is still considered to be ternary form.Sometimes the final A section is changed in some way. Because the B section is meant toform a contrast to the A section it will be different in a number of respects which mightinclude:melody, rhythm, tempo, texture, articulation, dynamics, key and instrumentationThis is often written as:A B A 1In the Baroque period (1600-1750), arias in opera and oratorios by composers such asJ S Bach and Handel were often written in ternary form and are often referred to asda capo arias. They were so-called because the singer repeats the A section of the ariabut instead of it being printed a second time in the score, the direction ‘da capo’ is writtenat the end of the B section. When the A section is repeated, it is nearly always with subtlechanges eg dynamic changes and the addition of more ornaments and other decorationin order to offer variety and demonstrate the singer’s skill.In the Classical period, symphonies and string quartets by composers such as Mozartand Haydn, contained a movement called minuet and trio or a scherzo and trio –though this music was no longer to be danced to. The trio formed the middle section andthe minuet was repeated exactly as before. The minuet will often be scored tutti and thetrio for just three instruments – hence an immediate contrast in texture and dynamic.The B section or episode is often in a contrasting key to the A section – usually:A section major B section relative minor A section repeated ORA section minor B section relative major A section repeated ORA section major B section dominant key A section repeated10

Typical examination questions will ask you to spot ternary form, comment on how contrastis achieved in the B section (see above) and comment on what might be changed when Ais repeated.________________________________________________________________________My notes:11

GCSE Music: AoS1 – Rondo FormBasically a piece in which the musical sections are presented in the order:A B A C A D A etcOccasionally the form is modified to be symmetrical:A B A C A B A etcThe repeating section can be known as the refrain but more commonly theritornello (little returning section). Sections B, C and D, which only occur onceeach, are different from one another – often being in a related key – and are knownas episodes:(related key) (related key) (related key)episode 1 episode 2 episode 3A B A C A D A etcritornello ritornello ritornello ritornello(tonic key) (tonic key) (tonic key) (tonic key)Rondo form was used in the Baroque period but was also very popular in the Classical andRomantic periods when it was used as the last movement in symphonies and concertos.Related Keys:The tonic key is the one a piece begins in. If a piece begins in a major key, the most likelyrelated key is the dominant, the next most likely, the relative minor, and the next mostlikely the subdominant or the supertonic minor. For example:submediantdominantsubdominantmediantsupertonictonic(relative minor)Key: C major D minor E minor F major G major A minorIf a piece begins in a minor key, the next most likely related key is the relative majorand the next most likely – the dominant. For example:dominantsubdominantmedianttonic(relative major)Key: C minor E flat major F minor G majorFamous examples of Rondo form:Vivaldi: Four SeasonsPurcell: Rondeau from AbdelazarMozart: Rondo in D12

GCSE Music: AoS1 – Describing Baroque, Classical & Romantic MusicDescribing rhythm:dotted Scottish snap triplet syncopated even notevaluesDescribing melody:stepwise scalic leap glissando broken chordarpeggio chromatic diatonic ascending descendingcounter-melody semitones syllabic melismatic word-paintingDescribing harmony:diatonic chromatic triadsDescribing metre:2 time 3 time 4 timesimple time eg 3 2 3 4 2 3 compound time eg 6 9 128 4 4 4 2 2 8 8 8pulse divisible into sub-beats of 2s & 4s etc pulse divisible into sub-beats of 3s &6sDescribing tonality:Types of tonality:major minor chromatic modalChanges in tonality:modulation tonic key sub-dominant key dominant key relativekeyDescribing tempo:Types of tempo:largo adagio/lento andante moderatovery slow slow walking pace moderate paceallegretto allegro vivace prestoquite fast fast fast and lively very fastChanges in tempo:accelerando (accel) ritardando/ritenuto(rit)rallentando(rall) allargando(allarg) gradually getting faster gradually getting slower broadening the tempofermata(pause)hold note or restmusic)rubatosubtle changes in tempo for greater expressiveness (RomanticDescribing dynamics:pianissimo(pp) piano(p) mezzo piano(mp) subitovery quiet quiet moderately quiet suddenlymezzo forte(mf) forte(f) fortissimo (ff) sforzando(sfz)moderately loud loud very loud forcing the tone(fp)forte then immediately pianoon the same note13

Changes in tempo:crescendo diminuendo accent terraced dynamics> eg p ff ppgradually getting louder gradually getting softerstart of note much louder no gradual changesDescribing texture:solo duet trio quartetmonophonic homophonic polyphonic melody & accompanimentunison octave tutti close harmonyimitation canon descant a cappellapedal drone Alberti bass doublinginverted pedalDescribing structure:repetition sequence (ascending or descending) imitationstated again stated again a step or two higher or lower restated overlapping with itselfintroduction coda codettaintroductory section tail (concluding passage) little tail (short concluding passage)binary (AB) double binary (AABB) ternary (ABA) rondo (ABACADA)ostinato ritornello episoderepeating pattern recurring section in a rondo contrasting section in arondoDescribing articulation:legato staccato pizzicato accented tremolandoDescribing string playing techniques:pizzicato arco portamento vibratoplucked with the bow sliding in pitch rapid alternation in pitch (Romantic)double stoppingplaying two or more notes at oncetremolandotrembling the bow (very rapid changes in dynamic)harmonicstouching the string 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 etc the way along whilst bowing, producing a quiet,ethereal, disembodied sound an 1 octave, 1 octave and a 5th, 2 octaves higher etcDescribing ornaments:Acciaccatura upper mordent lower mordent turn trill2 notes 3 notes 3 notes 5 notes manynotesDescribing cadences:perfect plagal imperfect interrupted(full close) (full close) (half close) (half close)chords V to I chords IV to I any chord to V chords V to VIvery strong weaker ordinary sounding extraordinary soundingDescribing instruments:virginal harpsichord piano pipe organviols lute timpaniviolins violas cellos double bassesrecorders flutes oboes bassoonstrumpets trombones french horns14

Describing ensembles:choir continuo string orchestra chamber orchestra symphony orchestraDescribing Genres:concerto grosso solo concertoode masque oratorio operatheme and variations string quartet divertimento symphony____________________________________________________________________________My notes:15

Area of Study 2 – Changing Directions in Western Classical MusicPeriod: Baroque Classical Romantic 20 th Century 21stDate: 1600 1750 1830 1900 2000Atonality and ExpressionismAtonal music is music which purposely avoids reference to any sense of keyFrom about 1910 some composers were experimenting with atonality. To them it seemedto be a small step from the chromatic and complex harmony of late 19 th centuryRomantic music - but history has seen it differently.Atonal music was meant to sound unsettling and nightmarish - unlike most tonal musicwritten before it. This approach to composition became known as Expressionism, andlike the artwork from which it takes its name, dealt in vivid but distorted pictures to reflectthe power of dreams and subconscious fears (eg Edward Munch ‘The Scream’ andKandinsky’s work)At this time intellectuals, artists and eventually musicians were just coming to terms withthe revolutionary psychoanalytical research by Sigmund Freud – that we all have adarker sub-conscious side which is related to our dreams.ComposersArnold Schoenberg was an artist and composer who experimented widely with atonalmusic. The first completely atonal music was his Five Orchestral Pieces of 1909. He feltthat the one musical element that had not been properly exploited was timbre, andbecause melody and harmony are much less important in atonal music – heconcentrated on experimenting with timbre. His most celebrated larger-scale atonal workis Pierrot Lunaire of 1912 which uses a Germanic vocal technique called Sprechstimmesomewhere between speaking and singing – using speech rhythm but following the pitchcontour indicated by a cross instead of a note head in the music.Anton Webern and Alban Berg became pupils of Schoenberg and composed in a similarstyle in Vienna, Austria. They later became known as the Second Viennese School – nota building, but a way of approaching their art (Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven being the first!)It soon became clear to Schoenberg that not having the structures that had beenestablished over many centuries (eg chords, cadences, keys, tonic, dominant,modulation, singable melodies etc) atonal music needed some new structural principles.This became known as serialism.SerialismIn 1923, Schoenberg published his new way of taming atonal music. It was based on all12 pitches found in an octave. This became known as Dodecaphony or the 12 ToneTechnique, (though strictly speaking a series of any number of notes is serialism).Serialism usually refers to the composer’s structured use of the 12 semitones found inan octave - presented in an order chosen by the composer. This is known as theTone Row. The original order of the pitches chosen is known as the Prime Order.16

