1

2

When listening to music at home and in the exam, you need to focus your listening. Use the following to help you think in more detail about the music:

Instruments – solo/large group? If it’s a group, what type is it? Orchestra? Wind/brass band? String orchestra?

Do the instruments belong to these groups – brass, woodwind, strings, percussion, keyboard?

Are there voices? SATB?

The elements of music and how they are used (duration, dynamics, pace, pitch, silence, structure, texture & timbre)

What is the mood or atmosphere that has been created? How has it been created? Is it due to the instruments or the use of the elements of music?

For what occasion (if any) might the music have been written? Does the music match the sense of occasion?

IF YOU HEAR IT – WRITE IT DOWN!

3

Music for FilmIn the listening and appraising test there are likely to be questions that ask you how composers have used musical features for specific dramatic effects, such as:

Creating a sense of time or place Creating an appropriate mood Depicting characters Creating and releasing tension

You are most likely to be asked to describe musical features and how they help create the appropriate mood or atmosphere. You need to be specific. Look at the example below:

Musical Feature How it helps create the atmo-sphere

The instruments They are loud

This does not specify a feature of the music, it merely points out something that you have heard and then described. Here are some examples of some musical features that you might hear and how they help create the atmosphere:

Musical Feature How it helps create the atmo-sphere

Gradually gets louder throughout Builds up tension and anticipation of what is go-ing to happen

Loud brass chords Sets a grand, happy sceneAn ostinato pattern playing throughout Gives a feeling of uneaseMilitary style drumming throughout Sense of people marching or walking – some-

thing important is about to happen.

Below are some comments that have been made on the music from two films. They should give you some ideas as to what you could be commenting on:

Batman (music by Danny Elf-man)

Superman (music by John Wil-liams)

Main theme keeps changing shape, reflecting the hero who lives in the shadows

Instantly memorable, heroic and optimistic fan-fare-like main theme: the American feel-good factor

Largely minor keys Major keysChromatic notes Stays in the same key for long periods, giving

sense of stabilitySeveral rapid key changes, giving a restless feel Bright orchestral sounds, led by high trumpetsUse of dark, low orchestral sounds Accompanying rhythmic brass chords give a joy-

ful kick to the tune

4

Brutal military-style march rhythms

In film music, you may come across what we call a leitmotif. This is a memorable tune or a theme that is associated with a particular character or emotion. Think about the James Bond theme – the notes that rise and fall. You will hear this in other songs and other music when the focus is on him. Jaws is another good example of a leitmotif. As soon as you hear that two note musical idea, you know that there’s trouble ahead!

In a lot of monster/horror/science fiction and fantasy films you may hear music that is atonal. This means that it avoids any sense of being in a particular key. The music will often be dissonant where you will hear notes clashing with each other. If there are blocks of notes playing at the same time that clash, we call it a discord.

REMEMBER:

If you are asked to state the type of film, but you know what film the music is from, please do not give the name of the film, as this will gain you no marks at all. Write down one of the following:

Western (cowboy-type film) Monster Horror Science Fiction Fantasy Thriller/spy

4

Music for Dance

5

The most important feature of a majority of dances (especially the Baroque and 19 th cen-tury dances) is the metre – how the beats are organised (how many beats there are in a bar). The beats are divided into strong a weak beats, the strongest at the beginning of the bar.

You will hear a pattern in the music which allows you to work out the metre:

Metre Pattern2 Strong-weak, strong-weak3 Strong-weak-weak, strong-weak-

weak4 Strong-weak-firm-weak………………

The most common time signatures that you will hear are:

Dances from the Baroque Period

The main thing to establish is which era or country the dance comes from. In the Baroque period we are most likely to hear a harpsichord being played.

The dances are normally performed by a relatively small and simple orchestra of strings and continuo (harpsichord, cello/double bass/bassoon).

