GCSE MUSIC Handbook 2015-2017 DJB 1
Contents Course outline 3 Areas of Study 4 Performing Music 5 Composing Music 6 Listening exam 7 How to listen to new music 9 Rough guide to recognising styles of music 10 Performance mark scheme 12 Composition mark scheme 16 Essay mark scheme 19 Musical Elements 20 Glossary 21 DJB 2
Course Outline Edexcel GCSE Music has three units: Unit 1: Performing Music Internally assessed 30% of total GCSE Content One solo performance One ensemble performance Assessment: Recording of both solo and ensemble performances Score, professional recording or written commentary Unit 2: Composing Music Internally assessed 30% of total GCSE Content Two compositions, or Two arrangements, or One composition and one arrangement Assessment: Recording of both compositions/arrangements Notated scores (Sibelius), Track Sheet (Cubase) or written commentaries for both compositions/arrangements Unit 3: Listening and Appraising Externally assessed 40% of total GCSE Content Knowledge and study of set works in the Areas of Study Assessment: An exam that is 1½ hours All the questions will relate to the set works The paper will be in two sections Section A: eight compulsory questions in response to extracts from the set works that will be played on a CD during the examination (68 marks) Section B: one question from two optional questions on the set works, requiring extended writing (12 marks) DJB 3
Areas of Study There are four Areas of Study. Each AoS includes three set works that will be the subject of the examination in Unit 3. The compositions in Unit 2 will be based on two of the Areas of Study. Area of Study 1 Area of Study 2 Area of Study 3 Area of Study 4 Western classical music 1600-1899 Music in the 20th century Popular music in context World music Set works G F Handel: Chorus: And The Glory of The Lord from Messiah, HWV 56 W A Mozart:1st Movement from Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550 F Chopin: Prelude No 15 in D flat major, Op. 28 A Schoenberg: Peripetie from Five Orchestral Pieces, Op. 16 L Bernstein: Something s Coming from West Side Story S Reich: 3rd Movement (fast) from Electric Counterpoint Miles Davis: All Blues from the album Kind of Blue Buckley: Grace from the album Grace Moby: Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad? from the album Play Capercaillie: Chuir M Athair Mise Dhan Taigh Charraideach (Skye Waulking Song) from the album Nàdurra Rag Desh Koko: Yiri DJB 4
Performing Music You must complete 1 Solo Performance (15%) and 1 Ensemble Performance (15%) in this section. Any voice or instrument can be performed. All performances will be recorded. Any genre is acceptable. Neither performance should exceed 5 minutes. Scores will have to be sent to the moderator as part of the marking process. Conventional scores, tablature, and commercially available recordings are acceptable. It is your responsibility to be in control of your performance if you need a page turner you must ask someone beforehand, if you need an accompanist you must let a teacher know as soon as possible. The solo and ensemble performances will be assessed on their level of difficulty. If you are unsure as to where your piece would fit within these levels, then make sure that you speak to your teacher. The 3 levels are: Easy (approx. grade 2) Standard (approx. grade 3) More Difficult (approx. grade 4) Performing a harder piece will not guarantee you higher marks. It would be better to perform a standard piece very well, rather than perform a more difficult piece badly. During the course you will be having regular performance lessons and chances to perform your pieces to the rest of the class. Each performance is marked out of 30. The mark schemes are on pages 12-15. All GCSE students are expected to be in a school ensemble. Choir is compulsory as everyone can sing and it is important that you develop pitch and harmony awareness for the listening exam. Ensemble skills must be developed during the course; this is the 15% that students tend to do less well in. If there is an ensemble deadline approaching, you must organise rehearsals and practise in your spare time. Practice rooms are available most lunchtimes. DJB 5
Composing Music You will need to submit 2 compositions in this paper, each worth 15%. Each piece must be based on a different Area of Study. These compositions must last between 2 4 minutes in total. Each composition is marked out of 30, on the following criteria: Core Criteria 15 (3x5) marks A: Use and development of ideas B: Exploitation of the medium C: Structure and form Optional Criteria (3x5) 15 marks D: Melody E: Harmony / accompaniment F: Texture G: Tempo / Rhythm H: Dynamic contrasts I: Use of Technology You will have to submit a recording and a score of your composition. This could be a conventional score done in Sibelius or a commentary with some music input chord chart, melody and chords, lead sheet. The compositions must be completed in controlled conditions. Any ideas can be made outside of the classroom but the final score/recoding must be completed in lessons. You will have 10 hours to complete each composition. DJB 6
