Term 1: Harmony
An exploration of Diatonic and Dissonant Harmonies. Students will enhance their understanding of tonalities, chord hierarchy and harmonic devices within the context of each area of study through performing, composing and listening.
Students will perform examples of diatonic and dissonant harmonies in all areas of study. They will complete composition exercises using Logic Pro/Musescore and analyse examples of music with detailed musical vocabulary.
Tonality
The use of Major and Minor Keys as well as Modes.
Harmony
The use of chords and how different pitches relate to each other
Diatonic
Harmony that functions through key signatures and their related harmonic devices
Dissonance
Harmony that sounds harsh through clashing sounds
Chord
Two or more notes played together
Major
Scales and chords that sound bright and positive
Minor
Chords and Scales that sound dark and mysterious
Primary Chords
The strongest chords within a key, including tonic, dominant and subdominant
Secondary Chords
The weaker of the chords within a key, typically supertonic, submediant and mediant triads.
Tonic
The triad on the first note of a scale (Chord I)
Dominant
A chord on the fifth degree of the scale (Chord V). In a minor key, the middle note is raised by one semitone
Subdominant
The chord on the fourth degree of the scale (Chord IV)
Perfect Cadence
A "musical full stop". Typically found at the end of a melodic phrase and the end of a piece of music. V - I movement of chords
Imperfect Cadence
A "musical comma" typically found at the end of the antecedent of balanced melodic phrase. (any chord) - V
Plagal Cadence
An 'Amen' cadence found at the end of anthems or hymns. IV - I chord progression.
Interrupted Cadence
A cadence where a perfect cadence is expect but a minor chord is heard instead. V - vi harmonic movement.
Harmonic Sequence / Progression
The method of placing chords into a pre-assigned order. Three and Four Chord Tricks in Pop music are common examples of this.
Harmonic Rhythm
The rate with which chords change. This can be fast (chords changing often) or slow (chords changing less frequently).
Drone
A long held note on either the tonic or dominant note typically found in the bass.
Pedal
A held note on either tonic or dominant underneath the harmony typically found in classical music.
Power Chords
A Chord using just the root and fifth of the triad typically found in pop and rock music for electric guitar.
Chromaticism
Music that uses all twelve notes of an Octave as well as the chromatic scale.
Cluster Chord
Chords with many notes where the intervals are close together (often semitones) to create a harsh sound
Augmented
A dissonant triad with 4 semitones between each note
Diminished
A dissonant triad with 3 semitones between each note.
Modulation
The movement between one key and another
Pentatonic
A scale of 5 notes that typically uses the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of the octave.
Develop the individual:
Students will enhance their creativity through performing and composing, working with others to create pieces of music and critical appraisal in sharing verbal feedback.
Create a supportive community:
Students will work with others in ensemble and composition work and share their critical appraisals of each others' work through verbal feedback.
Term 2: Melody
Students will enhance their understanding of melody within the context of each area of study. They will gain an understanding of balanced phrases and melodic shape, the role of the tonic and dominant and use of scales.
Assessments will include analysis of melody in class, listening and appraising of recorded music and composing exercises in groups as well as technology on Logic Pro / Musescore.
Anacrusis
A melody starting on the beat before the first beat of the bar (the "upbeat")
Conjunct
Stepwise movement of melody often through the notes of a scale
Disjunct (Angular)
Melodies with leaps / large intervals between each note.
Arpeggio
A melody passing through the notes of a triad.
Scalic (Ascending/Descending)
Melodies that pass through the notes of the scale
Range / Tessitura
The distance between the highest and lowest notes of a melody. This can either wide or narrow.
Imitation
A melodic idea that's copied in a number of layers in the texture.
Sequence
A melodic fragment repeated at different pitches. This can be either be ascending or descending.
Contrast
How differing melodies sound different from each other. This can be achieved through tonality, and differing melodic movement
Leitmotif
Commonly found in Opera and Film Music - a short melodic idea that describes something, someone or somewhere
Motif
A short melodic idea that is often repeated and/or used to construct extended melodies.
Octave
The distance between two notes of the same name
Tone / Major 2nd
An interval of two semitones
Major 3rd
An interval of 4 semitones
Minor 3rd
An interval of 3 semitones
Perfect 4th
An interval of 5 semitones that sounds bare / neither major nor minor.