How the Tone Row is used:The 12 pitches within an octave can only be sounded once each, in order and each isequally important (quite unlike the tonic and dominant etc found in tonal music). Thisorder of pitches must be preserved throughout the piece, but for variety the tone rowcan also be transformed by EIGHT basic operations:Prime Order:Retrograde:Inversion:Retrograde Inversion:Transposed:Displaced:Verticalised:In Augmentation:In Diminution:original rowrow backwardsrow upside downrow backwards and upside downrow moved up or down in pitch (1 to 11 semitones)individual pitches sounded at a different octaveindividual pitches played in order, to form a chordrow played in double or triple rhythm valuesrow played in half or quarter rhythm valuesThe whole texture of a serialist composition is developed by using some or all of thesetechniques in combination.Features of Atonal and Expressionist MusicStructure: avoids repetition avoids cadences no tonic or dominant chordsno modulation no sequences no balanced phrasesno sense of where a phrase might be leading no predictabilityMelodies: utterly chromatic angular wide ranging highly dissonantTexture: unpredictable constantly changingDynamics: extreme range of dynamics rapidly changing dynamicsLater DevelopmentsWebern adhered to the very strict teachings of Schoenberg. His pieces are sparse andshort with the notes of the melody distributed across a range of instruments. Eachinstrument will play just one or two notes – a fragment of the melody at a time. This waythe different timbres of the instruments concerned can be appreciated. This type of melodybased on memorable tone colour rather than pitch is called Klangfarbenmelodie.Berg tried to make his serial pieces more accessible by choosing his tone rows verycarefully. By careful ordering it is possible to give some tonal characteristics to the music.This is especially true of his best known work the Violin Concerto which also cleverly weavesin a hymn tune melody by Bach.Total Serialism:Whilst Serialism started by presenting a set of pitches in certain orders, later this wasextended to serialisation of other musical elements such as rhythm or dynamics. When allelements are serialised this is known as total serialism.Total serialists include Pierre Boulez and Milton Babbitt.Many other composers have used serialist techniques in some compositions or incertain sections – usually to give a strange disorientating effect. Among them areIgor Stravinsky and Benjamin Britten.17

GCSE Music - AoS2 - MinimalismBackground and ComposersThe term Minimalism in music first appeared in music in the early 1960s in the work of twoAmerican composers working on the West Coast of America - La Monte YOUNG and TerryRILEY and later, Philip GLASS and Steve REICH. The style is an example of Post-Modernism and was a reaction against Serialism and Aleatoric music (both are in AoS2).It is about achieving the maximum of effect with the minimum of means.In later pieces technology is used (esp Steve Reich) including electronic sounds,multitracking, tape techniques such as looping and splicing, and later sequencing.InfluencesMinimalism has been influenced by ethnomusicologists studying world music especially:African drumming Indian Raga Indonesian Gamelan JazzMinimalism is sometimes known as Systems Music.Features of Minimalist MusicMelodymotifs are simple and shortmotifs be extended by note addition or note subtractionmelody may be played out of phase with itself - phasingrhythms and pitches are limited in rangeStructurerepetition is the most important principleostinati used extensively including loopingmotifs are sustained for long periods of timeall changes tend to be very gradualInstrumentation:uses a small selection of sounds or a small group of instrumentsTexturesometimes uses pedal effect or drone effectsometimes uses additional non-harmony notes in a chord - clusterbuilt up in layers creating syncopation and cross rhythms or polyrhythmHarmonyusually diatonic (using only notes of the scale)usually consonant (no real dissonance)usually tonal (in a key) sometimes modal (in a mode)usually no modulation (no key change)Tempo is always unchangingThe total effect is to make the music feel static or at its extreme, hypnotic & trance-likeWell-known Minimalist PiecesTerry Riley: Riley In C (1964)Philip Glass: Hydrogen Jukebox, FacadesSteve Reich: Clapping, New York Counterpoint18

GCSE Music: AoS2 – Experimental Music and Electronic MusicAleatoric MusicAleatoric means having an element of chance in the music. It doesn’t mean everything israndom or unplanned, but it does mean no two performances can ever be the same (egTerry Riley in C, as covered in Minimalism where the printed motifs can be played at anytime and as many times as the performer chooses until everyone has finished).Stockhausen used electronic sounds in an aleatoric way, for example his Zyklus (1959)uses staff notation for pitch but note lengths are not specified. The player can begin thecircle of pitches at any point, play them back to front or upside down, as long as the circleis completed.In aleatoric music the musical responsibility passes from the composer to the performer.Sometimes a graphic score (one using pictures or diagrams) offers the aleatoric elementand encourages players to be creative.Sound and SilencePerhaps even more fundamental than the standard musical elements are the art equivalentof light and dark, ie sound and silence. These were exploited by in 1952 by John Cage inhis famous piece 4’ 33”.It is a unique and extreme example of aleatoric music (or indeterminacy as Cage called it).It can be performed on any instrument, or group of instruments. Each movement is markedwith the single word tacet (silence). The ‘music’ of the performance is solely theenvironmental noise made by the building, and the people in it.New SoundsPrepared Piano:John Cage is also famous for developing rather than inventing the prepared piano. Thestrings of a grand piano are very painstakingly prepared by having screws, nuts, boltsand pieces of rubber placed on or between specific strings and at specific distances fromthe tuning pegs. This creates a wide range of new timbres from a familiar instrument.This, Cage claims, creates a new percussion instrument, which sometimes sounds like agamelan (an Indonesian orchestra made up of metallophones and gongs). Preparedpiano pieces are always meticulously and fully notated so the composer takes fullresponsibility for performance instructions - very different from the indeterminacy of his 4’33” in which the composer has no input except the length of time the performance lasts.In the 20thC, other composers have experimented with getting new sounds from conventionalinstruments eg col legno (with the wood of the bow) in Holst’s ‘Mars’ from The Planets andby developing new instruments eg the celesta - first heard in Tchaikovsky’s ‘Dance of theSugar-Plum Fairy’ from The Nutcracker ballet.19

Features of Experimental MusicMelody:UnpredictableWide leapsAngular linesUse of microtonesLack of clear melodic lineExtremes of pitch and registerRhythm:Irregular metreIrregular rhythmsVery complex rhythmsFragmented rhythmsHarmony:Use of chord clustersChromaticDissonantAtonalDynamics:Heavy accentsExtremes of dynamic rangeSudden and unpredictable dynamic contrastsTimbre:Percussive timbresGong-like soundsMetallic soundsMuted and muffled soundsNew sounds createdExtended techniques:Flutter tonguingArm clusterSprechstimmeSub ponticelloCol legnoScoring:Graphic scores3-line scoresProse scores20

Electronic MusicElectronic Music can be defined as that which uses electrically driven machines togenerate and/or manipulate sounds.Development1940s: Electronic music started with the invention of the tape recorder. This usedmagnetic tape which was spliced, looped, reversed and playback speeds changed tocreate new sounds from existing ones.1950s: French composers experimented by transforming non-musical noises and sounds(eg those recorded on the street) to create a style known as ‘musique concrete’.1960s: the mulititrack tape recorder was developed which revolutionised the recordingof popular music allowing much more complex textures to be built track by track. Theresulting mix had then to be bounced down onto 2 tracks so it could be played back on astandard stereo tape recorder. Composers such as Stockhausen and Varese usedmultitrack techniques to record orchestral instruments and voices.1970s: the synthesizer was invented. It could generate a whole new world of originalelectronic sounds. One of the earliest was the Moog synthesizer – an analogue machine(ie reliant on changing voltages) that had lots of knobs and sliders and made a sound notunlike a bee in a bottle.1980s: the digital synthesizer followed and revolutionised sound production and themusic industry.These days soft synths and virtual synths generate the sounds used in computerworkstations.Electronic DevicesSequencers allow musical events to be recorded on separate tracks, synchronised,edited, stored and replayed.They may use:electronic sound sources – recorded as MIDI tracks, oracoustic sounds – recorded as AUDIO tracks.The advantage with modern sequencers (eg Cubase, Logic or Reason) is that you cansee graphic displays of the music in a variety of forms to help in the editing process.Samplers can digitally record store and edit any sound, electronic, acoustic or ambient.These can be played back at any pitch and qualities such as attack, decay, sustain andrelease edited.The Composer as PerformerMusic technology has changed the roles of performer and composer. Electronic musicoften gives the composer total control over the performance so there is little or no role forthe performer as an interpreter of what the composer intended. This is in contrast toexperimental music where the performer often has a decisive role (eg improvising,responding to chance events) and where no two performances sound the same.Composers:Varese, Stockhausen, Berio, John Cage, Harrison Birtwistle21

