1. Area of Study - Popular Music
GCSE MUSIC
Area of Study - Popular Music

2. Musical Elements Rhythm and Metre Harmony and Tonality
Texture and Melody
Timbre and Dynamics
Structure and Form

3. RHYTHM AND METRE Pulse simple and compound time
regular, irregular, free
augmentation, diminution, hemiola, cross rhythm
dotted rhythms, triplets, syncopation
poly rhythm
drum fills

4. HARMONY AND TONALITY diatonic, chromatic consonant, dissonant
pedal, drone
cadence: perfect, plagal, imprefect, interrupted, Tierce de Picardie
major, minor and dominant 7th chords
tonal, major, minor, modal
keys up to 4 sharps and 4 flats
modulation to the dominant or relative major or minor

5. TEXTURE AND MELODY
harmonic/homophonic, polyphonic/contrapuntal, monophonic
imitative, canonic, layered
unison, octaves, single melody line, melody with accompaniment, antiphonal
intervals within the octave
conjunct, disjunct, triadic, broken chords, scalic, apreggio
passing notes, acciaccaturas, appogiaturas, ornamentation
blue notes
diatonic, chromatic, pentatonic, whole tone, modal
augmentation, diminution, sequence, inversion
slide/glisaando/portamento
ostinato, riff
phrasing, articulation
pitch bend
improvisation

6. TIMBRE AND DYNAMICS
Instruments and voices singly and in combinations used in the three strands
generic families of instruments as found in world music
timbre, including the use of technology, synthesised and computer generated sounds and effects such as reverb, distortion and chorus
instrumental techniques including con arco, pizzicato, con sordino, double stopping, tremolo/tremolando
vocal techniques such as falsetto and vibrato
gradation of dynamics as follows:
- pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff
- crescendo, diminuendo
- sfz, sforzando
- hair pins
And common signs and symbols

7. STRUCTURE AND FORM binary, ternary, call and response
rondo, theme and variations, arch shape
sonata, minuet and trio, scherzo and trio
strophic, through composed, da capo aria, cyclic
popular song forms
ground bass, continuo, cadenza

8. Street Spirit (fade out)
Radiohead

9. ANALYSIS OF THE INTRODUCTION
RHYTHM AND METRE
4/4 time with a regular pulse
Tempo adagio (approx 72bmp)
HARMONY AND TONALITY Diatonic Minor key – A minor
TEXTURE AND MELODY Ostinato/riff
TIMBRE AND DYNAMICS Quiet Picked acoustic guitar
STRUCTURE AND FORM 4 bar introduction

10. Radiohead Street Spirit (fade out)
I have chosen the following areas of study to help me analyse the rest of the song:
Timbre and Dynamics
Structure and Form
Timbre
Dynamics
Form

11. Radiohead Street Spirit (fade out)
Into – A/E guitar picked, quiet
V1 – picked guitar, male voice with reverb, triangle, quiet
Chorus – as verse but louder
V2 – drums added, louder
Chorus – strings added, bass louder,louder
Inst/mid 8 – vocal ahhs added (2 parts now) louder sustained strings, more complex drum pattern
V3 – additional guitar part, quieter
Chorus – louder again
Outro – vocal patterns, repeated crescendos, ends with quiet picked guitar.

12. YOUR TASK
Choose a song that you like and plan a presentation about it based on at least 2 Musical Elements. You may use any medium you want or you can just talk about it.
YOUR PRESENTATION MUST INCLUDE PLAYING THE SONG