Music GCSE

Baroque Era

• Harpsichord

• Ornaments

• Terraced Dynamics

• Basso Continuo

• Small Orchestra (mostly strings, plus some wind)

• Suite, Sonata, Oratorio (large scale musical work), Chorales, Trio Sonata

• Composers: Bach, Handel, Vivaldi

• 1600-1750

Classical Era

• 1750-1810

• Slightly larger orchestra

• Piano Introduced

• Alberti bass (broken chord)

• String quartets

• Symphony, solo sonata, solo concerto

• Balanced, Regular Phrases

• Composers: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven

Romantic Era

• 1810-1910

• Lyrical, expressive melodies

• Large orchestra

• Wider range of dynamics

• Richer harmonies and use of chromatic chords

• Programme music

• Opera symphony

• Composers: Schumman, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Dvorak, Brahms, Verdi, Wagner

Binary Form

Two Sections
AB

A usually ends in a relative key

B returns to tonic

B will contain some change/ contrast

Ternary Form

ABA

Three sections - B provides a contrast

A may return exactly or with some slight changes

Rondo Form

ABACA

Longer form: A returns throughout piece, with contrasting sections called ‘episodes’ containing new ideas and different keys

Minuet and Trio Form

AB CD AB

Minuet - type of graceful dance from 17-18th century

Often used as the 3rd movement in symphonies in Classical era

Minuet has two repeated sections

Trio has two repeated sections

With return to minuet at end - no repeat

Variations form

Main theme repeated and developed in variety of different ways

Strophic Form

A A A

Simple form - same melody over and over

Sequence

Repetition of idea in the same part at a higher/ lower pitch

Drone

Long held/ constantly repeated note

Arpeggio/Broken chord

Notes of a chord played individually

Alberti bass

Broken chord accompaniment: I, V, iii, V

Common in classical era

Anacrusis

Upbeat or pickup before first strong beat

Dotted Rhythms

Rhythm using dotted notes - ‘jagged’, ‘bouncy’ effect

Disjunct

Notes that move in leaps/ intervals

Dynamics in Bach

No written dynamics

Not much contrast due to full textures
Generally loud due to the character of the piece (finale of suite and ‘badinerie’ means a jolly and lively piece)

Rhythm in Bach

Almost all quavers or semi-quavers or demi-semi-quavers - gives energy/forward motion to piece (‘badinerie’ / finale)

Quaver semi quaver idea from motif X dominates music

Some syncopations

Structure (form) of Bach

Binary form AABB
A = Tonic to Dom

B = Dom to Tonic with more modulations in the middle

Metre in Bach

2/4 - simple duple time with anacrusis at the start - very steady beat

Melody of Bach

Motif X - triadic melody using many sequences

Other ideas (motif Y) more step wise

Melody decorated with trills and appoggiaturas (ornamentation)

Instrumentation of Bach

Use of harpsichord - with a Cello in Basso Continuo

String based orchestra

Flute soloist - involving use of slurring and tounging technique

Tonality of Bach

In a minor key (B minor)

Modulations to related keys

Texture of Bach

Mostly M + A

Some more polyphonic textures when the basso continuo has motif X ideas

Tempo of Bach

No marked tempo but fast and lively - ‘badinerie’ and finale

Harmony of Bach

Generally diatonic harmony (Only one chromatic chord used: Neopolitan 6th)

Regular use of perfect cadences (and imperfect)

Harmonic devices create some dissonance - sequences and appoggiaturas

Points that reflect Baroque style

No written dynamics

Rhythm almost all quavers or semi-quavers

Binary form (AABB)
Melody decorated with trills and appoggiaturas (ornamentation)
Use of harpsichord with Cello in Basso Continuo

Tonality: modulations to related keys

Polyphonic textures

No marked tempo

Generally diatonic harmony

Regular use of perfect cadences

Motif X

Opening melody

Whole piece built on this
Like a descending sequence

Chord I tonic chord

B minor chord notes

Rearranged alpoggio

Triadic Movement

Motif Y

Opening melody II
Stepwise

Oscilating

D

Dynamics – Volume in music e.g. Loud (Forte) & Quiet (Piano).
Duration – The length of notes, how many beats they last for. Link this to the time signature and how many beats in the bar.

