GCSE Music. Unit 2 Guidance

Transcription

1 GCSE Music Unit 2 Guidance

2 There are recordings to accomany this document.

3 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Unit 2: Comosing and Araising Music This unit is worth 20% o the inal assessment, with the Comosition and its Araisal each being worth 10%. Both elements are marked out o 20 and this is an examined comonent, with the inal submission being sent to an AQA examiner. The inal submission will be: the score o the comosition (as exlained below) a recording on CD or mini-disc (layable on conventional equiment) the Candidate Record Form the Araisal Booklet. The comosition submitted or Unit 2 must be dierent rom that submitted or Unit 4. Comosition One comosition is required or this Unit: it must link to the strand o learning selected by AQA or that examination year and each candidate must choose at least two Areas o Study as the basis o the comosition. Each Area o Study (AoS) contains two o the Elements o Music and, thereore, by choosing two o these Areas o Study, a candidate has a range o our ossible routes to orm a link into the given Strand o Learning. For examle, choosing AoS1 Rhythm & Metre and AoS2 Harmony & Tonality, the candidate is able to link to the given strand through any one o these our distinct elements (though it is, o course, quite ermissible to link through more than one, even all our). Candidates do not have to comose a iece o music based articularly closely on the strand: they are simly to choose two (or more) Areas o Study and link their comosition to the strand. The two Areas o Study and the link must be identiied in the Araisal and a range o ossible links will be exlored in this document. There are ten ossible combinations o the Areas o Study and many ossible links with each strand, whether seciic (a characteristic instrument, a scale, a rhythmic device, a orm or structure) or more general (contrast o timbre and/or texture as in the concerto rincile, contrast o dynamics). There is no suggestion as to the minimum duration o the comosition but it is unlikely that very short ieces will enable candidates to demonstrate suiciently their ability to develo musical ideas to satisy the criteria o the higher mark bands. Initial teaching or this unit can be combined with that or Unit 4 Comosing Music. Many teachers will have their own tried and tested methods o teaching comosition and what ollows are merely suggestions or ossible aroaches. Teaching comosition: ossible aroaches As all comositions are based on the Areas o Study which, in turn, combine airs o the Elements o Music, early work could be to revise and build on asects o comositions undertaken as art o the Key Stage 3 course. Though some o these will have been done in grous, it is essential or GCSE that candidates get used to working individually. Some candidates may already have develoed a reerence or comosing in a articular style/genre or or a seciic medium, such as voice and iano, voice and guitar, their own instrument, the instrumental grou in which they lay, or the rock band o which they are a art. I this is so and their work has already shown romise, it would seem sensible to hel klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 3

4 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 them to build on this knowledge and exertise and develo their techniques urther. However, it is imortant that as wide an understanding and areciation o comositional techniques as ossible can be gained rior to deciding on the tye o iece to be submitted and then undertaking various rearatory tasks. Additionally, skills as a erormer whether they are vocal or instrumental or reerences in listening and araising should be harnessed wherever ossible. For examle, Melody (AoS3) could be illustrated through simle ieces such as question and answer hrases, moving on, erhas, to look at longer orms, including binary, ternary and rondo. From there, more comlex structures could be exlored (AoS5). The starting oint could be as simle as Twinkle, twinkle, little star: The irst our bars are a good examle o question and answer hrasing and the whole tune ollows a ternary attern. An examle o a variation on this orm can be ound in the traditional song made amous by Elvis Presley Love me tender. In this song, the irst our bars are reeated exactly. Subsequently, there is a dierent, contrasting line beore an altered version o the oening bars returns to comlete the melody, giving an overall structure o A¹ A¹ B A²: Many other examles can be ound o similar melodic structures and orms. Extension work can take in AoS5 Structure & Form: Binary Form, as in Bach s Minuet in G, Rondo Form, erhas using the last movement o a Mozart Horn Concerto or Beethoven s First Piano Concerto, and Variations Form, with examles such as Mozart s Ah! Vous dirai-je, maman, the second movement o Haydn s Surrise Symhony, Britten s Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra, Rachmaninov s Variations on a Theme o Paganini and/or the last movement o Shostakovich s Leningrad Symhony. Examles o Minuet and Trio Form can be ound in most symhonies rom the Classical eriod or within Baroque Suites (though here they might be identiied simly as Minuet I and Minuet II). Similar structures using other dances, such as the Bourrée or Gavotte can also be ound in Baroque music or, in the case o the Gavotte, in Prokoiev s First Symhony the Classical. Songs can rovide examles o strohic, varied strohic, through-comosed and verse and chorus orms, whether in the songs o Schubert, in olk music, or in oular song. 4 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

