EDUQAS GCSE MUSIC Revision checklist Music theory ...
Transcript of EDUQAS GCSE MUSIC Revision checklist Music theory ...
EDUQAS GCSE MUSIC
Revision checklist
Music theory
Vocabulary and key words
AREA OF STUDY 1 – Musical Forms and Devices.
SET WORK: Menuetto and Trio from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - W.A.Mozart
Name the notes in the treble, bass and alto clefs.
Comment on the instrumentation for Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
Describe and explain the structure of Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
Describe the melody used for the minuet and for the trio.
Comment on the key of the minuet and trio and the type of harmony/cadences used.
Comment on the time signature, tempo, duration and rhythmic devices.
Describe the textural changes in both the minuet and trio.
Explain an appoggiatura and trill.
Name the four movements in the set work. Which movement is the Minuet and Trio?
Describe what you understand by the term 'Chamber Music'.
Describe the main features of BAROQUE MUSIC.
Describe the main features of CLASSICAL MUSIC, explain how this is different to
Baroque.
Describe the main features of ROMANTIC MUSIC, explain how this is different to
Classical.
Explain how a Classical orchestra is different to a Baroque orchestra
Name the four movements of a String Quartet.
Describe what 'arco' and 'pizzicato' mean.
Explain what the term 'double stopping' means.
List as many different structures as you can.
Explain what a 'cadence' is.
Explain the difference between a 'perfect' and 'imperfect' cadence.
Name the major keys that have up to four sharps.
Name the minor keys that have up to four sharps.
Name the major keys that have up to four flats.
Name the minor keys that have up to four flats.
Explain the term 'counterpoint'
AREA OF STUDY 2 - Music for Ensemble
Explain what is meant by the term 'ENSEMBLE'.
List and describe the different types of TEXTURE used in ensemble music.
Describe what is meant by the term SONORITY/ TIMBRE and give examples.
Explain what a Basso continuo is and name the instruments that play it.
Explain what 'figured bass' is and which instrument plays it.
Name the differences between a CONCERTO and SYMPHONY.
Musical Theatre
Explain how musical theatre evolved.
Describe the different types of ensembles used in musicals.
Comment on and describe the instrumentation used in musical theatre.
Name the main features of musical theatre.
Describe the terms: colla voce, recitative and declamatory writing.
Blues and Jazz
Explain where jazz originated.
Describe the chords used in a typical 12 bar blues.
Describe the term 'improvisation'.
What is meant by the term 'call and response'?
Name the main rhythmic features of jazz music, using the correct terminology.
Write definitions for each of the following terms:
What is an arpeggio?
What does the term 'comping' mean?
Explain the term 'syncopation'.
What is a blue note?
AREA OF STUDY 3 - Film Music
Evaluate why music is important in film music.
Name four composers who have written film music.
Describe the difference between conjunct and disjunct melodic lines.
Explain the term 'balanced phrases'.
Describe the use of motif in film music. Evaluate the importance of leitmotif
with examples.
Evaluate the impact of the use of diatonic and chromatic harmonies in film
music.
Explain how dissonant and diatonic chords create suspense and resolution.
Describe the term 'tritone' and evaluate the use in film music.
Explain what a 'cluster chord' is and explain its use in film music.
Evaluate the impact of atonality in film music.
What are simple time signatures? Give three examples.
What is meant by dotted rhythms?
What is compound time? Give examples.
Explain the use of cross-rhythms in film music.
Describe syncopation and evaluate its impact in film music.
Explain how a composer can create a sorrowful/reflective mood in film music.
Make at least five points using the musical elements.
Explain how a composer can create suspense in film music. Make at least five
points using the musical elements.
Explain how a composer can use sonority, technology, and harmony for horror
music.
Explain how the musical elements including melody/ pitch, dynamics, tempo,
instrumentation/ timbre/ sonority, harmony, texture and contrast are used by
composers to create a mood in descriptive music.
Describe and explain how composers use leitmotifs and thematic transformation to
develop thematic material.
