Johnstone High School

Understanding Music

NATIONAL 4 Revision Booklet

Helpful Websites

Type the following into Google and click the first result:

NQMusic

Also try

Learn Listening Online and Music Listening Revision

Contents:

Page

1 National 4 Concept Dictionary 2

2 Concept Groupings:

Tempos & Dynamics 5

Instruments & How they are played 6

Styles & Ensembles 7

Scottish & Vocal 8

Tonality, Structure, Texture, Periods,

Effects, Scales & Word Setting

9

3 Literacy 10

4 National 3 12

5 Exam Paper Layout & Questions 14

1. NATIONAL 4 CONCEPT DICTIONARY

Category Concept Definition

Rhythm / Tempo

A tempo The music returns to the main tempo (speed) after there has been a change.

Accelerando The tempo (speed) of the music gradually becomes faster.

Anacrusis The notes which appear before the first strong beat of a musical

phrase, particularly at the start of a piece.

Andante A tempo at a walking speed.

Compound time The beat is divided into groups of three.

Dotted rhythms A long note followed by a shorter one or a short note followed by a longer one, as in a Scotch snap.

Jig A fast dance in compound time. Usually 2 beats in a bar, with each beat dividing into 3 quavers.

Rallentando The tempo (speed) of the music gradually slows down.

Scotch snap A very short accented note before a longer note.

Simple time

(2/4, 3/4, 4/4)

The music has two, three or four beats in each bar, and each beat is a crotchet (1 beat note) and each beat can be divided into 2.

Strathspey A Scottish dance with four beats in a bar and usually featuring the Scotch snap.

Syncopation Strongly accented notes playing off or against the beat. Syncopation occurs in all kinds of music.

Category Concept Definition

Melody / Harmony

Arpeggio Notes of a chord played one after the other.

Broken chord In a broken chord, the notes of a chord are played separately.

Change of key A move from one key to another.

Chord progression

(I, IV, V)

A series of related chords built on the first, fourth and fifth notes of a major or minor scale.

Drone One note held on or repeated in the bass.

Major The music sounds in a major key – often described as having a cheery,

happy feel to it.

Minor The music sounds in a minor key, often described as having a sadder feel than major.

Octave

Ornament An ornament decorates a melody by adding extra notes. Ornaments are often short and add melodic and rhythmic interest.

Pedal Short for pedal point. A note which is sustained, or repeated continuously, in the bass beneath changing harmonies.

Pentatonic scale Any five-note scale. In practice, the most common one is that on which much folk music is based, particularly Scottish and Celtic.

Scale A sequence of notes moving by step in an ascending or descending order.

Scat singing Nonsense words, syllables and sounds are improvised (made up) by the singer.

Vamp A rhythmic accompaniment with a bass note played on the beat and a chord off the beat. Usually played on piano or guitar.

Category Concept Definition

Texture /

Structure

/ Form

Cadenza A passage of music which allows soloists to display their technical ability in singing or playing an instrument.

Canon Strict imitation. Once one part starts to play or sing a melody, another

part enters shortly afterwards with exactly the same melody.

Chorus & Verse A structure/ form popular in many songs. The music of the verse will repeat, often with different words, and between verses the chorus will normally repeat and features different music to the verse.

Imitation Where the melody is immediately copied in another part.

Middle 8 In popular music, a section which provides a contrast to the opening section. It is often eight bars long.

Ternary (ABA) 3 part form: Section A, followed by a B section which is a different

melody, than a return to the A section.

Theme & variation The structure of a piece where the melody is heard (the theme), then returns several times with variations.

Category Concept Definition

Styles African music Much African music features voices and/or African drums.

Baroque The name given to a style of music composed during the period 1600-

1750 approximately.

Concerto A work for solo instrument and orchestra, eg a flute concerto is written for flute and orchestra.

Mouth music Unaccompanied songs with Gaelic or nonsense words, normally sung

for ceilidh dances.

Opera A drama set to music with soloists, chorus, acting, and orchestral accompaniment.

Ragtime A style of dance music which became popular at the end of the 19th century and which helped to influence jazz.

Rapping Rhyming lyrics that are spoken and performed in time to a beat. Rapping is popular in hip-hop music.

Reggae Reggae music was developed in the late 1960s in Jamaica. It has quite a distinctive sound and has the characteristic of strong accents on the

2nd and 4th beats of the bar.

Romantic In music, the period 1810-1900 approximately, which followed the Classical era.

Scots ballad A Scottish song which tells a story. Examples of Scots ballads are

'Flower of Scotland' and 'Loch Lomond'.

Swing A jazz style which started in the 1930s and was performed by a big band.

Category Concept Definition

Timbre / Dynamics

Backing vocals Singers who support the lead singer(s), usually by singing in harmony in the background.

Brass band A band of brass instruments and percussion.

Brass band A band of brass instruments and percussion.

Distortion An electronic effect used in rock music to colour the sound of an electric guitar. It gives a 'fuzzy' sound rather than the usual clean sound.

Harpsichord A keyboard instrument which looks like a small grand piano.

Mezzo forte Mezzo forte stands for fairly loud volume.

Mezzo piano Mezzo piano stands for 'fairly quiet volume'.

Muted Using a device which reduces the volume or alters the sound of an

instrument.

Pan pipes Pipes which are graded in size and are bound together. The sound is made by blowing across the top of the pipes.

Wind band A band with woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.

2. CONCEPT GROUPINGS

TEMPOS – SPEEDS

DYNAMICS – LOUDS & QUIETS

Tempo Meaning

Allegro Fast

Andante Walking Pace

Adagio Slow

Accelerando Gradually getting faster

Rallentando Gradually getting slower

A tempo To return to the original tempo.

Dynamic Italian English meaning

p Piano Quiet

mp Mezzo-piano Moderately quiet

mf Mezzo-forte Moderately loud

f Forte Loudly

cresc. Crescendo Gradually getting louder

dim. Diminuendo Gradually getting softer

INSTRUMENTS & HOW THEY ARE PLAYED

Instruments Playing Technique

Strings Violin Acoustic Guitar Arco – Bowed Cello Electric Guitar Pizzicato – Plucked Double Bass Bass Guitar Strumming – Drawing fingers or a Harp plectrum across the strings

Woodwind

Flute Clarinet Blown - Air is blown through Saxophone Bassoon instrument to produce sound Panpipes Recorder

Brass

Trumpet Trombone Muted - creating a quieter and softer sound than normal

Percussion Untuned Percussion: Snare Drum Drum kit Striking - Hitting - sound produced by Guiro Triangle hitting the instrument

Bass Drum Castanets

Tambourine Tuned Percussion:

Xylophone (wooden) Glockenspiel (metal) Timpani (Kettle Drum)

Keyboard: Scottish:

Piano Organ Fiddle Bagpipes Harpsichord Accordion

MUSICAL ENSEMBLES

Orchestra - Strings, Brass, Woodwind & Percussion. Brass Band - Brass & Percussion. Wind Band - Brass, Woodwind & Percussion. Folk Group - Fiddle, Guitar, Vocals, Accordion Whistle, Bass, Flute, Drum kit, Bodhran. Scottish Dance Band - Fiddle, Accordion, Piano, Drums. Steel Band - Steel drums (pans).

MUSICAL STYLES

Reggae - Off beat guitar, vocals, drums, organ, bass. Ragtime - Piano: Syncopated melody & vamp accompaniment. Blue - Jazz style, developed from black American

folk songs. Tells a story. Flattened notes. Swing - A jazz style performed by a big band. Jazz - American music from in the early 20th century. Rock - Music with a heavy, driving beat. Features electric guitar, bass guitar and drum kit. Pop - Popular music (chart music) Rock ‘n’ roll - 1950’s style music, think Elvis Presley. Musical - A vocal work, like a modern opera. Scottish - Music traditionally from Scotland. Latin American - Dance music from South America. Rapping - Rhyming lyrics that are spoken. African music - Much African music features voices and/or

African drums. Opera - A drama set to music with soloists, chorus,

acting, and orchestral accompaniment Romantic - 1810-1900; big orchestras and thick texture. Baroque - 1600-1750; harpsichord and ornaments

SCOTTISH MUSIC

Song Who? Where/About? Accomp? Other?

Mouth Music Both Nonsense made up Gaelic words

Maybe Imitating melody of bagpipes

Scots Ballad Both Telling story Maybe Lots of verses and chorus, Strophic

VOCAL

Voices – Highest to lowest Vocal concepts

Soprano

FEMALE

Alto

Tenor

MALE

Bass

Voice

Lead Vocal

Backing Vocal

Choir

Dance Speed Beats Other features

Waltz Medium 3 I LOVE YOU: Only 3 beat dance

Jig Fast 2 – 6/8 time STRAWBERRY: Compound time

Reel Fast 4 COCA COLA: Simple time, flowing

Strathspey Medium 4 porridge PORRIDGE: Jumpy, Scotch Snap

March Marching speed 2 or 4 MARCHING: Steady, strong pulse.

