Music

Details of exam

Pupils will be given one hour to complete an online test. The test will feature a series of theory and listening activities relating to the schemes of work covered by the pupils this academic year.

Topics to revise

Elements of Music

• Pitch, dynamics, timbre, structure, texture, tempo, duration/rhythm. • Understand the vocabulary associated with each element • Be able to recognise aurally, how these elements are used in different ways

Blues & Jazz

• Be able to describe the origins and history of blues music • Understand the 12 bar blues chord pattern and know the sequence of chords • Be able to recognise the sound of a walking bass line • Know the notes of the blues scale and understand the role of improvisation and scat singing in blues music • Recognise the notes on a treble clef and bass clef staff, including sharps and flats • Have a secure understanding of how to build a 7th chord onto a triad i.e. the notes of a C7 chord.

Music for Film

• Understand the terms ‘underscore’, ‘leitmotif’ and ‘theme’ and evaluate how they are used in a range of musical examples • Explain how the elements of music can be used to provide an underscore for different film genres including action, horror, comedy • Define the musical term ‘mickey-mousing’ and suggest examples for how it could be used to enhance actions on screen • Understand how composers use a storyboard to write music for films

Music for the Stage

• Describe the main features of opera and be able to describe how musical theatre evolved from this genre • Explain important features of musical theatre; what we would expect to see and hear • Understand terms such as overture, recitative, aria, chorus number, duet, solo, and be able to recognise musical examples • Have an understanding of how the musical elements are used to tell a story e.g. through word painting, major/minor, fast/slow tempi, soft/loud dynamics.

Topics to revise continued…

Baroque Music

• Know the dates of the Baroque period and the main composers: Vivaldi; JS Bach; and Handel • Be able to define and recognise aurally, key Baroque terms such as: continuo, ornamentation, trill, ground bass, ritornello form • Identify the tone colour of the harpsichord and be able to describe the mechanical differences to the modern piano

How to revise for the listening test

• All PowerPoints and lesson resources can be found on the Digital Learning Site under ‘Music’

• Revise the work covered this year by working through exercise books and tasks on Sparkjar

• Use interactive websites to practise skills:

https://www.teoria.com/en/tutorials/ for tutorials and exercises on note reading

https://quizizz.com/ for quizzes on the elements of music, rhythm, notation and instrumental sounds

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/examspecs/zbmct39 for advanced revision on music theory and the elements of music.