EDEXCEL GCSE Music Setworks

What is the TONALITY of the BACH BRANDENBURG?

A - D major [passes through A major]

B - (perfect cad in b min, raised leading note A#) new theme in B minor - relative minor (dominant pedal later on on F#) [passes through A major- perfect cad]

A' - D major (root position chord at start)

Diatonic

Perfect cads signal ends of sections

What is the TEXTURE of the BACH BRANDENBURG?

- fugal style

- monophonic at start

- 2 part counterpoint in harpsichord/plays in thirds

- sometimes flute and violin in thirds/double each other in unison

- contrapuntal / polyphony / homophony

- stretto + 2 part imitation

- antiphony

- repeated tonic pedal (B minor) and repeated dominant pedal (on F#)

- dialogue octaves and canon

What is the STRUCTURE of the BACH BRANDENBURG?

Ternary

In B section there is a return of 1st theme (A)

What RHYTHMIC DEVICES are there in the BACH BRANDENBURG?

- 2/4 but sounds 6/8

- Baroque Gigue- dance in compound duple time

- dotted rhythms + triplets

- semiquaver + demisemiquaver scalic runs

- [syncopation]

- ostinato

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in the BACH BRANDENBURG?

- functional harmony

- simple, diatonic chords in the root and first inversion

- perfect cads at the ends of sections

- pedal notes

- dissonance - appoggiaturas and suspensions

What MELODIC DEVICES are evident in the BACH BRANDENBURG?

- ornamentation- trills in harpsichord + appoggiaturas in violin and viola

- ascending rising sequences

- mainly conjunct, opening interval leap of perfect 4th

- frequent semiquaver scalic runs

What aspects of SONORITY/INSTRUMENTATION are evident in the BACH BRANDENBURG?

- concertino: solo instruments - baroque flute, violin, harpsichord

- ripieno: accompanying orchestra - violins, violas, violoncellos, double bass, harpsichord

What MELODIC DEVICES are evident in the PATHETIQUE SONATA?

- ornamentation

- balanced phrasing -- first subject vs seconding subject

- Chromatic/diatonic

- conjunct/disjunct

-

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in the PATHETIQUE SONATA?

- descending circle of fifths

- pedal and inverted pedal

- diminished sevenths

- cadences

- thick dense chords

What is the TONALITY of the PATHETIQUE SONATA?

C minor

[modulates to Eb major (rel. maj.) Eb minor, D major (II), E minor, F minor (IV), G minor (V)]

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in the PATHETIQUE SONATA?

- Homophonic

- Monophonic

- Melody Dominated Homophony

What is the STRUCTURE of the PATHETIQUE SONATA?

Sonata form

[introduction, exposition, development, recapitulation, coda]

What RHYTHMIC DEVICES are evident in the PATHETIQUE SONATA?

What other elements of the PATHETIQUE SONATA should be noted

- virtuosic (cadenzas, tempo)

What INSTRUMENTS are there in MUSIC FOR A WHILE

- soprano voice

- bass viol

- harpsichord

- lute

What MELODIC DEVICES are evident in MUSIC FOR A WHILE

- Vocal range: minor 9th - E-F (a relatively narrow range)

- Mainly syllabic but with some expressive melismas - wond'ring, eternal, drop

- Mostly conjunct, with some expressive leaps (perf 4ths and 5ths)

- Ornamentation (typical of Baroque period)- mordant, appoggiaturas, trills, grace notes

- passing notes

- descending sequence- eternal, eas'd

- use of rests: 'drop'- syncopation + breaks up phrases 'all all shall all all'- ochetto, effect of gasping/sobbing

- Features some chromatic notes

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in MUSIC FOR A WHILE

- diatonic and functional Root and first inversion chords

- Dissonance:

- passing notes

- suspensions- 'eas'd'

- false relation

- perf cads

- tierce de Picardie

What is the TONALITY of MUSIC FOR A WHILE?

A: A minor [modulation to E min + C maj]

B: G major [modulation to E min]

A': A minor

Transposed C to A minor

A minor modulates E minor G major

What is the TEXTURE of MUSIC FOR A WHILE?

- Melody dominated homophony

- counterpoint: RH harpsichord vs voice

- Imitation - harpsichord imitates singer (bar 7 and 11)

RH as an elaborate realisation of figured base, improvisation

What is the STRUCTURE of MUSIC FOR A WHILE?

ternary ABA

Cello: GB bowed and fretted

- ground base 3 bar phrases, entirely quavers, features semitone intervals, melody based on arpeggios, rising line

- fall of octave at end of ground bass

- ground bass changes after eas'd

What RHYTHMIC DEVICES of MUSIC FOR A WHILE?