TONALITY

MAJOR MINOR

STRUCTURE

TERNARY FORM RONDO FORM

THEME & VARIATION

PERIODS OF MUSIC

BAROQUE CLASSICAL ROMANTIC

EFFECTS

DISTORTION

SCALES

MAJOR MINOR PENTATONIC BLUES

3. LITERACY

Symbol Name Length (beats) Semibreve 4

Dotted Minim 3

Minim 2

Crotchet 1

Quaver ½

Semiquaver ¼

Paired Quavers 1

Grouped Semiquavers 1

Repeat Signs

Start End

KEY SIGNATURES

C Major = 0 sharps or flats A Minor = 0 sharps or flats BUT watch out for G#s

in the music!

F Major = 1 flat b (Bb) G Major = 1 Sharp #

(G#)

.

Lines Spaces

Every Good Boy

Deserves Football F A C E

Notes below the stave Notes above the stave

Time Signatures – go right at the beginning of the first line,

between the treble clef and key signature.

= 2 crotchet beats per bar = 3 crotchet beats per bar Simple time Simple time = 4 crotchet beats per bar Simple time

Octave:

4. NATIONAL 3 & 4 CONCETPS

You also need to know all of the National 3 and National 4 concepts.

NATIONAL 3 CONCEPTS

Melody/Harmony Rhythm/Tempo Texture/Structure/Form Timbre/Dynamics Style

Ascending

Chord

Chord change

Descending

Discord

Improvisation

Leap (leaping)

Question & answer

Repetition

Sequence

Step (stepwise)

Accent/accented

Adagio

Allegro

Bar; 2, 3 or 4 beats

in a bar

Beat/pulse

Drum fill

Faster

March

On the beat/off

the beat

Pause

Reel

Repetition

Slower

Waltz

Accompanied

Harmony/chord

Ostinato/riff

Round

Solo

Unaccompanied

Unison/octave

Accordion

Acoustic guitar

Bagpipes

Blowing

Bowing

Brass

Choir

Drum kit

Electric guitar

Fiddle

Folk group

Orchestra

Organ

Percussion

(tuned/untuned)

Piano

Plucking

Scottish dance band

Staccato/legato

Steel band

Striking (hitting)

Strings

Strumming

Voice

Woodwind

Blues

Jazz

Latin

American

Musical

Pop

Rock

Rock ‘n’

Roll

Scottish

5. EXAM PAPER LAYOUT & QUESTIONS

Question 1a-f: Multiple Choice - 6 Marks with a few “write

the word” questions.

Question 2: Box question (musical map) - 4 Marks 4 numbered boxes. Voice says the number over the music & you must answer the question in the related box when the number is said.

Question 3: Literacy Question – 6 Marks

Eg. Name the key of this piece, insert the time signature, insert missing notes, insert repeat sign, identify octave leaps, write dynamics, write tempo marks.

Question 4: Multiple Choice – 8 Marks

Question 5: - 4 Marks

Tick one box from

each section.

Question 6: Fill in the missing words – 3 Marks

Question 7: - 4 Marks - Reason Question: Multiple choice

plus write reason for answer.

Question 8: - 5 Marks Write about the prominent features you

hear in the music.

Fill out this box then transfer it to the lines on the next page.

Rhythm/tempo

Melody/harmony

Instruments/voices

Dynamics (Italian terms)

Melody Harmony

Rhythm Tempo

Instruments and how they are used

Dynamics

Broken Chords Chords/ Discords Imitation Legato /Staccato Major/Minor Ornaments Pedal Question & Answer Repetition Sequence Unison/Harmony Scales: Major/Minor scale, Pentatonic scale

Beats in a bar / Time Signature: 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, Simple Time Speed: Allegro – Fast Adagio – Slow Andante – walking pace Speed Changes: Accelerando – faster Rallentando – slower Rubato – with freedom Anacrusis Ostinato Repetition Scotch Snap Syncopation

Brass – Trumpet, Trombone Woodwind – Flute, Clarinet, Bassoon, Saxophone, Recorder Strings – Violin, Cello, Double Bass, Harp Percussion – Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Timpani, Triangle, Snare Drum, Drumkit, Bass Drum, Tambourine, Castanets Keyboard – Piano, Synthesizer, Harpsichord, Organ Guitars – Electric, Acoustic, Bass, Banjo Solo, Melody, Countermelody Accompaniment, Chords, Broken Chords, Arpeggios Arco – bowed, Grace notes, ornaments Muted, Pizzicato - plucked Female Voices: Soprano, Alto Male Voices: Tenor, Bass Solo; Accompaniment; Melody; Countermelody

p – piano – quiet mp – mezzo piano – moderately quiet mf – mezzo forte – moderately loud f – forte – loud Changes of dynamic: Cres. – Crescendo – getting louder Dim. – diminuendo – getting quieter.