MUSIC GCSEELEMENTS REVISION

Cardinal Hume Catholic School

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Rhythm and Metre

Learn from your Revision Guide

You will be asked to identify note values and time signatures, indicate tempo – remember this goes at the top left of the score as you may be asked to write it in the correct place. You will be asked to identify re

Looking for clues? ...

Rubato

This is when performers make slight changes to a piece – often it is simply the performer’s response to the music, but composers may write ‘tempo rubato’ on a piece, indicating not to play in strict tempo.

Syncopation

If you are asked to identify a rhythmic feature, this is probably it!

Scotch snap

Short note, followed by long – common to Scottish folk tunes, but rare elsewhere!

Polyrhythms Bi-rhythyms

When two (bi) or more rhythms are played simultaneously – often in African music. It can mean that the metre (time signature) is different, too.

Triplets 3 notes played in the time of two – not the ‘slur’ and number 3.

Non-metrical / irregular metre When you can’t discern any pattern of strong beats

Tala the way Indian metre is organised

Cyclic rhythms repeated rhythmic patterns, found in Caribbean music (salsa , calypso)

Hemiola when the beat briefly changes to be twice the value e.g. I like to be in A- me-ri-ca

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Texture The main three...

Monophonic single melodic line (cheese slice) _______________________

_____________________

Homophonic melody & chords (cheese on toast

Poyphonic / 2 or more melodies interweaving (spaghetti) Contrapuntal

But also ....

Imitiation when one ‘voice’ copies or imitates another voice’s phrase

Antiphonal A kind of call & response – phrases are movedaround between voices / instruments in different parts of the performance space

Rich texture Lots of instruments / voices, lots of layers

Light texture Few instruments / resources, few layers of music

Describe the texture of the music in these extract in as much detail as you can.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Identifying keys

FLAT KEYS: The second last flat is the tonic

SHARP KEYS: The last # if the leading note – so go up a semi-tone to the tonic

To find the relative minor: From the tonic, go down 3 letter names, 3 semi-tones

e.g. C major / a minor

F major / d minor

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C Major - Learn this one!

F Major - Learn this one!

Bb major

G major

D major

ModulationKey changes – always to related keys

A key chart for C major

SUB-DOMINANTIVF

TONICIC

DOMINANTVG

SUB-DOMINANT MINOR

IIDm

RELATIVE MINORVI

Am

DOMINANT MINOR

IIIEm

Now try D Major

And A major

Looking for clues?

Listen – you can hear when a modulation occurs. The music ‘changes gear’. Look for #7th in modulations to a minor key Look out for other accidentals (# and b) Look and listen for a perfect cadence into the new key

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Melodic devices

‘devices’ just means composers ‘tricks of the trade’

Ostinato Repeated pattern (can be rhythmic)

Riff An ostinato, but usually associated with jazz or pop

Repetition Duugh!

Sequence Repeated shape and rhythm, but getting higher or lower

Inversion ‘Upside down’

Drone A constant note which continues while melodies and harmonies develop

Pedal similar to drone, but either on the tonic or dominant

Conjunct moving by step

Disjunct moving by leap

Which musical devices can you hear in this excerpt?

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Melody

IntervalsYou will be asked to identify intervals – you can practice this on Aurelia, but here is a helping hand:

INTERVAL C First notes of tune ... Add your own idea Maj 2nd D Frere Jaques - moves by stepMaj 3rd E While Shepherd’s WatchedMin 3rd Eb Green sleevesPerfect 4th F Blackadder, Here comes the bridePerfect 5th G Last post, Wise men know...Maj 6th A My Bonny Lies Over The OceanMin 7th Bb There’s A Place For UsMaj 7th B Maria – big, awkward interval, nearly an

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Melodic shapeYou may be asked to distinguish one shape from another, or describe a shape e.g.

Ascending / descending scale Descending/ascending scale repeated or sustained note then ascending scale ascending arpeggio / broken chord

Describe the shape of this melody_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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TimbresYou will need to be able to identify specific instruments, and the family to which they belong.Be sure you can identify less commonly heard instruments such as oboe and bassoon!

Within families, describe how instruments produce their sound, e.g.:

You will need to identify instrumental techniques ‘How is the guitar/violin / piano playing in the instrumental’

PizzicatoBowed (arco)Staccato (spiccato on violin)GlissandoBending notesTremolo (tremolando)

Articulation – the way notes are joined (or how much they are separated!)

Staccato – detached, short

Legato - smooth

Tempo & mood Indications of how fast or slow – see Planner!

Dynamics Indications of how loud or soft to play – see Planner

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StringsViolin – bowed, pizzicatoHarp – plucked, glissandoGuitar – plucked, picked, strummed

WoodwindFlute, piccolo – edge-toneClarinet, sax – double reedOboe, bassoon – single reed

Drums

Played by sticks, beaters, brushes, hands

Vocal Music

Choir

Soprano [treble for a child]Alto[Counter tenor – male alto]TenorBassSolo vocal ensembleUsed for madrigals – one voice per part, but up to 16 voices!

Vocal techniques

A capella unaccompanied vocal music

Bending notes sliding pitch – all pop singers do it

Chanting group vocalization, generally repeated phrases , a bit coarse

Coloratura ‘flashy’ operatic singing, lots of scales and ornaments

Falsetto a bloke singing like a girl

Growling a blues device

Harmony singing different parts together

Melisma setting one syllable to several notes

Solo on your own, buddy!

Ululating a bit like Tarzan (don’t make the classic mistake!)

Unison several people singing the same thing at the same time

Vibrato when the vocal chords vibrate to create a light ‘wobble’ – often mor apparent at the end of a phrase

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Structure

The way compositions are constructed. Most structures rely on repetition and contrast e.g.

Binary A B

Ternary A B A

Rondo A B A C A

Call & Response

Through-composed – constantly developing sections, no sense of repetition

Song form: INTRO VERSE BRIDGE CHORUS MIDDLE 8 INSTRUMENTAL OUTRO/CO

You will also need to identify GENRES p.39-41 (types of composition, such as:)

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Harmony & Tonality

You will need to identify the different types of scales, or modes, upon which a composition is built e.g

Whole tone scaleAnd don’t forget Rag!

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Revision resources o Go to www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/ - the GCSE Music section is very useful

and includes listening examples and appropriate questions

o GCSE Popular music revision video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6llRQR_99k

o Identifying instruments https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ42eCEPZoA&list=PLMp0GWRjN6mdgt5COon1OpLr6QH4XtKpi

o Answer a selection of the questions below for a variety of selections of musical extracts

(30-60 seconds)

What is the time signature?

Describe the texture

Identify the tempo / changes in tempo

Identify the culture in the extract

Identify the structure

Identify any rhythmic features

What is the tonality of the music

Name / describe instrumental techniques

What is the tonality of the music (key / scale )

Identify key intervals (aurally)

Identify cadences

Identify the ensemble / instrument / voice

Identify instruments (don’t do too much of this)

Identify compositional devices

Describe the dynamics (including variations)

Identify the genre (concerto / song / sonata)

Describe the structure of the music

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