Simple quadruple (4/4)

Frequent dotted rhythms

Chords arpeggiated or spread

Quavers are used continuously throughout the ground bass

Syncopation- "eternal", off beat rhythms on "drop"

What other elements of MUSIC FOR A WHILE should be noted

Word painting:

-"Pains" is dissonant- d against e

-"Wondering" is melismatic- wistful descending legato melody, syllabic pairs

- "eternal" is an extended melisma, descended sequence

- Repetition of "drop" 9 times is separated by quaver rests

- "Eased" is suspensions- resolved- eased from pains, clash+resolve=turmoils eased

- Repetition of "all" for emphasis- rests used to break up phrases- ochetto gasping

What is the INSTRUMENTATION of KILLER QUEEN?

Piano, honky tonk piano, electric guitar (over-dubbed four time), bass guitar

- lead vocals- falsetto "decline", portamento "queen"

- backing vocals - vocables- backing stabs sometimes, 4 part backing vocals in verse 2

- drum kit - cymbals and drum roll going into verse 2

Drum kit and guitar enter early in verse 2

Verse 2 bass guitar pentatonic + chromatic scales

What ELECTRICAL EFFECTS are evident in KILLER QUEEN?

- reverb throughout

- Change of EQ + flanger-distortion- ("laser beam")

- Wah-wah ("pussy cat")

- panning in chorus

- overdubbing/layering/multitracking in verse 2 with 5 part singing

What MELODIC DEVICES are evident in KILLER QUEEN?

Conjunct and leaps, syllabic

Rising sixths and vocalisation

All verses and choruses start on anacrusis

Acciaccaturas

Descending sequences

In verse 2 during 5 part singing- inner chromatic descending pattern, conjunct and scalic, in guitar

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in KILLER QUEEN?

Harmony some dissonance

Extended chords- with most in root position and pedal

circle of fifths- "recommended at the price insatiable in appetite"

harmonic rhythm

Verse 2 tonic pedal note on C

In instrumental section, verse 1 chord sequence returns

What is the TONALITY of KILLER QUEEN?

It's in Eb major but opens in C minor

"Laser beam" - perf cad d min, then c major

With some passing modulations perf cads parallel shifts

Parallel shift to B major

Verse 2 tonic pedal on C

What is the TEXTURE of KILLER QUEEN?

Melody Dominated Homophony [polyphony in the guitar solo]

Layering in chorus 1

Panning, antiphonal

Imitation in final bar

Chorus- 4/5 part texture lead and backing singers together

Instrumental- guitars in thirds

What is the STRUCTURE of KILLER QUEEN? + differences between verses 1 and 2

The structure is verse chorus form VERSE CHOR VERSE CHOR GUITAR VERSE CHOR

outroooooo

Verse 2 basically same as verse 1 but

- 5 part singing

- drums and guitar enter early

- drum roll + cymbals introduce verse 2

- drum rolls used

- verse 2 has tonic pedal note on C

What RHYTHMIC DEVICES are evident in KILLER QUEEN?

Syncopation, anacrusis, triplets

Moderate tempo

Compound quadruple 12/8, occasional bar of 6/8

Guitar playing techniques + technological devices in killer queen

4 'lectric guitars slides bends pull offs (hammer-ons) vibrato bass guitar

Multi tracking EQ distortion. Over dubbing, flangeroo, wah wah and reverb too

What is the INSTRUMENTATION of DEFYING GRAVITY?

Soprano, Mezzo soprano, Band: violins, viola, cello, double bass, woodwind, trumpets, trombones, horns, guitars, harp, drum kit, percussion, keyboards

Stab chords in intro, then sustained

Sus chords- uncertainty

Brass fanfare like idea + synth motif

Guitar with overdrive

Drum roll after 'happy'

Tremolo in violin in verse 1 - uncertainty

Driving crotchets on closed hi-hat in chorus

Synth 3 quaver note ostinato in chorus, octave lower in chorus 3

4 note semiquaver ostinato in bridge + more static accompaniment, repetitive long held chords

'Unlimited' leitmotif from somewhere over the rainbow- freedom

Reprised intro- softer instrumentation, strings softer, no speech- all sung, stab chords now sustained

Cymbal roll on 'regret it' + horn and guitar with overdrive - anticipation

Driving quavers with cresc into verse 3- anticipation

Full orchestra in verse 3, higher vocal range- exciting

In coda- violins tremolo, starts just violin and piano, more instruments are added, eventually full band

What MELODIC DEVICES are evident in DEFYING GRAVITY?

