HELP! failing miserably with edexcel A2 music exam revision.

For the instrumental set works, I've gone for 6 or 7 points for each of:

Harmony
Tonality
Structure
Rhythm
Melody
Texture

And then I've memorised a sentence or two about the context of each piece to use in the introduction.

3 works + 2 elements = 6 paragraphs. 36 divided by 6 paragraphs = 6 marks per element per work.
The only place this falls short is on the stuff like Harmony in the Cage where there's only about two points you can make, so you have to make up those marks by elaborating more in the other sections.

Sorry if none of that makes sense!

For the Applied Music section, each essay is 13 marks, however they only want 9 points (I have no idea why). I've tried to memorise about 12 points for each so that I can adapt them to whatever question we get.

I hope that helps make the revision a bit easier. There's far too much to learn! I've spent the last few weeks cursing Edexcel!

To memorise everything, I've literally been writing lists of each element for each set work over and over until it's gone in. I'm rather bad at finding a revision technique that suits me!

In terms of the essays themselves, start with a short introduction explaining when the pieces were written and why (just one or two sentences for each piece - don't waste your time). Then do a paragraph for each piece and each element (6 in total) where you pretty much list the points you have learnt with a bit of "Berlioz also used" and "In bar 26, Sweelinck uses" etc. Don't ramble or waffle - just get the points in there whilst still making it in essay format.

I'm an English student too and it took me a while to adapt to this. I think the trick is to forget you're writing an essay and forget you are analysing. You just need to list the points (not literally! :P). For the Applied 13 mark questions you can use some of your English skills, however don't go overboard. You only need to say things like "Auric uses pizzicato strings in bar 55 which helps to create a light and fun nature" if the question was about Passport to Pimlico being a comedy.

I hope this helps!

We've been taught in the Continuity & Change Section (36 marks) never to just list each element for each piece in separate paragraphs!

We've been told to cross reference, contrast, compare and do it by element only. For example, "the rag Bhairav uses sympathetic strings, as does Cage through his prepared piano. despite not conforming to traditional western harmony, both pieces create harmony by the resonation of the sympathic strings" sorry that was off the top of my head, but I hope you see what I mean?


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For the instrumental set works, I've gone for 6 or 7 points for each of:

Harmony
Tonality
Structure
Rhythm
Melody
Texture

And then I've memorised a sentence or two about the context of each piece to use in the introduction.

3 works + 2 elements = 6 paragraphs. 36 divided by 6 paragraphs = 6 marks per element per work.
The only place this falls short is on the stuff like Harmony in the Cage where there's only about two points you can make, so you have to make up those marks by elaborating more in the other sections.

Sorry if none of that makes sense!

For the Applied Music section, each essay is 13 marks, however they only want 9 points (I have no idea why). I've tried to memorise about 12 points for each so that I can adapt them to whatever question we get.

I hope that helps make the revision a bit easier. There's far too much to learn! I've spent the last few weeks cursing Edexcel!

To memorise everything, I've literally been writing lists of each element for each set work over and over until it's gone in. I'm rather bad at finding a revision technique that suits me!

In terms of the essays themselves, start with a short introduction explaining when the pieces were written and why (just one or two sentences for each piece - don't waste your time). Then do a paragraph for each piece and each element (6 in total) where you pretty much list the points you have learnt with a bit of "Berlioz also used" and "In bar 26, Sweelinck uses" etc. Don't ramble or waffle - just get the points in there whilst still making it in essay format.

I'm an English student too and it took me a while to adapt to this. I think the trick is to forget you're writing an essay and forget you are analysing. You just need to list the points (not literally! :P). For the Applied 13 mark questions you can use some of your English skills, however don't go overboard. You only need to say things like "Auric uses pizzicato strings in bar 55 which helps to create a light and fun nature" if the question was about Passport to Pimlico being a comedy.

I hope this helps!

I think you've literally just saved my music A-Level. I might be able to get an A now. :'D

GUYS MAJOR QUESTION HERE
in section B they've never put a specific musical feature like melody etc into the question... Do you think they'll do it tomorrow? Because I was going to learn key musical features of the applied set works...

Yeah they can! We did mocks on "refer to harmony and melody in Passport to Pimlico" kind of thing


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I really hope they don't do that, otherwise I will be very stuck! Although, as it's 'Applied Music' can they really ask us things like that?

Also would it be cheeky to write out my notes for the applied music works? I want to know if I'm talking utter *******s.

Go for it! It might help some of us :P

So sorry if this is ALL totally wrong! I've literally just picked a few under each heading!

Agbekor Dance

Texture

Structure

Melody

Rhythm & Metre


What do you think!!!??