Listening exam You may not like the style of music you are studying, but you must still listen with an analytical ear if you are to do well on this paper. The How to listen to new music page will give you a guide to what you should be listening for. This unit will be assessed through a 90 minute examination set and marked by Edexcel. The examination is divided into two sections. Section A Eight questions requiring you to respond to extracts of music on CD, which are taken from the set works. The exact number of times the extracts will be heard is announced on the CD and printed on the examination paper. A range of question types including multiple choice, melody/rhythm completion, grid completion, one-word response, short response and free response questions, will be used as appropriate to the extracts. The 68-mark total for this section will be divided as appropriate between the eight questions the questions will not necessarily be of equal weighting. This section will last approximately 65 minutes. Section B One extended response question (from a choice of two) on any one of the set works, or comparing musical features across set works. This section will be worth 12 marks. You will have 25 minutes to complete your response. Scores of set works are not allowed in the exam. Your quality of English will be assessed in Section B. You should answer in prose. In unit 3 you will learn the following: the musical elements (melody, rhythm, time signature, dynamics, tempo, use of instruments, texture, structure, tonality & harmony) identifying instruments and groups of instruments identifying key musical features applicable to the genre identifying melodic devices (ornamentation, ostinati, riffs, use of imitation, pedal point and sequence) identifying rhythmic devices (syncopation, swung rhythms, dotted rhythms and triplets) DJB 7
identifying and discriminating between major, minor, modal, pentatonic, chromatic and atonal tonalities relating music to the context in which it was created identifying conventions used in different times and places using appropriate musical vocabulary expressing and justifying opinions and preferences. DJB 8
How to listen to new music Instruments 1 Are there any? 2 How many? 3 Are the instruments ones you recognise? If so, what are they? 4 Is it possible to classify the type of instrument (e.g. strings, woodwind, percussion )? Voices 1 Are there any? 2 How many? 3 Are the voices singing the same part together (as a choir) or does each voice sing an individual part? 4 What ranges do the voices have (male, female, high, low)? The music 1 Can you say if the music sounds western or non-western? 2 Does the music repeat at all, or does it continue without repetition? 3 Can you hear any patterns, such as a phrase which is then played a little higher, or a gradual increase in volume? 5 Do you know any word that might describe the music (e.g. Orchestral, Blues, Reggae)? The accompaniment 1 Is it possible to describe this music as having a melody and an accompaniment? 2 If not, are all the voices or instruments of equal interest? 3 If you do feel that part of the music can be called an accompaniment, what instrument(s) is (are) playing the accompaniment? 4 Is the accompaniment based around chords, around rhythms, or around an instrument such as a bass guitar? Rhythm and movement 1 Is the piece best described as fast, moderate speed or slow? 2 Does the piece have an instrument that keeps the rhythm going while other instruments play the melody? If so, which instrument keeps the rhythm going? 3 If the piece is in a regular time, are there two beats in a bar), three beats in a bar or four beats in a bar? Mood, style and function 1 What mood or emotion is expressed by the music? 2 Does this sound like formal music for a special occasion, or music for people to relax to, or is it best described in some other way. DJB 9
Rough guide to recognising styles of music Baroque Music 1600 1750 Purcell, Vivaldi, J.S. Bach, Handel Steady, important bass line Use of continuo i.e. organ or harpsichord playing chords from figured bass line Flowing contrapuntal / polyphonic melodies Small orchestra, mainly strings. Flutes, oboes and bassoons. Trumpets and timpani added for special effect. FORMS: Concerto Grosso (ritornello form) Suites of dances (binary form) Sacred forms included cantatas and oratorios Classical Music approx. 