edexcel music model essay booklet

8/11/2019 Edexcel Music Model Essay Booklet

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/edexcel-music-model-essay-booklet 1/13

Name ____________________

Target Grade _____ Form Group ____

GCSE Music

Model Essay Plans



Keywords

Melody

4 Mofs. A starts in

also, B desc seq and

melisma, C repeon

of bars, D Longer

notes, solemn and

mostly same pitch

Har/Tonality

A Major, modulates to E

and B Maj, ends plagal

cadence, diatonic har-

monies, use of tonic/ dominant chords

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

In 3,4, Allegro, ending

there is a pause before

cadence, Hemiolas. Use

of Melisma and Syllabic

word seng

Inst/Forces

SATB choir, Organ

Strings, Connuo (cello

and organ)

Oen Doubles Mel

Texture

Alternate between

Homo and Contrapun-

al (poly), short Mono

passage, Imitaon

used, Varies the num-

ber of parts playing

Structure

Based on the 4 mofs,

Short orchestral intro

called Ritornello

Dynamics

Terraced, but lile

variaon on score

Any Tech?

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Model Essay— Handel: ‘And the Glory of the Lord’ From the ‘Messiah’ wrien in 1741, oratorio—based on biblical story, perf in concert halls, church, theatres



Keywords

Melody

1st sub—Gminor, repe-on, 2nd sub Bb maj. Q

and A feel, balanced

phrases. Imp cadence at

end of phrases to sound

like Q? Some passages

based on scalic

Har/Tonality

Diatonic, G minor, Bb maj,

modulaons around circle of

5ths in dev, recap in Gm all

way through. PEDAL notes,chromac chords eg dim7th

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

In 4,4, molto allegro, short

rhythmic ideas, anacrusis,

2quav and Cro rhythm re-

peats, doed, syncopaon

Inst/Forces

Chamber orch, mainlystrings, some woodwind

and horns. No trpt or

mp.

Texture

Main Homo. Use of coun-

terpoint and imitaon in

dev. Oct Doubling, dia-

logue between string and

ww.

Structure

Sonata form, Expo, Dev,

Recao, Coda, Codea,

Bridge,

Dynamics

Expo—quiet, tran loud,

2nd sub grad gets louder.

Most cotrasts are sudden.

Few dim/cresc/

Perf Directs.

Div. = split parts between

players, 1. one play, a.2—

both play, sf—sfortzando,

tr.—trill

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Model Essay— Mozart: Symphony no.40 in G minor Mvmt1

1788, large room or stately hall for performance, symphony has 4 movements, this is the rst!



Keywords

Melody

Begins with lyrical RH melo-dy, ornaments e.g. acciacca-

tura, turn. Doed rhythms,

some chromacism. Secon

B melody in bass, narrower

range, longer notes. 4 and 8

bar phrases

Har/Tonality

Db maj, mainly diatonic,

occasional chromacism.

Modulates to enharmonic

tonic minor (C#min) in Sec-

on B. A and B end imperfect

cadences, nal cadence—

perfect. Dominant pedal.

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

In 4/4, septuplet bars 4 and

23, dectuplet bar 79,

‘Sostenuto’ - legato, unhur-

ried. Rubato in recording.

Repeated quavers through-

out. Doed rhythms in Sect

A.

Inst/Forces

Piano—middle and lower

ranges, legato tone, wide

dynamic range, use of sus-

tain pedal.

Texture

Almost all homophonic. Sect

A—RH melody, LH broken

chords, Sect B—LH melody,RH repeated quavers domi-

nant pedal (inverted pedal),

chordal texture

Structure

A (Db maj), B (C# min), A (Db

maj) + coda

Dynamics

Lots of cres and dim, wide

tange but no sudden con-

trasts. Sect A quieter

Perf Directs.

Ped. = pedal, soo voce = like

a whisper, smorzando = dy-

ing away,

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Model Essay— Chopin: Prelude No. 15 in Db

1839, one of 24 preludes (1 in each maj and min key) performed in small space, nicknamed ‘Raindrop’.



Keywords

Melody

Short, fragmented mofs,disjunct melodies, large

leaps, octave displacement,

inversion of mofs, rhythmic

augmentaon

Har/Tonality

Atonal, dissonant harmony,

chords/melodies oen built

from hexachords (groups of 6

notes).

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

Changes between 3/4, 2/4

and 4/4. Sehr rasch = v quick,

rhythms—completx, varied,

change quickly. Layers of

rhythms = complex/

contrapuntal texture

Inst/Forces

Large orch (str, ww, br, perc).

Many contrasts in mbre,

extremes of range, unusual

eects. Piccolo, cor anglais,

bass clarinet, contrabassoon,

tam-tam.

Texture

Most contrapuntal, occasion-

al mono/homo. Complex—

imitaon, inversion, canons,

extreme contrasts. Klangfar-

benmelodie—tone colour

melody

Structure

Free rondo form - 5 secons

(ABACA)

Dynamics

Sudden changes, extreme

contrasts (ppp to f)

Perf Directs.

Divisi = divide into groups,

bell up = brass players point

bell up for loud sound, 1 solo= single person play, tu =

everyone plays, + = hand -

stopped—horn hand in bell,

tremolo = note rapidly re-

peated. Hauptsmme-most

imp part, nebensmme—2nd

most imp part

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Model Essay— Schoenberg ‘Peripee’ (serialism) Fourth of ‘Five Orchestral Pieces’, 1909, shocking, experimental, large orchestra, tle = ‘A sudden reversal’



Keywords

Melody

Almost enrely syllabic, 3main themes, 1)quiet synco-

pated, 2) loud strident 3)

lyrical slow. Not exact repe-

ons, varies by changing

words and metre. Word

painng

Har/Tonality

‘Something's coming’ Is

Dmajor, other two in C ma-

jor. Freq use of sharpened

4th and aened 7th. Use of

triton. Last note is at 7th

leaving a sense of unre-

solved for tonys uncertain

future. Tonal, jazz inuenced

7th chords and other extend-

ed chords. BI TONAL, Neapol-

itan chord.

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

Changes between 3/4 and

2/4, fast tempo, syncopaon

(excitement and ancipaon)

on beat bass with o beat

chords, cross rhythms, push

rhythms, short ris, driving

rhythms, accents.

Texture

Homophonic, 3 main ideas,

1) repeated ri, 2) short syn-

copated chords, 3) fast ‘um

cha’ accompaniment.

Structure

Intro A B B1 A1 Outro, two

main secons, fade to end.

Flaened 7th last note for

the uncertain future.

Inst/Forces

Solo tenor ‘something's com-

ing’, ww, brass, str, perc

(name at least 6 inst). To

ensure band doesn't over-

power—quiet dynamics, so

mbres, homophonic tex-ture. Strings use harmonics

and tremolos. Muted trpt,

pizzicato.

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Model Essay—Bernstein ‘Something’s Coming’ From ‘West Side Story’, 1957, based on Romeo and Juliet, New York, Jets and Sharks, Tony and Maria



Keywords

Melody

One bar mof, repeated togive osnato, intro at dier-

ent mes to give canon, re-

sultant melody. Some parts

build up through addion,

metamorphasis

Har/Tonality

Largely Gmaj, ends in Eb

maj, diatonic, hexatonic

scale, convenonal harmony

progressions not used, nal

chord only 2 notes, ambigu-

ous

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

3/2 changes to 12/8. combo

at end is a polumetre, very

fast 192C, lile rhythmic

variety, syncopaon, metre

displacement—out of sync

parts.

Inst/Forces

Live guitar, 7 electric guitar,

2 bass (pre recorded). Guitar

is amplied to blend well.

Texture

Contrapuntal, canon, lay-

ered, broken chords, inter-

locking rhythms,

Structure

2 main secons followed by

coda, secons dened by key

change and texture

Dynamics

Fairly consistent, use of fade

outs

Minimalist Fea-

tures in Elec Cpt

Repeon, gradual

changes, layered texture,diatonic, slow harmonic

rhythm, lile variety in

instrumentaon

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Model Essay—Reich ‘Electric Counterpoint’3rd Mvmt Wrien for Pat Metheny, rst performed in 1987, 3 mvmts overall, fast-slow-fast.



Keywords

Melody

Head melody, simple, ris-ing 6ths, 4 improvised

solos. 1. Trpt (short synco-

pated mofs) 2. Alto sax,

(more virtuosic) 3. tenor

sax (fast runs), 4. piano

(calm, simple chords, par-

allel chords)

Har/Tonality

12 bar blues, chord substu-

on, blue notes, mixolydian

mode gives to modal jazz.Gmaj but with aened 7th .

7th chords, extended chords,

7(#9)s, some dissonance.

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

6/4 jazz waltz, swing qua-

vers, syncopaon, compound

metre. Polyrhythms some

rhythmic displacement

Inst/Forces

Frontline: Trpt, alto sax, ten-

or sax. Rhythm: Piano, bass,

drums. Wire brushes, bass

pizzicato throughout, trpt

harmon mute, piano tremo-

los to start, piano comping.

Texture

Starts drum kit, bass and

piano, builds text as inst

added in, sax chordal ri,

trpt with head, links between

solos thinner.

Structure

12 bar blues progression,

played 19 mes, head, cho-

rus, 5 secons. intro-head

1—solos—head 2—coda. Use

of ri. Solos have 4 bar link

between. Fade out at end.

No rehearsal

Dynamics

Vary pending on secon

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Model Essay—Davis ‘All Blues’ Jazz, made up through improvisaons, modal jazz, Album: Kind of Blue, 1959.



Keywords

Melody

Vocal has improve quality,wide range over 2 8ves. Most

vocal phrases are falling,

reect melancholy mood.

Frequent ornamentaon in

mel, glissando, mostly syl-

labic, some long melismas,

bridge has vocalisaons,

falseo used. Word painng

eg ‘cries, pain, slow, drown’.

2 and 4 bar phrases. Vocalise

in bridge. Diatonic with chro-

mac notes added .

Har/Tonality

E minor, somemes ambigu-

ous, avoids standard rock

chord prog, man chromac

chords and move in parallel

moon. Some dissonant

harmonies, spec. chorus.

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

12/8—compound. Bass drum

on 1 and 3, snare on back-

beats 2 and 4, syncopaon in

vocals and bass line. Cross

rhythms.

Inst/Forces

Elec/acousc Guitars, bass gui-

tar, synth, strings, drum kit,

backing vocals, lead vocals.

Guitar in TAB. Drop D tuning

(lowest string is tuned down

from E to D). Synth and strings

not as prominent throughout..

Texture

Synth and strings added to

vary texture, thickens to-

wards end of piece, esp. co-

da. Mainly homophonic,

Structure

Verse chorus. Uses bridge/

middle 8 passages and a

coda. Pre chorus.

Tech

Modulaon on synth at start,

distoron and anging on

guitars helps to intensify

sound of coda. Overdubbing

on guitars to thicken sound.

EQ in nal verse.

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Model Essay—Buckley: ‘Grace’ From album ‘Grace’ released in 1994, rock ballad.



Keywords

Melody

2 samples from 1953 record-ing gospel choir, 1st by male

for verses, 2nd by female for

chorus, both manipulated to

change meaning, ’vintage’

feel, samples are looped—

simple and repeve.

Har/Tonality

Diatonic, has 3 chord pro-

gressions which last 8 bars.

1)Am, Em, G, D (Amazing

emily goes dancing) 2) C - Am,

3) F -C. Verses dorian mode

on A, chorus C maj.

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

4/4, steady tempo 98C, Drum

loop, breakbeat sampled

from other track, bass drum

1,3, backbeat snare 2,4, -

repeated semiquavers. Sun-

copaon piano/vocals.piano

paerns change, use of stac

chords in 2nd chorus.

Inst/Tech

Synthesisers, Sampler, Drum

machine, sequencer. Panning,

electronic ghosngs on vocals,

reverb and delay, echo, EQ

Texture

Intro has build of texture,

piano-bass-drums-vocals-

synth, piano. Aer break-

down thinner, contraststhrough varying instrumen-

taon, use of silence and

stac chords.

Structure

Intro, verse, chorus, silence

used.

Common feats

4/4, steady tempo, promi-

nent elec sounds, strong

beat, short prhases, repe-

on, loops

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Model Essay—Moby ‘Why does my heart feel so bad’ From album ‘Play’ released in 1990, Dance music



Keywords

Melody

Vocal melody is pentatonic,lower register of voice, notat-

ed so sounds 8ve lower,

mainly syllabic, alternaves

between Gaelic (call) and

vocables (response). Inst

short mofs and counter-

mels, there is a inst break.