My notes:22

GCSE Music: AoS2 – Describing Art Music of the 20 th and 21 st centuries(terms used in addition to those listed under AOS1)Describing rhythm:cross-rhythm polyrhythm interlocking rhythms rhythmic transformationwhere new rhythms are created where one pattern relies where a rhythm is changedacross parts of layers in the texture on another to create a third subtly and graduallyDescribing sound and timbre:attack decay sustain releasestart of a note how the note dies how long the when the soundto its loudest point away over time sound lasts stopsnasal metallic white noise stereophonichaving a closed sounding like noise heard between instruments appearquality metal being hit radio station (SHH) to be placed in spaceDescribing melody:range tessitura melodic transformationhighest to lowest centre of gravity parts of one melody graduallypitches used of the pitches used developed to create another oneDescribing harmony:consonantpleasant soundinguses related pitchesunison, octave, 5 th 4 th etcdissonantunpleasant soundinguses unrelated pitchesjarring and harshDescribing metre:irregular metre polymetre two against threemeter keeps changing more than one metre a specific and commonor split into sub-groups heard at once form of polymetreDescribing tonality:atonal modal serial 12 tonepurposely having using pitches that using a series a type of serialismno sense differ from major and minor of notes to construct which uses all 12of key on one or two notes the music notes of the octavediatonic chromatic microtonalusing only pitches using some or all using pitches smallerof a particular scale non-diatonic pitches than a semitoneDescribing texture:clustersounding of pitches betweenand with those of a chordlayeredtexture with several clearlinear horizontal elementsDescribing structure:cycles loops phasedpatterns that repeat originally a loop made one layer slips outin a circular fashion op magnetic tape of sync with anotheraleatoricindeterminatemusic having some elements of chance in its composition or performance23

Describing instrumental techniques:con sordino col legno portamento sub ponticellowith the mute with the wood gliding in pitch play behindof the bowthe bridgeflutter tonguingdoing a rolled „r‟ whilstblowing the instrumentDescribing vocal techniques:Sprechstimme & Sprechgesanghalf singing – half speakingpitch is suggested thenmoved away fromvocalisationusing any sounds that can bemade by the mouthcoloratura whispering humminghighly technically amplified amplifieddemanding singing whispering hummingDescribing recording techniques:splicingcutting up magnetic tapereversingplaying a pre-recordedtape backwardsDescribing recording devices:multitrack recorderuses magnetic tape toallow layers to be recordedone on top of anotherloopingmaking a continuous band of magnetic tapeambient sounds &environmental soundsusing non-musical sounds from the world around ussequencermusical events can be programmedand external devices triggered at anyspeed without affecting pitchDescribing instruments:xylophone glockenspiel triangle tam-tamwooden barred pitched metal barred pitched indeterminate pitch very largepercussion instrument percussion instrument percussion instrument gongtubular bells bell-tree prepared pianosuspended metal cylinders miniature tubular bells grand with nuts, bolts, screws, rubberchromatically tuned of rising but not fixed pitch placed between stringssiren celeste synthesizerwartime sound common in a keyboard triggered an electronic deviceexperimental music glockenspiel which can imitate soundsand produce new ones24

My notes:25

GCSE Music: Area of Study 3 – Dance Music 1985 – Present DayPeriod: Baroque Classical Romantic 20 th Century 21CDate: 1600 1750 1830 1900 1985 2000Dance Music is simply what DJs are playing in clubs (eg the Ibiza scene). Consequentlythere are many types and sub-types. The biggest hits are known as anthems. Each typeof dance music tends to be defined by:tempo usedrhythms usedtimbres usedstructure usedeg hardcore c800bpm (measured in beats per minute)eg four to the floor; backbeat; breakbeateg funk, vocals, synthesized, analogue drum machineeg breakdown, drop-out, loops, repetition, overdubbing, fadingGeneral CharacteristicsFast, unchanging tempo (typically 120-140 bpm)Driving rhythmsStrong ‘on beat’ bass drum patternHeavy basslineLoud with compressed dynamicsExtensive repetition using loopsExtensive use of digital or analogue technologyOrigins of Dance Music:1970s eg R’n’B Funk Soul Jazz Disco Dub Reggae Hip-Hop AmbientCommon Types of Dance Music:1980s eg Electro Techno Garage House Acid House1990s eg Jungle Hardcore Trance Goa Speed Garage Drum & BassTechnoHardcoreGarageHouseAcid HouseDeveloped by DJs in Detroit from the mid-1980s using sampled loops withdriving repetitive drum & bass lines and special effects. Typically 120-140bpm.Aggressive fast Techno using hard-edged sounds. Gabba is the mostextreme form and can be around 1000bpm.Influenced by Disco and Soul – first heard in New York’s ‘Paradise Garage’from the Warehouse Club in Chicago - developed out of Disco, Dub and Soulhits include ‘Pump up the Volume’ and ‘Jack your Body’. Typically 120bpmA later spin off of House featured a wobbly synthesized bass lineinfluenced by psychedelia. It was very influential in the UK rave scene ofthe 1990s26

JungleInfluenced by House and Hip-hop, first played in London’s ‘Jungle Club’,uses breakbeats (rapid drum patters which use syncopation andpolyrhythm). Typically c170bpm.Drum n Bass A descendent of Jungle with a tempo of 160bpm or more.TranceGoaSpeedGarageVery prominent 4 to the floor bass-drum and hi-hat. Uses atmosphericsynth sounds and cutting synth lead melodies at about 140bpm.Trance music with Indian influencesA fusion of Garage, Jungle and HouseMusic TechnologyDance music has developed around advances in music technology:DevicesSamplersSynthesizersSequencersDrum MachinesVocoderused to record and edit extracts from new sources or existing recordings,samples may then be played back at a range of pitches eg singing dog barkused both to mimic other instruments and to create new electronic sounds(may be digital, or analogue – using changing voltage – knobs & sliders)used to record, order and edit sections of musical eventscreates continuous drum loops – older machines were analogue, digitalones now use samples (often as part of computer-based system)mixes vocals with the range and quality of a synth – giving a roboticvoiceTechniquesRemixingMix-in Mix-outRetriggeringGatingTime StretchQuantisationBreakdownCompressionthis is a central technique in dance music – where producers createnew versions of previous recordings by changing the style andbalance of the original, subtracting and adding tracks – some classicalopening and closing sections where the DJ mixes one track into the nexteffect produced by rapidly repeating a short recorded samplethe clipping of the end of a sample (esp a gated snare is very common)slowing the tempo of a sample without changing pitch (a digital technique)digital re-alignment of rhythm of notes in their precise position(used particularly for drum tracks)tracks drop out for several bars to enter with greater impact laterprocess of reducing the dynamic range of a recording so that it can beplayed loudly without spikes, and without passages that are too quiet27

Special Effects (FX or SFX)DelayEchoReverbChorusDistortionPanningEQ filteringEQ sweepa family of effects can be created with delay, including:one or more single reflections of a sound that can be heard clearlycreates the impression of a large hall by mimicking multiple reflectionssignal is delayed and detuned to sound like more than one instrumentmimicking the sound of an overdriven guitar amplifierthe placing or moving of sounds in the stereo field (eg from left to right)the taking out of high, middle and low frequencies in the recordingthe changing in frequencies filtered out (usually sine wave shaped)Special effects that can be heard on the Roland EXR5s keyboards – check them out:distortion (125/6) chorus (107) reverse cymbal (516 E3)digital delay (339/121) reverb (517 D2) frequency sweep (385/386)scratching (514 F1) gating (516 B1) sample (481)panning (389/391)__________________________________________________________________________My notes:28

GCSE Music: Area of Study 3 – Songs from MusicalsPeriod: Baroque Classical Romantic 20 th Century 21CDate: 1600 1750 1830 1900 1930 2000The BackgroundThe musical is a 20 th century genre not unlike opera but much lighter and with wider appealDeveloped from 19 th century minstrel shows in America and the Music Hall in BritainA musical is theatrical and requires full staging, sets and costume to make its full effectNot all subjects for musical are light-hearted eg Les Miserables, Sweeney ToddMost earlier musicals are American but more and more are now BritishMany musicals are heavily influenced by features of jazz or rockThe WordsLibretto (the words of the whole musical) is presented in the form of songs and dialogue.To move the plot forward recitative (something in between - half spoken, half sung, is used.Features of SongsMelody:Harmony:Metre:Dynamics:Structure:Key:tuneful, memorable, often with a hook, easy listening and commercially profitabletends to be diatonic but 7 th and 9 th chords are used freelyaccompaniment patterns are simple most of the timeunusual metres may be used to create a laid back feel eg 5/4 (Ev’rything’s Alright)or more excitement eg 11/8 Skimbleshanksa dramatically wide range is used from a whispered pp to a tutti ffsimple, strophic, alternating verse with chorus – often in 32 bar AABA formor the song may be through-composedan intro and a coda usually frame the song and there may be aninstrumental interlude for a dance feature in the songmajor used for happy songs, minor for sad songsthe last verse of a song may be sung in a key one degree higher(ie it modulates up a tone or semitone – raising the emotional temperature)Types of songsCharacter tend to emphasis the emotional state of the character (love, hate, jealousy etc)songs: soloists may have a leitmotif – a snippet of music associated with their characterBallads: slow, romantic and reflective eg People will say We‟re in Love: Oklahoma!Action songs: tend to be restless and move the plot alongComedy songs: provide moments of humour eg Gee, Officer Krupke: West Side StoryDuets:Ensembles:Choruses:tend to represent two different points of view on a situationtend to comment on a situation with each singer in charactertend to involve the whole cast in a complex spectacle with dance, often at theopen or close of an act indicating changes in location eg Consider Yourself: OliverThe AccompanimentThe accompaniment is usually provided by a ‘pit’ orchestra or by synthesizersand sequencers in more recent musicals. The band often play a medley overture at thestart to introduce or remind the audience of the most memorable song melodies in the show.29

