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Coonabarabran High School ASSESSMENT NOTIFICATION

Subject: Year 9/10 Music

Teacher: Mrs Rossler Task: Half-Yearly Aural Examination

Weighting: 15%

Due Date: Term 4 Week 5 (see Exam timetable)

Through activities in performance, composition, musicology and aural, a student: 5.8 demonstrates an understanding of musical concepts through aural identification, discrimination,

memorisation and notation in the music selected for study.

Length of exam: One hour

Exam Structure: This is an aural exam. You will be required to listen to musical excerpts

and answer questions about the elements of Music and the way in which

they are used/represented in the musical excerpt.

Content to study: The elements of Music: (See attached pages)

Tone Colour

Texture

Pitch

Duration

Structure

Dynamics and Expressive Techniques

You also need to know the following: The basic note values

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Time signature, bar, bar line, double bar line.

Bar

Time

Bar-line Double bar-line Signature

Note names:

Lines = Every Good Bird Does Fly

Spaces = F A C E

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TONE COLOUR (Performing Media/Sound sources): Instruments and their classification

Extra Class: Electronic Instruments

Voice Types: Male Female Tenor Soprano Baritone Mezzo-Soprano Bass Alto Falsetto: singing in a higher pitch area than normal

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HORNBOSTEL-SACHS

CLASSIFICATION OF INSTRUMENTS

Aerophones Produces sound by vibration of

air

Woodwinds Brass

Didgeridoo Panflute Bagpipe

Shakuhachi

Chordophones Produce sound by vibrating

strings Strings can be struck, bowed or

struck

String instruments Harp

Celtic harp Harpsichord

Piano Guitar

Membranophones Produce sound when a

stretched skin (membrane) vibrates

All kinds of drums

Idiophones Produce sound by the vibration of the instrument itself; can be

struck, rubbed, shaken or plucked

Percussion instruments other than drums

Electrophone Instruments Produce an electric sound

Electric instruments Electronic instruments

Amplified acoustic instruments Synthesizers, drum machines,

electric guitars, keyboards

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Texture How are instruments layered together?

Do they all play at the same time and all the time? Is there any call and response? How are the instruments played? The concept of texture relates to the layers of sound in a piece of music. If there are many layers we describe the texture as thick. If there are fewer sounds we describe the texture as thin. Monophonic: one melody played on a solo instrument or sung by a solo voice Homophonic: a melody with accompaniment.

IMPORTANT: Which instrument/voice has the melody? Which instrument is accompanying? Polyphonic: many melodies at the same time

String instruments:

bowed or plucked

(pizzicato)?

Brass instruments:

muted?

Call and response: a short melodic idea sung or played by a soloist and answered by another soloist or group

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Structure The concept of structure relates to how a piece of music is put together. We can also describe structure as the different sections that make a piece of music. The most common type of structure in music is used in popular music. Most pop songs have an introduction, verses and a chorus that is repeated. Pop songs also have bridges and instrumentals to make the song interesting. Ternary: Music has three sections (ABA) Binary: Music has two sections (AB)

Popular Music: Intro – verse – pre-chorus – chorus – bridge – instrumental – middle 8 – outro Ostinato: small repeated melody or rhythmic pattern Repetition Call and response Riff Hook Strophic: the same melody (verse) is repeated with no other sections in- between.

Call and response: a short melodic idea sung or played by a soloist and answered by another soloist or group

Riff: A repeated melodic or chordal phrase in jazz and rock

Hook: Key phrase of a rock song, usually the title. Often found in the chorus. E.g. Hey Ya by O k

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Time signature

Tempo: how

fast/slow is the music?

Duration Accented notes

Length of notes

Ostinato repeated rhythmic pattern

Duration

Describing the beat:

• Weak/strong • Definite/Indefinite • Who plays the beat • Backbeat? • Straight/Swung

Allegro = quick Moderato = moderate speed Lento = slow Ritardando = going slower Accelerando = going faster

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Pitch

Dynamics and Expressive Techniques pp p mp mf f ff pianissimo piano mezzo piano mezzo forte forte fortissimo very quiet quiet moderately quiet moderately loud loud very loud Crescendo = gradually getting louder Decrescendo = gradually getting quieter Allegro = lively and quick Lento = slowly Moderato = at a moderate speed Ritardando Ritenuto Gradually getting slower Rallentando Accelerando = gradually getting faster NB: How are instruments and what effects are achieved Arco = string instruments played with a bow Pizzicato = strings are plucked

Melody

• Which instruments have the melody

• Ornamented? • Repetition? • Call and response • Range (narrow, wide,

medium) • Register (high or low) • Smooth/Angular • Stepwise/by leap • Major/minor • Draw the melodic curve

Accompaniment

• Rhythmic? • Harmonic? • Block chords or arpeggios • Melodic?

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