5 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 The Rondeau rom Abdelazar by Henry Purcell, erhas already known to candidates through its use by Benjamin Britten in his Young Person s Guide to the Orchestra, eatures a melody which demonstrates triadic movement, stewise movement and sequence (in this instance, an examle o a modulating sequence), even the idea o the note o anticiation. Texture (AoS3) could start with unaccomanied melody beore moving on through duets, accomanied melodies and trios to more and more comlex textures until reaching a ull symhony orchestra. Musical terms such as homohonic and olyhonic should be introduced (i not already known) and exlained through examles. A similar aroach could be made with vocal comositions: the ossibilities are virtually endless. Candidates in the grou can demonstrate dierent examles o Timbre (AoS4) through their erormances, either alone or in grous. From this, extension work could rovide examles o chamber music grouings (violin & iano, string quartet, clarinet quintet, woodwind trios, wind quintets), beore moving on to the string orchestra, symhony orchestra, brass band and military band. Examles rom the world o oular music will incororate guitars, ercussion, synthesisers and the maniulation o sound through the use o technology. Centres will be able to draw on their own library o recorded music, and candidates should be encouraged to bring in their own music to exemliy or extend areas studied in a lesson. At all stages and no matter which Area o Study is the ocus, erormances by candidates within the grou should be encouraged as these can stimulate discussion o the use o seciic elements as well as the idiomatic use o voices and instruments. Such study can also lead quite easily to ractice comositions. There are many aroaches to the teaching o comosition, including: resenting the idea o a link through a seciic comositional brie seeing how the comositional skills and interests o individual candidates develo beore suggesting ossible airings o Areas o Study and then introducing exercises and comositional tasks which will urther enhance abilities and techniques look to the erorming skills o candidates and ocus comositional techniques around these, looking to asects o timbre and idiomatic writing give candidates aroriate listening and araising tasks that will stimulate ideas being aware that some candidates will come to the course with reerences in comosition already established, such as song-writing, working through iano, writing or a articular combination o voices and/or instruments, and so on: such candidates should be encouraged to continue with their reerred medium. klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 5

6 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Links to the Strand When deciding on the style or genre o the comosition to be undertaken, teachers and candidates should not be intimidated by the thought that the music must link very closely to the designated strand o learning. Links can include: Western Classical Tradition AoS1: Rhythm and Metre Cris dotted rhythms Regular time signatures Contrast o rhythms Seciic rhythmic atterns Syncoation Waltz rhythms AoS2: Harmony and Tonality Use o major/minor scales and/or modes Musical devices such as edal, drone Exloring modulation Contrast o consonance and dissonance Clearly marked cadences Chromatic harmony Contrast o keys AoS3: Texture and Melody Imitative writing Contrauntal writing Use o ornaments Use o sequences Melody with accomaniment Homohonic writing Dialogue between soloist and orchestra/ small grou and large grou/ voices and instruments/ solo voice and choir Antihonal writing Ornamentation Unison Single melody line AoS4: Timbre and Dynamics Contrast o grous o instruments Dynamic contrast Instrumental (izzicato, tremolando, use o edal, etc)/vocal techniques (alsetto/vibrato) String Quartet Piano Trio also encomassing the idea o small ensembles not directly related to the Western Classical Tradition, such as electric instruments, tuned and un-tuned ercussion instruments, including electronic sound sources and samled sounds. 6 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

7 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 AoS5: Structure and Form Main dance orms (binary, ternary etc) Ground bass Rondo orm Use o continuo Variations Linking movements Use o cadenza Da cao aria Through comosed Strohic Since the western classical tradition underins much o the musical develoment also ound in oular music and to some extent world music, a link can be ound in any iece - in any style or genre - in binary/ ternary/sonata/rondo/variation/arch shae/minuet and trio/through comosed/da cao aria/ ground bass/continuo/strohic or any other aroriate structure/orm or any combination o instruments and/or voices. The iece need not necessarily be in a western classical style or genre. Poular Music o the 20 th and 21 st Century AoS1: Rhythm and Metre Use o syncoation Strong ulse Rhythmic imrovisation AoS2: Harmony and Tonality Harmonic atterns Use o 7 th chords Melody harmonised using 3rds and 6ths AoS3: Texture and Melody Rhythmic and melodic ris Blues scale Decoration o melody (single words sometimes) Passing notes Syllabic underlay, using original or existing lyrics AoS4: Timbre and Dynamics Big Band combination Strong bass line Instrumental techniques (izzicato bass) Use o brass mutes Use o accents Small/large jazz combos Solo instrumental/vocal eature within a larger ensemble Vocal ensembles as ound in musicals Electronically-roduced sounds Samles sounds klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 7

8 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 AoS5: Structure and Form Arch shae Verse/Chorus Use o Middle 8 Imrovised sections within comositions World Music AoS1: Rhythm and Metre Syncoation Polyrhythms Rhythmic imitation Cross-rhythm AoS2: Harmony and Tonality Singing in harmony (3rds /5ths) Use o chords I, IV & V Use o a drone AoS3: Texture and Melody Pentatonic scale Modal scale Raga Ornamentation Imrovisation AoS4: Timbre and Dynamics Generic instruments, such as the sitar, dilruba or tabla Steel bands Instrumental techniques AoS5: Structure and Form Call and resonse Sectional comositions Pieces which gradually evolve/develo Latin-American dance orms 8 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

