GCSE Music

Model Essay Plans

Name ____________________
Target Grade _____ Form Group ____

Model Essay Handel: And the Glory of the Lord

From the Messiah written in 1741, oratoriobased on biblical story, perf in concert halls, church, theatres

Keywords

Based on the 4 motifs,

Short orchestral intro
called Ritornello

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Dynamics

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Terraced, but little

variation on score

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Melody
4 Motifs. A starts in
also, B desc seq and
melisma, C repetition
of bars, D Longer
notes, solemn and
mostly same pitch

Har/Tonality
A Major, modulates to E
and B Maj, ends plagal
cadence, diatonic harmonies, use of tonic/
dominant chords

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
In 3,4, Allegro, ending
there is a pause before
cadence, Hemiolas. Use
of Melisma and Syllabic
word setting

Inst/Forces
SATB choir, Organ
Strings, Continuo (cello
and organ)
Often Doubles Mel

Texture
Alternate between
Homo and Contrapunal (poly), short Mono
passage, Imitation
used, Varies the number of parts playing

Structure

Any Tech?

Model Essay Mozart: Symphony no.40 in G minor Mvmt1

1788, large room or stately hall for performance, symphony has 4 movements, this is the first!

Sonata form, Expo, Dev,

Recao, Coda, Codetta,
Bridge,

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Dynamics

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Expoquiet, tran loud,

2nd sub grad gets louder.
Most cotrasts are sudden.
Few dim/cresc/

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Keywords
Melody
1st subGminor, repetition, 2nd sub Bb maj. Q
and A feel, balanced
phrases. Imp cadence at
end of phrases to sound
like Q? Some passages
based on scalic

Har/Tonality
Diatonic, G minor, Bb maj,
modulations around circle of
5ths in dev, recap in Gm all
way through. PEDAL notes,
chromatic chords eg dim7th

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
In 4,4, molto allegro, short
rhythmic ideas, anacrusis,
2quav and Cro rhythm repeats, dotted, syncopation

Inst/Forces
Chamber orch, mainly
strings, some woodwind
and horns. No trpt or
timp.

Texture
Main Homo. Use of counterpoint and imitation in
dev. Oct Doubling, dialogue between string and
ww.

Structure

Perf Directs.
Div. = split parts between
players, 1. one play, a.2
both play, sfsfortzando,
tr.trill

Model Essay Chopin: Prelude No. 15 in Db

1839, one of 24 preludes (1 in each maj and min key) performed in small space, nicknamed Raindrop.

Structure

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A (Db maj), B (C# min), A (Db

maj) + coda

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Keywords
Melody
Begins with lyrical RH melody, ornaments e.g. acciaccatura, turn. Dotted rhythms,
some chromaticism. Section
B melody in bass, narrower
range, longer notes. 4 and 8
bar phrases

Har/Tonality
Db maj, mainly diatonic,
occasional chromaticism.
Modulates to enharmonic
tonic minor (C#min) in Section B. A and B end imperfect
cadences, final cadence
perfect. Dominant pedal.

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
In 4/4, septuplet bars 4 and
23, dectuplet bar 79,
Sostenuto - legato, unhurried. Rubato in recording.
Repeated quavers throughout. Dotted rhythms in Sect
A.

Inst/Forces
Pianomiddle and lower
ranges, legato tone, wide
dynamic range, use of sustain pedal.

Texture
Almost all homophonic. Sect
ARH melody, LH broken
chords, Sect BLH melody,
RH repeated quavers dominant pedal (inverted pedal),
chordal texture

Dynamics
Lots of cres and dim, wide
tange but no sudden contrasts. Sect A quieter

Perf Directs.
Ped. = pedal, sotto voce = like
a whisper, smorzando = dying away,

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Model Essay Schoenberg Peripetie (serialism)

Fourth of Five Orchestral Pieces, 1909, shocking, experimental, large orchestra, title = A sudden reversal

Keywords
Melody
Short, fragmented motifs,
disjunct melodies, large
leaps, octave displacement,
inversion of motifs, rhythmic
augmentation

Har/Tonality
Atonal, dissonant harmony,
chords/melodies often built
from hexachords (groups of 6
notes).

