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EDEXCEL: AS Music UNIT 3 - 21/5/12

Hey gang,

Couldn't find this thread so thought i would start for pre exam discussion of unit 3 (remember no post exam until 4.30am on the 22nd). I am really scared for this exam, I get really hung up about the listening papers and generally only score about 11/16 on each (on a good day) so any tips?

Also I am working on, and will post on here when they're done, a complete set of contextual (10 mark) answers, ie one for every set work :smile:

S

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Hi there

I'm trying to revise the Beethoven set work and I'm finding that there is so much to learn considering we've got two movements!

Just wondering if you had any tips or revision tools to help?

Thank youuuu
Reply 2
Original post by samaanthaaah
Hi there

I'm trying to revise the Beethoven set work and I'm finding that there is so much to learn considering we've got two movements!

Just wondering if you had any tips or revision tools to help?

Thank youuuu



Well unfortunately there is only this resource for the Septet, but it is an EXCELLENT resource if you can spare 45 minutes to watch it:

London Symphony Orchestra Seminar on Beethoven Septet
ah that's okay, it's on Beethoven's Symphony no 1 in C major

thank you anyway!
Reply 4
Original post by samaanthaaah
ah that's okay, it's on Beethoven's Symphony no 1 in C major

thank you anyway!


Ah I see! Must be a different board!

((On an unrelated part I've performed that Beethoven 1 :biggrin:))
Reply 5
OK here it is! The promised 10 mark question answers for the vocal music (I will get instrumental done over the weekend before the exam!!)

Now please bear in mind that these answers are not exclusive, they are just examples of what you could write, and are the first 10 points that came into my head for each work. Remember these are contextual questions so (almost) anything you can think of is probably worth a mark.

Anyway, here they are in some convenient spoiler tags.

My Mother Bids Me Bind my Hair - Haydn

Spoiler



Sing We At Pleasure - Weelkes

Spoiler



Symphony of Psalms - Stravinsky

Spoiler



Honey Don't - Carl Perkins

Spoiler



A Day in the Life - The Beatles

Spoiler





Phew there we are, hope that helps at least one person!

S
Reply 6
Original post by Salmonidae
OK here it is! The promised 10 mark question answers for the vocal music (I will get instrumental done over the weekend before the exam!!)

Now please bear in mind that these answers are not exclusive, they are just examples of what you could write, and are the first 10 points that came into my head for each work. Remember these are contextual questions so (almost) anything you can think of is probably worth a mark.

Anyway, here they are in some convenient spoiler tags.

My Mother Bids Me Bind my Hair - Haydn

Spoiler



Sing We At Pleasure - Weelkes

Spoiler



Symphony of Psalms - Stravinsky

Spoiler



Honey Don't - Carl Perkins

Spoiler



A Day in the Life - The Beatles

Spoiler





Phew there we are, hope that helps at least one person!

S


These are amazing!! Thank you so much! I find it really hard coming up with stylistic features I'm always a few short :frown:

You don't happen to have any of these for instrumental set works do ya?

Thanks again!
Reply 7
hey guys, I've found the instrumental works easier to memorise essay bullet points for, so have worked mainly on those, and have just been listening to and following the score to revise for the listening question on the vocal works. Here's some of my 10 mark notes for the instrumentals (stylistic features that show it is in the ____ period)

Corelli:

Hemiola bar 27

Diatonic/conjunct/triadic melodies

Melodies based around first few bars

Use of sequences

Suspensions, eg double suspension bar 29

Functional harmony with cadences

1 chord per beat

Modulates to closely related keys

Binary form

Polarised/Imitative/fugue-like/contrapuntal texture

Stretto entries

Use of basso continuo



Beethoven

Ornaments

Some chromatic melodies

Periodic phrasing

Sudden dynamic changes

Sequences

Diatonic harmonies

One chord per bar

Cadential 6/4 bar 97

Use of pedals

Use of alberti bass

Modulates to closely related keys

Sonata form, with slow introduction

Melody dominated homophony texture



Berlioz

Chromaticism bar 55/56

Solo viola, was uncommon before romantic period

Woodwind family is prominent in melody

Con sord., ppp, extremes in dynamics

Use of idee fixe

Diminished 7ths in harmony

Use of harmonics in harp

Use of crooked horns, wouldn't have been crooked if composed later

Unusual choice of instruments, piccolo, harp, cor anglais

Programmatic nature



Schumann

Wide range of rhythms - syncopation, running semiquavers, constant triplet quavers

Extreme tempo changes in no 11

Periodic phrasing

Chromaticism in no 11

Diminished 7ths in no 1

Little/no modulations

Rounded binary/rondo form common in romantic period

Miniatures/character pieces

Use of secondary dominant (dominant of the dominant) in no 11




Hope this helps! now back to physics... haha :smile:
Reply 8
Thank you so much! It really helped a lot. I'm doing physics as well lol
Btw does anyone know what is the grade boundary for music? like approximately, coz I really think that I will fail my listening part.. It's so hard :s-smilie:
Reply 9
Great we have 10 markers for every set work now.

Original post by vivzcly
Thank you so much! It really helped a lot. I'm doing physics as well lol
Btw does anyone know what is the grade boundary for music? like approximately, coz I really think that I will fail my listening part.. It's so hard :s-smilie:


The grade boundaries seem to be pretty close to 80% for A so you're looking at about 54/80 raw. I also struggle with the listening but remember its all on pieces you've studied so things like key changes you probably know/can guess :smile:
Reply 10
Original post by SteelScar
These are amazing!! Thank you so much! I find it really hard coming up with stylistic features I'm always a few short :frown:

You don't happen to have any of these for instrumental set works do ya?

