Music GCSE Set WorksAnd the glory

Symphony No. 40

The Raindrop Prelude

Peripetie

Something’s Coming

Electric Counterpoint

All Blues

Grace

Why does my heart feel so bad?

Skye Waulking Song

Rag Desh

Yiri

And the Glory of the Lord – Handel1741

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Orchestration Melody and Word-setting Rhythm and Tempo

Dynamics

A major, modulates to E major, and

B major twice

Frequent cadences,

often perfect

Plagal cadence at

end

Changes frequently

Homophonic passages: used for

dramatic effect, usually syllabic

Polyphonic passages: polyphony created through use

of sequences and imitation

Occasional, short monophonic

passages

String orchestra

Continuo bass line – organ, cello, double

bass

Four-part choir: SATB

Four contrasting melodies of the chorus:

‘And the glory’ – A major triad at start, syllabic

‘Shall be revealed’ – melismatic, smooth descending outline

‘And all flesh’ – melismatic, repetition for

reinforcement

‘For the mouth’ – syllabic, tonic pedal, repeated long

notes to reinforce meaning of words

Allegro, ¾

Hemiola ends some

sections

Adagio after dramatic

three beats rest near end

Long notes make words seem more important

than music

Terraced dynamics

Dynamics determined by

number of instruments

playing

Piece starts quietly

Piece ends loudly

Symphony No. 40 – Mozart1788

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Structure Orchestration Melody Rhythm and Tempo

Dynamics

Exposition: 1st subject in G

minor, 2nd subject in Bb major

Development: explores different

keys

Recapitulation: both subjects in G

minor

Coda: repeated perfect cadences in

G minor

Diatonic and functional harmony

Chromatic chords

Pedal notes (end of 1st subject and end

of bridge)

Mostly homophonic

Imitation

Octave doublings

Dialogue between

woodwind and strings (start of 2nd

subject)

Sonata form:

ExpositionDevelopmentRecapitulation

And Coda

Chamber orchestra made up of strings,

woodwind and horns

No trumpets or timpani = unusual for

classical orchestra

Two horns in different keys (G and Bb) to

maximise number of notes they can play

between them

Strings: busy most of time

Woodwind: don’t play quite so much, share

start of 2nd subject with strings

Balanced, graceful melodic lines that sound like question and answers. E.g. 2nd subject starts with a four-bar phrase that ends with an imperfect

cadence (question), followed by a four-bar phrase that ends

with a perfect cadence (answer)

Many phrases are scalic

Contrasting melodies in 1st and 2nd subject:

First subject: a melody that is characterised by a falling motif

first played by strings

Second subject: a melody with descending chromatic

patterns, shared between woodwind and strings

The 1st and 2nd subjects in the recapitulation are repeated

with some variation

4/4 throughout

Molto Allegro

1st subject: two quavers

followed by a crotchet

Rhythms are fairly simple,

although some dotted rhythms

and syncopation

Most dynamic contrasts occur

suddenly

EXPOSITIONFirst subject: mainly quiet

Transition: loud

2nd subject: begins quietly, gets louder

towards end

DEVELOPMENT:starts and ends

quietly, loud section in middle

RECAPITULATION: similar dynamics to

the exposition

The Raindrop Prelude - Chopin1839

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Structure Use of piano Melody Rhythm and Tempo Dynamics

D major, modulates to C#

minor (enharmonic

minor)

Section A and B both end with

imperfect cadences, but the piece ends on a perfect cadence

Diatonic harmony with occasional chromaticism

Dominant pedal (As/G#s)

Mainly homophonic texture

Section A: melody in RH, broken chords in LH

Section B: more chordal. melody

passes to LH, with repeated quavers in

RH

Section A: back to opening texture.