9 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 For 2010 and 2011 the strand chosen by AQA is The Western Classical Tradition. The strand or subsequent examination years will be announced two years beore the examination to which it alies (so, or the 2012 examination year, the announcement will be made in the Summer Term o 2010). Assessment o the comosition It is imortant that all candidates understand the need or transarency o rocess while comosing. They should also be made ully aware o the assessment criteria against which their comosition will be assessed. These can be ound on age 10 o the seciication and all into six bands o three or our marks. The comosition is marked in the light o the selected Areas o Study and its overall success will be measured against the realisation o the key elements with due consideration aid to the ollowing musical asects: the imaginative use o sound a sense o musical balance the creation and develoment o musical ideas an understanding o the chosen medium the aroriate and idiomatic use o instruments, voices and other sound sources aroriate uses o musical elements, devices, techniques and conventions. Choosing the Areas o Study Although the task is to write a iece o music which contains two o the Areas o Study, it is likely that comositions will include more than these. In such cases, the candidate can select the two areas which are best illustrated or the ocus o their assessment or may choose a wider brie. The link to the given strand must also be stated. Initial comosition tasks might well ocus on seciic elements or airs o elements, using the two elements contained within each Area o Study. For examle: work or AoS4 Timbre & Dynamics might start by exloring the sounds o a single instrument/voice and then a duet beore moving on to a small grou o instruments and/or voices, ossibly those readily available within the grou. Short research tasks could be undertaken to ind out about the characteristics and ranges o the dierent instruments/voices with, wherever ossible, candidates demonstrating range and techniques available. From there, comositions might move on to combining airs or small grous o instruments, trying, wherever ossible, to encourage candidates to incororate their own secialism into their iece. Finally, in terms o this Area o Study, candidates should exeriment with the alication o dynamics and dynamic shading. Related listening could include music or individual instruments rom both western music and world music, a caella and antihonal singing, call and resonse techniques as a means o contrast, excerts rom concertos, chamber music and o grous. The inal decisions as to which Areas o Study will orm the ocus o the comosition may come about in advance o starting to comose eg music using AoS1 Rhythm & Metre and AoS4 Timbre & Dynamics and using a range o ercussion sounds or the comosition might be started and well-develoed beore deciding that the best combination o Areas o Study would be, or examle, AoS2 Harmony & Tonality and AoS5 Structure & Form (where the comosition is in a set orm or itched instruments/voices). klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 9

10 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 The score and recording Alongside comosition should be an increasing understanding o notation, as aroriate to the style or genre. Wherever ossible, there should be encouragement o traditional sta notation as it is such a recise way o conveying musical inormation. However, other orms o notation can also be used TAB, grahic, a written account/annotation or any combinations o two or more. The imortant thing to be borne in mind is that the inal score submitted, using whichever orm o resentation, is caable o conveying the detailed, inal intentions o the comoser. A recording o the inal comleted comosition must be submitted. It will not be assessed searately but it is imortant that the score as resented corresonds to the recording, and that both accurately relect the candidate s intentions. The score and recording comlement each other and must both be submitted. I candidates receive hel during the recording o the comosition which has an imact on the comosition, then this must take lace within the suervised time allocation and must be clearly acknowledged on the Candidate Record Form. In this way, the examiner will know recisely what the candidate s contribution was to the inal submission. Suervised Time: inormal suervision The comosition will be done in 20 hours o suervised time: this means that candidates will, in general, work under the suervision o a teacher, more oten than not their Music teacher, but not necessarily so. The teacher must, at the end o the comositional rocess, be able to authenticate the work as that o the candidate unless seciic details are given o inut by others. More inormation is rovided in the lealet Controlled Assessment Guidance (which includes guidance on suervised time or this unit). It is ossible, and indeed is to be encouraged, that candidates continue to think about and develo their ieces in between these suervised sessions. This additional work may take the orm o research into a articular instrument s characteristics, or listening to how other comosers have written or a articular instrument/voice or ensemble or used a seciic structure/orm, or continuing to imrove a harmonic technique they wish to incororate. The results o this work can be brought along to the next session, but the teacher must be satisied that any additional work done towards the comosition is o a standard consistent with the candidate s abilities and with work done u to that oint. To this end, candidates must be made ully aware o their own resonsibility in resect o declaring any seciic hel received. It is or individual centres to decide how the 20 hours are to be assigned and at what stages o the course the inal comositions or units are undertaken, but a record needs to be ket. It is inevitable that a reasonable amount o time will be sent teaching, extending and reining comositional skills, as soon as ossible making them seciic to each individual candidate s declared intentions. Once the inal comosition has been started, teacher eedback should be restricted to the general, rather than the seciic. 10 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