R

Rhythm – The effect created by combining a variety of notes with different durations. Consider syncopation, cross rhythms, polyrhythm’s, duplets and triplets.

S

Structure – The overall plan of a piece of music

M

Melody – The effect created by combining a variety of notes of different pitches. Consider the movement e.g steps, skips, leaps.

Metre – The number of beats in a bar e.g 3/4, 6/8 consider regular and irregular time signatures e.g. 4/4, 5/4

I

Instrumentation – The combination of instruments that are used, consider articulation and timbre e.g staccato, legato, pizzicato

T

Texture – The different layers in a piece of Music e.g polyphonic, monophonic, thick, thin.

Tempo – The speed of the music e.g. fast (Allegro), Moderate (Andante), & slow (Lento / Largo).

Timbre – The tone quality of the music, the different sound made by the instruments used.

Tonality – The key of a piece of music e.g Major (happy), Minor (sad), atonal

H

Harmony – How notes are combined to build up chords.

Presto

Very Fast

Allegro

Fast

Moderato

Moderately

Andante

Walking Pace

Adaigo

Slow and Stately

Lento/Largo

Very Slow

Rubato

Flexible tempo

Strings

Violin/Viola/Cello/Double Bass/Harp

Woodwind

Flute/Oboe/Clarinet/Bassoon/Sax

Brass

Trumpet/French Horn/Trombone/Tuba

Percussion (tuned)

Xylophone/Glockenspeil/Timpani

Percussion (untuned)

Bass Drum/Snare Drum/Crash Cymbals

Homophonic

1 clear melody (but with accompaniment/chords)

The most common texture by far

Examples of homophonic texture

Melody and Accompaniment, Chordal, Antiphony (question and answer)

Polyphonic

2 or more melodies at the same time

Fairly rare

Monophonic

Just 1 line of music (1 pitch at a time)

Octave Unison

Just 1 line of music but in octaves

Polyphonic AND Monophonic

Solo

Duet

Octave Unison

Dense (many layers)

Polyphonic examples

Imitation

Canon

Blues key features

-Slow/moderate steady tempo - 4/4

-Swing feel/rhythm

-Syncopation

-12 bar blues - simple chords I/IV/V

-Slow harmonic rhythm

-7th chords

-Song using the chords is in 12 bar blues form

-Use of ‘blue notes’ - flattened 3rd/5th/7th

-A A B lyrics pattern (with call and response type improv responses between lines)

-Improvisation 

-Often just guitar - later blues band using a ‘rhythm section’ 

12 bar blues structure

I I I I
IV IV I I
V IV I I(+V)

Rhythm Section

Piano: Tune - accompanying - comping - Playing chords - rhythm chords
Bass: Bass-line - (root note of chords) - keeps the beat going by often moving (solos) 

Walking bass

Drums: Keeps a beat going - steady tempo - (solos) - fills - sticks - brush

Blues and Jazz similarities

Syncopation/swing, improvisation, 7th chords (blue notes quite common in jazz)

Blues and Jazz differences

Jazz has..
Wider range of instruments

Wider range of harmony (though early jazz still often based on 12 bar blues)

extended / altered chords - complex jazz harmony- chromatic (often sound dissonant)

Diverse range of styles within jazz - huge numbers of subgenres

Jazz Harmony

Much more complex than blues harmony

Normally a greater range of chords used and the chords are more complex. 