Tritone / 'Diabolus in Musica'
An interval of six semitones that sounds dissonant
Perfect 5th
An interval of 7 semitones that is neither major nor minor. This is the strongest interval as it moves from dominant to tonic.
Minor 6th
An interval of 8 semitones
Major 6th
An interval of 9 semitones
Semitone
Half a tone. White to black key on the keyboard.
Chromatic Movement
A melody that uses all twelve tones within an octave and is dissonant.
Pentatonic
Melodies constructed using the pentatonic scale - use of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of the scale.
'Blue' notes
The lowered 3rd, 5th and 7th degrees of the octave which creates dissonance.
Ornamentation
Decorations to the notes in a melody through trills, mordents and turns
Tonic
The 'home' note. The first note of the scale or key
Dominant
The fifth degree of the scale and the second strongest pitch within the scale.
Subdominant
The fourth degree of the scale
Supertonic
The second degree of the scale
Mediant
The third degree of the scale
Submediant
The sixth degree of the scale
Leading note
The seventh degree of the scale which always rises to the tonic.
Antecedent
The opening (or questioning) phrase of a balanced melody
Consequent
The answering phrase of a balanced melody
Develop the individual:
Students will gain an understanding of the role of melody within different eras of Music as well as in modern culture.
Create a supportive community:
Students will develop their extrinsic musical skills through group work, composition and critical appraisal of each others' work.
Term 3: Rhythm and Metre
Students will enhance their knowledge of Rhythm and Metre within the contexts of the areas of study. They will develop their rhythmic composition using notation and gain understanding of simple, compound and complex metre.
Students will demonstrate their understanding through listening, composing and performing exercises with verbal critical appraising shared by students and staff.
Semibreve
A note that lasts for four beats
Minim
A note that lasts for two beats
Crotchet
A note that lasts for one beat
Quaver
A note that lasts for 1/2 beat
Semiquaver
A note that lasts for 1/4 beat
Dotted
A rhythm where notes are extended by half of their value
Syncopation
Rhythms that are off the beat
Swing Rhythms
A rhythm that lilt or swing with the first note slightly extended
Straight
Rhythms that fall on the beat
Chaal
Rhythms played in Bhangra music typically on the Dohl
Driving Rhythm
Rhythms with accents on the beat that push the music forward.
Dance Rhythms
Rhythms associated with dance e.g. Waltz, Tango,
Rock Rhythms
Rhythms associated with Rock Music typically performed on the Drum Kit
Regular Metre
Music where there is a constant pulse
Irregular Metre
Music where the pulse does not have a consistent length
Accent
An emphasis on a particular beat of the bar
Front beats
Emphasis on the stronger notes of the bar. In common time this is beats 1 and 3.
Back beats
Emphasis on the weaker beats of the bar. In common time these are beats 2 and 4.
Simple Duple Time
Two crotchet beats in the bar.
Simple Triple
Three crotchet beats per bar.
Simple Quadruple (Common Time)
Four crotchet beats per bar.
Compound Time
Metres with triplets of quavers per beat
Compound Duple
Two beats subdivided into two groups of three quavers
Compound triple time
Three beats subdivided into three groups of three quavers
Compound Quadruple
Four beats subdivided into four groups of three quavers
Develop the individual:
Students will explore the use of Rhythm and Metre through a number of social and cultural contexts within the areas of study.
Create a supportive community:
Students will work together within groups and share their critical appraisals with each other through in-class performances
Term 4: Texture
Students will explore the functions of texture within the areas of study. They will develop understanding of homophony and polyphony in western classical tradition as well as melody-dominated homophony in film and pop music.
Students will be assessed through composing, performing and listening/appraising exercises with written and verbal feedback from both students and staff.
Monophonic
One layer of sound
Homophonic
Layers of sound moving together as chords.
Melody dominated Homophony
Melody and Chords (or melody and accompaniment)
Polyphony
More than two melodies played at the same time and moving independently.
Polyrhythmic
More than two rhythms played together at the same time
Cross Rhythmic
Two or more rhythms at the same time and in different metres.
Unison
All layers of sound playing the same melodic line.
Chordal
A form of homophony where the texture is built from chords
Imitation
Layers of sound copying each other.