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
Changes between 3/4, 2/4
and 4/4. Sehr rasch = v quick,
rhythmscompletx, varied,
change quickly. Layers of
rhythms = complex/
contrapuntal texture

Inst/Forces
Large orch (str, ww, br, perc).
Many contrasts in timbre,
extremes of range, unusual
effects. Piccolo, cor anglais,
bass clarinet, contrabassoon,
tam-tam.

Texture
Most contrapuntal, occasional mono/homo. Complex
imitation, inversion, canons,
extreme contrasts. Klangfarbenmelodietone colour
melody

Structure
Free rondo form - 5 sections
(ABACA)

Dynamics
Sudden changes, extreme
contrasts (ppp to fff)

Perf Directs.
Divisi = divide into groups,
bell up = brass players point
bell up for loud sound, 1 solo
= single person play, tutti =
everyone plays, + = handstoppedhorn hand in bell,
tremolo = note rapidly repeated. Hauptstimme-most
imp part, nebenstimme2nd
most imp part

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Model EssayBernstein Somethings Coming

From West Side Story, 1957, based on Romeo and Juliet, New York, Jets and Sharks, Tony and Maria

Intro A B B1 A1 Outro, two

main sections, fade to end.
Flattened 7th last note for
the uncertain future.

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Inst/Forces

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Solo tenor something's coming, ww, brass, str, perc

(name at least 6 inst). To
ensure band doesn't overpowerquiet dynamics, soft
timbres, homophonic texture. Strings use harmonics
and tremolos. Muted trpt,
pizzicato.

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Keywords
Melody
Almost entirely syllabic, 3
main themes, 1)quiet syncopated, 2) loud strident 3)
lyrical slow. Not exact repetitions, varies by changing
words and metre. Word
painting

Har/Tonality
Something's coming Is
Dmajor, other two in C major. Freq use of sharpened
4th and flattened 7th. Use of
triton. Last note is flat 7th
leaving a sense of unresolved for tonys uncertain
future. Tonal, jazz influenced
7th chords and other extended chords. BI TONAL, Neapolitan chord.

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
Changes between 3/4 and
2/4, fast tempo, syncopation
(excitement and anticipation)
on beat bass with off beat
chords, cross rhythms, push
rhythms, short riffs, driving
rhythms, accents.

Texture
Homophonic, 3 main ideas,
1) repeated riff, 2) short syncopated chords, 3) fast um
cha accompaniment.

Structure

Model EssayReich Electric Counterpoint3rd Mvmt

Written for Pat Metheny, first performed in 1987, 3 mvmts overall, fast-slow-fast.

Keywords
Melody
One bar motif, repeated to
give ostinato, intro at different times to give canon, resultant melody. Some parts
build up through addition,
metamorphasis

Har/Tonality
Largely Gmaj, ends in Eb
maj, diatonic, hexatonic
scale, conventional harmony
progressions not used, final
chord only 2 notes, ambiguous

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
3/2 changes to 12/8. combo
at end is a polumetre, very
fast 192C, little rhythmic
variety, syncopation, metre
displacementout of sync
parts.

Inst/Forces
Live guitar, 7 electric guitar,
2 bass (pre recorded). Guitar
is amplified to blend well.

Texture
Contrapuntal, canon, layered, broken chords, interlocking rhythms,

Structure
2 main sections followed by
coda, sections defined by key
change and texture

Dynamics
Fairly consistent, use of fade
outs

Minimalist Features in Elec Cpt

Repetition, gradual
changes, layered texture,
diatonic, slow harmonic
rhythm, little variety in
instrumentation

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Model EssayDavis All Blues

Jazz, made up through improvisations, modal jazz, Album: Kind of Blue, 1959.

Keywords
Melody
Head melody, simple, rising 6ths, 4 improvised
solos. 1. Trpt (short syncopated motifs) 2. Alto sax,
(more virtuosic) 3. tenor
sax (fast runs), 4. piano
(calm, simple chords, parallel chords)

Har/Tonality
12 bar blues, chord substitution, blue notes, mixolydian
mode gives to modal jazz.
Gmaj but with flattened 7th .
7th chords, extended chords,
7(#9)s, some dissonance.