The orchestra is often joined by oboes (sometimes flutes), bassoons, trumpets, horns and timpani (large tuned drums). Here’s an example layout:

24

34

44

68

6

The main Baroque dances that we have concentrated on so far are as follows:

DANCE FEATURESGAVOTTE This is a simple duple metre and has a fast

tempo. It has an anacrusis (up beat) on the last half beat of the bar (1 beat)

BOURĒE Simple duple metre and fast tempo. It has an anacrusis (up beat) on the last beat of the bar (2 beats)

SARABANDE The slowest of the Baroque dances. It has 3 beats in a bar. Sometimes the second beat in the bar is emphasised.

MINUET Moderate tempo and has 3 beats in a bar. It is an elegant dance, but quicker than the sarabande

GIGUE Fast tempo in 6/8 (fastest out of all of these dances). Usually the last movement of a suite.

19th Century DancesThe main differences between these dances and the dances from the Baroque period are:

You will not hear a harpsichord being played in the 19 th century dances The orchestra of the 19th century is much larger with the addition of more instru-

ments. The tempo of some of the dances can be more flexible than the fixed tempo of

the Baroque dances

Keep these in mind when trying to identify the type of dances.

The main 18th century dances that we have heard are as fol-lows:

DANCE FEATURESWALTZ 3 beats in a bar (3/4). Can have a flexible

tempo. Usually characterised/recognised by its um-cha-cha crotchet rhythm. Waltzes are nor-mally performed by orchestra, but they were later written for performance on the piano.

POLKA 2 beats in a bar and a fast tempo. This is primarily a ballroom dance

7

Dances of the AmericasThese dances are much different to the other dances we have looked at so far. They are generally not performed by an orchestra.

The three main dances that we have looked at are as follows:

DANCE FEATURESSAMBA Samba itself can be in different forms, from the relaxing quiet

plucking of a single guitar/simple song sung in Portuguese to the lively dances played by large combos with huge percus-sion sections. Brazilian dance in a duple metre

SALSA Much more lively and fiery than the salsa. Guitars, per-cussion and brass can often be heard. Spanish word meaning ‘spicy’. Has a strong jazz influence. National dance of Cuba.

TANGO It developed in the late 1880s in the bars of Buenos Aires and became very popular in Europe (particularly in Paris and Lon-don) in the early 1900s.Characteristic of the tango is the re-peated syncopated rhythmic pattern and the use of glissandi. One of the most popular instruments heard in tango is the bandoneon, a large square type of concertina/accordion. Sweeping steps and sounds more seri-ous and moody

8

The Dance and Club SceneClub dance music is generally driven by its drums, 4/4 time signature and strict tempo.

DiscoDeveloped during the 1970s, it contained the following elements:

a strongly emphasised beat at a steady pace clear-cut rhythms maintained throughout the song simple verse-and-chorus structure a memorable melody.

An example of typical disco is the song Stayin’ Alive from the film Saturday Night Fever. This was written by the Bee Gees. Other important performers were Donna Summer, Rose Royce and Chic.

Rap

originated in the early days of reggae in Jamaica. On the B-sides of vinyl records, DJs would talk over the instrumental version of the A-side.

It emerged as an alternative to disco American inner cities at the end of the 70s. The DJ would use a drum machine and would link two tracks on vinyl records on

turntables. Scratching also developed from here. A form of rap called hip hop emerged from New York during the 70s. It was used

to define the music, dance and art of the Bronx district. The styles of dancing were break-dancing and robot-style movements.

Dance music and technology

Many important techniques are used in more recent dance music (1980s onwards). These are used in the recording and manipulation of music world-wide.

Some of the following give you an idea of how technology can be used to create, record and develop music.

Loop – a short section of tune that is repeated. MIDI – Musical Instrument Digital Interface – creating music digitally, connect-

ing electronic musical instruments and computers. Remix – small extracts are taken from an existing recording and digitally trans-

formed into a new piece of music, usually in a different style. Sampler – a device that records, changes and replays digital audio samples. Sequencer – a device used to record, edit and replay performance instruc-

tions such as MIDI messages. They’re used to control instruments such as syn-thesizers or samplers.