11 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Araisal The Araisal, worth 10% o the inal assessment and hal the marks or Unit 2, is comleted in an Araisal Booklet which will be rovided by AQA. Candidates can write their araisal directly into this booklet or can word-rocess it and attach the document to the booklet. The araisal will consider the rocess o comosition and its inal outcome. The booklet will list some oints to give candidates a ramework around which to structure their resonse, thus ensuring that all areas will be covered. Resonses can be reared in advance and it would be sensible to encourage candidates to develo a habit o keeing a log or diary o the comosition and recording rocesses. Assessment o the Araisal Candidates should be made aware o the assessment criteria or the araisal so that they can better areciate exactly what needs to be done to access the higher mark bands: these criteria are set out on age 11 o the seciication and all into our bands o ive marks. Teachers and candidates should note that the araisal should be written in continuous rose. Marks will be awarded or the candidate s ability to: use good English organise inormation clearly use secialist vocabulary where aroriate Suggestions or aroaches to the Araisal The oints which candidates are asked to address are set out below, with suggestions on how they might be aroached. What Areas o Study did you choose and what is the ocus o your comosition within the given strand? Here, the candidate makes a simle statement as to which two Areas o Study were chosen and makes clear the ocus within the given strand. This ocus might be a orm, a scale, an instrument or grou o instruments, a characteristic rhythm or one o many other ossibilities. Why did you choose these Areas o Study and the articular ocus within the given strand? Reasons might include a reerence or using these elements, the act that they aord aroriate ossibilities in terms o the desired comosition or a conviction that comosing strengths lie in the use o these two Areas o Study in articular. How did you go about comosing your music and how was the inal recording achieved? This is best aroached chronologically: candidates should kee a record o their rogress with their comosition to hel them reare or this question. Similarly, when it comes to recording the inished comosition a careul log o the rocess should be ket, mentioning as aroriate, ositioning o microhones, adjustments to dynamics and/or lacement o erormers, how any matters o oor intonation were resolved, and so on. klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 11

12 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 What diiculties did you encounter during the task and how did you overcome them? This might include reerence to access to the chosen medium, comuter sotware roblems, a realisation that the original choice o Areas o Study might not be the best; it might be a roblem more directly related to a comositional matter, including use o imitation, modulation, sequence, instrumental techniques and/or range. Whatever the diiculty mentioned, exlain the stes taken to overcome it. What makes your comosition successul in relation to the Areas o Study and the ocus chosen within the given strand? Success in relation to the chosen Areas o Study will arise i the inished iece really showcases the elements within the chosen Areas o Study. Candidates will need to exlain how their comosition successully exloits the chosen link, be it a rhythm, a orm, an instrument or grou o instruments, and so on. What is the relationshi o your comosition to its context? Any iece o music written will all into a articular context and relect the style o a articular genre. It is in this section that candidates will set out how their iece relates to this context. It might be that the comosition is a o song, a string quintet, a ercussion iece, a iece in a minimalist style, a showcase or a single instrument, a astiche in the style o a seciic comoser, style or eriod. Candidates should exlain the extent to which their comosition relects the genre or style and, where aroriate, a historical eriod. Controlled time: ormal suervision Candidates have u to 2 hours under ormal suervision to comlete the Araisal. Any work reared in advance can be taken into the room where the araisal is to be written. Although u to two hours are allocated or this task, this is or the inal writing rocess: much o the work should be reared in advance to ensure that best use is made o the time available. The two hours do not have to be taken continuously but any work comleted during the suervised time or inal submission must be retained securely between sessions. The lealet on Controlled Assessment also includes inormation about controlled time or this unit. 12 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

13 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Exemlar comositions and araisals The scores or these ive comositions are in the Aendix and the track numbers reer to the recordings. These examles show various combinations o Areas o Study and, although a articular link to a strand is given, alternatives are also discussed. Examle 1 Day o Celebration AoS1: Rhythm & Metre AoS4: Timbre & Dynamics Link to the strand: 1. Western Classical Tradition: links could be though the choice o western instruments, through the use o a regular rhythmic basis, through the use o tiered dynamics as was revalent in the Baroque Period. 2. Poular Music o the 20th and 21st centuries: use o a strong ulse, harmonisation o melody using 3rds and 6ths, contrast o dynamics. 3. World Music: using a variety o rhythms, instrumental techniques. Alternatively, the Areas o Study could easily have included AoS2: Harmony & Tonality, AoS3: Texture & Melody or AoS5: Structure & Form with many ossible links being available, including a strong sense o key/tonality, a clear, sectional structure, variety o texture (linking to the concerto rincile), develoment o ideas. Commentary on the comosition This commentary is based on the ollowing remises: the strand is The Western Classical Tradition the links to that strand are: the use o western instruments and, the use o tiered dynamics in art o this comosition. NB Either one o these would have suiced as the link. A range o western instruments is used and, although the actual realisation is via Sibelius sotware, all written arts are layable on acoustic instruments. The comosition has a clear structure and obvious tonal basis with interesting and eective use o G natural within the context o A major towards the end (bars 65 & 67). The lit engendered by the move rom the oening C major to A major, ollowing the silent bar (bar 53), is both eective and dramatic. Instruments are used idiomatically as are a range o rhythms within the overall common time (4/4) signature. There is a contrast o timbre, not only through variety o texture but also o register. The assage o tiered dynamics (bars 23 44) gradually builds u, though erhas a wider range o chords than I, II, V, I would have been beneicial and given this section a greater sense o harmonic drive and rogression. klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 13