1750 1820 Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven Symphony, Sonata and String Quartet. First movements of these usually in sonata form. Regular phrase lengths Mainly diatonic harmony Restrained emotion No continuo, increased importance of inner parts i.e. viola Romantic Music 1820 1900 Late Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Schumann, Berlioz, Liszt, Wagner, Mahler, Brahms Larger orchestra, addition of piccolo, trombones. Percussion often included, cymbals, bass drum, triangle as well as timpani. Wagner introduced a vast brass section. Personal emotional expression, greater range of dynamics Use of rubato i.e. fluctuating tempo to express feeling Short songs Schumann, Schubert, Brahms Short solo piano pieces Chopin, Liszt (the piano as we know it) Programme music, the symphonic poem Liszt Opera Wagner s Music Drama More chromatic harmony, leading to breakdown after Wagner Nationalism e.g. Grieg (Norway), Mussorgsky (Russia) Modern Music 20 th Century Stockhausen, Schoenberg, Debussy, Stravinsky, Reich, Cage, Gershwin, Breakdown of tonality Schoenberg and the 12 note scale (serialism) Influence of the East Debussy, pentatonic and whole-tone scales Larger orchestras, often used selectively and also very small ensembles Neoclassical music Prokofiev, Stravinsky Influence of Jazz e.g. Gershwin, Ravel Increased use of percussion Experimental styles Cage Minimalism Reich Electronic techniques Stockhausen DJB 10
MARK SCHEMES DJB 11
Performance mark scheme Levels of difficulty grid Raw mark Easier Standard More difficult 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 3 1 3 3 4 1 4 4 5 1 5 5 6 2 6 6 7 3 7 8 8 4 8 9 9 5 9 11 10 6 10 12 11 7 11 14 12 8 12 15 13 9 13 17 14 10 14 18 15 11 15 19 16 12 16 20 17 13 17 21 18 14 18 22 19 15 19 23 20 16 20 24 21 17 21 25 22 18 22 26 23 19 23 27 24 20 24 28 25 21 25 29 26 22 26 30 27 23 27 30 28 23 28 30 29 23 29 30 30 23 30 30 DJB 12
Solo performance Accuracy of pitch and rhythm Assessment criteria Level of response Mark range Excellent 11-12 The performance is accurate and fluent. Any slips are inconsequential. Good Competent Basic Limited Intonation is secure. The performance is mainly accurate and fluent. There are only occasional small slips. Intonation is mostly secure. The performance is broadly accurate and fluent although errors may interrupt the flow. Intonation is often secure. Accuracy is only achieved in the more straightforward passages. Fluency is repeatedly affected by errors. Intonation is insecure. Accuracy and fluency are only occasionally evident. 9-10 6-8 3-5 1-2 Intonation is poor throughout. Unachieved There is no rewardable material. 0 Interpretation Assessment criteria Level of response Mark range Excellent 15-18 Good Competent Basic Limited A convincing and stylish performance. A secure sense of style with detailed attention to articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. A good performance which has a clear, but perhaps not always convincing, sense of style. The music is well conveyed and opportunities are taken to shape the music with articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. A generally successful performance an awareness of style is displayed during some expressive passages. There is some shaping of the music through articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. An adequate performance demonstrating a basic awareness of style with few attempts to shape the music through articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. The performance demonstrates no conscious sense of style, displaying little understanding of how to shape the music through articulation, phrasing or dynamic contrast. Unachieved There is no rewardable material. 0 11-14 7-10 4-6 1-3 DJB 13
Ensemble performance Accuracy of pitch and rhythm Assessment criteria Level of response Mark range Excellent 11-12 The performance is accurate and fluent. Any slips are inconsequential. Good Competent Basic Limited Intonation is secure. The performance is mainly accurate and fluent. There are only occasional small slips. Intonation is mostly secure. The performance is broadly accurate and fluent although errors may interrupt the flow. Intonation is often secure. Accuracy is only achieved in the more straightforward passages. Fluency is repeatedly affected by errors. Intonation is insecure. Accuracy and fluency are only occasionally evident. 9-10 6-8 3-5 1-2 Intonation is poor throughout. Unachieved There is no rewardable material. 0 Interpretation and ensemble skill Assessment criteria Level of response Mark range Excellent 15-18 A convincing performance demonstrating a secure sense of style with detailed attention to articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. Good Competent Basic The performance demonstrates reaction and adjustment to other parts and displays an excellent awareness of balance throughout. A performance which has a clear, but not always convincing sense of style. The music is well conveyed and opportunities are taken to shape the music with articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. There is generally good reaction and adjustment to other parts and the performance displays a good awareness of balance throughout. A generally successful performance demonstrating awareness of style during some expressive passages. There is some shaping of the music through articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. There is occasional difficulty in reacting and adjusting to other parts although there is some awareness of balance. An adequate performance demonstrating a basic awareness of style with few attempts to shape the music through articulation, phrasing and dynamic contrast. 11-14 7-10 4-6 DJB 14