Conjunct in intro

Mix of conjunct and disjunct, leaps

Vocal melody outlines triad in d major in chorus- triadic

Melodic sequence in intro 'hurt cause forever, think you're clever'

Rest at start of verse 1

Melodic Sequence in bridge 'be the greatest team there's ever been'

Repeated descending 4th in coda

Fermata on 'me'

Vocalisation

Frequent use of melodies outlining a 4th

Syncopation in melody

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in DEFYING GRAVITY?

Descending chords by a semitone in first 6 bars

Bare 5th chords frequently

Chromatic descending stab chords at start- then sustained

Sus chords frequently - uncertainty

Ascending step wise baseline just before the chorus - anticipation

Interrupted cadence into chorus - harmonic shift

Perf cadence going into verse 2- strong, powerful, assured Elphaba

Circle of 5ths verse 2

In reprised intro- stab chords are sustained, softer

Sus chords into verse 3

Homophonic stab chord on 'me'

What is the TONALITY of DEFYING GRAVITY?

Ambiguous key at start - stab chords moving chromatically descending- little sense of tonality

Passes through B and F major in 2nd half of intro-Key changes reflect conflict, unsettled characters

Landed in d major on 'anymore', along with fanfare+motif just before verse 1

Chorus in D major

Flattened 7th in verse 2- harmonic colour

Bitonal in bridge

Chords descending chromatically in reprised intro

Bm at start of coda

Polytonal towards end of coda

What is the TEXTURE of DEFYING GRAVITY?

Mostly melody dominated homophony

Homophonic stab chords in introduction, moving chromatically descending

Occasional monophony

Polyphonic/contrapuntal in coda

[elements of unison and parallel thirds/homophony in vocals]

What is the STRUCTURE of DEFYING GRAVITY?

Introduction

Verse and chorus 1

Verse and chorus 2

Bridge

Reprised introduction

Vamp

Verse and chorus 3

Coda

What RYTHMIC DEVICES of DEFYING GRAVITY?

Colla voce intro and verse 1

Static accompaniment in verse 1 - long held notes, ascending base line before chorus- anticipation

Allegro chorus

Push rhythm in chorus- driving crotchets by closed hi hats

3 note quaver ostinato- metrical shifting, three notes trying to fit into four notes in chorus

Cross rhythms between melody and accompaniment before V2- triplets

Active accompaniment in verse 2 with syncopation and accents

Moderate bridge

Static accompaniment in bridge- repetitive sustained chords

Reprised intro, fixed time signature, predictable and calm

Driving quavers with cresc into verse 3- anticipation

Rall + tempo changes verse 3

Slower tempo in coda, starts quiet, significant cresc and sf stab chord on 'me'+ ritardando

Melodies are heavily syncopated, dotted rhythms

Andante, allegro, moderato, maestoso

DYNAMICS of 'Defying Gravity'

Loud dynamics with accents at start

Second half of intro quiet

V1 quiet

Chorus f

Bridge quieter

In vamp- crescendo into verse 3

Final chorus ff

What other elements of DEFYING GRAVITY should be noted?

Colla voce

Recitative

Coup de Théâtre

Scena

Vocalisation

What is the SONORITY of REBEL BLOCKADE?

Full orchestra

What MELODIC DEVICES are evident in REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER?

4ths, (5ths) and 7ths

Accents emphasise leaps

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER?

Imperfect cadence

Mostly diatonic.

Sometimes chromatic

Pedals and inverted pedals (C at end)

Quartal harmony

Dissonance - cluster chord

Neapolitan chord

What is the TONALITY of REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER?

Bb major

Bars 48 - 49 Ab minor against C (bitonal)

The end verges on the feeling of not having a key (although C remains an important note). (atonal)

What is the TEXTURE of REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER?

Melody dominated homophony

What is the STRUCTURE of REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER?

Ternary form

Introduction (Fanfare - connotes grandeur, battle and introduction)

End: Bar 30 - 35 - short fanfare with crescendo and diminuendo

Bar 36 - 39 - mysterious piccolo melody

Bar 40 - 60 - sudden orchestral outburst and rebel blockade runner leitmotif

What RHYTHMIC DEVICES are there in REBEL BLOCKADE RUNNER?

Triplets

Syncopation

Ostinato

dramatic ritardando

4/4 Simple quadruple

Bar 44 to 3/4 Simple triple

What is the INSTRUMENTATION of SAMBA EM PRELUDIO

Vocals

Guitar

Acoustic Bass Guitar- Use of harmonics, double stops VIRTUOSIC INTRO

What MELODIC DEVICES are evident in SAMBA EM PRELUDIO?

