This document provides a revision guide for GCSE Music. It covers the key areas of study including rhythm and metre, harmony and tonality, texture and melody, timbre and dynamics, and structure and form. It defines important musical terminology and provides example questions. It also includes a listening guide with examples of music from different genres and cultures to support learning. Websites are listed that provide audio examples of musical elements and terms to aid revision.

1. Miss Kendall’s
Year 11
GCSE Music Revision
Guide

2. Contents
Basics
Elements of Music
Area of Study 1
Rhythm and Metre
Area of Study 2
Harmony and Tonality
Area of Study 3
Texture and Melody
Area of Study 4
Timbre and Dynamics
Area of Study 5
Structure and Form
Extended Questions

3. Below are the strands of learning:
a) The Western Classical Tradition
Baroque orchestral music
The concerto
Music for voices
Chamber music
The sonata
b) Popular Music of the 20th & 21st centuries
Blues
Popular music of the 1960s
Rock music, R’n’B, Hip-Hop
Music Theatre
Film music
c) World Music
Music of the Caribbean
Music of Africa
Music of India
Common Errors highlighted in red
Italian Terms in purple italics
Websites in bold blue
Example questions in the yellow boxes

4. Elements of Music
PITCH
TEMPO
(Speed)
High
Low
Fast
Slow
Italian words you can use for tempo
Largo: Slowly
Andante: Walking Pace
Moderato: Moderately
Allegro: Fast
Vivace: Lively
Presto: Very Fast
Accelerando: Gradually speeding up
Rallentando: Gradually slowing down
Ritenuto: Immediately slower
Allargando: Getting slower and broadening
Rubato: Literally 'robbed time', where rhythms are
played freely for expressive effect.
PG 1

5. Elements of Music
Loud
Dynamics
Quiet
(Volume)
Italian words you can use for dynamics and the
symbols you would see on the score (dynamic
markings)
Crescendo: Getting louder
<
Diminuendo: Getting quieter
<
Pianissimo: very quiet
Piano: quiet
p
Fortissimo: very loud
Forte: loud
pp
ff
f
Mezzo forte: fairly loud
mf
Mezzo piano: fairly quiet
mp
Accent: emphasis on a particular note > (marked near the
note)
Timbre
The instruments

6. Elements of Music
Texture
How many layers/
instruments are
playing at any time.
Words you can use for texture
A capella= Voices singing on its own
Unison= Playing or Singing together
Call and Response= A solo melody is then
answered by other instruments
Monophonic= 1 Melody on its own
Homophonic= 1 melody plus accompaniment (chords being
played underneath= usually found in a pop song)

7. Elements of Music
Example Questions:
What happens to the dynamics in the first section of
this piece?
Describe the use of pitch with the opening of the
violin
The beginning of this extract is monophonic, then
what happens?
Circle the word which best describes the tempo of
the opening section of this extract
Vivace
Largo
Moderato

8. Recognising Instruments
Violin
Trumpet
Piano
Guitar
Saxophone
Drum Kit
If you visit this website you can click on lots of instruments
which you can listen to:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/
elements_of_music/instrumentationrev1.shtml
Make sure you can identify the sound of each one.
This is a common question in the exam.

9. Recognising special instruments
relating to the strand of learning
Strand of Learning
A) The Western Classical Tradition
Harpsichord
(Baroque Era)
B) Popular Music of the 20th and 21st Century
The instruments heard within this time period are instruments you use at school and that you are use to hearing.
C) World Music
Music of the Caribbean
Clavas
Maracas
l
e
te
S
Cabasa
s
n
Pa
Guiro

10. Recognising special instruments
relating to the strand of learning
C) World Music
Indian Music– Listen to ‘Pata Pata’ by Miriam Makeba
Sitar
Tabla
Harmonium
African Music– Listen to ‘Homeless’ by Ladysmith Black
Mambazo
African Drumming
If you are still not sure about these instruments type
them in to Youtube and listen to them.

11. Family of Instruments
Brass Family
String Family

12. Family of Instruments
Woodwind
Keyboard Family
Piano
Harp
sicho
rd
Organ
To look more into instrument families and sounds visit:
http://www.dsokids.com/listen/instrumentlist.aspx

13. Family of Instruments
The Voice
Soprano– High Female
Alto– Low Female
Tenor– High Male
Bass– Low Male
Vocal Ensembles
You can get all female
choirs, male choirs or mixed
choirs.
Barbershop/ acapella groups
Gospel Choir
Choral Music

14. Family of Instruments
COMMON ERROR
The saxophone and flute are actually woodwind
instruments– NOT BRASS
Questions always come up where you have to
identify the instrument playing. Too many
pupils get an oboe confused with a flute or a
clarinet. Make sure you know your instrument
sounds!
These are easy marks!

15. Area of Study 1
Rhythm and Metre
Pulse– is the beat!
Tempo– is the speed of the beat
Tempo is measured in BPM
(Beats Per Minute)
In the chapter on ELEMENTS OF MUSIC you will find
Italian words related to tempo!
You will be asked about the time signature
of the piece. Usual answers will be:
4/4, 2/4, 3/4, 6/8
To work this out you need to work out the
strongest beat and then count until the next
strongest beat. Listen to the pulse!
Example Question: How would you describe the tempo
of this extract?
What is the time signature of this piece?