Limited There is evidence of difficulty in reacting and adjusting to other parts and little awareness of balance throughout. The performance demonstrates no conscious sense of style and only scant understanding of how to shape the music through articulation, phrasing or dynamic contrast. 1-3 The performance displays little or no understanding of the demands of an ensemble performance. Unachieved There is no rewardable material. 0 DJB 15
Composition mark scheme Core criteria Criterion A: Use and development of ideas Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent Makes imaginative use of ideas and conventions in accordance 5 Good Competent Basic Limited Unachieved Criterion B: Exploitation of the medium with the chosen Area of Study. Makes good use of standard conventions in accordance with the chosen Area of Study and ideas are developed Makes some use of standard conventions in accordance with the chosen Area of Study. Makes an adequate attempt to develop the musical ideas in accordance with the chosen Area of Study. Makes only a minimum attempt at realising and developing ideas in accordance with the chosen Area of Study. No evidence of any development of ideas in accordance with the chosen Area of Study. Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent 5 Demonstrates excellent and effective selection and handling of resources and medium, exploiting their potential to the full. Good There is a good use of the medium and resources. 4 Competent There is a satisfactory realisation of the resources and medium. 3 Basic 2 The resources are used in a functional manner although there may be an adequate exploitation of the potential of the medium. Limited There is a limited attempt to use the resources and medium. 1 Unachieved 0 Criterion C: Structure and form No real evidence of any understanding of the medium and resources. Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent The overall structure and form is interesting and shows 5 Good Competent Basic Limited imaginative use of structural devices. The overall structure has a sense of proportion and development with a good use of structural devices. The structure is simple and clear, making use of appropriate structural devices revealing a recognisable form. There is an attempt to use and control structural devices most of the time. A sense of proportion and development may be compromised by brevity. There is minimal use of structural devices resulting in a confused structure. Unachieved No sense of any form or structure evident. 0 4 3 2 1 0 4 3 2 1 DJB 16
Optional criteria Criterion D: Melody Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent The melody lines display style and character. 5 Good Melody lines are well constructed. 4 Competent The melody lines have some sense of shape. 3 Basic The melody lines are functional and lack real shape. 2 Limited Melody lines are limited 1 Unachieved Melody parts are random and meandering or incoherent. 0 Criterion E: Harmony/accompaniment Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent An extended range of chords/an effective accompaniment. 5 Good Good harmonic repertoire/a good accompaniment style. 4 Competent Simple, but appropriate harmony/accompaniment style. 3 Basic Basic use of chords functional, with some possible misjudgements. Limited Limited harmonic awareness. 1 Unachieved No understanding of harmony and/or accompaniment. 0 Criterion F: Texture Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent 5 Sensitive awareness of textural matters, exploiting texture to good effect. Good Shows a clear awareness of texture. 4 Competent The texture is generally appropriate. 3 Basic 2 Displays an adequate awareness of texture, with some possible misjudgements. Limited Displays only a limited awareness of texture. 1 Unachieved No evidence of textural awareness. 0 Criterion G: Tempo/rhythm Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent Exciting, well chosen and showing some originality. 5 Good A good choice of tempo and the use of interesting rhythms. 4 Competent Appropriate choice of tempo/rhythm. 3 Basic Functional rhythms with little variety. 2 Limited A limited awareness of rhythm/tempo. 1 Unachieved Rhythms are random/inappropriate tempo. 0 2 DJB 17
Criterion H: Dynamic contrasts Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent 5 Careful, sensitive and appropriate, the dynamics significantly enhance the composition. Good Dynamics are used to good effect throughout the composition. 4 Competent Dynamics are used to provide some contrasts in the music. 3 Basic Dynamics are used but are only sometimes appropriate. 2 Limited Limited use of dynamics, though mainly inappropriate. 1 Unachieved No dynamics given, or if given, they are inappropriate. 0 Criterion D: Use of Technology Assessment criteria Level of response Mark Excellent 5 Confident and imaginative handling of technological resources and processes. Good Good use of technology evident throughout the composition. 4 Competent Competent use of technology with few misjudgements. 3 Basic Technology used in a functional manner with evidence of 2 Limited Unachieved misjudgements. Limited use of technology with significant misjudgements throughout. Very poor and ineffective use of technology which is detrimental to the piece as a whole. 1 0 DJB 18
