1. GCSE MUSIC
REVISION NOTES

2. THE ELEMENTS OF MUSIC RHYTHM- PATTERN OF BEATS MELODY- TUNE
TONALITY- THE KEY
TEXTURE- HOW MANY INSTRUMENTS PLAYING
DYNAMICS- VOLUME
PITCH- HIGH OR LOW
DURATION- LENGTH OF NOTES
TEMPO- SPEED
Always refer to the elements of music when DESCRIBING the music in your exam!

3. ROMANTIC SONGS- LIEDER
LIED –Song for one singer and a piano.
-Lyrics usually based on German poems.
-The music matches the words
-Motifs used (music represents a character)
-SCHUBERT best known composer
The Erl King is an example of a Lied (click on the symbol to listen to it ...give it time to load!)
ROMANTIC PERIOD
ROMANTIC COMPOSERS: Beethoven, Schubert, Chopin, Wagner

4. POP BALLADS BALLADS -Often tell stories -Often slow and sad
-Ballads can be IN DIFFERENT STYLES
LISTEN TO THE DIFFERENT STYLES OF BALLADS:
Elton John’s ‘Candle in the Wind’
Sting’s ‘Seven Days’
Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’
SINGER-SONGWRITER BALLADS-
-usually voice and piano OR guitar
ROCK BALLAD
-heavy drums, amplified guitars and bass guitar

5. POP BALLADS- Continued
Most songs have a VERSE- CHORUS structure
Verses have the same tune and different lyrics
Chorus has the same tune and same lyrics
Sometimes have a middle 8- different music and lyrics
THE ACCOMPANIMENT COMPLEMENTS THE VOICE
A lot of repetition of motifs that are Sings the STORY. Vocals are clear and
sung in the melody unhidden by the accompaniment.
Sometimes there is an INSTRUMENTAL section.

6. JAZZ
Different types of jazz; progressive, dixieland, experimental, latin, jazz fusion, free & soul.
Developed in the USA (New Orleans)- Dixieland jazz
Start of the 20th Century/mixture of brass bands, marches, ragtime and blues/melody shared between instruments.
CHARACTERISTICS
Instruments: Trumpet, trombone, piano, clarinet, double bass, drums and then later saxophone
IMPROVISATION/solos- make the music up as you go along!
SYNCOPATED&SWUNG RHYTHMS/CALL AND RESPONSE/jazz singer use SCAT (nonsense words and syllables).
ARTISTS: Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller
SONGS: I got rhythm my funny valentine take the A train