16. Rhythm Keywords
Example Question:
How does the rhythm change in the second extract?
Please comment on the rhythm of this extract.
Augmentation: An increase in the length of notes. The
music will sound slower when imitated or repeated.
Therefore your answer could be– the rhythm is
augmented
Diminution: A decrease in the length of notes. The music
will sound quicker when repeated.
Syncopation: Off beat.
Dotted Rhythm: A dot after the note increases it by
half the size. Dotted crotched equals one and a half
beats. (Usually sounds long– short)
Cross Rhythm/ Polyrhythm: 2 different rhythms being
played at the same time on different instruments
Rubato: when directed to play “rubato” the performer
has freedom with the rhythm and the speed.
Drum Fill– Rhythmic decoration used on the drums
Triplets: A group of 3 notes having the same time as 2.
Have a listen on this website to an example of a triplet
http://www.teoria.com/tutorials/reading/09triplets.php

17. Rhythm and Metre
Pick some pieces of music from your listening chart at
the beginning of the booklet and answer these questions( Aim to use rhythm keywords from the opposite
page.)
1. What is the time signature of this piece?
2. Describe the rhythm of this piece.
3. What is the tempo of this piece?
4. Describe the rhythm used in this piece.

18. AoS2 Harmony & Tonality
Harmony is what happens when two notes at different pitches are
played together!
Diatonic: occurs when only the notes from the key signature are
played
Chromatic: happens when you use notes that do not belong in that key
signature (it adds colour)
Consonant: the harmony sounds nice
Dissonance: doesn’t sound so nice! Sounds like a clash
Pedal/Drone– is a note that is held on for a long time below the melody.
(A drone note is usually played in the bass part and you will find this
when listening to Indian music or Bagpipes!)
Cadences: The two chords at the end of a phrase (ends the musical
sentence)
Perfect– Sounds finished



Imperfect– Sounds unfinished
Interrupted– Sounds like it is going to, but then doesn’t (Surprise
cadence)

Plagal– Amen cadence
To hear examples and for more information go to the GCSE Bitesize
Website
Example Question:
In this extract which cadence is located at point A on
the score?

19. Harmony & Tonality
Tonality means the music belongs in a key
Tonic– Strongest note of the key (this is the first note and is usually
what the piece starts and ends on)
Major– has a happy feel
Minor– has a sad feel (through out!)
Modes– ancient scales
Pentatonic– 5 note scale
Whole tone– made up of tones (whole steps- no semi-tones)
Modulation– when the piece changes key. (Usually this will be the dominant or the relative major or minor as they flow nicely in to each other)
Key Signatures
You can work out key signatures by using the Circle of 5ths

20. Harmony and Tonality
Listening Guide-go through your listening chart and answer the
following questions:
What is the tonality of this piece?
Comment on the harmony
Is this piece major or minor?
Which cadence is at the end of the chorus?
Comment on the harmony
Does this piece modulate? If so when and what to?
Which key signature has 2 sharps in?
Which key signature has 1 flat in?

21. AoS3 Texture and
Melody
To find out about TEXTURE turn to the first chapter on the Elements
of Music!
Example Question: Describe the texture of the piece
As well as the words– Unison, Monophonic, Homophonic, Polyphonic you
will also need to know the following:
Broken Chords– is when the notes of the chord are played separately,
not together! The accompaniment sounds more gentle and flowing compared to block chords. You probably used broken chords for your 32
bar song.
Imitative/Canonic– Imitate is to copy. That is exactly what happens!
An instrument copies another instrument. A canon is a type of imitation where an instrument copies the whole of melody not just part.
Many instruments could be involved in a canon.
Antiphonal– special kind of imitation. This is where a musical
phrase is passed between many instruments. In some antiphonal music the parts are played in different areas of the building and produces a stereo effect.
All of the above can be found:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learnlisteningonline
Just click on the letter and find the keyword. Click on and listen to it!

22. AoS3 Texture and Melody
Melody is a pattern of notes.
Example Question: Which bar does the melody start in?
Identify the interval between the first two notes played in the meloIntervals– the distance in pitch between two notes.
E.g. The distance between C and G is a 5th.
If you go to http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learnlisteningonline
and go to intervals it plays all the intervals for C.
Conjunct– is a type of melodic movement. Conjunct means step wise
(the notes are mainly next to each other)
Disjunct– Means the melody moves in leaps
Triadic– a triadic melody is one that mainly plays the 3 notes of a
chord
Scalic– A scalic melody is one that follows a scale
Arpeggio– is a type of broken chord. Usually ascending (going up) or descending (going down)
Passing Note– is a note that connects another two notes that are part
of the harmony. For instance, a C note followed by an E note, the passing note would be a D.
Acciaccatura and Appoggiatura– these are types of ornaments. They
are little added decorations that sound crushed.
Blue Notes– These are special notes used in the blues and often ‘slide’
from one to another.
You can also use words like: diatonic, chromatic, modal, pentatonic,
whole tone (turn to the section on harmony to help you with these
words) You can also use augmentation, diminution (which can be found
in the rhythm section)