Countermelody
An additional melody above the principal melody typically in Christmas Carols
Round
A polyphonic texture where the melody is repeated in different layers one after the other
Canon
A form of polyphonic texture where different melodies begin one after another.
Alberti Bass
A broken chord pattern in the order root - fifth - third - fifth
Walking Bass
A bass line that ascends and descends through an arpeggio
Develop the individual:
Students will explore Texture through a number of historical and modern periods of music as well through different cultures.
Create a supportive community:
Students will work in groups to create compositions and performances illustrating texture, and give critical appraisals of each others' work.
Term 5: Structure
Student will enhance their understanding of structural devices for all areas of study, including Binary, Ternary and Rondo in the Western Classical Tradition, Verse/Chorus form in Pop Music and Arch form in Jazz.
Students will demonstrate their understanding through performances in different structures as well as applying this knowledge through composition.
Binary
A structure formed as A - A- B - B where Section A starts in the Tonic and modulates to the Dominant. Section B starts in the Dominant and ends in the Tonic via the relative minor/major.
Ternary
A structure formed of two sections where section A returns at the end: A- B - A
Rondo
A structure created from a principal theme and contrasting episodes: A - B - A - C - A
Minuet and Trio
A structure commonly found in the third movement in a Symphony. Both are dances and are both formed using Ternary Form.
Theme and Variation
A structure with a principal theme and the composer uses this idea to create different versions of it: A1 - A2 - A3 - A4
Strophic
A structure found in pop music built on poetic stanzas
32 Bar Song Form
A structure typically found in Pop Music where each section is 8 bars long: A - A - B - A
12 Bar Blues
A structure typically found in Jazz following the 12 Bar Blues harmonic sequence
Call and Response
A melodic and structural device where an instrument performs the antecedent and other instruments perform the consequent.
Ostinato
A repeating melody, phrase or rhythmic cell
Bridge
A contrasting section within Verse/Chorus Form
Develop the individual:
Students will enhance their extrinsic skills by developing their organisation, creativity and problem solving skills in demonstrating these structures.
Create a supportive community:
Students will explore music in all areas of study looking at examples composed in the western classical tradition as well as in more modern examples.
Term 6: Composing Skills - Free Composition
Students will apply their knowledge of composition skills and the musical elements in creating a piece of music to a brief of their own design. Students will revisit skills for writing harmony, melody, texture and other musical musicals before creating their work on either Logic Pro XI or Musescore 4.
Students will produce their composition on either Logic Pro XI or Musescore and submit a recording with a score or written commentary. The first draft will be submitted at the start of Year 11.
Trio Sonata
A trio sonata is written for two solo melodic instruments and basso continuo, making three parts in all, hence the name trio sonata.
Dance Suite
In the Baroque era the suite was an important musical form, also known as Suitede danses, Ordre Partita or Ouverture which often included a series of dances.
Syllabic word setting
The term 'syllabic' refers to sung music. Music is syllabic when one pitch in the melody goes with one syllable in the words.
Consonant
Consonant intervals are usually described as pleasant and agreeable.
Dissonant
Dissonant intervals are those that cause tension and desire to be resolved to consonant intervals to relive tension.
Suspension
Suspension, in music, a means of creating tension by prolonging a consonant note while the underlying harmony changes, normally on a strong beat. The resulting dissonance persists until the suspended note resolves by step wise motion.
Word painting
Word painting is the musical technique of writing music that reflects the literal meaning of a song. For example, ascending scales would accompany lyrics about going up; slow, dark music would accompany lyrics such as death or despair.
Da capo aria
The da capo aria is a vocal form used primarily in the Baroque Era. It is in ternary form (ABA')
Cantata
A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
Tierce de Picardie
In music a Tierce de Picardie (meaning Picardy third) is a major chord at the end of a piece of music in a minor key. In the 16th to 17th centuries this was a very common way to end a piece in a minor key.
Binary form
Binary form is a musical form in two related sections, both of which are usually repeated. Binary is also a structure used to choreograph dance. In music this is usually performed as A-A-B-B.
Develop the individual:
Students will develop their analytical skills through wider listening as well as their independent and creativity skills in the creation of their composition.
Create a supportive community:
Exploration of musical genres through their own research for their composition.