Y8 Summer Assessment : Fri 24th May
Revision keywords
Elements of Music
Pitch high or low
Timbre different sounds / instruments
Tempo fast and slow, speed of the beat
Texture thick and thin, layers of sound
Dynamics loud or quiet
Duration short or long notes
Structure pattern of sections
Pitch Words
Bassline a low part in the music
Chord several notes played together (usually 3)
Harmony two or more notes / melodies
which blend together
Melody question and answer phrase, the main tune
scale a set of notes
Major a bright sound scale in steps
Minor a dark sounding scale in steps
Chromatic a tense sounding scale with all the sharps and flats
Other words we have learned
Genre the style of the music
block / broken /rhythmic different ways to play chords
arrangement a new version of a song someone has already written
pedal a repeating note
ostinato a repeating pattern
phrase a short section of music
improvisation making something up as you go along
accompaniment the backing parts
Timbre words
Strings violin, cello, double bass, guitar,
Woodwind flute, clarinet, oboe, saxophone
Brass trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba
Percussion drumkit, cymbals, shaker
Electronic synthesizer
Film Music
Atmosphere- the mood or feeling of the scene
Action- the music reflects what is happening
Character- the music fits the character in that scene
Time and Place- music for a certain time in history or a certain place
leitmotif a melody for a character in the film
Y8 Music prep : Pink Floyd and the album ‘Dark side of the moon’
Choose one of the songs that are in this album which you think works well. It could be one of the ones you listened to in class on another one. Write a paragraph about it, answering these questions:
1. What do you think this song is about? (1)
2. Does it fit in with the idea of the 'Dark side of the moon' at all? How? (2)
3. What sounds can you hear in this song? Describe the song using music words as much as you can like dynamics, texture, pitch, ostinato, accompaniment, melody... How does it start? How does it change? Is there anything you find interesting or exciting about this song? Is there anything you think doesn't work? (5)
Other songs from the album we haven’t listened to in class: the great gig in the sky, money, us and them, any colour you like, brain damage
4. Why do you think this album was so successful, staying in the charts for 741 weeks? (1)
5. Extension: Find out why the subject of mental illness was very important to the band Pink Floyd at this time (1973) (1)
Due Wed 8th May
Year 8 African music prep
Due Fri 16th March
Investigate an African musician who you think is interesting or whose music you like.
Ideas: Salif keita, Angelique Kidjo, Oumou Sangare, Fela Kuti, Femi Kuto, Ladysmith Black Mambaso, Touman DIabate
All prep should be in your book: if you work on computer you must print it out and stick it in!
Film music prep
Due Friday 1st Feb
Write a profile for a well know film composer, including
Part 1
* a general description - their age, interests and musical history
* how they came to become a film composer
* what sort of films they have composed the music for
* what they think about composing film music (one paragraph)
Part 2 Choose one of their film pieces and
* write down the film its from, and the scene if you know it
* a description of the music: what mood or atmosphere does it have? what does it make you think of? what action could be happening? What character might it fit? (one paragraph)
* How does it use the elements of music? (instruments, high/ low etc)
•Here are some ideas of composers: John Williams, Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Ennio Morricone, James Horner
•Write in your own words. The work must be in your book, but you can print and stick it in if you want
Music exam 8A Friday 23rd Nov
Y8 Exam Revision sheet Michaelmas
1. Elements of music:
Pitch high and low
Timbre different sounds / instruments
Tempo fast and slow, speed of the music
Texture thick and thin, layers of sound
Dynamics loud and quiet
Duration short and long notes
2. Rock n Roll / using chords
How to make a three note chord (triad)
block chords three notes played all together
broken chords chord notes played one by one
rhythmic chords chord played in a rhythmic pattern
bassline low part in the music
roots of rock n roll : where did it come from? - America
what styles created it? -
'White' country music mixed with 'black' RnB
genre style of music
12 bar blues chord sequence: used for the backing parts (accompaniment)
C | C | C | C |
F | F | C | C |
G | F | C | C |
riff repeating pattern
blues scale scale with some clashing notes, used for the melody
blue note a clashing note in the blues scale
blues artists: Robert Johnson,
rock n roll artists Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard
3. Electronic music
synthesizer instrument that makes sound electronically
pad synth soft synth sound with a slow attack, good for backing parts
lead synth loud synth sound with a sharp attack, good for
melody or bass parts
disco 70s dance style with a fast dance beat
e.g. Donna Summer
house 80s dance style with four to the floor drum
beat and simple textures
e.g. technotronic
trance 90s dance style with lots of changes of
texture and breakdowns
e.g. Trinity X
sample digital clip of sound
retriggering a sample of sound repeated faster and faster - a classic feature of trance
four-to-the floor four crotchet bass drum beats- the classic feature of house
breakdown texture suddenly gets thinner- a classic feature of trance
Music prep 2
‘Investigating a genre’
•Choose a genre (style) to investigate – e.g. blues, Jazz, soul, rock n roll, Heavy metal, Classical, Electronic,
•Find out about the most important artists in that genre, when the genre started and how it started. Was it a mix of earlier musical genres?
•Also find out about the musical features of that genre – e.g. what sort of instruments / instrument groups were used, any typical musical features like fast tempos, very electronic sounds etc
•You can also include any interesting non-musical features like the way the artists dressed or behaved
•Listen to examples of this style and add these to your project : describe an actual song in that style and describe the music you can hear as you listen to the song – how does the music change?
•Include your own opinion of the music – what do you think, what do you like or not like?
•You can present the project any way you wish- on paper, card, booklet, powerpoint, even film!
•Make sure you write in your own words, please don’t use copy and paste
•You have two weeks to do this in
DON’T DO THE WORK IN YOUR BOOK - its for presentation on the wall
Due Friday 15th Oct
Y8 Music Homework 1 Michaelmas
Listen to and write about three pieces of music
(a) one in a familiar style which you like a lot
(b) one song which you didn't know before and which has some things you like and some you don't like
(c) one piece which you really don't like but which you know other people like. Make sure you choose three different genres of music
What to do
1. Write the title : 'Listening to different genres of music' in your book.
2. Write down the song name, artist and style (genre) of each piece you choose. After each one, write your description. Say what it is you like or don't like and why, adding as much detail as you can about the sounds and instruments you notice, and anything else which makes a difference like the length of a section or the texture etc.
Use the elements of music (tempo, texture, dynamics, duration, pitch, instruments..) and musical words whenever you can
Length: between one and three paragraphs