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Study Tips

When you are studying your music, try to listen to as many concepts as possible in your practice as this will help you to identify the features.

Use the online quizzes available on the sites above to practice exam style questions. Make sure that you note areas for improvement; then focus on studying your weaker areas.

Helpful Websites

Type the following into Google and click the first result:

NQMusicAlso try

Learn Listening Online and Music Listening Revision

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Modern

Through Composed

No fixed chorus – music changes all the way through – Bohemian Rhapsody

Irregular Metres

Changes of time signature while the pulse remains constant. Creates a feeling of shifting accents

Soul popular music including elements of blues and gospel and conveying strong emotions

Jazz Funk Combination of Jazz and RockMusique Concrete

Everyday sound recordings included in music – may include effects such as reversing

Classical

Sonata Form Exposition – Development – RecapitulationExposition – two main themes introduced in related keys.Development - themes are developedRecapitulation – original themes return in the home key

Sonata Music for solo piano or solo instrument accompanied by pianoConcerto (Solo)

Solo instrument accompanied by orchestra

Symphony Music for an orchestra

Romantic

Lied German song with piano as equal, not accompanimentImpressionism

Musical ideas merge to produce a blurred outline.

Leitmotiv Musical idea related to a character or emotion – Jaws themeHarmonics High pitched eerie sounds created on string instruments3 against 2 One line of music playing quavers, one playing triplets at the

same time.

Baroque

Ornaments Acciacatura – Crushed NoteMordent – note, neighbour, noteTrill – Fast alternating between two notesTurn – “Turning” round the note

Concerto Grosso

Group of Soloists accompanied by an orchestra and continuo

Basso Continuo

Harpsichord and Cello

Concertino The small group of soloists in a Concerto GrossoRipieno The accompanying orchestra in a Concerto GrossoRitornello The returning section of musicPassacaglia Variations over a ground bass

Important concepts to rememberHomophonic All parts move at the same time or melody with

accompaniment. Same rhythms at the same time.Polyphonic 2 or more parts with different rhythms. Interweaving

and equal in importanceLegato Notes played smoothlyStaccato Notes played short and detachedOstinato/Riff Repeated pattern of notesSequence Pattern of notes repeated higher or lowerImitation The melody is copied in another partAnacrusis Tune starts before the first beat of the bar. Think

“Happy” in Happy Birthday.Cadenza Passage for soloist to show off. Orchestra stops.A Cappella Singing with no accompanimentSyllabic One note per syllable.Melismatic Lots of notes per syllable

Binary 2 sections – A & BTernary 3 sections A B ARondo Lots of sections with A repeated eg. A – B – A – C–A – D

Sonata Form Structure in three parts. Exposition, Development, Recapitulation. Important in Classical Music.

Theme and Variation

Main theme is played and then changed in a different way each variation eg. put into minor key, notes added to tune, different beats in a bar

Alberti Bass Broken chords played by the left hand on the piano. Low - high – middle – high.

Walking Bass Bass Going for a walk. Usually stepwise and on the beat.

Ground Bass A theme in the bass which is repeated many times while the higher parts change.

Vamp Rhythmic accompaniment, usually played on piano or guitar. Bass note on the beat and chord off the beat. E.g. “Oom – Cha”

Cadences

Chords

Perfect – Sounds done V-IImperfect – Not finished I - VPlagal – Sounds Done – IV - IInterrupted – Not finished – V – VI

MajorMinor

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Dominant 7th Chord built on the fifth note of the scale. Strongest chord leading back to the home key – Chord 1.Augmented A chord built only with major intervals. Sounds crunchy.Diminished A chord built only with minor intervals. Sounds like something exciting is about to happen.

Tierce de Picardie

Minor piece last chord major. Common in early music.

Pedal Low note sustained or repeated while other parts change.

Inverted Pedal High notes sustained or repeated while others parts change.

Ripieno The large accompaniment in Concerto GrossoConcertino The small group of soloists in Concerto Grosso

Voices – Highest to lowest

Soprano Mezzo Soprano FEMALE

Alto

Tenor

Baritone MALE

Bass

SATB Chorus – Mixed Voice Choir

Always try to specify voice type in questions – by the time you are sitting Higher Music, you are expected to explain more than Solo Voice!