Explain how minimalistic techniques can be used in film music
MUSIC THEORY
AREA OF STUDY 4 - Pop Music
SET WORK: Since You've Been Gone - Rainbow
Explain what a 'RIFF' is and how it is used in 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Describe the structure of 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Name the chords in the introduction of 'Since You’ve Been Gone'.
Name the chords in the verse of 'Since You’ve Been Gone'.
Name the chords in the chorus of 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Name the chords in the bridge of 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Comment on the rhythm patterns used in 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Describe and comment on the instrumentation used in 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Describe the melody of the vocal line in 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Describe the tonality used in 'Since You've Been Gone'.
Describe the BASS LINE in THE VERSE. How has this bass line been achieved?
Compare the chords of the final CHORUS to the original CHORUS we hear first.
What is the relationship of the second chorus to the original key?
Give a word for the speed at which the chords change in a piece.
Explain the difference between melismatic and syllabic writing.
Explain what Strophic form is.
Explain what a 32 bar song form is.
Explain how samplers are used in popular music and give an example.
Define the following: loop, vocoder, panning, reverb, doubletracking, chorus,
overdub
Explain what a fusion is and give an example.
Explain why FOLK ROCK is a fusion.
Name and describe five instruments that are traditional in FOLK ROCK.
Describe the main features of BHANGRA.
Name four traditional Indian instruments. Explain how they are played.
Key
Order of Flats and Sharps
Father Charles Goes Down And Ends Battle
Sharp major key Find the last sharp in the key signature, go up one semitone.
That is your key.
Last sharp = F# Up one semitone = G major
Flat major key Find the penultimate flat in the key signature. That is your key.
Penultimate flat = Bb Key = Bb major
Minor key Go down three semitones from the major key.
Major key = Bb major Down 3 semitones = G minor
Sharps
Cadences and Harmony
Perfect V-I. Sounds finished. Used most of the time.
Imperfect Finishes on chord V, e.g. IV-V or I-V. Sounds unfinished.
Plagal IV-I. Sounds like ‘Amen’ in a hymn. Sounds finished.
Interrupted Sounds like it will resolve in a perfect cadence, but finishes on an unexpected chord, e.g. V-
vi.
Dominant 7th chord Chord V in a key, with the added seventh on top.
Chords: Write out a chord chart for the key (with all 7 chords and also add sevenths onto chords II,V, VII)
e.g. Chord Root
(a) Third
(b) Fifth (c)
Seventh (d)
I C E G
ii D F A C
iii E G B
IV F A C
V G B D F
vi A C E
vii B D F A
Reading notes
Treble clef A high register overall. Used for instruments such as flute, violin
Bass clef A low register overall. Used for instruments such as cello, bass.
Alto clef A middle register. Used for viola mainly.
Lines: Green Buses Drive Fast Always
Rhythmic features
Metre Tells you how many beats in a bar and how long each beat it.
Anacrusis Where the music starts on a beat other than beat 1.
Dotted rhythms Use of dotted note values to increase the length by half the length again.
Rhythmic values The note lengths/values that are most common
Melodic Features
Sequence Repetition of a melodic pattern, up or down a note.
Chromatic scale A scale that uses every note (black and white notes).
Legato Notes are played smoothly with no gap between them.
Staccato Notes are detached (with a small gap between them). The notes are played slightly
shorter.
Conjunct Where the notes of the melody move by step (to the note next to it)
Disjunct Where the notes of the melody move by leap to notes further away.
Ornaments
Trill Rapid alternation between two notes.
Mordent rapid single alternation between an indicated note, the note above and the indicated
note again
Turn a short figure consisting of the note above the one indicated, the note itself, the note below
the one indicated, and the note itself again
Appoggiatura the grace note takes half the value of the main note and often the note above or
below
Acciaccatura a very quick note before the main note
Glissando a slide between two notes
Structure
Binary form Two clear sections – usually with each section repeated
Rounded Binary form Two clear sections – with each section repeated. The theme from the A
section comes back at the end of the B section
Ternary form Three clear sections. The middle section contrasts greatly with the first section.
Each section sounds like its own piece. The middle section is often in a contrasting key.