14 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 The comosition is satisying and shows imagination in the use o the Areas o Study and the links to the strand. The music has a sense o comleteness and there is some sense o develoment o the musical ideas, though this is, to some extent, by reetition. The score as resented shows the detailed intentions o the candidate as ar as erormance directions are concerned and the instrumental writing is idiomatic. The inal mark would need to weigh u the ositives and negatives within this iece and might decide that, overall, it is largely satisying (16 13) rather than musically stimulating, interesting and satisying (20 17) and then ine tune with regard to all eatures and the resonse to the two chosen Areas o Study and the ocus. The Araisal I chose Area o Study 1: Rhythm and Metre and Area o Study 4: Timbre and Dynamics. The given strand was The Western Classical Tradition and my comosition links to it by its use o dierent western classical instruments and, in the middle section, the idea o contrasting, tiered dynamics which was a eature o music in the baroque eriod. I chose these Areas because I like the sounds o western classical instruments and thought that contrasting dynamics would be quite eective. I worked out an oening idea based on a simle, reetitive idea and then gradually built u the texture till I had all the instruments laying. The middle section where the dynamics are contrasted is based on a simle chord sequence and was something I wanted to try ater we were layed Zadok the Priest by Handel. The inal recording was done directly rom Sibelius and so I had to make sure that all dynamics and other erormance details were included or every art. I also had to check the balance using the mixer in Sibelius. I didn t really encounter any roblems ater I had worked out my main ideas and decided on the orm o my iece. My comosition is successul because it uses western classical instruments and all arts can be layed by acoustic instruments. It is also eective in the way it contrasts dynamics in the middle section. My music is in a traditional style with a start in C major and then a change to A major ater a silent bar or dramatic eect. The harmonies are quite simle and the music is consonant. Commentary on the Araisal Although this resonds to each o the questions, it does so in a very brie manner with little real detail oered. There is some, albeit limited, use o secialist musical vocabulary and the writing is coherent with no errors in selling, grammar or unctuation. As a resonse reresenting hal o this unit s assessment, this araisal is short and suericial. It ulils the criteria or the lowest band and rather more, leading to a view that a mark in the 10 6 band would be most aroriate. 14 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

15 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Examle 2 Melody in D major AoS2: Harmony & Tonality AoS3: Texture & Melody Link to the strand: Traditional western harmony with a strong sense o key. It could also have linked to: Poular Music o the 20th & 21st centuries as a iece o mood music or use within a ilm World Music as music which is a sectional comosition or as one which gradually evolves or develos Commentary on the comosition This comosition has a clear sense o structure and o tonality: it has an introduction and ollows a rondo attern with regular returns o the main theme. The central tonality is D major and the music modulates to G major (subdominant) and to B minor (relative minor) to create eective contrasts. The orm can be summarised thus: Intro Main theme in D major (tonic) Eisode in B minor (relative minor) Main theme in G major (subdominant) Eisode in D major (tonic) Main them in D major/coda. The choice o instruments allows or a variety o texture and o timbral combinations. The candidate has used the aroriate characteristics o the chosen instruments well to rovide clear melodic lines, countermelodies and a range o accomaniment iguration. The link to the strand is traditional western harmony with a strong sense o key and this is well reresented within this comosition. In terms o the asects o music, the iece is, overall, quite imaginative, although there could ossibly have been urther develoment o the main theme, the addition o additional countermelodies, greater variation in the accomaniment atterns and/or exloration o other tonal centres, even within those closely-related to the tonic: other keys could include A major, E minor and/or F# minor, thus creating the oortunities or greater tonal variety while still keeing to the stated link. The use o instruments is aroriate without being overadventurous: all writing is quite idiomatic and is layable on acoustic instruments. There is attention to erormance detail in terms o dynamics, hrasing and articulation. Some indication o bowing or the stringed instruments, breathing or the lute and a greater use o the sustaining edal in the iano art would have enhanced this comosition urther. The eisodes are somewhat weaker than the main tune where the main attraction is its simlicity. Overall, the comosition its the criteria or a mark in the band. klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 15