Thanks again!



Original post by cantstop
hey guys, I've found the instrumental works easier to memorise essay bullet points for, so have worked mainly on those, and have just been listening to and following the score to revise for the listening question on the vocal works. Here's some of my 10 mark notes for the instrumentals (stylistic features that show it is in the ____ period)

Corelli:

Hemiola bar 27

Diatonic/conjunct/triadic melodies

Melodies based around first few bars

Use of sequences

Suspensions, eg double suspension bar 29

Functional harmony with cadences

1 chord per beat

Modulates to closely related keys

Binary form

Polarised/Imitative/fugue-like/contrapuntal texture

Stretto entries

Use of basso continuo



Beethoven

Ornaments

Some chromatic melodies

Periodic phrasing

Sudden dynamic changes

Sequences

Diatonic harmonies

One chord per bar

Cadential 6/4 bar 97

Use of pedals

Use of alberti bass

Modulates to closely related keys

Sonata form, with slow introduction

Melody dominated homophony texture



Berlioz

Chromaticism bar 55/56

Solo viola, was uncommon before romantic period

Woodwind family is prominent in melody

Con sord., ppp, extremes in dynamics

Use of idee fixe

Diminished 7ths in harmony

Use of harmonics in harp

Use of crooked horns, wouldn't have been crooked if composed later

Unusual choice of instruments, piccolo, harp, cor anglais

Programmatic nature



Schumann

Wide range of rhythms - syncopation, running semiquavers, constant triplet quavers

Extreme tempo changes in no 11

Periodic phrasing

Chromaticism in no 11

Diminished 7ths in no 1

Little/no modulations

Rounded binary/rondo form common in romantic period

Miniatures/character pieces

Use of secondary dominant (dominant of the dominant) in no 11




Hope this helps! now back to physics... haha :smile:


I haven't but this kind chap has :smile:
Reply 11
Why, oh why, do we have to study Symphony of Psalms? It's possibly the worst piece of music I have ever heard.
Reply 12
Original post by samaanthaaah
Hi there

I'm trying to revise the Beethoven set work and I'm finding that there is so much to learn considering we've got two movements!

Just wondering if you had any tips or revision tools to help?

Thank youuuu


I'm quite sure that we have to know just one movement from the Beethoven. Although, it is quite long and has multiple sections- a possible cause of the confusion? The only only set work where we have to know multiple movements is the Schuman.


Original post by Reversal
Why, oh why, do we have to study Symphony of Psalms? It's possibly the worst piece of music I have ever heard.


Lol, Stravinsky owns! My favourite! :biggrin:



I posted this in another thread:

"For super-detailed notes go to the Edexcel site, click 'teacher support materials' and you will see a highly detailed PDF for each set work: :http://www.edexcel.com/quals/gce/gce...s/default.aspx

I have just finished making my own condensed notes on each set work. Check them out:https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_o...Nms2QlJRU19EQQ

They were written for me, and me alone, but hopefully you will find them useful.

I have bullet-pointed each set of notes (one bullet point- one mark) and grouped features into those we will be asked about in the comparison question (Melody, texture...). I have five points for each heading. On that question we get asked about two features for two set works. Thus; full marks! Hopefully.....
"
Reply 13
Original post by Lobz


I have just finished making my own condensed notes on each set work. Check them out:https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B_o...Nms2QlJRU19EQQ

"


Hey thanks for sharing your notes! The google docs link doesn't seem to be working it just comes up with error 404. Do you mind fixing the link? :biggrin:
Thanks
Reply 15
Original post by Lobz

I have bullet-pointed each set of notes (one bullet point- one mark) and grouped features into those we will be asked about in the comparison question (Melody, texture...). I have five points for each heading. On that question we get asked about two features for two set works. Thus; full marks! Hopefully.....
"


I'm in the middle of doing this right now! You're notes are good though, helpful for when I get stuck :smile:

Original post by Reversal
Why, oh why, do we have to study Symphony of Psalms? It's possibly the worst piece of music I have ever heard.


The great thing about Stravinsky is there are so many easy marks to be had off it :biggrin:
Reply 16
I'm just going over notes and practising QU 5 (four-part SATB) now.

This has got to be my most chilled exam..... It's just those consecutive fifths and octaves that piss me off! LOOL :biggrin:
Reply 17
Original post by Lobz
I'm just going over notes and practising QU 5 (four-part SATB) now.

This has got to be my most chilled exam..... It's just those consecutive fifths and octaves that piss me off! LOOL :biggrin:


I am the most worried about the listening test, I get pretty inconsistent results on those :s-smilie:
I'm quite sure that we have to know just one movement from the Beethoven. Although, it is quite long and has multiple sections- a possible cause of the confusion? The only only set work where we have to know multiple movements is the Schuman.





My bad! im doing aqa board, ooopss looks like im going to do well on monday.. ahaha
Original post by Lobz
I'm just going over notes and practising QU 5 (four-part SATB) now.

This has got to be my most chilled exam..... It's just those consecutive fifths and octaves that piss me off! LOOL :biggrin:


I keeep doing that! Its not even the soprano bass ones, its in the alto and tenor -_- GAH.

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