Minuet and Trio form Like ternary form, with 3 clear sections. The minuet (dance) first
section, a Trio (reduced texture and orchestration) and then a return to the original minuet. Each
section is usually structured in binary or rounded binary form.
Minuet Trio Minuet
Rondo form The A section (refrain) keeps returning, in between episodes (contrasting sections).
The episodes are usually in different keys and have a different style or character to the refrain.
Strophic form Each verse is sung to the same music (with no contrasting section)
Variation form Each verse is sung to the same music (with no contrasting section)
A B
A B (a)
A B A
A B C D A B
A B A C A
Verse 1 Verse 2 Verse 3 Verse 4 Verse 5
Theme Variation 1 Variation 2 Variation 3
Texture features and accompaniment
Monophonic A single line of music (either one voice, or several at one pitch or doubled at
octave.
Homophony Where there is a clear tune, over the top of chords or an accompaniment
Polyphony Several independent melodies that work against each other. May sometimes have
imitation of ideas.
Octaves The duplication of a musical line up or down an octave simultaneously
Unison Duplication of a musical line at the exact same pitch
Broken chord Playing the notes of the chord one after the other in a repetitive pattern
MUSIC VOCABULARY AND KEY WORDS
VOCABULARY DEFINITION/DESCRIPTION
Musical devices/
Compositional devices
used by composers to develop their music
sequence a pattern repeating on a lower or higher starting note
each time
ostinato repeated rhythmic or melodic pattern
riff as above, usually in rock & pop e.g. guitar riff
drone a note or notes which is held over a number of bars
(e.g. bagpipe)
imitation repeating a melodic pattern in a different voice, can
be on a different note
canon one part starting after another, playing the same
melody
fugue very specific type of canon, usually melody is played
on the tonic-dominant-tonic-dominant while the other
voices fill in with countermelodies
leitmotif a distinctive musical idea, often linked to a
character in film music
pedal a sustained note in one part (see also drone)
inverted pedal a sustained note in one part which is higher pitched
than the melody
anacrusis a beat or beats played before the bar
conjunct next door notes, a melody moving up and down in steps
scalic a melody moving up in steps, or down in steps
disjunct far apart notes, a melody moving up and down in leaps
arpeggio/ broken chord the notes of a chord played one after the other
Alberti
bass
a specific bass note pattern – low high middle high
low high middle high
ornamentation/
decoration/ grace notes
adding embellishments to a melody line
appoggiatura
a slow ornament; takes half the value of the following
note
acciaccatura
a fast ornament; a note or notes slipped in before the
following note
mordent the note, the note above (or below) and the note (like
a mini trill) e.g. cdc
trill the note and the note above (or below) played
repeatedly e.g. cdcdcdcdcdc
turn
the note above, the note, the note below, the note
e.g. dcbc or bcdc
Rhythm and metre the duration of note lengths and silences and how they
are arranged
pulse/ beat the steady “heartbeat” underneath the music
syncopation off-beat rhythm
cross-rhythms rhythms that cross the bar/ expected metre
metre the pattern of stresses within a bar e.g. strong-weak
Dynamics volume
ff - fortissimo very loud
f - forte loud
mf - mezzo forte moderately loud
mp - mezzo piano moderately quiet
p - piano quiet
pp - pianissimo very quiet
sotto voce soft (literally “under the voice” – like a whisper)
crescendo gradually getting louder
diminuendo gradually getting quieter
più/ meno more/ less
Instrumental techniques how the instruments are played/ sung
glissando sliding from one note to another e.g. up the string or
across the keys
tremolando repeatedly playing one note (or alternating between
two notes) very quickly
mute (con sordino) adding a solid mute to a string or brass instrument to
muffle the sound
pizzicato plucking the strings
arco bowing the strings
double stopping playing two or more notes at once on stringed
instrument
falsetto a male singing in an unnaturally high register – a
“false” voice
melisma/ melismatic more than one note to a syllable
syllabic one note per syllable
Tempo speed
prestissimo very fast indeed
presto very fast
vivace lively
allegro fast
allegretto fairly fast
moderato moderate speed
andante walking pace
adagio fairly slow
lento slow
largo broad
grave very slow
accelerando gradually getting faster (accelerating)
