AQA GCSE Music Student Handbook & Revision Guide Name: Form: AQA GCSE Music Revision REVISION GUIDES FOR GCSE MUSIC CGP New GCSE Music AQA Complete Revision & Practice (with Audio CD) Paperback- 30 June 2016 £7.50 through school Recommended for Listening practice and help with keywords Rhinegold Education AQA GCSE Music Study Guide, Andrew S Coxon £19.95 Some useful chapters on the setworks but not an essential revision guide See pages towards the back of this booklet for keywords and facts you need to know! A more condensed and simplified guide to success!! Revision Topics Keywords linked to each element: Study Pieces: Melody 1. Haydn: Symphony 101 in D Major The Clock, mvt 2 Harmony Tonality 2. The Beatles: Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Structure Herat Club Band – the following Sonority (Timbre) tracks: Texture With a Little Help from my Friends Tempo, metre & rhythm Within You, Without You Dynamics & Articulation Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds GCSE Music – Styles of Music for longer answers – Typical Characteristics Baroque Music (Handel) Classical Music (Orchestral Music by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven) Use of a continuo Balanced/regular phrasing – question and answer Harpsichord phrasing Possibly a ground bass Rhythmic emphasis in accompaniment Functional harmony Melody and accompaniment texture Use of strings/string based Melodic decoration Cello emphasises bass line Melody often in violin 1 Could be homophonic or contrapuntal Simple harmony If homophonic, will be syllabic Thematic development Could be melody and accompaniment Regular cadences/Clear Cadences May be a pedal Diatonic harmonies and melodies Use of sequences Strong use of primary chords Use of ornamentation such as trills/mordents Mostly tonic and dominant chords Diatonic ‘Classical’ Orchestra Woodwind instruments may be added for colour Horns Clear tonality established (Listen to see if it is Major/Minor) Listening Examples Listening Examples Handel: Messiah: Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Haydn: Symphony No 100 in G Major, ‘Military’ Handel: Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus Haydn Symphony No. 103 “Drum Roll” 1st Movement Handel: Overture to the Oratorio of Solomon Haydn: Trumpet Concerto in Eb Handel: The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Mozart: Flute and harp Concerto in C, K299 Mozart: Symphony No 40 Piano Music of Chopin and Liszt (Romantic) Late Romantic Period – Requiem Ornamentation/decoration Melodic interest passed around the orchestra Use of chromaticism Long melodic phrases Possibly conjunct melodies/scalic – LISTEN Chromatic harmony Possibly triadic melodies – LISTEN Use of rubato Dotted rhythms – LISTEN May use syncopation Ostinato rhythms May use orchestral techniques such as pizz Use of rubato Use of expression Use of sustained pedal Varied dynamics Use of expression May hear an organ if sounds church like Using piano ability to bring out the melody May have ostinato patterns in accompaniment? Using piano ability to use contrasting dynamics Possibly conjunct melodies/scalic – LISTEN Melody may swap between hands Possibly triadic melodies – LISTEN Listening Examples Listening Examples Chopin: Nocturne Op 9 No 2 Faure: Requieme In Paradisum Chopin: Prelude Op. 28, No 15 Raindrop Faure: Requiem Pie Jesu Liszt: La Campanella Faure: Requiem Libera Me Liszt: Liebestraum Broadway Musical 1950 - 1990 Rock Music of the 60’s & 70’s Regular rhythm Repetitive melodic lines Steady 4 beat pattern – well established Memorable melodies Use of syncopation Emphasis on beats 2 and 4 Short phrases Melody and accompaniment Could have melodic decoration Could have driving rhythms in drum kit Could be a vocal duet/ensemble Use of drum fills? 2/4, 4/4 Bass guitar/rhythm guitar/electric guitar (normally 3) drum kit Major chords Repetitive melodies Short phrases Limited vocal range Memorable ‘hooks’ Listening Examples Listening Examples Little Shop of Horrors: Suddenly Seymore Mud: Tiger Feet Rolling Stones: Wild Horses Status Quo: Rockin’ All Over the World Phantom of the Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow The Kinks: Days Here again The Small Faces: All or Nothing Pop Music since 1990 Blues Music Blues notes/chromaticism 2/4 or 4/4 12 bar blues used to structure the music Repetitive melodic ideas Vocal melody has an AAB structure Relatively narrow melodic range Three Chords used Mostly syllabic word setting Chords follow the 12 bar blues pattern Texture usually builds up with addition of guitar, Major chords throughout drums and bass Primary chords Pitch bend Simple, repetitive chord progressions Melodic repetition Melody and accompaniment Short vocal phrases Vocals often in harmony Question and answer/call and response Catchy hook Melody and