Short monophonic passage in the coda

Ternary form with a short

codetta:A B A

Section A: major, lively

Section B: minor, chordal

Much of prelude uses middle and

lower ranges of the piano

Legato, singing tone

produced

Sustain pedal used

Wide dynamic range

Lyrical melody in RH at start

Ornamentation e.g.

acciaccturas, turns

Section B: melody moves

to bass

4/4

Sostenuto

Gentle ritenuto at end

Raindrop notes: G#s/Abs – repeated

quavers are a unifying rhythmic

feature throughout

Rubato = flexible tempo for expressive

effect

Unusual rhythmic features: septuplets,

dectuplets

Wide range, no sudden

contrasts

Crescendos and diminuendos

Starts p ends pp

Sotto voce b28

Section A: quieter than

section B, which climaxes to ff

twice

Peripetie – Schoenberg1909

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Structure Orchestration Melody and Word-setting

Rhythm and Tempo

Dynamics

Atonal

Dissonant harmony

Hexachords

Largely contrapuntal

Occasional monophonic and

homophonic moments

Complex textures built up through use of imitation

and inversion

Free rondo form with 5 sections:

A B A C A

Large orchestra

Instrumentation changes rapidly

Instruments required to play at extremes of pitch

ranges

Unusual effects e.g. cymbals

played with both a cello bow and a

mallet

Short, fragmented motifs

Disjunct

Octave displacement

Inversion

Starts in ¾, but metre changes between 3/4, 2/4 and 4/4

Sehr rasch (very quick)

Rhythms: complex and

varied

Rhythmic augmentation

Sudden changes of dynamics, leading to extreme contrasts

between ppp and fff

Starts loudly, ends with pp

chord

Something’s Coming – Bernstein1957

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Structure Orchestration Melody and Word-setting Rhythm and Tempo Dynamics

D major, with two contrasting

sections in C major

Tonal and Jazz influenced

harmony with blues notes e.g.

tritone and flattened 7ths (e.g. C natural against D major harmonies

at end) – note remains

unresolved and fits in well with

the sense of expectation

Homophonic Does not follow conventional verse-chorus

structure

Solo tenor accompanied by a band made up of woodwind, brass,

percussion and strings

Accompaniment: uses quiet

dynamics, soft timbre (e.g.

muted trumpets, pizz strings) =

don’t overpower the singer

Mostly syllabic

Alternation of three main themes:

1 – quiet syncopated opening theme

2 – loud, strident theme in 2/4 (b21)

3 – lyrical, slow-moving theme

A: mostly syllabic, often scalic

B: made up of repeated notes

C: made up of wider intervals

Word-setting:‘the air is humming’ – long

notes, strings use harmonics and play tremolo

‘they may come cannonballing…’ – repetition,

recitative style

Fast tempo

Frequent syncopation, push

rhythms

Metre changes between 3/4 and

2/4

Accompaniment: largely made up of

an on-beat bass part with off-beat chords

= create cross rhythms at star

Starts pp

Much contrast

B: melody louder

Many crescendos and

diminuendos

Fades out at end

Electric Counterpoint – Steve Reich1987

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Structure Instruments Melody Technology Rhythm and Tempo Dynamics

Tonality: rather ambiguous to start

with, but when bass guitar enters playing octave Es, E minor is clearly

established

Frequent changes in section B

between E minor and C minor –

these modulations are not closely

related, so sound unnatural

Diatonic and non-functional harmony

No conventional harmonic

progressions

Contrapuntal

Starts monophonically

with guitar 1, then live guitar enters

Quickly becomes contrapuntal by

bar 2

Gradually builds up layers to 10 guitars

Gradually reduced to 5 part texture at

start of coda

A, B, Coda 10 guitars in total:

1 live guitar, 7 pre-

recorded parts, 2 bass guitars

Made up of a one-bar motif

repeated continuously to

form an ostinato

Reich builds up melody using note addition

Syncopated quaver motif

introduced by live guitar and top 4

guitar parts

New syncopated quaver motif introduced in

bass guitar

More sustained motif begins in live guitar then transferred to

others

Multi-track recording

Panning: bass 1 panned fully one way, bass 2 the

other

Reverb: can be heard on

acoustic guitars

Crotchet = 192 (very fast)