9

Vocoder – a voice synthesiser. It changes the sound of someone’s voice and adds effects

Popular Dance Music Styles

House Very popular in the Spanish and Greek resorts These remind you of the summer Uses lots of synthesised effects

Techno Originated in Detroit, USA Slow-moving in terms of chords, rock based, a ‘collage’ of sounds

Jungle and Drum ‘n’ Bass Both very similar – usually in 4/4 metre Jungle came first – UK born – mixture of Jamaican raga and white-English rave ‘Frenetic, fast paced, MC initiates call and response between the audience and

the DJ

Drum ‘n’ Bass – jazz influenced. Other influences include funk and music from Latin-America

It relies on sampling and sequencing Vocal lines are often taken from other tunes, speeded up and laid on new drum

sections

UK Garage Fusion of jungle, drum ‘n’ bass and modern rhythm ‘n’ blues. It uses the same sounds and instruments

Other styles include trance and ambient (chill out).

Opera A play set to music with sets, costume and some dancing

10

Oratorio Music with a sacred (religious) subject performed in concert by solo singers ac-

companied by an instrumental ensemble (group) and a choir. You should listen out for any religious words.

Ode A piece of poetry set to ceremonial music for occasions such as a coronation,

birthday or a banquet

Anthem A piece of choral music (sung by a choir), with religious words

Overture A piece of music written to start at the beginning of something whether it be an

opera, oratorio or Baroque suite. It normally contains themes or tunes from the opera…etc

Fanfare Ceremonial brass music – a ‘flourish’ for trumpets. Typically played by brass in-

struments, sometimes accompanied by percussion.

Pop Anthems A number of pop songs have been written for special events ‘Do They Know it’s Christmas?’ – Live Aid ‘Three Lions on a Shirt’ – used for England’s football team on the run-up

to the 1998 World Cup ‘One Love’ – Bob Marley – peace concert in Kingston, Jamaica

Music forSpecial Events

Orches-tral

Land-

11

Period Dates FeaturesBaroque 1600-1750 · Accompanied by continuo

· Use of ornamentation· Baroque Suite· Simple orchestral texture· Music often written in courts for en-

tertainment· Composers – Handel, Vivaldi,

Bach

Classical 1750 – 1830 · Music in regular phrases· Elegant sounding· Harmony concentrates around

tonic (I) and dominant (V)· Genres of music – symphony,

concerto, string quartet, opera

· Regular cadences· Composers – Haydn, Mozart,

BeethovenRomantic 1830 – 1900 · More instruments – larger string sec-

tion – wider variety of instruments – thicker texture

· More chromatic· Music used to tell stories or create

emotions· Changes of key· Composers, Tchaikovsky,

Brahms, Schubert, Verdi20th Century/Modern

1900 – onwards · Dissolution of harmony – atonal/dissonant

· Combination of instruments more varied – unusual effects. New tex-tures and timbres

· Serialism, minimalism, 12 tone, aleatoric music (chance choice)

· Composers – Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Berg

12

This is the typical layout of an orchestra. You would not necessarily see the bass clarinet, cor anglais, double bassoon, trombones and tuba in the orchestra during the classical period:

How Do I Tell The Difference Between

Them?Baroque- You’ll nearly always hear a harpsichord- The tempo or pace remains the same- Mainly strings, accompanied in places by oboes,

bassoons, trumpets, timpani- Ornaments/decoration used

Classical- No Harpsichord- Woodwind used more widely – more bal-

anced with the strings- More variety – Baroque music sounded more

or less the same throughout a piece of music – no changes in mood

Romantic- Much larger orchestra and bigger variety of in-

struments – especially within brass section (trom-bones, tuba). Larger string section, harp heard more.

- Texture much thicker- More chromatic and changes of key- This music sounds more like it’s telling a story

than music from the classical period- It speeds up, slows down more than classical

and sounds much more dramatic/atmospheric

20th Century/Modern- Generally less tuneful than music from Baroque,

Classical and Romantic period- Sounds clash a lot more (Dissonance)- It is difficult to find a regular pulse/beat- Some of the music sounds like it could be made

up on the spot – like they’re not following music.

