VCE MUSIC 2011–2015 MUSIC PERFORMANCE UNITS 1 TO 4

Outcome 3: Musicianship

1. Introduction

This resource: • is based on Outcome 3 in VCE Music Performance Units 1 to 4 and assessment information

provided by VCAA • includes notation, sound files and links to other documents on the VCAA website:

www.vcaa.vic.edu.au • must be read with the current study design, assessment handbook and examination specifications

which are available for download on the VCAA website • is not a textbook. VCAA expects that teachers will use a range of resources to support teaching

of this area of study including material they develop themselves, commercial publications, ICT applications and online resources.

In VCE Music Performance Units 1 to 4 the Musicianship area of study is designed to support learning in the Performance, Performance Technique and Organisation of Sound areas of study.

In the Musicianship area of study content (key knowledge and key skills) is organised in a sequential manner with most knowledge and skills developed across Units 1 to 4.

Across Area of Study 3, aural, theoretical and practical knowledge and skills are presented in a connected manner. For example, in Unit 1:

Key knowledge Key skills

• scales/modes – naming conventions … – concepts of tonality and key – sound and intervallic structure …

• Identify ascending and descending … presented aurally or in writing

• Use conventional music notation to write … scales

• Use a system to sing … scales.

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2. Sources of information

VCE Music Study Design 2011–2015 and Advice for teachers Unit 1 pages 16–18 and 56–57 Unit 2 pages 22–25 and 62–62 Unit 3 pages 32–35 and 71–72 Unit 4 pages 41–44 and 76 School-assessed Coursework information pages 36 and 77 Assessment handbook (download from index page) Examination specifications

3. Notation Guide

This guide is based on the key knowledge for Units 1 to 4 Music Performance. The opening points of key knowledge in each unit are general concepts that underpin all learning in this area of study. • A system to assist the singing of scales, intervals, chords, melodic phrases, rhythmic phrases and

diatonic chord progressions To implement this key knowledge, schools/teachers select a system that: • suits the needs of their students, for example a system associated with a specific music pedagogy • will assist students to build understanding of the content they are studying • support students to make connections across aural, theoretical and performance contexts. The chart below provides a guide to music notation conventions referred to in the key knowledge. Notes: In the Unit 3 and 4 end-of-year Aural and Written examination (see Examination Specifications): 1. rhythmic conventions relating to grouping, beaming and the organisation, value and subdivision

of beat and pulse in simple and compound duple, triple and quadruple metres and asymmetric metres with 5 pulses per bar, dotted notes, triplets, duplets, syncopation and ties may be included

2. the upper tonic will not be repeated when scales are presented in ascending and descending

format. The sound files presented in this resource do repeat the upper tonic, to match the provided notation

3. either ‘English’ – semibreve, minim or ‘American’ – whole note, half note’ time names may be

used 4. identifying an interval using an enharmonic response will not be accepted in response to

questions where information about the tonality of the excerpt is available to students. For example, where the pitch of the lower note of an interval is given as the starting note for writing an augmented 4th, the upper note must be written as an augmented 4th not as a diminished 5th. If students are asked to identify the same interval with only aural material and a notated rhythm to guide them, enharmonic equivalents will be accepted

5. Key signatures will not be used in the presentation of questions. When writing responses students

are advised to use accidentals rather than key-signatures.

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Treble clef

Bass clef

Key signatures See study design and examination specifications for information about

examinable keys.

Accidentals

Chord symbols Chord Symbols can be combined to indicate many different types of chords. No specific system of writing chord symbols is mandated for VCE Music. The following conventions provide a guide that can be used in VCE Music, for example when completing a harmonic transcription:

• Letter Name (e.g., C) = Major chord • min = minor chord, ‘m’ is not accepted in VCE written examinations • + = Augmented chord • o = diminished chord • 7 = minor seventh

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• Maj7 = Major seventh, ‘M7’ is not accepted in VCE written examinations

• Ø = half-diminished chord • o7 = diminished seventh chord

See Examination Specifications for further detail.

Rhythmic notation Semibreve/Whole note and rest

Minim/half note and rest

Crotchet/quarter note and rest

Quaver/eighth note and rest

Semi-quaver/sixteenth note and rest

Dotted notes A dot is used to increase the rhythmic value of a note by half. The end-of-

year Units 3 and 4 aural and written examinations may use dotted minims, crotchets, quavers and semi-quavers and equivalent rests but not dotted semibreves or dotted semibreve rests.

Triplets Three notes in the time of two. Usually notated with the figure ‘3’ placed within a slur or a bracket. Sometimes, just the figure ‘3’ is used. Triplets can be added to any rhythmic value.

Duplets Two notes in the time of three. Usually notated with the figure ‘2’ placed within a slur or a bracket. Sometimes, just the figure ‘2’ is used. Duplets can be added to any rhythmic value.

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Ties Ties connect notes of the same pitch, forming a longer note. Ties can be placed across or within beats or across bar lines. Rests are never tied.

Syncopation A temporary displacement of a regular metrical accent where the accent shifts

from a strong to a weak beat. Syncopation can be created using notes and/or rests.