Well-known MusicalsMany musical are set in the musical style of the day, the most successful made into films eg:Showboat 1927 by Jerome Kern first successful musicalSit Down You’re Rocking the BoatPorgy and Bess 1935 by George Gershwin combines jazz & folkSummertimeOklahoma! 1942 by Rodgers and Hammerstein most popular to dateOh What a Beautiful Mornin’Carousel 1945 by Rodgers and Hammerstein features a male anti-heroYou’ll Never Walk AloneWest Side Story 1957 by Bernstein & Sondheim Shakespeare in AmericaSomethin’s Comin’ Tonight, America, MariaThe Sound of Music 1959by Rogers and HammersteinThe Hills are Alive; Doe a Deer etcOliver! 1960 by Lionel BartFood, Glorious Food; Consider Youself etcThe quality of the music of West Side Story and its Shakespearean plot set in contemporaryNew York gangland rivalry makes it a watershed in the history of the musical.Very successful songs from musicals are often reprised (ie repeated) several timesin the course of the musical so that the public remember them.Hair 1966 flower-power & nudityCabaret 1966 set in 1930s GermanyGrease 1978 set in 1960s high schoolSweeney Todd 1979 a Victorian horror storyAnother watershed came in the 1970s to 1990s which turned the focus on Britain with the verysuccessful musicals of Andrew Lloyd-Webber egJoseph 1968Jesus Christ Superstar 1970Evita 1978Cats 1981Starlight Express 1984Phantom of the Opera 1986In the 21 st Century some re-cycling of popular music has been heard:Mamma Mia 1999 music of ABBAWe Will Rock You 2002 music of QueenSome musicals are based on important literary works eg:My Fair Lady 1940s based on G B Shaw‟s PygmalionWest Side Story 1950s based on Shakespeare‟s Romeo and JulietOliver! 1960s based on Dickens‟ Oliver TwistJesus Christ Superstar 1970s based on the BibleCats 1980s based on T S Elliott‟s book of Practical CatsLes Miserables 1980s based on Victor Hugo‟s story of the same nameNB: GCSE questions on musicals often centre on more general musical knowledgeeg recognising a written rhythm or applying Italian terms to what you hear(see AoS1 and perhaps AoS2– for what you need to know in this respect)30

My notes:31

GCSE Music: Area of Study 3 – Britpop and its InfluencesPeriod: Baroque Classical Romantic 20 th Century 21CDate: 1600 1750 1830 1900 2000Britpop was a term used by the media in the mid-1990s to describe the music of British bandssuch as Oasis, Blur and Pulp. This new style was based on nostalgia for the heyday of Britishpop music – particularly that from the 1960s – and especially that of The Beatles.It was a determined backlash against American pop music of the 1980s and early 1990s. MostBritpop bands were guitar-driven with little use of technology. The lyrics focus on everyday lifefor ordinary people in Britain.The BeatlesPop music changed for ever when the Beatles’ first album, Please Please Me (1963) shot themto fame and stayed at the top of the UK charts for a year. Every album they produced was aground-breaking success and Yesterday (1965) is said to be the most popular song of all time.What was new about The Beatles was that they:wrote their own songs with lyrics designed to appeal to teenagerssung with a distinctly British regional accentdeveloped a musical style which combined R&B, rock and roll and balladused standard song structures eg intro, verse, chorus, middle 8, outrowrote more interesting guitar parts, memorable riffswrote more complex backing vocals in close harmonyused more interesting harmonies including use of modesNot only did this Liverpool band challenge the domination of American music in Britain andencouraged many new British bands to set up including two very successful Mod bands:The Kinks (London) eg Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Waterloo Sunset, Sunny AfternoonThe Small Faces (London-based) eg Lazy Sunday, All or Nothing, Itchycoo ParkOther InfluencesBritpop bands of the 1990s were also influenced by 1980s bands based in Manchester(‘Madchester’) who were themselves strongly influenced by the Beatles:The Smiths spoke of unglamorous life in the North eg double-decker busses and factory gatesHappy Mondays features songs are based on The Beatles’ Ob-la-di Ob-la-la and Ticket to RideThe Stone Roses like The Smiths also embraced the psychedelia movement in styles thatreflected the house music from the very popular club/rave culture of the 1980s.32

Features of BritpopInstruments:Vocals:Lyrics:Structure:The line-up is often lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass guitar and drum kit.A soloist with harmony from backing vocals, or everyone singing in unison.Lyrics are based on social observation of everyday life in life EnglandTraditional structures – verse, chorus, middle 8 etc common in the 1960sGuitar Playing TechniquesHammer ons Pull offs String bendingPalm muting Harmonics SlidesOasisOasis dominated the charts in the 1990s.Noel Gallagher’s very strong melodies are much influenced by The Beatles and also the TheSmiths and The Sex Pistols (their current drummer Zak Starkey is Ringo Starr’s son)They are a Northern working-class Manchester band.Their first album Definitely Maybe (1994) featured Half the World Away (1994).Its pentatonic melody was used as the theme for The Royle Family.Their second album Morning Glory (1995) contains Don’t LookBack in Anger – a tribute toJohn Lennon who was murdered in 1980, and his song – Imagine- whose chords can be heardat the start and whose lyrics are quoted in bars 13-16.Wonderwall (1995) takes its title from George Harrison’s album of the same name.BlurBlur were made up of Southern art college-educated students who were great fans ofThe Kinks - a London-based band of the 1960s. In 1990 they changed their name from Seymourto Blur. They added a synthesizer to the standard line-up and often referred to classical art andmusic. They had an intense rivalry with the first Britpop band – Suede – but their future wasassured with their release of Modern Life is Rubbish (1993).Girls and Boys (1993) combines the synth-pop and disco styles of the 1980s.Parklife (1994) features Damon Albarn, their front man and songwriter, giving a spokencockney commentary on how his daily routine centres around life in the park.PulpPulp were based in Sheffield led by Jarvis Cocker and became important with their albumDifferent Class (1995). One of their best known Britpop songs is Common People._____________________________________________________________________________My notes:33

GCSE Music: AoS2 – Describing Dance Music since 1985(terms used in addition to those listed under AOS1 and AOS2)Describing rhythm:four to the floor backbeat breakbeatprominent bass drum emphasis on rapid complex, syncopated drum patternon all 4 beats of the bar beats 2 & 4 of the barDescribing text spoken and sung:libretto dialogue recitativethe script of a musical spoken conversation narrative in speech rhythmDescribing harmony:unison close harmony 7 th and 9 th chordsvoices or instruments sounding vocal backing chord with added 7 th ,9 th etcsame pitch at same timeforming a chordadjacent notesDescribing dynamics:compressiondynamic changes are evened out for listening non dance floor or in carDescribing structure:riff hook leitmotifmusical phrase that that part of the melody a musical phrase associatedcan be repeated at of a song that is most with a particular charactervarious pitchesmemorableoverdubbing drop-out breakdownbuilding up texture by when a track suddenly stops when a number of tracksrecording one track and enters later with impact stop (often leaving drums)over anotherstrophicwords of different versesset to same musicthrough-composedmusic of different verseschanges responding to wordsmedley overture interlude repriseinstrumental opening music to cover song heard earlierintroducing best tunes scene changes or brought back andfrom the musical passage of time repeatedDescribing instrumental techniques:hammer ons pull offs string bendingpercussive effect ofpushing string sidewaysleft hand on fretboardto bend the pitch upwardspalm muting harmonics slidesusing right hand to simultaneous plucking moving up or down the stringdampen strings and touching of string with the left hand34

Describing instruments:drum machine vocals backing vocalselectronic device which all parts sung accompanying vocalssequences drum samplesin unison or harmonylead guitar rhythm guitar bass guitarguitar carrying the melody guitar carrying the chords 4-string guitar carrying the basslinebass-drum hi-hat tomsfoot operated central foot operated pair low, (floor standing)drum in a drum kit pair of cymbals mid and high pitched drumscrash cymballarge cymbal ofmixed pitchesride cymballarge cymbal with morefocussed pitch quality35

GCSE Music:Area of Study 4 – Indian RagaBackgroundIndian Classical Music is steeped in spiritualism and stories of the Hindu GodsIt has a tradition stretching back well over 2000 yearsPerformances are long and may last all day and all nightMusicians learn by living with the guru and his familyMusicians aim for perfection by long periods of study and practiceRagaA Rag means a particular scale of notes which uses particular patterns of notes thatmust be included in the performancethere are hundreds of rags for almost every type of occasioneach is associated with a particular time of day, season, mood, emotion or even genderrags can be 5, 6 or 7 named pitches, and may use different pitches when descendingpitches are chanted and taught using Sargam – sa ri ga ma pa dah ni sa areused just as sol-fa uses doh re me in Western traditionspitch bending (or meend) and portamento are indivisible from the pitchesthemselvesTalaTala or Tal means ‘clap’ and is the underlying rhythmic structure of the Gatthe rhythm patterns created over the top of this structure is known as bolsBols can be chanted as well as played for teaching purposesIt is best heard on the small metal tablaThis refers both to a set pattern and number of claps togetherempty beats - known as Khali – are indicated by the upturned palmThe most common number of beats in a ‘bar’ or Vibhag -are either 3, 4 or 5The syllables spoken to teach the complex tabla rhythms is known as Bols in whicheach spoken sound mimics the sound of the tabla stoke involvedTextureThe three strands of the texture always enter in the same order in Indian Classical Music(see next page)StructureThe sections are also always in the same order (see next page)Alap The sitar or other melody instrument slowly explores pitches of the chosen rag inunmeasured timeSamvadi and Vadi (usually the first notes and fifth note of the rag) are the mostimportant pitches and heard clearly in the drone (eg G highC highC lowC)Jhor extends the pitch range of the improvisation but is more lively with a clear pulseJhala gets much faster and louder with a clear sense of pulse and some virtuoso playingGat the tabla now enters for the first timethis section is pre-composed and learned from tradition handed down by the guruplayers often improvise and try to outdo one another using question and answer.The gat section is known as the bandish section in vocal ragas.36

TablaSitar SarodHarmoniumor SarangiTampura orHarmoniumAlap Jhor Jhala Gat (or Bandish)Explores the pitches ofthe rag over 1 octaveemphasising theSamvadi and Vadi in aslow atmosphericimprovisation in freetimeExplores thepitches of therag over 3octaves butwith a clearpulse andfaster tempoLouder andfaster andenergeticwith a verydefinitepulse andmetreThe tabla playerimprovises around agiven tal gettingmore virtuosictowards the endPre-composedsection based on theset tala. Players tryto outdo one anotherin a competitivequestion andanswer sectionPlays a drone throughout the piece using 3 pitches – Vadi and Samvadi infree time creating a background wash of soundIndian Classical InstrumentsVoice:Tampura:the most important instrument which can communicate directly with theHindu gods – all other instruments seek to emulate its qualitiesa simple four stringed instrument which plays the droneHarmonium: a portable reed organ pumped with one hand and played with otherit can play the drone or the melodySitar:SarodSarangi:Santur:Bansuri:Shenai:Tabla:a plucked stringed instrument – 7 melody strings, 2 drone strings andabout 12 sympathetic strings underneath – frets can be moved to achieve differenttuningssmaller than a sitar, but fretless with a lower, heavier sound than the sitara bowed melody instrument which has no frets - more mellow than the sitarand often used to accompany singersan Indian dulcimer – small trapezium-shaped box over which metal stringsare stretched and played with a pair of wire hammersan Indian bamboo flute with finger holesa double-reeded instrument like the oboe with a very penetrating sounda pair of single-headed drums - one wood, one metal(latter can bend the pitches played)Famous PerformersRavi Shankar (sitar) his daughter Anoushka ShankarTalvin Singh (tabla)37

My Notes:38

GCSE Music – Area of Study 4 - African MusicBackgroundAfrica is a huge continent made up of dozens of countries and hundreds of languagesIn the north the very strong Arabic and Islamic influence makes the music very differentIt is the indigenous music of Central and Southern Africa which is more widespreadEach tribe within each society will have its own particular traditions and cultureSkills tend to be kept in the family and handed down through the oral traditionMusic is at the heart of society, its celebrations and ritualsMusic is indivisible its gestures, body-painting, symbols, dance and costumeMen and women often have their own separate repertoireDrumming is the most powerful form of African music-makingStructureRepetition is one of the strongest hallmarks of African musicOstinati usually simple in themselvesRepetition of ostinati of different length creates cyclic patternsTextures are buit up by successive entries of contrasting rhythmic layersInstruments may join in and drop out for varietySometimes solo sections are featuredCall and response is often used (a solo call answered by a group response)Vocal MusicSinging unites societies in every walk of African life and everyone participates eg:Children’s songs: lullabies counting songs play songsRites of passage: celebrating adulthood birthdaysmarriage celebrationsfuneral dirgesSinging is a natural cultural development from the spoken languages of Africa because:African languages are tonal ie they have a naturally wide range of pitchlong and short syllables can be extreme – creating naturally strong rhythmic patternsVocal Harmony and TextureThe tribal music is often sung by men in unison or women in unison2-part textures are created by singing in parallel octaves, with the occasional 4 ths or 5 thsThe influence of the West can be heard when the singing is in parallel 3rds or 6thsMen or women may sing high-pitched vocalisations (lu-lu-lu-lu etc) known as ululationLadysmith Black Mambazo are now a celebrated a cappella Zulu male choirthey sing some South African traditional music but the harmonies are very often Westernthey have collaborated with popular singers eg Paul Simon and Stevie Wonderthe texture is often homophonic featuring call and responsethe style includes sliding up and down to notes (portamento) and Zulu tongue slaps39

African InstrumentsAll instruments are hand-made from natural or reclaimed materialsMbira(or Sansa)KoraDondo:Djembe:Astimevu:Gankogui:Toke:Axatse:Yenca:Balafon:made from packing case wires hammered flat on a resonating box or gourdit is usually pentatonic and usually accompanies the voicea more sophisticated 21-string virtuoso instrumentused to accompany dignified songs of praisea talking drum – squeezing strings changes pitch to imitate speecha goblet-shaped drum – widely used across many African countriesa Master Drum – used to lead ensemble through section changes(or Ngong-gong) – a two-tone cowbell which plays a syncopated rhythmA pair of banana-shaped bells usually tuned a 4 th aparta calabash with a beaded net which plays simple rhythmsa pod with dried seeds inside to make a rattlea hand-made xylophone – often pentatonicAfrican DrummingThe Master Drum is particularly important and used as a means of communicationused to bring people together from nearby tribes and villages for communal eventsdifferent rhythms have different meaningsheard at all important festivals and ritualsthe Master Drummer signals section changes and cues dancersTextureWhole texture creates complex polyrhythms and cross-rhythms or hockettThis texture may sometimes be used as a basis for improvisation in some partsRhythmIndividual parts may be syncopatedMetal instruments are the timekeepersNo changes in tempoDynamicsmainly related to achieving good balance between partscan achieve terraced dynamics by adding or subtracting instrumentsDrumming Techniquesflat palmcupped handfingers on edgesticks to strike headsticks to damp headsticks on side on drumThe school‟s African drums includes two tribal sets from Ghana – one from the Ewe tribe (with the verytall master drum) and one from the Akan tribe (hit by sticks – including the pair of carved master drums).40

My notes:41

GCSE Music – Area of Study 4 – Indian and African FusionsThe improved communications of the 20 th century has allowed musicians to hear andabsorb styles from far away countries and fusions of all types of music has flourished. Newpopular music styles are springing up everywhere. Non-Western traditions have been copiedby popular music composers and vice versa.The term fusion as applied to music was first coined in the 1970s. It usually refers to somestrongly characterised ethnic non-Western music with popular commercial music styles.NB The GCSE examination will only concentrate on fusions with Indian and African music.Indian FusionsThe BeatlesGeorge Harrison studied the sitar for a few months with Ravi Shankar in India. On theBeatles’ single Norwegian Wood (1965) he introduced the world to the sound of the sitar. Hisbest known fusion number is ‘Within You Without You’Hindi Film MusicBollywood is the name given to the huge Hindi film-making industry based in Mumbai(formerly Bombay). It combines features of Indian Classical music with Western popularmusic:Features:Indiantraditional Indian instruments(especially tabla)melodies based on ragause of melismanasal vocal soundgliding to notes from above orbelow (gamak)Westernuse of Western instruments(especially electronic instruments)major or minor keys usedharmonies based on Western triadsWestern dance rhythms(eg disco, foxtrot, polka)BhangraThis is a British-Asian popular dance music which combines traditional Indian Bhangra(essentially folk music) with Western popular music.BackgroundOld Bhangra was originally a folk music of Punjabi workers harvesting hemp (bhang)not unlike the worksong of slaves in America – it helped relieve the tedium of workoriginally accompanied by the traditional double headed drum - called a dholModern Bhangra was created by Asian teenagers in British cities in the late 70sit uses the original 8 beat rhythmic cycle called Chaal - now using electronic drumsthe chaal rhythm sounds like a fast swung rhythmMusic technology has become a very important part of modern bhangraBritish-Asian youths continue to identify with it.42

