Overview of the course UnitUnit TitleMethod of assessment Final assessment date WeightingStructure of assessment 1 Listening to & Appraising Music Externally assessed May/June % Written paper with CD 2 Composing & Appraising Music Easter % 1 composition + appraisal booklet 3 Performing music Internally assessed, externally moderated Easter %2 performances 4 Composing Music Easter %1 composition

1. Listening to & Appraising Music (20%) Written exam – based on CD of musical extracts Questions are based upon listening to musical extracts, and appraising them Musical extracts cover a broad range of styles – the 3 Strands of learning Questions based on the 5 Areas of Study

2. Composing & Appraising Music (20%) Compose one piece of music which explores two or more Areas of Study and links to the Strand of learning World Music Appraise the process and outcomes You are allowed up to 20 hours to complete your composition – in school – and 2 hours for the appraisal (under exam conditions) You must provide an accurate score of your composition, and it must be recorded (although you do not have to play it – it could be done through a computer, or someone else can record it)

3. Performing Music (40%) Performances are recorded – can be done at any time during the course: at concerts, in lessons, after school One must be a SOLO performance, with accompaniment on piano/guitar as appropriate The other is an ENSEMBLE performance, which must have TWO or more live players. You must have a unique part within the group (but does not include a solo with accompaniment) You must provide a copy of your music

4. Composing Music (20%) One composition Must again explore two or more Areas of Study, however this time the style is completely your choice Record the composition (you or somebody else) and produce an accurate score There is no appraisal requirement for this piece

Areas of Study Rhythm and Metre Harmony and Tonality Texture and Melody Timbre and Dynamics Structure and Form

AoS1 Rhythm and Metre Pulse Simple / Compound time Regular, irregular, free Augmentation, diminution, hemiola, cross-rhythm Dotted rhythms, triplets, syncopation Tempo, rubato Polyrhythm, bi-rhythm Drum fills

2. Harmony and Tonality Diatonic, chromatic Consonant, dissonant Pedal, drone Cadences – perfect, imperfect, plagal, interrupted, Tierce de Picardie Major / minor / dominant 7ths – Roman numerals and chord symbols Tonal, major, minor, modal Use and identify keys up to 4 sharps/flats Modulation – to dominant / subdominant / relative major/minor

3. Texture and Melody Harmonic, homophonic, polyphonic, contrapuntal Imitative, canonic, layered Unison, octaves, melody & accompaniment, antiphonal Intervals within an octave Conjunct, disjunct, triadic, broken chords, scalic, arpeggios Passing notes, acciacaturas, appoggiaturas Blue notes Diatonic, chromatic, pentatonic, whole tone, modal Augmentation, diminution, sequence, inversion Slide / glissando / portamento, ornamentation Ostinato, riff Phrasing, articulation Pitch bend Improvisation

4. Timbre and Dynamics Instruments and voices singly and in combination as found in music for solo instruments, concertos, chamber groups, pop and vocal music Generic families of instruments as found in world music Timbre, including the use of technology, synthesised and computer-generated sounds, sampling, and use of techniques such as reverb, distortion and chorus Instrumental techniques such as con arco, pizzicato, con sordini, double-stopping, tremolo Gradations of dynamics from pp to ff Crescendo, diminuendo, sforzando, ‘hairpins’

5. Structure and Form Binary, ternary, call & response Rondo, theme & variations, arch-shape Sonata, minuet & trio, scherzo & trio Strophic, through-composed, da capo aria, cyclic Popular song forms Ground bass, continuo, cadenza

Strands of Learning The Western Classical Tradition Baroque orchestral Music The Concerto Music for Voices Chamber Music The Sonata Popular Music of the 20 th and 21 st centuries Blues Popular Music of the 1960s Rock, R ‘n’ B, Hip Hop Musical Theatre Film Music World Music Music of the Caribbean Music of India Music of Africa Rhythm & Metre – Harmony & Tonality – Texture & Melody – Timbre & Dynamics – Structure & Form