Rhythmical displacement

Frequent syncopation

Very little rhythmical variety – mainly

repeating patterns of quavers

Section A: all 3/2

Section B: changes between 3/2 and 6/8

Polymetre later: 3/2 and 12/8 at the same

time

Starts mf and ends ff

Fairly constant

throughout

Some parts fade out

All Blues – Miles Davis1959

Tonality and Harmony Texture and Dynamics

Structure Instruments and Techniques

Melody Rhythm and Tempo

G major with flattened 7th = Mixolydian mode

Modal jazz

Extended and altered chords e.g. E# added to D7 chord so it becomes D7#9

Based on 12-bar blues sequence:

Homophonic texture

Frequent use of crescendos

and diminuendos

Intro: played by the rhythm

section, followed by the riff (simple

4 bar riff in parallel 3rds that separates each

section)

Head 1+2: head melody, followed

by riff, played twice

Solos: for trumpet, alto sax,

tenor sax and piano, each

followed by the riff

Head 3+4: head melody, followed

by riff, played twice

Coda: solo for muted trumpet

Frontline instruments: trumpet, alto sax,

tenor sax

Rhythm section: piano, bass, drums

Main melody - muted trumpet (Harmon

mute)

Snare drum played with wire brushes at start and switches to

sticks later on

Bass plays pizzicato throughout

Piano plays tremolo at start, but when solos

begin, piano starts comping

Ghost notes on snare drum and trumpet

Head Melody: simple, followed by 4

improvised solos:

Trumpet solo: made up of short,

syncopated motifs

Alto sax solo: quicker notes, wider range,

more virtuosic

Tenor sax: fast scales, very virtuosic

Piano solo: calmer, simple melody

6/4

Jazz waltz

Performed with swung

quavers

Frequent syncopation

1 2 3 4 5 6

G7 G7 G7 G7 Gm7 Gm7

7 8 9 10 11 12

G7 G7 D7#9 E7#9 D7#9

F G F G

Grace – Jeff Buckley1994

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Structure Instrumentation Technology Melody and Word-setting Rhythm and Tempo

Ambiguity until bar 4 when D major is established, but verse 1 – piece

then settles into E minor

Unusual harmony for rock song –

chords I, IV, V are avoided

Instead, many of the chords are chromatic and

move in parallel motion (by

semitone steps, e.g. F-Em-E in

chorus)

Some very dissonant

harmonies e.g. in chorus

No conventional cadences in E

minor

Verse 1: homophonic

Verse 2: more complex

Middle 8: multi-tracked vocals

Strings and synthesiser used to vary texture

Texture thickens towards end of song, especially in the outro and

on the words ‘drown my

name’

Song follows this verse-

chorus form:

Intro, v1, pre-chorus, chorus,

link, v2, pre-chorus, chorus, middle 8, verse

3, outro.

Intro is used as a link

Buckley is accompanied by two electric guitars, bass

guitar, acoustic guitar, synthesiser,

strings and drum kit

Drums and guitars - accompany

throughout most of song

Strings and synthesiser – less

prominent, used to vary texture

Guitar part: printed in tab

Guitars use drop D tuning

Modulation on synthesiser at start

Distortion and flanging on guitars – intensify

sound in coda

Overdubbing – creates thicker sound

EQ – in final verse, to remove lower

frequencies in Buckley’s voice

Delay in vocal track

Multi-track in middle 8 vocals

Vocal part – has an improvised quality and a very wide range (over two octaves)

Most of vocal phrases are falling, to reflect melancholy

mood of song, and uses grace notes and glissandos

Frequent ornamentation in melody line, with glissandos

Most of word setting is syllabic, although there are

some melismas to emphasise certain words: e.g. ‘love’ in

v1, ‘fire’ in chorus

Bridge – passage of vocalisation; Buckley uses

falsetto

Word painting: v1 - ‘cries’ set to falling 5th, sounds like

cryingChorus – ‘drown my name’ very thick texture build up

12/8

64 beats per minute

Bass drum: plays on beats

1 & 3

Snare drum: accents beats

2 & 4 (backbeats)