FeaturesIndianoriginally a worksongChaal rhythmPunjabi languagesung my menshort phrases in unisonsimple repetitiveuse of ragauses dhol, tabla or drum machineBritishnow a form of club dance musicchaal rhythm now electronicEnglish used at timessometimes sung by womenrap style vocalsuses pop verse & chorus formselectronic stabs and fills in octavessampled and looped materialsAfrican Fusions‘African Sanctus’In 1969 an unknown David Fanshawe walked through the Sudan, Uganda and Burundiwith a tape recorder and just a few pounds in his pocket. He recorded a wealth ofauthentic tribal music, some of which he used in his only important work – AfricanSanctus – a Christian choral mass set against these recordings of tribal music.Because the 20 th classical style parts are sung live, synchronised against the originalrecordings, it is not an example of fusion in the accepted sense.‘Graceland’Whilst Bhangra grew up in the bedroom studios of young British Asian men, it was PaulSimon (of Simon and Garfunkel fame) who after hearing African music was inspired toproduce the Graceland Album (1986). The title makes a connection between theAmerican Rock and Roll of Elvis Presley with the music of South Africa.His use of Ladysmith Black Mambazo in the album shot them to fame.‘Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes’ features Paul Simon and Ladysmith BlackMambazo in what is probably the best known number from the album.Salsameans hot, spicy even sexy, energetic dance musiccombines Latin-American rhythms with features of American big-band jazzhas flourished in Cuba which has been cut off after Communist Revolution of 1959BackgroundSpanish invaders imported slaves bringing rhythms and structures from AfricaNew Latin American dance styles born: conga, rumba, mambo, cha-cha-cha etcPuerto Ricans in New York brought big band jazz influences including instrumentssuch as trumpets and trombones with congas, timbales and often two singers43

Features:Africanclaves, guiro, agogo, bongos(descendents of African instruments)built on repetitive ostinatiWesternmaracas, guitar(Spanish instruments)uses a verse chorus structuresyncopation and cross-rhythms rhythms of big band jazz: tonic/dominant very strongsophisticated and dissonant harmonies___________________________________________________________________________________My notes:44

GCSE Music: AoS4 – Describing Indian Raga, African Music & Fusions(terms used in addition to those listed under AOS1, AOS2 and AOS3)Describing rhythm:Chaalrapid swung rhythmfound in Bhangrapolyrhythm & cross-rhythmssimultaneous rhythmsthat create new patternshockett & interlocking rhythmsrhythmic patterns in 2 or more parts each of which contain rests in different placesso that the rhythms are locked into one another to create a complex rhythmDescribing melody:ragameendsomething between a scale and a number of set patterns microtonal pitch bendingassociated with a mood, season, time of day etc on particular degrees of the ragDescribing harmony:triadicsimple harmonybased on triadsclose harmonyusing the nearest notes of achord to create vocal harmonyDescribing metre:unmeasured irregular metre polymetreno sense of metre constantly changing metre use of one or moreeg alap in an Indian Rag eg African drumming metres simultaneouslyDescribing tonality:pentatonicusing a scale of 5 pitchesoften non-standardised pitches in African musicDescribing structure:call and responsesolo phrase followed bya group responsebandishlast section of a vocal raga(instrumental equivalent – gat)Describing dynamics:terraced dynamicsno gradual changes sections step up down in volumeoften by adding or subtracting instrumentsDescribing texture:parallel octavesmale and female voicessinging the same melodysuccessive entriesinstruments enter in orderto build up the textureadding/subtracting instrumentsmethod of achieving texture anddynamic contrast in African musicsolo sectionstexture reduces to a singleinstrument for contrasta cappellasung in harmony withoutinstrumental accompaniment45

Describing vocal techniques:jodelling vocalisations & vocables ululationmoving rapidly from any sounds other than words high pitched sustainedchest voice to head voice made by the mouth sound articulated bythe tongueportamento gamak tongue slapssliding between pitches type of portamento percussive vocablein Hindi film singingheard in Zulu singing46

Glossary of Music Terminology - PitchPitch namesSharps/flatsStep/leapD) it is aIntervalsRangeletter names to indicate pitch eg A, D, E, F# etca sharp sign (#) in front of a note raises its pitch by a semitone; a flatsign (b)in front of a note does the opposite. This is how black notes arerepresented.if the next note in a melody moves to the next letter name (eg E tostep, if it misses a letter name (eg A to C) it is a leapthe distance in pitch between notes played at the same time (a chord)or played one after the other (a melody)the range of a melody is the interval formed between its highest and lowestnote (eg Twinkle, twinkle little star has a range of a Major 6 th ,Amazing Grace has a range of an octave)Glissando(gliding) means moving through a range of adjacent pitches in veryrapid succession - depending on the instrument, it may move bysemitones (eg piano) or by microtones (eg trombone, trumpet,voice, clarinet)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Compassthe total pitch range that can be played/sung by an instrument or voiceRegisterthe part of the compass of an instrument or voice in which the musicis set - it is relative to the range of notes possible (eg a clarinet hasa huge compass which includes a low, dark brown register at thebottom of its compass - the chalumeau register; it can also screamout in a high register)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Transposeto re-write the same music in another key, higher or lower in pitch,(eg to set a song at a more comfortable pitch for the singer; to writeout a part one tone higher so that a clarinet [whose pitches are setone tone lower than most instruments] will sound at the right pitch------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ArpeggioBroken chordConsonanceDissonance(harp-like) is used to describe the notes of any chord heard in rapidsuccession, ascending or descendingplaying the notes of a chord in a recognisable, repeating pattern (egopening of Beethoven‟s Moonlight Sonata)this is formed by pitches played together which have little or notension in them (eg the interval of a perfect 8ve, a perfect 5 th , or aPerfect 4 th )this creates drama and tension in music; nearly all music containsdissonance. This is created by sounding pitches together whichclash (eg listen to C and C# played together - an interval of a minor2 nd ; C and B - a major 7 th ; C and F# - an augmented 4 th )47

TonicBlue Notesfirst, last and most important note of a scale (eg D in D major). Achord can be formed on this note - known as the tonic chord (shownby the numeral I)used in jazz and blues – the flattened third, flattened fifth and theflattened seventh are known as blue notes (eg in C the blue noteswould be Eflat, Gflat and Bflat)SubdominantDominantthe fourth note up in a scale, on which the subdominant chord isformed (shown by the numeral IV)the second most important note on which a chord can be formed (V)eg 12 Bar Blues relies on these three chords: I I I I IV IV I I VIV I ICadences(endings) these are made up of two chords that occur at the end of aphrase, making it sound complete (a full close cadence) orincomplete (a half close cadence). Full closes are either PerfectCadences (chords V to I) or Plagal Cadences (chords IV to I). Halfcloses are either Imperfect cadences (any chord to V) orInterrupted cadences (chords V to VI)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ScaleRag or RagaMode/ModalBlue notesDiatonicChromaticRelated KeysAtonal(ladder) a series of steps in pitch (usually 7) up or down, on whichthe melody or harmony is based. Most common are major scales,minor scales, pentatonic (5 note) scales, and modes (neithermajor nor minor)this is something between a scale and a melody in Indian music.Unlike our 10 or so scales and modes, there are a thousanddifferent rags (many of them using different notes ascending todescending) each has religious significance and represents amood, a season or a time of day.most world music is modal. The steps of tones and semitones asyou go up and down the scale are in a different order to those foundin major and minor scales (eg the mode based on the white notes Dto D is known as the Dorian mode; the white notes A to A as theAeolian mode)these describe the chromatic pitches found in jazz and blues thathelp give its flavour. If the piece is set in the key of C the blue noteswill be Eflat, Fsharp and Bflat. (Singers and instrumentalists oftenslide to these notes rather than performing in strict semitones)using only notes which occur in the scale of the piece (eg an F# is adiatonic note when found in a piece set in G major, but if it occurredin a piece set in C major, it would be a chromatic note)also using notes that fall outside the scale on which the music is based.when the music modulates to a key that is related (eg thedominant key or the relative key).music in which there is no sense of key - no tonic, no dominant etc.This makes it very difficult to hum or to remember (especiallypopular 1910-1920)48