stringendo gradually getting faster (accelerating)
ritardando (rit)
rallentando (rall)
ritenuto (rit)
gradually getting slower (decelerating), holding back,
pulling back
rubato being flexible with the tempo, slowing down and
speeding up
poco a poco little by little
simple time each beat can be divided by two – into pairs of
quavers
compound time each beat divides into three quavers
phrasing dividing the music into natural sections, often
question + answer
articulation how the notes are played
accent > ; marcato ^ accented, stress on each note; heavy “hammered”
staccato . short
legato long - smooth
slurred a curved line over a group of notes to indicate they
should be played legato
tonality major, minor
degrees of the scale pitches of the scale from note I (the tonic) to note
VII;
I = tonic, II = supertonic, III = mediant, IV =
subdominant, V = dominant, VI = submediant, VII =
leading note
diatonic based on the Western major/ minor key system
major “happy” key, with a major third
minor “sad” key, with a minor third
modal not diatonic, not following the major or minor scale
pattern
atonal no obvious key centre – totally random set of tones/
s-ts
bitonal two keys at once
chromatic using semitones (black and white notes on the piano)
pentatonic using a 5-note set e.g. all the black notes
blues scale notes used in blues music – flat 3rd & 7th, sharpened
4th
modulation changing key
Texture the layers in music
unison all parts playing the same melody at the same time
octave the same melody playing 8 notes apart
monophonic a single melody line (could be solo or unison)
heterophonic two or more lines which are decorated versions of the
melody
homophonic two or more parts moving in harmony, with the same
rhythm
melody & accompaniment a melody line with an accompaniment (which could be
chords)
polyphonic interweaving melody lines with different rhythms
polyrhythmic interweaving rhythmic lines e.g. Samba music
canon/ canonic one part starting after another, playing the same
melody
imitative imitating fragments of the melody in different voices
at different times
antiphonal call & response, melody split between voices,
“answering” each other
counterpoint/
contrapuntal
having a countermelody or countermelodies
countermelody a second melody designed to fit with the first
(harmony or descant)
Structure how the music is arranged
binary two contrasting sections A B (B may be in a different
key)
rounded binary two sections, but the B section refers back to the A
to give A B (A)
ternary three sections A B A (B may be in a different key)
da capo (aria) form as ternary, with the singer adding ornamentation to
the repeat of B
Minuet and Trio form as ternary – Minuet Trio Minuet BUT the Minuet and
Trio may also be ternary or rounded binary
rondo where the opening section keeps repeating A B A C A D
A E A F…
theme and variation an opening theme and a series of variations on it A A1
A2 A3 A4
cyclic form patterns or phrases that keep repeating, usually World
music e.g. Indian
popular song/ verse-
chorus form
intro/ verse/ prechorus/ chorus/ bridge/ outro
strophic same melody, different words e.g the verses of a song,
hymn, carol
through composed no clear structure – music starts, goes through to the
end, stops Bo Rap
symphony large scale work for orchestra with 4 movements –
fast, slow, Minuet +Trio, fast
concerto large scale work for soloist and orchestra with 3 mvts
– fast, slow, fast
sonata work for solo instrument, usually with 3 or 4
movements
Music technology
Multi track recording studio recording on more than one track in order to
layer up sounds
synthesised/
synthesiser
played on an electric instrument, usually a keyboard
Sampler/sample a short motif or sound taken from another piece and
inserted/ reworked
MIDI musical instrument digital interface – how an
instrument talks to a PC
Looping repeating a phrase over and over again using
technology
Remix a new version of a piece creating using technology
Sequencer/sequence using technology to create music, through insert and
manipulating tracks
Vocoder a device to change the sound of the voice
Reverb; delay adding extra “echo” to a sound; adding a delay/ longer
echo to a sound
Distortion; overdrive created using an effects pedal or sequencer; a
distorted, “dirty” sound
Double tracking duplicating a track to give the effect of more than
one instrument/ voice being played
Panning moving the sound from left to right speaker
Overdub dubbing a second or subsequent sound onto an existing
track
Balancing adjusting the volume of individual tracks to create
the best mix