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
6/4 jazz waltz, swing quavers, syncopation, compound
metre. Polyrhythms some
rhythmic displacement

Inst/Forces
Frontline: Trpt, alto sax, tenor sax. Rhythm: Piano, bass,
drums. Wire brushes, bass
pizzicato throughout, trpt
harmon mute, piano tremolos to start, piano comping.

Texture
Starts drum kit, bass and
piano, builds text as inst
added in, sax chordal riff,
trpt with head, links between
solos thinner.

Structure
12 bar blues progression,
played 19 times, head, chorus, 5 sections. intro-head
1soloshead 2coda. Use
of riff. Solos have 4 bar link
between. Fade out at end.
No rehearsal

Dynamics
Vary pending on section

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Model EssayBuckley: Grace

From album Grace released in 1994, rock ballad.

Keywords
Melody
Vocal has improve quality,
wide range over 2 8ves. Most
vocal phrases are falling,
reflect melancholy mood.
Frequent ornamentation in
mel, glissando, mostly syllabic, some long melismas,
bridge has vocalisations,
falsetto used. Word painting
eg cries, pain, slow, drown.
2 and 4 bar phrases. Vocalise
in bridge. Diatonic with chromatic notes added.

Har/Tonality
E minor, sometimes ambiguous, avoids standard rock
chord prog, man chromatic
chords and move in parallel
motion. Some dissonant
harmonies, spec. chorus.

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
12/8compound. Bass drum
on 1 and 3, snare on backbeats 2 and 4, syncopation in
vocals and bass line. Cross
rhythms.

Inst/Forces
Elec/acoustic Guitars, bass guitar, synth, strings, drum kit,
backing vocals, lead vocals.
Guitar in TAB. Drop D tuning
(lowest string is tuned down
from E to D). Synth and strings
not as prominent throughout..

Texture
Synth and strings added to
vary texture, thickens towards end of piece, esp. coda. Mainly homophonic,

Structure
Verse chorus. Uses bridge/
middle 8 passages and a
coda. Pre chorus.

Tech
Modulation on synth at start,
distortion and flanging on
guitars helps to intensify
sound of coda. Overdubbing
on guitars to thicken sound.
EQ in final verse.

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Model EssayMoby Why does my heart feel so bad

From album Play released in 1990, Dance music

Keywords
Melody
2 samples from 1953 recording gospel choir, 1st by male
for verses, 2nd by female for
chorus, both manipulated to
change meaning, vintage
feel, samples are looped
simple and repetitive.

Har/Tonality
Diatonic, has 3 chord progressions which last 8 bars.
1)Am, Em, G, D (Amazing
emily goes dancing) 2) C-Am,
3) F-C. Verses dorian mode
on A, chorus C maj.

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
4/4, steady tempo 98C, Drum
loop, breakbeat sampled
from other track, bass drum
1,3, backbeat snare 2,4, repeated semiquavers. Suncopation piano/vocals.piano
patterns change, use of static
chords in 2nd chorus.

Inst/Tech
Synthesisers, Sampler, Drum
machine, sequencer. Panning,
electronic ghostings on vocals,
reverb and delay, echo, EQ

Texture
Intro has build of texture,
piano-bass-drums-vocalssynth, piano. After breakdown thinner, contrasts
through varying instrumentation, use of silence and
static chords.

Structure
Intro, verse, chorus, silence
used.

Common feats
4/4, steady tempo, prominent elec sounds, strong
beat, short prhases, repetition, loops

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Model EssayCapercaille Skye Waulking Song

Folk music, fusion, Celtic and popular, waulkingpounding tweed cloth against wooden board to soften

Keywords
Melody
Vocal melody is pentatonic,
lower register of voice, notated so sounds 8ve lower,
mainly syllabic, alternatives
between Gaelic (call) and
vocables (response). Inst
short motifs and countermels, there is a inst break.