Series/Note rowany music which uses a set of pitches in a given order is known asSerialism. The most common form it that invented by Schoenberg in1923 - the 12 tone technique - in an attempt to structure the atonalmusic of the time------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Pedalthis is one or more notes of the same letter name (eg 2 Ds) - oftentonic or dominant held at the foot of the texture whilst theharmonies above changeDronethis is exactly the same as pedal except there are TWO differentpitches sounding together - nearly always the tonic and thedominant notes------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DynamicsArticulationOrnamentone of the elements of music which refers to loudness or quietness;they can indicate gradual change (eg crescendo or diminuendo) orsudden change (eg mp to ff or f to pp)how a note is begun or ended (eg pizzicato, accented, legato etc)a standard form of rapid melodic decoration (eg acciaccatura,mordent, turn, trill)Decoration when shorter notes are added to tune to increase its melodicinterest------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Oral traditionrefers to musical performance that is not learned from notation, butby listening to and being taught by an expert (eg the guru in Indianmusic). Most of the music in the world is passed on in this way, notby notation.49

GCSE Music Terminology - Rhythm and TempoRhythmNote valuesTripletDotted RhythmSwung RhythmPhrase Lengththe pattern created by using notes of different lengthssemibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semiquaver etc and dottednotesthree notes played in the time of two - used particularly in jazz andbluesa dot after a note increases its length by half againthe lilting long/short long/short found in most jazz and blues musicnumber of bars a musical sentence lasts forPhrase Structure regular 4 bar phrases (periodic phrasing), irregular or extendedphrases------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------MetreTime SignatureSimple TimeCompound TimeIrregular MetreTalathe grouping of pulses into 2s, 3s or 4s which can be heardthe written indication of metre. In simple time the top figure indicates thenumber of beats in a bar with the bottom figure showing how many ofthose beats in a semibreve. In compound time however the top andbottom figures refer to the number of sub-beats (the beat note is made up ofthree sub-beats in compound time).pulses grouped into 2s(duple time), 3s(triple time) or 4s(quadruple time); each pulse can be broken down into 2 quavers or4 semiquaverseach beat is a dotted note and can be broken down into 3 quaversor 6 semiquavers (eg 6/8 indicates 6 quaver sub-beats, but thebeats are2 dotted crotchets in each bar)sometimes simple metres are combined to create asymmetrical patterns(eg Brubeck’s Take 5 (3+2) or his Unsquare Dance (2+2+3)a complex cycle of beats and accents found in Indian music------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Tempothe speed of the pulselargo very slow accelerando getting graduallyfasteradagio slow ritardando gradually gettingslowerandante at a walking pace allargando broadening out50

moderato at a moderate speed pause hold a note orrestallegrovivaceprestorubatofastfast and livelyvery fastsubtle speeding up or slowing down in Romantic music to enhanceits expressivenessDynamicsthe loudness or quietness of the music------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ArticulationLegatoStaccatoTremolohow notes are played at the start and at the end of each eventsmooth and connectedshort and detachedrapid alternation in dynamic------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------InstrumentsSamplerSynthesizerOrchestraString OrchestraWind BandBrass BandSwing BandGamelanDjembea computer that records almost any sound digitally; this can then bestretched, squeezed, edited and reproduced at any pitcha computer that can generate hundreds of set sounds, and can beprogrammed to produce millions of new original electronic soundsusually contains all four families: strings, woodwind, brass andpercussionfound in Baroque music (eg Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’); always heardwith the continuo group - harpsichord chords with a cello doublingthe bass lineconsists mainly of flutes and clarinets with trumpets, trombones anda rhythm section (piano, bass guitar and drum kit)consists of cornets (smaller and more mellow than a trumpet),flugel horns, euphoniums, baritones and tubasconsists mainly of saxophones (alto, tenor and baritone), trumpets,trombones and a rhythm section (piano, bass guitar and drum kit);popular in the 1940sIndonesian orchestra made up mainly of gongs and metallophonesGoblet shaped drum popular in many African countries51

Master DrumTalking DrumNgong-gong(Agogo)SitarTampuraHarmoniumUsually the largest drum which signals changes to other players.Can also be used as a form of communication to members of thetribe or neighbours.Donno or Dondo – an hourglass-shaped instrument with stringstretched between the two playing heads. When squeezed underthe arm it can mimic speech patternsA two-tone handmade African cowbellA two tone factory made Latin-American equivalentIndian Classical melody instrument having strings which areplucked and sympathetic strings which resonate in sympathy.Indian Classical simple instrument with four strings which plays anunchanging background drone in free timeBrought by Christian missionaries, this is played with one handwhilst being pumped with the other. It can be used to produce adrone or a melody.Tabla drums (one wooden, one metal) – properly known as tabla-baya –used in Indian classical and other forms of Indian music.52

GCSE Music Terminology – Texture and StructureTextureMonophonicHomophonicMelody andPolyphonicHeterophonicUnisonOctaveDoublingClose HarmonyA CappellaTuttiCountermelodyDescantPedalDrone(lit. one sound) a single voice or instrument sustaining a melody alone(eg flute solo)all parts moving in block chords (eg traditional hymn tune)a type of texture where the accompanimental part supports themelody but is an accompaniment distinctly different from it in termsof rhythm, texture etc (eg a folk song)(lit. many voices) where each part in the texture has an equallyimportant melodic line (ie the highest part is no more importantthan any other) and parts often imitate each other (eg in a fugue)(lit. diverse sounds) where a melody is doubled by anotherinstrument but decorations added to that melody by the secondinstrument (eg gamelan, Irish folk music)when instruments or voices play or sing the same pitch at the same timewhen no pitches are sounding (eg monks singing plainsong, or malefootball fans singing on the terraces)when instruments or voices play or sing the same letter name pitch at thesame time but sounding an octave apart (eg male and female football fanssinging on the terraces will sing in octaves – roughly!)when a melodic line is played or sung simultaneously by anotherinstrument or voice (eg harpsichord bassline doubled by cello in thecontinuo).when voices sing the pitches of the notes of the chord which are nearest toone another (ie backing vocals singing triads as an accompaniment)(lit. in church style) when voices sing in harmony but unaccompanied. Itis now applied to all types of unaccompanied singing – not just sacredmusic – eg Ladysmith Black MambazoAll voices or instruments playing/singing (ie the fullest texture possible)a melodic line which is an important tune in itself and which is meant tobe heard above or below the main melodya countermelody played above the melody at the same time (eg descantheard on last verses in Christmas carols, where congregation takes thetune and the high voices sing the descant above(lit. foot) a long, low note held or repeated at the foot of the texture whilstthe melody or harmony is varied above itlike a pedal but involving two pitches – often the tonic and the dominant(eg the Sa and Pa drone in Indian Classical music)53

Alberti bassa bass line pattern of notes 1 5 3 5 of the scale common in the Classicalperiod because it could create a very light texture but have all the notes ofthe chord soundingsemitonestafftimbretriadroot positionfirst inversiontonic notedominant notesubdominantmediantsupertonictoniccompound timecompound intervalAoS1celloharpsichordpipe organluteharmonycadencebasso continuobasso ostinatochaconnepassacagliaoperaoratorioodegavotteboureesarabandesymphonystring quartetminuet and trioconcertosyllabicmelismaticformbinarydouble binaryda capo ariaepisoderitornellorefrainrondotonalitymodulationtonic keydominant keyrelative keydiatonicchromaticarpeggiobroken chordcadencefull closehalf closearticulationornamentsdecorationhomophonicpolyphonictuttiAoS 2motifostinatoloopingpedaldronesyncopationcross rhythmpolyrhythmconsonanttonalmodalenharmonicattack decaysustainAoS3DJindie musicanthemfour to the floorback beatbreakbeatbreakdownmixingdrop-outloopingoverdubbingfadingoperaminstrel showoverture/medleylibrettorecitativedialoguehookstrophicleitmotifrepriserock and rollintrooutroversechorusmiddle 8riffsmodesguitarsbacking vocalsharmonyunisonpentatonicAoS4gururagsamVadiSamvadiSargamtalaBolsKhaliVibhagpitch-bendingmeendportamentotanvocablescall and responsetonal languageululationa cappellamaster drumhockettterraced dynamicschaal rhythmstabsfillsmonophonic54