Vocal part uses triplets and

frequent syncopation

Cross rhythms created

through use of two-against-

three rhythms

Guitar uses semiquaver patterns at

start

Why does my heart feel so bad? – Moby1999

Tonality and Harmony Texture Structure Instruments and Technology

Melody Rhythm and Tempo

Verses: A minor

Choruses: C major

3 chord sequences - Verse:

Chorus:

Harmonies are diatonic

Sus2and sus4 chords used by piano when playing syncopated chords at end of V1

Start – homophonic (solo piano)

Texture builds up during verse

Texture thins out in second chorus

Fuller texture returns

Outro thins out again with just solo voice and

synthesiser

Intro, verse, chorus, verse,

breakdown, chorus, outro

Samples are looped to

create verses and choruses

Piano, synthesisers, drum machine, synth

pads, string pads

Loops: vocal samples are looped

Reverb and delay: the effects of these

can be heard in breakdown

EQ

Filtering

Technology considered old-

fashioned for 1999, but preferred by

Moby

Two vocal samples from gospel choir in

1953

Samples have not been

‘cleaned up’ – echoes and background

noises can still be heard

Verse vocal sample ‘why

does my heart’ : male

Chorus vocal sample: ‘these open doors’ :

female

4/4

Steady tempo: 98

bpm

Syncopation used by

piano, vocal and synth

string parts

Rhythms varied for contrast

Am Am Em Em G G D D

C C Am Am C C Am Am

F F C C F F C C

Skye Waulking Song – Capercaillie2000

Tonality and Harmony

Texture Structure Instrumentation and Musical Techniques

Melody Rhythm and Tempo

Beginning hints at E minor, but settles into G major at V1

Diatonic harmony

Harmony less important than melody, so only

four chords used: C, G, Em, Am9

Dominant chord (D) is avoided, allowing

a modal feel

Cluster chords at beginning

Becomes contrapuntal

Short monophonic section for voice

Heterophonic: when accordion, pipes and fiddle

improvise around melody at same time in slightly different ways

Intro, v1, break, v2-6,

instrumental, v7 + 8, outro

Vocal line alternates between 4 different

phrases in a call and

response pattern

Modulation on synthesiser and cluster chords open the

song

Followed by tremolo on fiddle – uneasy feel

Celtic fusion –

Folk:

vocals, fiddle, bouzouki, accordion, uilleann pipes

Western:

drums, bass guitar, synthesiser, Wurlitzer piano

Sung in Gaelic, an octave lower than

written

Melody is pentatonic

Mainly syllabic

Call and response:Lines 1 & 3:

vocablesLines 2 & 4: Gaelic

verse

12/8, gives lilting feel to piece

Frequent syncopation in vocal

line and instrumental

countermelodies

Start of song, hi-hat pattern creates

cross-rhythms. Full band enters, hi-hat

rhythm changes and more clearly emphasises 12/8

Rag Desh2001, 2004, 2004

Instruments Structure Texture Rhythm Melody Dynamics

Anouskha Shankar (2001)

Sitar (plucked) Tabla

Alap Gat 1Gat 2

Alap: unaccompanied sitar

Gat 1: sitar and tabla

Alap: slow, no metre

Gat 1: tabla enters with JHAPTAL (10 beats: 2+3+2 +3) Medium speed. Sitar uses chand (triplets)Ends with tihai

Gat 2: faster than Gat 1, tabla uses TEENTAL (16 beats: 4+4+4+4) Ends with tihai

Based on notes of Rag Desh

Alap: sitar uses meend (pitch bend)

Gat 1: sitar plays fixed composition, uses meend and tan

Gat 2: sitar uses drone strings, strumming

Alap: quiet

Gat 1: gets louder

Gat 2: crescendos to end

Chiranji Lal Tanwar –

Mhara Janam Maran (2004)

VoiceSarangi (bowed)Sarod (plucked)Pakhawaj CymbalsTabla

AlapBandishBhajan (devotional song)

Alap: short intro on sarangi. Continues with some improvisation by singer

Alap: voice vocalizes in free time

Bandish: tabla joins in with KEHERWA TAL (8 beats: 2+2+2+2) Music becomes fast and exciting

Piece ends with a short tihai

Based on notes of Rag Desh

Melody is ornamented with much melisma and meend

Mostly conjunct

Alap: intro on sarangi, sarod enters, then voice vocalizing in free time based on rag

Bandish: fixed composition, solos on sarod and sarangi

The rag begins very quietly

Crescendo as instruments and vocals enter

Dynamics increase when tabla and other percussion enter

Dynamics stay at similar level throughout

Benjy Wertheimer

and Steve Gorn (2004)

Bansuri (Steve Gorn)Esraj (bowed)Shruti box (same role as tambura) electronicTablaSwarmandel

AlapGat 1Gat 2

Alap: slow, drone on shruti box, bansuri enters, esraj takes over

Gat 1: unaccompanied bansuri, tabla enters

Gat 2: tabla solo

Alap: slow

Gat 1: slow tempo, tabla enters with RUPAK TAL (7 beat: 3+2+2)Ends with tihai

Gat 2: fast tempo, tabla uses EKTAL TAL (12 beat: 2+2+2+2+2+2) some syncopation

Piece ends with 3 tihais

Based on notes of Rag Desh

Alap: drone on shruti box, bansuri enters

Gat 1: unaccompanied bansuri, becomes more agitated and dramatic with improvisations

Gat 2: tabla solo, improvisation becomes more elaborate, bansuri plays tans

Quiet to start in alap, then gentle swells from shruti box copied by bansuri and then esraj. Generally, pretty much the same volume.Gat 1 and Gat 2 louder due to entry of tabla, but generally same volume after this.

Structure of a raga:

ALAPJHOR

JHALLAGAT/BANDISH

Percussioninstruments

Rag:C D F G B C Bb A G F E D C

ANOUSHKA-jumps tremendouslyCHIRANJI-kicksBENJI-rows excellently THE OLYMPIC TALS!

Yiri – Koko2002

Tonality and

Harmony

Structure Texture Instruments Melody Rhythm and Tempo Dynamics

G major (although

not originally notated)

Much use of tonic

(G) and dominant

(D) = strong

sense of key

Balafons often play in octaves and use

pedal notes of

G

Three sections:

Intro: balafon solo

Main section: music

alternates between

balafon solos and chrouses

Coda

Intro: monophonic (high balafon solo)

Layered texture

Occasional heterophonic texture,

created when two balafons play different versions of same tune at same time (balafons

usually in octaves)

Polyphonic: rest of piece until coda

Coda: heterophonic

High balafon

Low balafon

Talking drums

Djembe

Vocals – soloist & chorus

Bell (at end)

Hexatonic /Pentatonic?

Balafon solo at start uses tremolo

Call and response between solo and chorus; and between chorus

and balafons

Short repetitive motifs – so people can join in

Music alternates berween balafon solos and choruses

Balafon has solo breaks in between choruses, which are more virtuosic

Coda: short phrase for balafon played 5 times in slightly varied

versions

Bell at the end to signify the end

Free tempo at start

Rest of piece: steady pulse

4/4

Drums play a rhythmic ostinato which last

throughout the piece (quaver + two semiquavers)

Syncopated melodies throughout, especially

in vocal and balafon parts

Triplets used by solo voice and high balafon

part, which creates cross rhythms

Drum ostinato at end is interrupted by rests

Largely the same

throughout

Little variation –

makes piece easy to dance to

Typical features of West African music:-repetition

-improvisation-call and response-layered textures

Significance of drums:-accompaniment for singing,

dancing, working-means of communication

Dancing to African Music:-strong beat -same tempo -unvaried dynamics

-repetitive