Har/Tonality
G maj, diatonic, G,Em,C
chords used, feels modal due
to avoiding the dom chord
(D). Cluster chords

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
12/8 (compound quad time).
Syncopation, cross rhtyhms
created by hi hat pattern,
band enters to emphasise
12/8

Inst/Forces
Uilleann, accordion, tin whistle,
bouzouki, bodhran, Wurlitzer,
fiddle, drum kit, synth, voice

Texture
Layered, rhythmic pattern,
bass, chords, mel, counter
mel.
Silence usedNo acc. Heterophonic

Structure
Intro, v1, v2, outro4 main
phrases. Inst break. Use of
short vocal phrases

Others
Lament. Good for work song
due to steady rhythm, repetitive, rocking feel to work to,
call and response, keep workers in time. Passed by oral
tradition

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Model EssayRag Desh1,2 and 3. all versions

Indian classical music, an improvised form of music, 3 main feats: 1) mel solo 2) rhythm 3) drone on stringed

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General
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Melody based on Rag,
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rhythm is a cycle of beats
known as Tal. First beat of
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the cycle is the sam. Alap is
the beginning intro parts, gat
is the more lively bit after.
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Other two sections are Jallah
and Johr.
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Inst: Sitar (strings), also has
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sympathetic strings that vibrate
in sympathy with others and Tabla
(perc).
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Rhythm: 2 tals. 1) Jhaptal 10
betas, 2) Tintal 16 beats.
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Structure: Alapsitar only,
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slow, no reg pulse, introduces notes of rag, decorated
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with slieds and bends
(meends). Gattable enters,
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fixed composition, sitar improve based on gat and tal.
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Ends on sam.
Version 2 Tanwar
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Inst: Sarod (plucked string),
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sarangi (bowed string)
pakhwajdrum, table, pair
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of cymbals.
Rhythm: Keherwa tal 8 beats
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Structure: Alapsarangi and
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voice into notes of rag. Slow
and no reg pulse. Bahjan
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tabla joins in with tal, sung
verse, short solos on sarangi
and sarod, decoration on imp
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words, melisma and ornaments.
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Inst: Bansuri, Esraj (bowed
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string) shruti box elec drone,
Keywords

swarmandel plucked string,

table.

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Rhythm: Rupak tal 7 beats,

ektal 12 beats.

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Structure: Alapsarangi and

voice inro notes of rag, no
reg pulse, slow. Gat 1 slow,
rupak tal, table enters later,
bansuri plays a composed
gat, bansuri and table then
improvise. Finishes with tihai.
Gat 2fast gatektal, table
solo, improve becomes elaborate, bansuri plays fast
scales, tihais to end.

Model EssayKoko: Yiri

Performed from memory, score is a transcription, from Burkino Faso in west Africa

Monophonic opening solo,

heterophonic with two
balafons at same time, polyphonic between all ensemble, dialogue between inst
and voices. Varies as piece
progresses

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Structure

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Intro free tempo, inst breaks,

choruses, call and resp, variations, coda/outroshort
balaphon phrase 5 times,
drum ost in rests, bell marks
the end. Main sectionclear
pulse, alt between balaphons
and choruses, middle has
solo.

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Keywords
Typical Features
Repetition, ostinatos, improve, call and resp, layered text. Oral Trad

Melody
Chorus has unison, balaphon
short falling phrases to emphasise Gb and Db. Solos
breaks - more virtuosic.
Balaphons mostly play short
patterns. Solo voice, solo
improve over chorus, vocal
yiri interjections, use of
pentatonic scale. Vocal pentatonic

Har/Tonality
Gb maj, most is hexatonic.

Rhyt/Metre/
Tempo
4/4, intro is free tempo, rest
is steady pulse. Syncopation
is frequent, vocal solos and
balafons create cross
rhythms, vocal solo uses
triplets, drum has rhythmic
ostinato throughout piece,
djembe does occasional fills.
Polyrhythm , improve, riff.

Inst/Forces
Balafons, djembehands, talking drumsticks. Voices. BELL

Texture

Others
Little dynamic variation