_______________________________________________________________________________GCSE Music - Paper 2: Composing – Completing the MUS200 form_______________________________________________________________________________Word-process your brief and commentary. Do a full spelling and grammar check, then get an adult tomake sure it makes sense. Between 1 and 2 sides of A4 is enough.Set out the sheet as follows quoting all the subtitles shown in BOLD:GCSE Music 2008Candidate name: …………………………. Candidate number: …………EITHER:Composition 1: (eg Poor man Blues)Area of Study: (eg 3) Topic: (eg Britpop)OR:Composition 2: (eg Machine House) Area of Study: (eg 2) Topic: (eg Minimalism)(which MUST be from a different Area of Study that Composition 1)What was your composition brief?Write this as if it was written by the person commissioning you. It is simply a specification - a set ofinstructions to a composer as to what is required – style, purpose, instruments required. Omit allreferences to ‘my’ and ‘I’.Include the characteristics link your piece to the title of the AoS(use your listening factsheet to point out the features that make it that type eg if it isa Minimalist piece, mention each minimalist characteristic that can be heard)Put the piece in its context of style, time and place (eg 1980s Reggae/Dance remix)Explain the purpose of the piece (where is it designed to be heard)Specify the instruments to be used and the effects requiredEg Compose a piece of Minimalist music to be used as a soundtrack to a video display at an exhibition ofVictorian factory machinery. It should sound busy and mechanical and use layered ostinati to evolvegradually. The sounds chosen should reflect the types of sounds that might have been heard on thefactory floor in the late 19 th century.Describe the process you went through to complete your piece, using musical vocabulary.Write this to give the examiner insight into how the piece was created and structuredTrace the important stages in the development of the piece which led to changesUse as much musical terminology as possible as accurately as possible(Tip: use the list of terms at the back of your Listening Booklet as a guide).Refer to specific points in your piece using bar numbers to illustrate your pointsEg The music is written in four contrasting sections. The melody is supported by a simple walking bassfiguration (see bar 1) over which I composed my blues melody, using syncopation (eg bar2) and bluenotes (eg bar1 the Eflat and Bflat). From my study of blues songs in class, I copied the three line versestructure in my melody part (ie bars 1 to 4 and 5 to 8 are essentially the same, with a different melody forbars 9-12). Hence my title „Blues Song Without Words‟. In the section that follows this, I wrote a chorusin which I first improvised on the blues scale in C. This is accompanied by a subdominant 7 th chord. Thenew melody explores further some of the original motifs through repetition, sequence, and inversion.55

Section 3 is the same as section 1 except that it ends on the tonic chord with an added sixth, in order tomodulate up a full tone for the final section. I got this idea from listening to many blues songs which dothe same in order to raise the sense of excitement towards the end. In the last section I wrote a morecomplex melody over a shortened version of the original bass riff and finished off with a traditionalchromatic blues ending. I added the intro and coda later to complete the structure.Explain any alterations you made to your work as you evaluated it during the process. (not ‘itsounded boring so I …’ but ‘ section A lacked harmonic contrast being based on A minor and D minorchords only so I …‟.State what has worked well using musical terminology accuratelyMake critical judgements about why some things didn’t workRefer to bar numbers in your scoreSay what changes you made and how the piece was improvedTo what extent does your piece meet the brief?Return to the brief and ensure that it states all the characteristics of the finished piece(ie work in reverse).You need to be able to write: “The piece fulfils every aspect of the brief”so amend your brief accordingly.56

GCSE Music 2007MUS 200 (template)Candidate name: Candidate number: Centre: CheddarComposition Title:Composition Number: Area of Study: Topic:What was your composition brief?Describe the process you went through to complete your piece, using musical vocabulary.Explain any alterations you made to your work as you evaluated it during the process.To what extent does your piece meet the brief?57

GCSE Music – 20 TOP TIPS for Compositionto help improve your composition work1234567891011121314Put a tick or cross in the right hand column(s) to check that your piece:Fits into one of the Areas of Study and show characteristics typical of that styleHas an imaginative title that captures the chosen style eg Forgotten SongExploits the playing techniques you are best at on your instrumentIs played of your instrumental teacherIs played to and developed with the advice of your class teacher on the next stepsIs played to as many people as possible for general listener feedbackIs playable by you and/or others to a good standardIdeas are stated then developed within the same section (at least 16 bars)Has a complete texture (eg melody and accompaniment) for most of the pieceHas contrasting changes of texture eg block chords then melody & accompanimentHas contrasting dynamics - parts that are pp, others ff - gradual and sudden changesHas contrasting and varied rhythms that change before they become predictableHas a wide a range of pitch eg phrase repeated 1 octave higher with subtle changesHas contrasting major and minor key sections and/or key changes within sections15 Uses more complex chords than I, IV and V eg 7th & 9th chords, diminished chords etcUses technology well – exploits the sounds available and what the sequencer can do1617181920Has a MUS200 form completed (see guidelines, models and blank template)Follow the MUS200 guidance to the letter for full marks in this criterionHas a good quality recording without background noise complete with candidate infoHave a score or equivalent that is notated appropriately:If you read staff notation reasonably well: do your score in Sibelius on the computer.(Look at other commercially-produced scores to learn how to set it out).1 st 2 ndcheck checkIf you read tab: do your score on the computer in Sibelius guitar notation programme or theseparate Power TAB writing program.If you don’t read notated music well:Use chord symbols and letter names to represent your composition eg Dm7/G etc or use agraphic score to show every detail possible.As a last resort you can do a very detailed, bar by bar description of the piece eg the first phrasehas a diatonic melody on flute over an Alberti bass based on chords I and IV; the second phraseis more chromatic and uses accented diminished chords for emphasis ….NB Include all marks of mood, tempo, articulation, phrasing, dynamics and expression58

GCSE Music – Composition Coursework – Assessment and Feedback for Improvement - 2007/8Name: Date: Name of Piece:AHow your composition is assessedUse and Development of Ideas:Original ideas and standard conventions used imaginativelyIdeas are developed demonstrating effective musical judgementB Exploitation of the Medium:Excellent selection and handling of instruments/voices exploiting theirpotentialC Structural Interest:Structure is interesting and well-proportioned with appropriate sectionsand imaginative use of structural devicesD Understanding the Brief:Detailed description and perceptive evaluation of piece in contextCritical judgements use an extensive musical vocabulary accuratelyE* Melody:Displays effective melody having appropriate style and characterF* Harmony:Extended and appropriate harmonic repertoire shownG* Texture:Appropriate texture exploited sensitivity to good effectH* Rhythm:Exciting, well-chosen rhythms showing some originalityI* Dynamics:Sensitive and appropriate, enhancing the compositionJ* Technology:Confident and imaginative handling of resources and processes* TWO of these criteria to be chosen by the assessorGradeBoundariesA* A B C D E F G /82 73 62 52 44 36 28 20 /%28 25 21 18 15 12 10 7 /301 st submission RevisionMark Teacher comment & suggestions for improvement Mark/5/5TotalNB /30theStudent TargetsUsing the comments above and your own thoughts, what do youneed to do to revise and improve this composition?17% of the total mark is dependent on the MUS200- your description and evaluation of the composition.Remember: full marks are always possible for section D59

GCSE Music – Performance Coursework – Assessment and Feedback for Improvement – 2007/8Name:Date:How your performance is assessed Mark Teacher comment and suggestions for improvements Actedon?ABBAccuracy:The playing is fluent and without hesitationAll directions in the score are followed accurately.The instrument and performance is in tuneEITHER: Solo Interpretation:The playing shows confidence throughoutThe player shows a secure sense of styleThere is detailed attention to articulation, phrasing and dynamiccontrastsOR: Ensemble Interpretation: (where appropriate)The playing shows the three qualities listed above ANDThe player reacts and adjusts to other parts and displays anexcellent awareness of balance throughout.out of10out of15out of15GradeBoundariesA* A B C D E F G82 73 62 52 44 36 28 20 /%21 19 16 13 11 9 7 5 /25Totaloutof 25Student comment and targetDecide these in light of the comments above and your own thoughts,What will you do differently to improve as you approach your nextperformance?)60

The Growth of Access to Music Through Technology1870 Before recording was established and gramophones became affordable,all music could only be heard in live performance.1877 First sound recording188018901888 First gramophone player1898 First commercial recordings1900 1902 First player piano rolls(uniquely - first generation sound recording)19101920 1922 BBC Radio broadcasts19301940 1941 BBC Television broadcasts195019601949 Reel to reel tape recorder1958 Stereo recording1966 Audio tape cassette19701979 Sony Walkman portable cassette player1980 1983 MIDI protocol developed1985 Sony portable CD player1987 Digital Audio Tape developed1990 1990 HD recording 1990 www established1992 Sony portable MD recorder1995 CDr and DVD discs 1995 internet radio1998 First MP3 player2000 2001 Apple iPod AAC player 2001 digital TV2002 DVDr 2003 MP3 mobile phone2005 Sony portable MP3 player61

GCSE Listening Diary Name: Tutor group:Title of piece Composer Era AoS Topic Important Features MonthRock Around the Clock Bill Haley 1950s 312 barBluesFirst true pop song; uses introbut not standard pattern –last line is V V I ISept62

Title of piece Composer Era AoS Topic Important Features Month63

Title of piece Composer Era AoS Topic Important Features Month64