Tessitura (Range): E to G - a 10th- low alto

Disjunct (A) and conjunct (B)

- Angular intervals, in each bar the lowest note of each phrase gets progressively lower- range of each bar increases

- big leap down, ascends by smaller steps

- sequential

Syllabic

What HARMONIC DEVICES are evident in SAMBA EM PRELUDIO?

Perf cads

Functional harmony

Bass line contains chordal writing to fill out harmony

7th chords

Slash chord (e.g. Bm7/A meaning a chord of Bm7 where an A is played in the bass)

Diminished 7th chords

Altered chords e.g. G7(b5)

Extended chords e.g. G9, G11

What is the TONALITY of SAMBA EM PRELUDIO?

B minor (no modulations)

Chromatic

Accidentals

Flattened 5th blue note- not in key signature

What is the TEXTURE of SAMBA EM PRELUDIO?

Melody dominated homophony- 2 part melody and accompaniment

Monophonic - (At the beginning (with the exception of the double stops)

Contrapuntal / polyphonic - Bars 89 - 104 feature two independent melodic lines (voice and bass guitar)

What is the STRUCTURE of SAMBA EM PRELUDIO?

Intro - V1 - V2 - guitar solo - V3 - coda

What RHYTHMIC DEVICES are evident in SAMBA EM PRELUDIO?

- 4/4 (simple quadruple time)

- Tempo at start: Free tempo with rubato

- in intro, active fast semiquavers

- Rest of piece: Bossa nova tempo

- Syncopation

- Cross rhythms e.g. bar 8 where semiquavers in the bass conflict with triplets in the voice.

- Rhythmic augmentation (the bass part in bars 88 - 103 is an augmented version of the vocal melody in bars 4 - 11)

Lazy triplet rhythms- sombre

(Although triplets and dotted rhythms appear they are part of the rhythmic complexity created as a result of improvisation rather than being a prominent feature)

INSTRUMENTATION of RELEASE

Celtic instruments: Uilleann Pipes, Hurdy-gurdy, Accordion, Low Whistle, Bodhrán

West African instruments: Kora, Djembe, Talking Drum

Western Dance music: Male and female vocals, Electric piano, synth, Drum machine, Shaker, Tambourine

Reverb+synth

Fiddle double stopping

MELODIC DEVICES of RELEASE

This piece uses the Aeolian scale - C-D-Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C

Irish folk music: modal, pentatonic,

- Verse 1: Conjunct melodic movement, descending, repetitive melody

- Verse 2: begins same as verse 1, however contains some ascending phrases, higher, longer note lengths, climax on Db

- Uilleann pipes solo- features of a reel (type of dance), all semiquavers, conjunct (leaps of perf 4ths+5ths), oscillates around tonal centre of C, contains slides

- low whistle- triples, similar use of semiquavers and demisemiquavers used, sextuplets, oscillates around tonal centre of C

3 stanzas, each made of four phrases which are almost exactly the same. Only the end of the 2nd and 3rd stanzas are slightly different. - VERY REPETITIVE

Instrumental vs solo melodies - Shorter note values, Wider range, More disjunct movement, (They also emphasise G and C as the main notes of the mode)

HARMONIC DEVICES evident in RELEASE

Harmonic rhythm is slow

Diatonic

Without B naturals you cannot say this piece is strictly in C minor, but it is anchored to C through the C drones and chord sequences.

TONALITY of RELEASE

Modal - it uses the Aeolian mode

This is like C minor but without the B naturals you would expect

TEXTURE of RELEASE

Melody dominated homophony

Layered / accompanying loops

STRUCTURE of RELEASE

Synth drone, heavy panning

Talking drum solo+shaker

Maninkan spoken solo

Bodhrán

Synth strings + female vox

Drums + verse 1

Talking drum + second lyrics

Kora and synth strings + third lyrics

BREAK VOICE STOPS APART FROM BODHRÁN

Soft synth pad, bass and breath samples

Drums + verse 2

Fiddle + second part of verse 2 (higher bit with longer note lengths)

Uilleann pipes solo + synth

Low whistle + Bodhrán

Accordion + male vox

Hurdy gurdy

Synth + verse 3

ONE BAR OF BODHRÁN + SHAKER THEN....

BUILD SECTION:

Fiddle then drums then electric piano then hurdy gurdy

Uilleann pipes + female vocals

Outro

RHYTHMIC DEVICES of RELEASE

Opening tempo = Free time

4/4 (simple quadruple

Ostinatos

Polyrhythms

Triplets ( in the low whistle and fiddle loops)

Dotted rhythms in bodhrán and drums

Syncopation