Essay question mark scheme Level Mark Descriptor Level 0 0 No positive features can be identified in the response. Level 1 1 2 Limited analysing and evaluating skills Level 2 3 4 Level 3 5 6 Level 4 7 8 Basic analysing and evaluating skills Competent analysing and evaluating skills Good analysing and evaluating skills Level 5 9 10 Excellent analysing and evaluating skills Little relevant information regarding the question and set work is conveyed. Knowledge of the key features will be limited or incorrectly applied. The range of music vocabulary is limited and/or is not used correctly. The skills needed to produce effective writing will not be present and answers lack both clarity and organisation. Frequent spelling, punctuation and grammar errors will be present. Some relevant information regarding the question and set work is conveyed but there will be major omissions. Knowledge of the key features will be basic with only the most obvious of comments made. The range of music vocabulary is basic but mostly used correctly. The skills needed to produce effective writing are likely to be limited and passage within the answer will lack both clarity and organisation. Frequent spelling, punctuation and grammar errors will be present. Relevant information regarding the question and set work is conveyed but there will still be some minor omissions. Knowledge of the key features will be competent with an adequate range of knowledge displayed. The range of music vocabulary is quite broad and is mostly used correctly. Most of the skills needed to produce effective writing will be present but there will be lapses in clarity and organisation. Some spelling, punctuation and grammar errors will be present. Relevant information regarding the question and set work is conveyed and omissions will be minor. Knowledge of the key features will be good with both range and some depth of knowledge displayed. The range of music vocabulary is broad and is mostly used correctly. The skills needed to produce convincing writing are mostly in place. Good clarity and organisation. Some spelling, punctuation and grammar errors will be found but overall the writing will be coherent. Relevant information regarding the question and set work is conveyed and any omissions will be negligible. Knowledge of the key features will be excellent with a wide range and depth of knowledge displayed. The range of music vocabulary is extensive and any errors in usage are minor. The skills needed to produce convincing writing are in place. Excellent clarity and organisation. Very few spelling, punctuation and grammar errors will be found and they do not detract from the overall coherence. DJB 19
Musical Elements what are they? MELODY the tune, how it is constructed, countermelodies. HARMONY the chords and how they are used. RHYTHM the duration of the notes and devices such as polyrhythms, syncopation and cross rhythms. METRE the time signature. DYNAMICS how loud or quiet the music is. TEMPO the speed of a piece. Italian terms and BPM. TEXTURE the way the lines of music work together. STRUCTURE the overall form and the different sections that make up the piece. TONALITY the key the music is in, modulations. INSTRUMENTS the ensemble and how the instruments are used. DJB 20
Glossary of musical terms Accompaniment Appraising Arranging Bar Blues: Chant Characteristics a part or parts, usually instrumental, providing support for a main melody. listening attentively to music, responding to it, e.g., by movement or discussion, and making evaluations. adapting an existing piece of music, e.g. making a vocal piece suitable for performance on a particular instrument; providing a new accompaniment for a piece. a metrical division, e.g., when the metre is 'three beats in the bar one bar will consist of three full beats beginning with the strongest beat. Beat see Pulse a slow, Afro-American song dating back to the early years of last century the 12-bar framework on which many blues songs are based has been used also in other styles; an example of a 12-bar blues chord framework in A major is: AAAADDAAEDAE (Each chord may have a minor 7th added) a spoken 'sing-song' phrase often performed in unison. distinctive qualities derived from the combination and interaction of musical elements. Chord any simultaneous sounding of notes, but usually applied to combinations of three or more notes. Chord progression Chord sequence Chord symbols Composing a succession of two or more chords. see Chord progression. form of chord notation used mainly by guitarists and keyboard players, e.g. C = C major chord,' Em = E minor chord, G7 = G major chord + the note F. any form of creating and developing musical ideas, including improvising and arranging. Cue Descant Drone Duration audible or visual indication to which a performer is to respond. additional melody sung or played above a main melody. continuous or repeated sound(s) of fixed pitch. general term for everything which relates to timing in music and to relative length of notes, including metre and rhythm. DJB 21