16 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 The Araisal Taking each o the questions in turn, my comosition is based on Areas o Study 2 (Harmony & Tonality) and 3 (Texture & Timbre). The strand given was The Western Classical Tradition and my link to it is through the use o traditional western harmony with a strong sense o key. I chose these Areas o Study and this tye o link because I like writing music which has a nice tune and is clearly in a key, using mainly rimary chords. I chose these instruments because I like their sound and thought they would combine well and would suit the tye o tune I had written. I worked out the oening tune irst aiming to write something which was simle and gentle. I then worked out the chords which went with it best and rom there I went on to look at dierent ways o accomanying it and ossibilities o adding countermelodies. We had studied dierent ways o sreading a chord in earlier lessons and I drew on this to work out how to sread the triads I was using. Ideas or contrasting sections the eisodes took longer and I ound these arts o the comosition the most diicult. Finally, I thought o ways o starting and ending the iece. Although I was able to talk to riends in the class who layed all the instruments I used excet the har I knew that I would have to record my iece rom Sibelius sotware. We have Sibelius 3 in school and so I sent time adding details to the score to try and make it sound as close as ossible to a live erormance, even though the soundcard would never be as good as real instruments but I couldn t o got hold o a har layer and so I had to use the comuter. As well as adding dynamics, hrasing and accents, I had to use the mixer to get the balance better and this took quite a long time to get right. I am very leased with the way my iece has worked out, esecially the main theme, which I really like still and I think it uses the Areas o Study well and its the link I chose. I have written a iece which uses traditional western harmony and has a strong sense o key and I think that, in this context, it is successul. It establishes D major clearly at the beginning and uses the 3 rimary chords o D, G and A. It then moves to the relative minor, on to G major (the subdominant) and then returns to D or the rest o the iece. Commentary on the Araisal This araisal is concise but quite detailed, ocusing on the main questions in the Araisal Booklet and resonding to each in turn. There could have been more detail as to how: the chords were decided uon the eisodes were comosed the countermelodies were worked out the accomaniment atterns were arrived at the intro and outro decided uon. There is some use o aroriate musical vocabulary and the use o selling, unctuation and grammar is mainly good, with just a ew errors. All o this oints to a mark in the band. 16 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

17 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Examle 3 Percussion Piece AoS1: Rhythm & Metre AoS5: Structure & Form Link to the World Music strand: Some use o ethnic ercussion instruments and the use o rhythmic cells. This could also link to: The Western Classical Tradition: use o traditional western ercussion instruments and/or use o a tye o rondo orm Poular Music o the 20th & 21st centuries: the exloration and exansion o the use o ercussion and/or a link to usion music Commentary on the comosition This comosition is in a modiied rondo orm with each return o the main idea being comressed by having its entries occurring at shorter and shorter intervals: this roduces an interesting cumulative eect and nicely varies what might otherwise so easily have become yet another examle o simle cut and aste. The candidate has chosen a wide range o ercussion timbres, all untuned, and has contrasted individual timbres and used them in their world grouings to a limited extent. There is deinite contrast between western ercussion and world ercussion as well as a range o textures. Rhythm is certainly well exlored and there are changes o metre which enhance this comosition and the assage beginning in bar 30 gives the eect o 6/8 alternating with 3/4. Bars are quite striking where the rhythm is assed through the dierent instrumental timbres. There is generally good use o dynamic contrast although the score does not set the level o all arts at times, leaving the setting either to the Sibelius deault o m or relying on the last setting given. Against this, there are times when the rhythms are reeated rather too oten without any variation. As a resonse to the chosen Areas o Study and to the asects o music, this is an imaginative and largely satisying iece. There is some understanding shown o the techniques involved in laying these instruments, although there are ew examles o the use o anything other than airly basic ercussion writing. Overall, it is more than cometent but not successul, imaginative and stimulating (20 17): the band is, thereore, most aroriate. klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 17

18 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 The Araisal As I am a drummer I thought it would be a good idea to write a iece o music which used lots o ercussion instruments. I didn t want to worry about chords or a key and so I decided to choose instruments which did not have any real itch. Obviously I wanted to use a drum kit as I can lay that but I wanted to use a range o other instruments even though most o them weren t available in the school and it would mean that I would have to rely on ICT to get a recording. My teacher said that it was a good idea to have a lan in mind or the orm o the iece so I decided that the two Areas o Study were quite obvious and so I went or AoS1 Rhythm and Metre and AoS5 Structure and Form. I decided to include ercussion instruments that I knew as well as some rom other countries so that my music would link to the World Music strand. I started to work out dierent rhythm ideas and tried dierent ways o utting them together. In the end I decided to add them one ater the other and slowly build u the sound and eect. My teacher suggested that I should alter the main attern each time it came back and so I decided to bring the dierent ideas in quicker each time so it took less time to build them back u, I then had to come u with some contrasting ideas and as one o the areas o study included metre I thought I should change the time signature or give the idea that I had moved rom beats with two quavers to a crotchet to beats with three. As I lay the drums quite well I know that changing the volume can be eective and so I thought I would use this idea in my iece as well. The recording was done straight rom the comuter to a CD and I am leased with the way it sounds and I think it its the areas o study and the strand well. As I used a comuter there weren t any roblems with the recording. I just connected a cable rom the comuter to the CD recorder and ressed start. My iece makes good use o ercussion and would work well in a live erormance i I could ind all the instruments and eole to lay them. Commentary on the Araisal The candidate has resonded quite well to some o the questions. There is some discussion as to why the Areas o Study and the link to the strand were chosen. The orm has been develoed ollowing a rondo attern and taking on board a general suggestion rom the teacher that the main section or A music should be varied on its return each time. This is art o the candidate s resonse to the third question as are the ollowing sections about the eisodes and varying the dynamics. There is no resonse to the question about the erceived level o success o the comosition in terms o the chosen Areas o Study or the link to the strand. As or reerence to a context, there is only the comment that it makes good use o ercussion. Rather an uneven resonse and one which meets some o the criteria or the 10 6 band but other elements are in the 5 1 band, largely because o the missing sections. The total araisal would need to be read careully to weigh u in which band the inal mark should be. 18 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