G9 = extended chord (i.e. added note)

Gb5 = altered chord (i.e. a note of the chord is altered 

Gb9 - extended and altered

Big band

-Rhythm Section: Piano, Bass, Drums, Guitar

-Front line: Saxophone (Alto, Tenor, Baritone), Trombone (Glissando/ Slide), Trumpet (often with mute),

-Sometimes clarinet and flute

Common Jazz Structure

32 bar song form

Producers of Africa

David Paich and Jeff Porcaro

Background of Africa

• Recorded by toto in 1981

• In album Toto IV

Dynamics of Africa

Most of the song is mezzo-forte whilst the choruses are forte

Metre of Africa

2/2

General instrumentation Africa

Rock Band:

• drum kit with additional percussion

• lead and bass guitars

• synthesizers

• male lead vocals and male backing vocals.

Tempo of Africa

Moderately fast

Form and structure of Africa

Verse/Chorus form

Harmony of Africa

Diatonic throughout

Chorus chords

F#m, D, A, E
vi, iv, I, V

Verse chords

B
D#m

G#m
B/F#

A/E
E/F#

G#m
A
G#m and C#m

Africa texture

Homophonic

‘pre’ Intro information

• Percussion section that happens before intro

• Uses African inspired instruments like congas, cowbells, shaker, drums, jingle stick

• Layered rhythms (polyrhythms)

• Ostinato

• Syncopation

Intro important information

• B major

• Very syncopated riff

• Followed by a mini ostinato riff thing

Intro first riff info

• Very syncopated

• Played with a kalimba like synth

• Marimba like synth in bass

• Riff gets repeated at bar 8 and 9 of each phrase

Intro second ‘answering phrase’ riff thing

• Mini ostinato (5 notes repeating)

• Unusual pattern of 5 notes (syncopation)

• Pentatonic

• Harmony is 4ths apart - unusual for a pop song (African influence?)

Verse 1 important information Africa

• Melisma at the end of each phrase on ‘conversations’, ‘salvation’ and ‘melodies’

• Lots of repeated notes

• All very syncopated

• Uneven phrasing - 3 + 5 + 1 (9) three times, and then one 8 bar phrase

• Lots of steps

• Change to Harmonic Rhythm on chord G#m/C#m

• In the lower part of singer’s voice until the end, when it goes into tenor range

• Tenor range in link to chorus makes the song more exciting

• Drum fill just before chorus

Chorus 1 info

• Switch to A major

• Chords change from verse (VI, IV, I, V)

• Simple pop chorus

• Very high

• Small range (Tonic (a) and leading tone (g#)

• Simple melody

• Becomes two part on ‘there’s nothing that’

• Drums have a prominent ride cymbal

• Becomes three part on ‘I bless the rains’

• Mostly sylabbic except from last line on ‘had’

Verse 2 info (africa)

Changes from first verse:

• More backing vocals including oohs

• Synth recorder sound (ascending scale - high)

• Notes change on ‘deep inside’

• 9 bars shorter (9+9+8)

Link 1 / 2

Same riff as intro

Africa instrumental part 1 info

• Flute synth

• Chords are similar to verse - this is kind of like verse 3

• Also similar to intro but more developed

• Pentatonic + harmonised in 4ths

• Descending phrase with repeated quavers + triplet at 69

• Notes are in groups of 3 - starts on lower pitch each time

Instrumental part 2 info

• Xylophone synth as well as flute synth

• More varied and complex rhythm than first part

• Harmonised in thirds

• Not pentatonic - notes from E maj

• More ascending and then descending

Instrumental part 3 info

• Similar to part 1 but ascending

• Syncopated grace notes

Chorus 3 - Africa

• 20 bars Longer - ‘I bless the rains’ x 5

• Vocal improvisation part

Outro info (africa)

Same as intro but with extra bass glissando

I

Tonic

ii

Supertonic

iii

Mediant

IV

Sub Dominant

V

Dominant

vi

Sub Mediant

vii

Leading Tone

4 to the floor

4 kicks on each beat of the bar

backbeat

emphasise beat 2 and 4

Presto

Very Fast

Allegro

Fast

Moderato

Moderately