23. Sequence– is where a melodic phrase is repeated immediately at a
different pitch
http:// www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/
elements_of_music/melody5.shtml
Inversion– is where the melody is turned upside down
Slide/Glissando/Portamento– All mean the same thing which is
sliding from one not
Example Question: Which melodic device is being used?
Ornamentation- Little decorations (ornaments) to make the melody interesting.
Ostinato– a repeated musical phrase
Riff– Same as an ostinato but found in popular music
Phrasing– dividing the melody into smaller sections– like a sentence
Articulation– extra little information for the performer on how to
play the note. E.g. Staccato, accents etc.
Pitch Bend– found in guitar playing.
Improvisation– To make it up on the spot (usually found in blues
and jazz)

24. Texture and Melody
Use pieces of music in your listening chart to
answer the following questions:
Describe the texture of each piece and which
musical term best describes it.
Describe the melody of each piece.

25. Area of Study 4
Timbre and Dynamics
For definition of these words you can find in chapter one on the Elements
of Music!
As well as them you need to also need to know-
Example Question: Name the instrumental technique
the violin is using.

26. Timbre and Dynamics
Example questions:
1. Name the instruments playing and any instrument techniques used.
2. Describe the dynamics.
3. Name the instrument playing the accompaniment.
4. Describe the dynamics throughout the piece of music.

27. Area of Study 5
Structure and Form
Example Question: Describe the structure of this
piece.
How does section A differ from section B?
Example Question: Which of the following best describes the form of this excerpt?
ABA ABCD ABCA AAA

28. Structure and Form
Example Questions:
1. Describe the structure of the following piece.
2. Which term best describes the form of this excerpt? Circle
Arch– shape
binary
through-composed
twelve-bar blues

29. Extended Question
In the exam you will be asked to listen to an excerpt a few
times and then you will be asked to comment on certain areas.
Example Question:
Comment on this music, referring only to:
Rhythm
Metre
Texture
Melody
TIP! Use bullet points. List like this
E.g.

Rhythm– dotted and syncopated

Metre– 4/4

Texture– homophonic

Melody– improvisation and pitch bend
You take the keywords you know and place them in the appropriate areas depending on the piece you are listening to.

30. Extended Question
Pick a different piece of music from your listening chart and
answer the following questions:
Track 1
Comment on– Pitch, Dynamics, Timbre
Track 2
Comment on– Timbre, Texture, Structure
Track 3
Comment on– Rhythm, Metre, Texture, Melody
Track 4
Comment on– Melody, Metre, Form
Track 5
Comment on– Structure, Dynamics, Pitch, Melody
Track 6
Comment on– Rhythm, Metre, Texture, Melody

31. Listening Guide
Caribbean Music
Old R&B (1950’s)
Fats Domino-Blueberry Hill
1.
Little Richard-Tutti Frutti
Ray Charles– Mess Around
BB King-Three O’Clock Blues
Soul (1960’s/70’s)
Ben E King– Stand by Me
Aretha Franklin-Say a little Prayer
2.
3.
4.
Soca Calypso– Lord KitchenerSugar Bum Bum
Ska– Millie Small-My Boy Lollipop
Rock Steady– The Jamaicans-Baba
Boom Time
Reggae-Desmond Dekker and the
ACES-Isrealites
Stevie Wonder-Superstition
Bill Withers– Lean on me
Jackson Five-ABC
Disco (1970’s/80’s)
Indian Music
1. Rag Desh by Saraswati
Dhandhada
Donna Summers-I Feel Love
Rose Royce– Car Wash
Bee Gees– Stayin’ Alive
Village People– YMCA
Gloria Gaynor– I will Survive
Funk (70’s/80’s)
Michael Jackson-Thriller
Earth, Wind and Fire– Let’s Groove
Chaka Khan-Ain’t Nobody
Modern R&B (21st Century)
Beyonce Knowles– Best Thing I Never Had
Rihanna-Unfaithful
Mariah Carey– Hero
Whitney Houston-The Greatest Love
Mary J Blige– Just Fine
African Music
1.
Yiri by Koko
2. Homeless by Ladysmith Black
Mambazo

32. Websites!
REALLY GOOD WEBSITE:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/learnlisteningonline/atozdictionary/
A.asp
Any keywords in this booklet can be heard by going to this website, finding the keyword then clicking and listening!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music
This has all the areas of study for you to read and listen to.
Intervals
http://www.musictheory.net/exercises/ear-interval
http://www.musictechteacher.com/aq_rhythm_sound_match/
quiz.html
http://www.musictechteacher.com/quiz_rhythmquiz01.htm
Musical term
http://www.musictechteacher.com/
aq_music_terms_expressions_match/quiz.html
Instruments
http://www.dsokids.com/listen/instrumentlist.aspx
Texture
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWmctnwoe50