Download Aural Revision Grade 7

Aural Revision: Grade 7
Question A:
Question B:
Question C: Identifying Cadences. A cadence is a stopping point in the music, and
generally consists of 2 chords.
V - I :Perfect Cadence (full stop)
Ends on the tonic home chords after the dominant, and sounds finished.
In a major key, both V and I are major.
In a minor key, chord V is major and chord I is minor.
Also, listen to see if chord V is a dominant 7th.
I,II or IV – V :Imperfect Cadence (comma)
Sounds like the music should continue after a breath as it ends on the
dominant not the tonic.
In a major key, both IV, V and I are major.
In a minor key, chord V is major, and chord IV and I is minor.
I – Ic – V = The bass notes of the last 2 chords are the same.
V – V1: Interrupted Cadence (question mark)
In a major key, V is major, VI is minor.
In a minor key, V is major and VI is major.
Modulation
You need to identify a modulation (key change) in a piece in a major key.
Modulating to the dominant
To do this we either add a sharp or lose a flat, making the music appear brighter.
If you can sing the tonic through the piece, it will clash with the new key chords (e.g. C
major, moving to G major, since C and play GBD)
Modulating to the sub-dominant
To do this we either add a flat or lose a sharp, making the music appear duller.
If you can sing the tonic through the piece, it will harmonise nicely with the new key (e.g. C
major moving to F major, since C and play FAC)
Modulating to the relative major
The music moves into a minor. They tonic harmonises nicely with the new key (e.g. C
major moving to A minor, since C and play ACE).
Question D: (i)Identify features of a piece played by the examiner:
(ii) Clap the rhythm of a short extract played twice by the examiner, then say
whether it is in 2, 3, or 4 time.
Dynamics:
Piano, mezzo-piano, mezzo-forte, forte
Gradation of Tone: Crescendo (get louder), Diminuendo (get softer)
Articulation:
Legato (smooth) Staccato (detached/spikey)
Tempo Changes:
Are there any changes in tempo (speed) ?
Accelerando (get faster) or Rallentando (get slower)
A tempo (back to the original speed)
Tonality:
Major (happy and bright), Minor (sad and dark)
Texture:
How is the music layered together?
Homophonic (melody with accompaniment)
Contrapuntal (multiple tunes vs each other)
Was it: Chromatic, monotonous, stepwise, angular (jumps), sequential,
lyrical, similar motion, contrary motion, echo, augmentation,
diminution, dense or widely space.?
Form
Binary:
AB =2 Clear Sections, each usually ending with a cadence. The material may
be similar but not the same.
Ternary:
ABA Introduces the A section, has a contrasting B section, then returns to A.
Descriptive: Some music is written as if it describes a scene or mood, and so does not have
such a formal structure.
Phrase Structure: Listen to the musical sentances in the piece.
Are the phrases the same length? Or is one longer or shorter?
Often a piece will end with a longer phrase. How did the composer vary the phrases?
Change key? Change tonality? Adding ornamentation? Exact repetition? Sequences?
Rondo:
An extension of ternary form: A B A C A D A etc
Variations:
A theme followed by 1 or more varied versions in which the framework of
the theme is easily heard.
Dance Rhythms
Waltz:
Well-known dance in 3 time. Listen for the ‘oom-cha-cha’ accompaniment.
Minuet:
Stately old-fashioned dance also in 3 time. The chords often change within
the car as the tempo is much slower. You would hear a Minuet either in a
Baroque dance suite or an early classical sonata.
Gigue:
Always in 2 or 4 time, with a cantering rhythm and lively tempo.
Musette:
Listen for the drone bass in this piece.
Tarantelle:
An Italian Dna,ce very fast and generally in 4/5
Sarabande:
Often coupled with a Gigue, it is a slow piece in 3 time with the stress on the
2nd beat of the bar.
Gavot:
In 4 time, often starting on the 3rd beat of a bar. Often 2 staccato beats before
the first full bar.
March:
In 2 or 4 time, often with dotted rhythms at a marching tempo.
Swing:
Listen for gentle syncopations and a feeling of compound time. Often the first
beat of the bar is missing, and quavers are swung.
Style or Period
Baroque:
Very often contrapuntal
Composers: Scarlatti, JS Bach, Handel.
Classical:
Clearly defined music with obvious cadences, very often chordal
accompaniments.
If you heard a piece in ternary form, this could be the start of a Rondo.
Composers: Haydn, Mozart, early Beethoven.
Romantic:
Very often descriptive/mood music, chords are more complex, song-like
melodies and it can be very passionate.
Composers: Chopin, Schumann, Tchaikovsky.
Nationalistic Movement: Composers who used the folk melodies and national
songs of their country as the basis for their compositions.
Composers such as: Albeniz (Spain), Scriabin (Russia), Elgar (England).
Impressionism: Smaller scale than the romantics, but highly descriptive and
the music is often of a specific scene.
Composers: Debussy
20th Century: Development of chords, can be very dissonant harmony, different effects:
Richard Rodney Bennett: Tuneful with some slightly more dissonant
harmony.
Christopher Norton: Swing or Jazz Music
Bartok: Folk melodies, with a modern, percussive flavour.
Motifs and Clusters: Random sounding motifs, widely spread range
Composers such as Jeremy Dale Roberts.
Folk Prelude: Identifiable as a folk song but harmonised, sometimes in
several different ways)
Neo Classicism: Based on traditionl classical form but with modern
harmonies. Composers such as Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Ravel.
How does the style of the music give us a clue as to the period and composer?
Any Baroque or early Classical music had to make do without a sustain pedal, as it was
written for the Harpsichord or Clavichord. Therefore we often have highly decorated
cadences, and often there is ornamentation to fill out the gaps. Though you cannot
pressure that a piece with ornamentation is automatically Baroque.
The range of the piece can also be an indication as to the period. They keyboard was added
to at both ends at the end of the Classical period, so if you hear very high or low notes, it is
more likely to be from the Romantic or 20t Century.
And remember . . .
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Be clear and confident (even if you are not sure!)
Use the Italian Terms