13

The Blues African-American song-form Repeated pattern in 4/4 of chords I (tonic), IV (subdominant) and V (dominant). In

C the pattern would be as follows:

14

C C C C(7)F F C C

G(7) F or G C C

Blues musicians would use a blues scale to create melodies. In this case the notes would be C – Eb – F – G – Bb

The singer normally communicates sadness and injustice in the words of the songs.

Rock ‘n’ Roll

A ‘fusion’ of styles – country ‘n’ western and rhythm & blues Structure is normally of the 12 bar blues but faster with tighter rhythms. Examples include Shake, Rattle and Roll, Blue Suede Shoes and

Jailhouse Rock

Musical Theatre

In many ways, like opera – orchestra, vocal soloists, chorus (group of singers) but more modern sounding and perhaps less ‘posh’.

Musicals are in many different styles – think about all of the different ones there are – Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Wicked, Billy Elliot, Cats, Dirty Dancing. They’re all Musical Theatre, but different. If you have been watching TV on a Saturday night, you will have seen people auditioning for 2 mu-sicals – Joseph and Grease

The 1960s

The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones The Beatles created a new style of music – drawing on rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm ‘n’

blues, skiffle and occasionally English folk music They also included ideas from classical music and music from other cultures into

their music

Jamaican Music

Ska

Derived from a mixture of mento, jazz and rhythm ‘n’ blues Ska took the rhythms of rhythm ‘n’ blues and changed the emphasis from the 1st

and 3rd beats of the bar to the 2nd and 4th – similar in style to reggae

The Popular SongSince 1960

15

Normally includes instruments such as saxophones, trumpets, drum-kit and double bass.

Rock steady

Emerged in mid 1960s – reaction against popularity of ska. Has a slower beat than ska and more complicated song melodies Songs built around the electric bass and drums Focused on short repeated patterns (riffs) based on a limited number of chords

Reggae

Emerged at the end of the 1960s. Swung rhythms and prominent backbeat and slower tempo than rock steady. Role of the bass became even more important and the music was even slower. Words of reggae are topical and have covered themes like poverty and Rastafari-

ans moving back to the ‘promised land’ – Africa Bob Marley British musicians were also strongly influenced by reggae – Rolling Stones, the

Police

Gospel Music

Associated with the African-American church for over 100 years – religious music – ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’ is an example of gospel

Started very simple – hymn-like tunes influenced with some syncopated rhythms and some blue notes

Later (1930s), it became more sophisticated. Extreme changes between sobbing, shouting, improvisation, repeated words separated by breaths.

By 1960s, large gospel choirs emerged, accompanied by keyboards, bass and drums.

Think of the music you hear in the film ‘Sister Act’

Soul

Derived from rhythm ‘n’ blues and vocal techniques of gospel. Call and response – call comes from the solo voice and response from the

choir

Punk rock

Slogans in place of lyrics Limited number of chords (sometimes only one) Shouting instead of singing

16

Folk-influenced music

This is music that belongs to the song and dance traditions of a specific country (Wales, England, Scotland, France). They usually use guitars and instruments associated with that country.

In the exam, you will most likely be asked to identify the form of an extract of music. The most common ones that we have looked at are binary, ternary, rondo and sonata form

World music and the ‘western’ popular song

Fusion – Music that is a blend of western pop music with music from another country.

You are most likely to hear examples of fusion between western popular music with that of Africa, India, Latin America

Song form Many popular songs are strophic – made up of verses and choruses – usually

lasting 8 bars A third section is sometimes added. This is called a middle 8. This is a new

contrasting section, sometimes called a bridge. Most songs have an introduction and a coda

Form

17

BINARY FORM

This section contrasts sec-tion A

TERNARY FROM

The first musical ideas repeats itself after the contrasting section

RONDO FORM (Rondo means ‘return’)

This is a brand new section

Sonata form has 3 main sections:

18

Exposition – themes are exposed - 2 themes that contrast each other

Development – Themes go through different twists and turns Use of sequencing, imitation, pedal notes, new harmonies, new rhythms, in-version

Recapitulation – Themes are re-cappedComposers will normally use a coda to round the whole piece off

19