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Tempo Meaning

Allegro Fast

Moderato Moderate tempo

Andante Walking Pace

Adagio Slow

Accelerando getting faster

Rallentando getting slower

Rubato robbed time – speeding up or slowing down to suit the mood of the piece.

Tempo = Speed

Musical Groups / STYLESOrchestra Strings, Brass, Woodwind, PercussionBrass Band Brass & PercussionWind Band Brass, Woodwind, PercussionFolk Group Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals, Accordion,

Whistle, Bass, Flute, Drum kit, BodhranScottish dance band fiddle, accordion, piano, drums.Celtic Rock Mixes folk music with rock music. Reggae Off beat guitar, vocals, drums, organ, bass.Impressionist Sounds dreamy or blurry. Whole tone scale.Minimalist Simple and repetitive ostinatos.Ragtime Piano. Syncopated melody & vamp accomp.Blues Jazz style, developed from black American

folk songs. Tells a story. Flattened notes. Swing A jazz style performed by a big band.String Quartet 2 Violins, Viola, CelloChamber Music Classical music for a small group of

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Basso Continuo Harpsichord and Cello accompaniment present in Baroque music.

Instruments & Related Concepts

StringsViolinViolaCelloDouble BassHarp/Clarsach

Arco BowedPizzicato Plucked

WoodwindPiccoloFluteOboeClarinetBassoon

Saxophone (Not in Orchestra)

Blown Air is blown through the Instrument to produce soundFlutter Tonguing Rolling an “R” While blowing a note

BrassTrumpetFrench HornTromboneTuba

Con Sordino – Played with a mute to create a different sound than expected.

Tuned PercussionXylophone (Wooden)Glockenspiel (Metal)VibraphoneTimpani (Kettle Drum)Tubular BellsPiano

Untuned PercussionSnare Drum BodhranDrum Kit Bongo DrumsCow Bell GuiroBass Drum CastanetsCymbals TambourineTriangle Claves

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Dance Speed Beats Other featuresWaltz Medium 3 Only dance with 3 beatsJig Fast 2 – 6/8

timeSTRAWBERRY, compound time,

Reel Fast 4 TANGO, simple time, flowingStrathspey Medium 4 Jumpy, Scotch SnapMarch Marching

speed2 or 4 Steady, strong pulse.

Scottish Music

Song Who? Where/About?

Accomp?

Other?

Waulking Song

Women

At work No Beating sound

Bothy Ballad Men Farm work Usually no

Tells story

Gaelic Psalm Both Church North Scotland

No In Gaelic, Call & Response, not nice.

Mouth Music Both Nonsense made up Gaelic words

Maybe Imitating melody of bagpipes

Scots Ballad Both Telling story Maybe Lots of verses and chorus,

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Literacy Tips

Name Length (beats)

Semibreve 4

Dotted Minim 3

Minim 2

Dotted Crotchet 1 + 1/2

Crotchet 1

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Dotted Quaver 3/4

Quaver 1/2

Semiquaver 1/4

Key Signatures C Major = 0 sharps or flats A Minor = 0 sharps or flats

But G#s in music.

F Major = 1 flat b

G Major = 1 Sharp #

Lines Spaces

Every Good Boy Deserves Football F A C E

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Notes below the stave Notes above the stave

Repeat Signs Start End

1 st & 2 nd time bars

Time Signatures – go right at the beginning of the first line – beside the treble clef.

= 2 crotchet beats per bar = 3 crotchet beats per bar Simple time Simple time

= 4 crotchet beats per bar = 6 quavers per bar (splits Simple time into 2 beats.) Compound time

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Notes

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Categories

TONALITYMajor Minor Atonal

STRUCTUREBinary TernaryRondo Theme and Variation Strophic

TEXTUREHomophonic Polyphonic/Contrapuntal

PERIODS OF MUSICBaroque Classical Romantic Modern

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