Dynamics Elements Form Genre Graphic score Harmony Improvising Interval the loudness and quietness of the sounds, which generally changes, sometimes dramatically, throughout most pieces of music. the fundamental components of music, e.g. pitch, structure, duration, timbre, dynamics, texture, tempo silence. a structural plan for a piece of music, e.g. ABA (ternary ) form consists of a main section, a contrasting section, then the main section again. name for a type of piece, e.g. song, symphony, rap. a score using visual symbols as a means of conveying a composer's intentions. the chordal accompaniment of melody usually with a 'tonal' centre. creating and developing musical ideas spontaneously while performing. the distance in pitch between two notes sounded together or in succession, e.g. C-D is described as an interval of a second, C-E as a third, etc. Intonation Leap Legato Melodic cell Melody MIDI Mode Multi-track Notation Ostinato Pentatonic scale the concept of playing/singing in or out of tune, accuracy of pitch. moving by leap. notes played in a full, long and flowing manner. a short fragment of melody used as the basis for constructing part or all of a piece e.g. the opening of Mendelssohn s 'Fingal's Cave Overture. a succession of notes combining pitch and rhythm to produce a satisfying musical effect; often referred to as a tune. Musical Instrument Digital Interface -a means of linking electronic musical instruments to one another and/or to computers. an ancient type of scale formed by the arrangement of notes separated by tones and semitones in a particular pattern. a cassette, floppy disk or hard disc recorder which allows layers of sound to be recorded and adjusted independently and the mixed to produce a finished piece. any means of writing down music so that it can be saved and performed. Conventional or staff notation uses 'dots' on a five-line stave. Graphic notation may use a variety of symbols (see Graphic score). a persistently repeated melodic or rhythmic pattern (plural: ostinati), e.g. the drum accompaniment in Ravel's Bolero. scale comprising five notes. Percussion Phrase collective name for instruments which are shaken, scraped or struck/tapped, usually by hand or stick. a section of a melody or tune, similar to a sentence. DJB 22
Phrasing Pitch Polyphony dividing a passage of music into short inter-related sections. In a song, phrasing may be determined by the points at which breaths are taken to express words meaningfully. the perception of sounds as 'high' or 'low' in relation to each other (in scientific terms -frequency). literally any combining of sounds, but generally taken to refer to the simultaneous combination of distinct and equally important melodic lines, i.e. not melody accompanied by chords. Pulse (= beat) the regular, measured duration pattern -audible or implicit - upon which metre is based and against which rhythms are formed. For example, in music with 'four beats in the bar' the pulse is the regular, repeated 1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4. Rag/raga Rhythm Riff Sampler Indian scale. the distribution of notes in time. a repeated pattern of melody, rhythm, chords, or all three, forming the 'backing' for a piece. a computer device that records so that it may be controlled and used in performance, e.g. the sound of a 'live' instrument such as a violin may be recorded and then controlled by a keyboard. Scale Score Semitone Sequencer Staccato Step Structure Style Tempo Texture Timbre Tonal a series of notes, usually related to a key or mode, moving upwards or downwards in order, e.g. major scale, pentatonic scale, whole-tone scale. a written record of the parts to be played by all the performers in a piece. the smallest interval commonly used in European music; the interval between any note and the next note (higher or lower) on a keyboard instrument. a piece of hardware or computer program which permits recording of data from MIDI instruments. notes played in a short, bouncy manner. moving by step. the arrangement, organisation or interrelation of parts in a piece of music. the distinctive manner of musical expression of a particular composer, group of composers, period, geographical region, genre, culture, etc. speed of the pulse or beat, of a piece of music. amount of instruments and/ melodic lines. different types of sound, the 'quality' of sound or tone quality. music which has a key - the ear perceives a key note. DJB 23
Tone Triad Unison interval equal to two semitones or it can also be the quality of musical sound. a three-note chord often consisting of a main note and the notes a third and a fifth higher, e.g. C-E-G. at the same pitch; singing in unison means all singing the same part. DJB 24