accompaniment May make use of technology – reverb, distortion etc Use of syncopation Clear harmonic progressions Possible triplets Improvised Possible use of walking bass Listening Examples Listening Examples Alicia Keys: A Woman’s Worth Muddy Waters: Hard Days Blues Coldplay: A Rush of Blood to the Head Peral Dickinson: Little Rock Blues Florence and the Machine: Between Two Lungs Robert Johnson: Me and the Devil Blues Fusion incorporating Reggae/Caribbean Music Fusion incorporating African Music Percussion often used to open a piece Off beat chords – skank rhythm, usually in guitar Syncopation Bass Riff usually on the bass guitar – bass guitar Bongo usually prominent A cappella Syncopated melodies – sometimes starting after the Harmony first beat Call and response 4/4 time Sometimes uses organ for chords Uses two chords Listening Examples Listening Examples Bob Marley: One Love King’s Messengers Quartet: There’s Room Enough Ethiopians: Train to Skaville UB40: One in Ten Contemporary Latin Music Contemporary Folk music of the British Isles 4/4 time Simple accompaniment Dance rhythm/cha cha Acoustic guitar Syncopation String sound/violin Ostinato/riff Banjo? Latin percussion instruments Conga/Maracas/Clave Accordian? Muted trumpets Backing vocals? Brass section Vocal harmonies Vocal harmonies Repetitive vocal lines Vocal sound effects Irregular phrase lengths Call and response? Memorable Melody Use of backing vocals? Lots of stepwise movement Relatively narrow range Listening Examples Listening Examples Celia Cruz: Juancito Trucupey Karine Polwart: Faultlines La Sonora Matancera: Eso se hincha Karine Polwart: King of Birds Lady Maisery: A Father’s Lullaby Mumford and Sons: The Cave Western Classical Since 1910 Western Classical since 1910 – Minimalist music of Adams, Reich and Riley Could be largely consonant – LISTEN Repetitive Unexpected shift of harmony Note addition (slowly adding notes to patterns) May have some dissonance Lacking melody May lack some clear cadences although some may be Ostinato obvious Electric instruments Fragmented melodic phrases Lacks a sense of pulse Overlapping rhythms Independent use of instruments with many Layered texture instrumental techniques used (pizz, tremolo, mutes) Contrapuntal texture Ornamentation Syncopation May have irregular rhythm Individual instrumental timbres/solos – comment on the instruments you hear Listening Examples Listening Examples Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra: II Giuoco delle coppie John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine Britten: No.9 Spring Carol Steve Reich: different Trains Copland: Fanfare for the common man Steve Reich: New York Counterpoint Copland: The Quiet City Terry Riley: A Rainbow in Curved Air Copland: The Red Pony: Circus Music Peter Maxwell Davies: Farewell to Stromness Sir Malcom Arnold: Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra Sir Malcom Arnold: Cornish Dance III Con moto e sempre senza parodia Sir Malcolm Arnold: Four Scottish Dances, III Allegretto Taverner: The Tyger Key Term Definition RAG Metre A regular pattern of beats indicated by the time signature. Time Signature Two numbers e.g. 4/4 at the start of a piece. The top number shows how many beats in each bar and the lower number shows what each beat is worth. Tempo The speed, usually expressed in Italian terms and/or a Metronome mark (classical music) or Beats Per Minute (popular music.) Largo Very slow. Adagio Slow. Andante Walking pace (on the slow side.) Moderato Moderate speed. Allegro Fast. Vivace Very fast/lively. Presto Very fast. Accelerando Gradually getting faster. Ritardando/Rallentando Getting slower. Allargando Getting slower and louder. Rubato Flexible time- the performer interprets the note values with some freedom. Simple Duple Two beats in the bar e.g. 2/4 Simple Triple Three beats in the bar e.g. 3/4 Simple Quadruple Four beats in the bar e.g. 4/4 Compound Duple Time Two beats in the bar, each beat subdivided into three: ONE two three FOUR five six Regular Any time signature which doesn't change frequently. Irregular Frequently changing time signatures. Free No specific time signature. Key Term Definition RAG Rhythm The way different lengths of sound are combined to produce patterns in time. Augmentation Making the original note values longer- often double Diminution Making the original note values shorter- often half Hemiola A note tied over a bar line, often giving the effect of a 2 beat rhythm in a piece that is otherwise 3 beats in a bar. Cross Rhythm One rhythm played against another. Dotted Rhythm Sounds uneven. Long note followed by a short one Triplet Three notes in the time of two. Syncopation An accent on a weak beat, or no note on a strong beat. (off beat rhythm) Polyrhythm Two or more different rhythms (often different time signatures)