19 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Examle 4 Nocturne or Flute, Clarinet, Glockensiel and Piano AoS3: Texture & Melody AoS5: Structure & Form Link to the Poular Music o the 20th & 21st centuries strand: A iece o mood music aroriate or a gentle eaceul interlude in a ilm or musical. This could also link to: The Western Classical Tradition: the use o western instruments and/or the use o rondo orm World Music: the use o a modal scale and/or the use o melodic cells Commentary on the Comosition This is a well-structured iece in varied Binary Form which makes good use o the chosen instruments, varying the texture well within this quartet. Melodically, it is strong, with balanced hrases roducing a memorable iece. The ocus is clear and accetable as it is stated recisely: ie the articular eature o Poular Music o the 20th & 21st centuries as well as deining the intended situation: ie to create a gentle, eaceul iece o mood music or an interlude. The ocus would have been less clear without this descrition. Instrumental writing is largely idiomatic, with the iano using areggiated chords; the clarinet its chalumeau and lower middle registers; the lute writing making use o its uer range to contrast with the clarinet writing. The tinkling, metallic sound o the glockensiel is used saringly but to telling eect. The musical ideas are relatively simle but work extremely well in this iece. Writing is idiomatic within this slower temo and the hrasing o the woodwind arts allows or breathing. Musical ideas are develoed and there is a sense o wholeness and comleteness within the comosition. Phrasing, dynamics, edalling and temo indications are detailed and clear. There is a clear areciation o the relevant conventions and the resultant comosition wholly its the comoser s clear intention. A mark in the to band is clearly warranted. klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 19

20 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 The Araisal I chose AoS3 Texture and Melody along with AoS5 Structure and Form. The link to the Poular Music o the 20th & 21st centuries strand is through a iece o mood music aroriate or a gentle eaceul interlude in a ilm or musical. I chose these Areas o Study because I lay both the iano and the clarinet and recently listened to Gymnoédie by Erik Satie. I layed them through and was really taken with the mood achieved by the use o such interesting chords in the let hand. I thought I would like to try to write a iece o music using this style and also being able to include the clarinet in its lower registers a sound I have always liked since hearing Prokoiev s Peter and the Wol in Junior School. I have always thought that music should have good tunes in it and tried to write something which was quite simle but memorable. As I had chosen Area o Study 3 Texture and Melody it was a good idea to add in other instruments to rovide oortunities or contrast and variety. The lute seemed to go well with both the iano and clarinet and the glockensiel rovided a really dierent sound. I decided to stick with a airly simle orm and go or binary, though I varied the reeat by changing the instruments and adding in countermelodies. I also altered the way the iano layed the chords by using a attern which was more like that in Satie s Gymnoédie. Within the irst main section, the main melody is layed over the chords and a short iano assage orms an interlude beore the tune comes back, slightly altered to comlete this irst section. One o the main diiculties was deciding which chords to use. I wanted to use the same idea as Satie but I didn t want it to sound as i I had just coied his chords. To get round this, I wrote the main tune irst and then worked out which chords sounded right with it. The main attern relies a lot on F major 7 (F A C E) and D minor 7 (D F A C). However, I decided to exeriment with a lot o dierent chords while still keeing a sense o using both F major and D minor, as these are closely related keys (tonic and relative minor). This took a long time and I used the iano a lot during this, laying dierent chords and sequences until it sounded just right. The inal recording was made straight rom Sibelius, as this was the easiest route given that I had used Sibelius to roduce a good, neat score o my iece, showing all the dynamics and hrasing clearly. I really think that my iece is successul as it uses the elements within the chosen strands well and clearly its the link that I chose. It relects the style o Satie s music well and, thereore, its the context o music written in that eriod: it combines a lowing melody with some interesting and oten non-unctional harmony, but it also has an underlying sense o key and eels inished when it comes to rest on F major, just as Satie s Gymnoédie did, ending in D. Commentary on the Araisal A good, logically-aroached araisal which tackles each question in turn and resonds in some detail. It demonstrates a good level o understanding in all areas and its use o selling, grammar and unctuation is very cometent. It clearly warrants a mark in the to band. 20 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

