1. Advanced Higher Understanding Music
The Listening Paper explained:

2. The Multiple Choice Question
The paper will begin with a multiple choice question and you may get a couple more of these throughout the paper.
(There are far less
multiple choice questions compared
to the Higher paper.)

3. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS:
Listen to this excerpt and identify three concepts in the music from those listed below.
Consort Baroque
Mass Anthem
Lied Madrigal
Homophony Renaissance
Polyphony
(question 2 from 2004 Higher)

4. This question features instrumental music.
Listen to this excerpt and identify four concepts in the music from those listed below.
Renaissance Consort
Harmonics Turn
Concerto Grosso Basso Continuo
Homophony Anthem
Concertino Galliard
(Question 3 from 2004 Higher)

5. The “No Choices” Question
You may have around 5 or 6
no choice questions like this:
1. Name the playing technique used by the cello:
2. Write the concept which describes the musical style:

6. 4. Identify the type of scale you hear:
3. Write the concept which describes the style of this excerpt:
4. Identify the type of scale you hear:
5. Listen carefully to the bass line and write the concept with describes the structure:
6. Write the instrument that you hear:

7. The Literacy Question (You will have TWO literacy questions)
You may be asked:
About the tonality of the piece or a particular chord.
To add a time signature.
To dictate a rhythm or part of a melody.
To work out intervals.
To add accidentals (#s, bs or naturals) and rests.
To identify the key (you now have 8 to pick from)
To identify cadences.
To name chords and their inversions.
To transpose a section of music (there are now 4 different ways you may be asked to do this)
To complete a bass line with given chord labels.

8. Literacy questions will be practised separately.

9. The Voice Guided Question
Similar to the Higher version of this question. You will be asked a series of questions about certain points of the excerpt.
A voice guides you on the first two hearings by calling the question number at the correct point in the music. You have no guide on the third hearing.

10. 1. The ornament featured is a/an_________ 2
1. The ornament featured is a/an_________ 2. Over a __________note the melody is played by a/an___________. 3. The tonality is___________. The solo voice is a/an____________ 4. The cadence which occurs here is ________ 5. A change occurs in the _______ _________ 6. The Italian term which best describes the change of tempo_____________ 7. The word setting here is___________ 8. The cadence which occurs here is ________ 9. The Italian term which best describes the change in tempo is_____________
(Question 5 from
Higher 2004)

11. The Correct Order Question.
In this question you are asked to listen to an excerpt and put things into the correct order.
This could be the order that certain voices or instruments enter.
It could be the order that the chords are played.
It could also be the correct order of melodic fragments.

12. (Question 1 from
2004 Higher ext)

13. The Correct Version Question
In this question you get of 3 or 4 different written versions of a melody or bass line. You then get to hear it twice before picking the correct version.

14. Which is the correct version?A. B. C. D.

15. The Commenting and Analysis Question.
This is the last question in the paper and comes in two parts. It is a detailed and lengthy question which is worth 10 marks.
The first part is the commenting section.
You are asked to comment on two excerpts of music.
For each excerpt identify at least two prominent concepts in each of the following categories:
melody and harmony
timbre/ texture/structure/form

16. You get to hear each excerpt twice.
As you listen to both excerpts, you have a grid to fill in. This is classed as rough work and will not be marked. So scribble as many concepts as you can hear into this grid!
The grid looks like this:

17. Warning!
You get only I mark for every TWO concepts in each box.
You get to hear each excerpt twice.

18. Warning!
You get only I mark for every TWO concepts in each box.
You get to hear each excerpt twice.

19. You then get 4 minutes to transfer your answers on the “final answer” page which looks like this:
(Your final answer could be bullet points or short answers identifying
the concepts you have heard.)

20. Answer: (1 mark per 2 concepts)
Imitation
Suspensions
Sequences
Imitation
Suspensions
Turns
Trills
Sequences
Piano
Violin
French Horn
(Piano Trio)
Chamber Music
Homophony
2 Violins
Viola
Cello
(String 4-tet)
Chamber Music
Homophony

21. Answer: (1 mark per 2 concepts) REN ANS.
Imitation
Suspensions
Melismatic
Modal
Tierce de Picardie
Imitation
Modal
Word painting
Syllabic/melismatic
SATB
A Cappella
Polyphonic/
Contrapuntal
Through Composed
Homophonic
Polyphonic
Strophic
SATB
A Cappella

22. Analysis You should not comment on rhythm.
In this part of the question you have to analyse the two excerpts you just commented on. This part is in two sections. In the first section you should refer to six similarities/differences across the following categories: • type of work • melody and harmony • timbre/texture/structure/form
You should not comment on rhythm.

23. And in the second section you have to conclude your analysis with a statement on the style/period of each excerpt and justify your answer.
You will then hear each excerpt two more times, with a pause of 15 seconds between playing's, and then have a further 10 minutes to complete your answers for part (I) and part (ii).
It looks like this…
(You get more space for rough work before completing the final answer)

24. (Take note: NO bullet point list allowed this time!) Warning!1: 2:
(Take note:
NO bullet point list
allowed this time!)
The analysis question is marked:
4 marks: 6 similarities/differences
3 marks: 4 or 5 similarities/differences
2 marks: 2 or 3 similarities/differences
1 mark: 1 similarity/difference
Warning!
Save the style/period answers for the conclusion as you will NOT get marks for that in the analysis section!
Conclusion is marked:
1 mark for both styles/periods.
1 mark for both justifications.

25. EXAMPLE Final answer
Analysis: Both excerpts were types of chamber music and also had some melodic/harmonic concepts in common. They both contained imitation, suspensions and sequences. They were both also predominantly homophonic in texture.
Both excerpts used different instruments. The first excerpt used a piano, french horn and violin (Piano Trio) whereas the 2nd excerpt used 2 violins, viola, cello (String Quartet) and clarinet. The second excerpt also used ornamentation as opposed to the first. There were turns and trills in the 2nd.

26. Final answer for Renaissance Q
Analysis:
Similarities:
Both excerpts had some melodic/harmonic concepts in common. They both contained imitation, melismatic word setting, and were modal. They were polyphonic in texture and a cappella
Differences:
Both excerpts used a different structure. The first was
through composed . The second was strophic. The first excerpt was predominantly polyphonic, where the second was a combination of both polyphonic and homophonic. Excerpt 1 is a Mass as it is vocal and in Latin, excerpt 2 is a Ballet as also vocal but secular, in English with a Fa La La refrain

27. Sentence starters Tip: stick to one tense – e.g. past tense
Similarities
Both excerpts were types of [insert type of work]
Both excerpts had the same structure as they are were in [insert form]
Both excerpts had some melodic and harmonic concepts in common. They both contained [state melodic and harmonic concepts]
They were both also predominantly [insert either homophonic or polyphonic] in texture.

28. Sentence starters cont.
Differences (here you must compare)
Both excerpts use different [insert structure/form/instruments]. Excerpt 1 was in …. Excerpt 2 was in…..
The [insert structure/form/instruments etc.] was different in each. Excerpt 1 was …… Excerpts 2 was…..
Remember to say what the difference is and then explain how!!!!!

29. Conclusion
Excerpt 1 was written in the Romantic period because it uses more unusual chords that were not considered in previous periods.
Excerpt 2 was written in the Classical period because the harmony used is strict. No unusual chords. Clarinet and piano are used as they were invented in the Classical period, proving that it is not from the Baroque.

30. Conclusion
Both excerpts were written in the Renaissance Period because they are both modal and feature polyphonic texture. The a cappella style of writing is also in keeping with this musical period.