Har/Tonality

G maj, diatonic, G,Em,C

chords used, feels modal due

to avoiding the dom chord

(D). Cluster chords

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

12/8 (compound quad me).

Syncopaon, cross rhtyhms

created by hi hat paern,

band enters to emphasise

12/8

Inst/Forces

Uilleann, accordion, n whistle,bouzouki, bodhran, Wurlitzer,

ddle, drum kit, synth, voice

Texture

Layered, rhythmic paern,

bass, chords, mel, counter

mel.

Silence used—No acc. Heter-

ophonic

Structure

Intro, v1, v2, outro—4 main

phrases. Inst break. Use of

short vocal phrases

Others

Lament. Good for work song

due to steady rhythm, repe-

ve, rocking feel to work to,

call and response, keep work-

ers in me. Passed by oral

tradion

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Model Essay—Capercaille ‘Skye Waulking Song’ Folk music, fusion, Celc and popular, waulking—pounding tweed cloth against wooden board to soen



Keywords

General

Melody based on Rag,rhythm is a cycle of beats

known as Tal. First beat of

the cycle is the sam. Alap is

the beginning intro parts, gat

is the more lively bit aer.

Other two secons are Jallah

and Johr.

Version 1 Shankar

Inst: Sitar (strings), also has

sympathec strings that vibrate

in sympathy with others and Tabla

(perc).

Rhythm: 2 tals. 1) Jhaptal 10

betas, 2) Tintal 16 beats.

Structure: Alap—sitar only,

slow, no reg pulse, introduc-

es notes of rag, decorated

with slieds and bends

(meends). Gat—table enters,

xed composion, sitar im-

prove based on gat and tal.

Ends on sam.

Version 2 Tanwar

Inst: Sarod (plucked string),

sarangi (bowed string)

pakhwaj—drum, table, pair

of cymbals.

Rhythm: Keherwa tal 8 beats

Structure: Alap—sarangi and

voice into notes of rag. Slow

and no reg pulse. Bahjan—

tabla joins in with tal, sung

verse, short solos on sarangi

and sarod, decoraon on imp

words, melisma and orna-

ments.

Version 3 Gorn/We

Inst: Bansuri, Esraj (bowed

string) shru box elec drone,

swarmandel plucked string,

table.

Rhythm: Rupak tal 7 beats,

ektal 12 beats.

Structure: Alap—sarangi and

voice inro notes of rag, no

reg pulse, slow. Gat 1– slow,

rupak tal, table enters later,

bansuri plays a composed

gat, bansuri and table then

improvise. Finishes with hai.

Gat 2—fast gat—ektal, table

solo, improve becomes elab-

orate, bansuri plays fast

scales, hais to end.

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Model Essay—Rag Desh—1,2 and 3. all versions

Indian classical music, an improvised form of music, 3 main feats: 1) mel solo 2) rhythm 3) drone on stringed



Keywords

Typical Features

Repeon, osnatos, im-

prove, call and resp, lay-

ered text. Oral Trad

Melody

Chorus has unison, balaphon

short falling phrases to em-

phasise Gb and Db. Solos

breaks - more virtuosic.

Balaphons mostly play short

paerns. Solo voice, solo

improve over chorus, vocal

‘yiri’ interjecons, use of

pentatonic scale. Vocal pen-tatonic

Har/Tonality

Gb maj, most is hexatonic.

Rhyt/Metre/

Tempo

4/4, intro is free tempo, rest

is steady pulse. Syncopaon

is frequent, vocal solos and

balafons create cross

rhythms, vocal solo usestriplets, drum has rhythmic

osnato throughout piece,

djembe does occasional lls.

Polyrhythm , improve, ri.

Inst/Forces

Balafons, djembe—hands, talk-

ing drum—scks. Voices. BELL

Texture

Monophonic opening solo,

heterophonic with twobalafons at same me, poly-

phonic between all ensem-

ble, dialogue between inst

and voices. Varies as piece

progresses

Structure

Intro free tempo, inst breaks,

choruses, call and resp, vari-

aons, coda/outro—short

balaphon phrase 5 mes,

drum ost in rests, bell marks

the end. Main secon—clear pulse, alt between balaphons

and choruses, middle has

solo.

Others

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Model Essay—Koko: Yiri Performed from memory, score is a transcripon, from Burkino Faso in west Africa

edexcel music model essay booklet

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