21 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Examle 5 Sadness? AoS4: Timbre & Dynamics AoS5: Structure & Form Link to World Music: Use o the Sitar Commentary on the Comosition The iece starts really eectively with a simle, descending sequence. The choice o timbre is aroriate and also resents the timbre o the sitar rom the beginning. Subsequently, the iece is characterised by its rather disjointed and sectional structure. An attemt to round things o is made through the return o the oening idea and this works, i only to a limited extent. There is little attemt to develo ideas save through reetition. There is some variety o dynamics and the large instrumental grou is used saringly or the most art and in a range o combinations a good eature. None o the instrumental writing is articularly idiomatic, though there is some areciation that the sitar roduces a drone eect. The overwhelming eeling having heard this iece is that it lacks any real sense o cohesion and is only artially eective. The mark band which best relects this is the 9 7 band. The Araisal I have chosen the two areas o study timbre and dynamics and structure and orm. The ocus within the world music strand is through the use o the sitar, an indian instrument. I chose these areas because I thought it would be good to write a iece o music which used lots o dierent instruments and I was able to do this because I wrote the iece on Sibelius 3. I decided to use the sitar as a link because I irst heard the sound o the instrument when my teacher layed me a song by The Beatles and I thought then that I would like to write some music or it. I started o by listening to that Beatles song again to remind me o the sound o the sitar. I decided to use it right at the beginning and at the same time as the har, as they are both string instruments. I then thought o lots o other ideas and wrote them down beore utting them into my comosition. I didn t really have any big roblems writing this but my teacher said that I should do something called hide emty staves so that the score wasn t mostly emty lines and didn t need as many ages. The trouble is that it looks like a really short eace now and I sent a lot o time on it. I think it is successul because I have used dierent instruments. I have ut in lots o dynamics and the eace has a clear orm, starting and ending with the same idea and then having new ideas in the middle. Although it doesn t really sound like the eace by the Beatles, I think it its in well with other ieces written or the sitar. I am really roud o it. klm Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. 21

22 Teacher Resource Bank / GCSE Music / Unit 2 Guidance / Version 1.0 Commentary on the Araisal This is a very brie, suericial araisal. It lacks any real ercetion and ails to answer any o the questions ully. There is only limited understanding o the success o the comosition in relation to its chosen Areas o Study and ocus: this last never shows any areciation o writing or the sitar: there is no evidence that the candidate did any research into its caabilities or range aart rom having heard its use in a song by The Beatles (never actually identiied) and being aware that it has a drone sound. Inormation as to the comosing rocess is sketchy with no real indication as to how musical ideas were conceived or the overall orm develoed. There is no reason given or the choice o a articular timbre aart rom the sitar. Knowledge o the musical elements is limited and, aart rom the musical vocabulary contained within the titles o the chosen Areas o Study, none is used. There are no errors in unctuation, one in grammar and just a ew incorrect sellings. There is no roblem with ollowing the candidate s answer. Overall, this resonse matches the descritors or the 5 1 band. 22 Coyright 2009 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved. klm

23 Aendix SCORES FOR EXEMPLAR WORK 1 Day o Celebration Track 1 2 Melody in D Major Track 2 3 Rondo Track 3 4 Nocturne Track 4 5 Sadness? Track 5

24 Piccolo Flute Trumet in C Trombone Timani Violin I Violin II Viola Violoncello Picc. 3 Day o Celebration A A Vln. I Vln. II Vc.

25 2 Picc. C Tt. Tbn. Tim. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Picc. C Tt. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. 5 8

26 3 Picc. C Tt. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Picc. C Tt. Vln. I Vln. II Vla Vc.

27 4 Picc. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc

28 5 Picc. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Picc. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Picc. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc

29 6 Picc. C Tt. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Picc. C Tt. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. 39 m m m 42 m m m m m m m m m m m

30 7 Picc. C Tt. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Picc. C Tt. Vln. I 45 m m m m m m 48 m Vln. II Vla. Vc.

31 8 Picc. Vln. I Vln. II Picc C Tt. Tbn. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc.

32 Picc C Tt. Tbn. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. Picc. C Tt. Tbn. Tim. Vln. I Vln. II 60 Vla. Vc.

33 10 Picc. C Tt. Tbn. Tim. Vln. I Vln. II 62 Vla. Vc. Picc. Tbn. Vln. I Vln. II Vc. 64

34 Picc. C Tt. Tbn. Tim. Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc

35 Flute q = 100 Melody in D major Piano Har Violin Viola Violoncello H. Vln. 5 m m

36 2 10 H. Vln. Vla. 15 H. Vln. Vla.

37 3 19 Pno. m H. Vln. Vla. Vc. Pno. H. 23 subm m m m m Vla. Vc. subm m

38 4 Pno. H. Vln. 28 rall. m Temo rimo q = rall. q = m m Vla. Vc. m 33 H. Vc. Vc. 38 m H. Vln. m m

39 43 5 H. Vln. Vc. 48 Pno. m H. Vln. Vla. Vc. Pno m Vla. 3 3 Vc.

40 6 Pno. H. 58 Vla. Vc. H. Vln. Vla. Vc. 63 m m

41 H. Vln. 70 m 7 Vla. Pno. H. Vln. Vla. 73 m rall. rall. Vc.

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55 Flute Clarinet in Bb Glockensiel Cl. Moderato 'Nocturne' For Flute, Clarinet, Glockensiel & Piano q = 100 legato Piano sim. 11 Pno. Cl. Pno. Cl. Pno sim.

56 2 Cl. 37 Glock. Pno. m Cl. 46 Glock. Pno. Cl. Pno. Cl. Glock. m 55 legato sim. 64 Pno.

57 3 73 Cl. Glock. Pno. Glock. Pno. Cl. Glock. sim. 81 m 89 sim. Pno.

58 4 95 Cl. Glock. Pno. rall. 100 Cl. Glock. Pno. rall.

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