Simple time-signatures

In simple time-signatures the division of beats are grouped in twos except in

where a group of thee quavers or three individual quavers may be used

Compound time-signatures

Generally, in compound time-signatures the division of beats are grouped in threes.

– crotchets are grouped in threes and quavers in twos.

Asymmetric time-signatures

Assymetric time-signatures do not fit duple, triple or quadruple categories. For the Unit 3–4 end-of-year examination only assymetric time-signatures with 5 pulses per bar are examinable.

Bar-lines Note: Repeats signs will not be used in notation for Aural and written

examination papers.

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Rhythmic grouping and beaming Units 1 to 4

Generally: • notes within a beat or other subdivision are grouped together • dots are used to extend a note’s duration within a rhythmic grouping • ties are used to extend a note’s duration across rhythmic groups and/or

bar lines; the second note is not sounded/played, for example:

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Scale degree names

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Scales and modes Unit 1

Examples are shown starting on C. Upper tonic is repeated to match notation. Note that the upper tonic will not be repeated in VCE end-of-year aural and written examination aural questions.

1.16 Major Scale.mp3

1.17 Natural minor Scale.mp3

1.18 Hrmonic minor scale.mp3

1.19 Melodic minor scale.mp3

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1.20 Chromatic scale.mp3 Scales and modes Unit 2

Major, natural minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor (see unit 1) and, Major (do) pentatonic.

1.48 Major Do Pentatonic.mp3

Minor (la) pentatonic

1.49 Minor La Pentatonic.mp3

Blues scale Note: In the study design, the Blues scale is described as (minor pentatonic plus flat 5). The intervallic structure of this scale can also be described as flat 3, #4, flat 7. For further details, consult a reputable jazz theory text.

Blues scale.mp3

Scales and modes As for Unit 1 (except chromatic) and Unit 2 and, Dorian mode

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Unit 3 (and Unit 4)

1.62 Dorian mode.mp3

Mixolydian mode

1.63 Mixolydian mode.mp3

Intervals Unit 1

Perfect

1.21 Perfect Unison.mp3

1.30 Perfect 4th ascending.mp3 1.31 Perfect 4th descending.mp3

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1.32 Perfect 5th ascending.mp3 1.33 Perfect 5th descending.mp3

1.42 Perfect 8ve ascending.mp3 1.43 Perfect 8ve descending.mp3

Major

1.24 Major 2nd ascending.mp3 1.25 Major 2nd descending.mp3

1.28 Major 3rd ascending.mp3 1.29 Major 3rd descending.mp3

1.36 Major 6th ascending.mp3 1.37 Major 6th descending.mp3

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1.40 Major 7th ascending.mp3 1.41 Major 7th descending.mp3

minor

1.22 minor 2nd ascending.mp3 1.23 minor 2nd descending.mp3

1.27 minor 3rd descending.mp3

1.26 minor 3rd ascending.mp3

1.34 minor 6th ascending.mp3 1.35 minor 6th descending.mp3

1.38 minor 7th ascending.mp3 1.39 minor 7th descending.mp3

Intervals Unit 2 Diminished

1.51a Diminished 4th descending.mp3

1.51 Diminished 4th ascending.mp3

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1.53a Diminished 5th descending.mp3

1.53 Diminished 5th ascending.mp3

For VCE Music Performance, in written contexts, other augmented and diminished intervals that may occur within an octave include: augmented unison, diminished octave.

Triads Unit 1

Major triad

1.44 Major triad.mp3

minor triad

C minor triad

1.45 minor triad.mp3

Primary chords (Unit 1) Major

1.46 Primary triads major.mp3

minor

1.47 Primary triads minor.mp3

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Triads and Chords Unit 2

As for Unit 1 and

1.55 Augmented triad.mp3

1.56 Diminished triad.mp3

1.57 Dominant 7th.mp3

Triads in a major key Unit 2

1.58 Triads major key Unit 2.mp3

Triads in a minor key Unit 2

1.59 Triads in minor key Unit 2.mp3

Dominant 7th

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1.60 Dominant 7th Major Key.mp3

1.61 Dominant 7th minor key.mp3

Triads and chords Units 3 and 4

As for Units 1 and 2 and

1.64 Suspended 4th.mp3

1.65 Major 7th chord.mp3

1.66 minor 7th chord.mp3

1.67 Half diminished minor 7 flat 5 chord.mp3

C half diminished

1.68 Diminished 7th

chord.mp3 In the examination, students will be asked to identify or write chords either according to quality or within a scale. See sample questions 17–22. Triads in a Major key

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1.69 Triads in Major key Unit 3.mp3

Triads in a minor key

1.70 Triads in minor key Unit 3.mp3

Scale tone 7th chords in a Major key (Note: In a major key, vii, leading note, minor 7 flat 5 is half-diminished.)

Scale tone 7th chords C major.mp3 Scale tone 7th chords in a minor key (Note: In a minor key, vii, leading note, is a full diminished 7th.)

Scale tone 7th chords minor.mp3