Your set works - what theyre bound to ask

Know what you dont know! Write a list of all the aspects that you are not remembering and need
to revise more.

If you are stuck on any of these points, first consult

Brain
Book
Buddy (ie. a friend)
...and if youre still stuck, drop me an email

Handel
Explain how a joyful mood is created
Know what instruments play the basso continuo. Know another instrument that may play the basso
continuo but not in this work
Know what the basso continuo does
Know the difference in sound between soprano, alto, tenor and bass and be able to tell them apart
when listening to the music
Recognise when there is a pedal note being played in the music
Know the work this piece comes from
Know key features of an oratorio and be able to explain features of an aria and recitative
Know what cadence is used at the very end of the piece
Know other instruments that make up a baroque orchestra
Know how to describe the texture of the music
when the first vocal line enters
At the end of the piece
Be able to describe the melody line for
and the glory of the Lord
shall be revealed
and all flesh shall see it together
for the mouth hath spoken it
Mozart
Name the three sections of sonata form and describe what happens in each
Be able to recognise by ear both the 1st and 2nd subjects
The work starts p (quiet) - know that this is quite unusual form a classica symphony, which nor-
mally begins in a triumphant style
Name the key of the 1st and 2nd subjects
Know what instruments are in a Classical orchestra (i.e. an orchestra from the Classical era)
Know how the orchestra playing this set work is different from the usual classical orchestra
Know some typical features of classical music
Know the dates of the classical period and the date this work was composed
Know how many movements made up the whole of Symphony no. 40, and whether the set work is
the 1st/2nd/3rd mvt etc

Chopin
Understand what a pedal note is (N.B. its nothing to do with the pedals on a piano!)
Give a musical reason for why you think this piece is nicknamed the raindrop prelude
Understand what the sustaining pedal on the piano does and how this is written in the score (N.B.
its nothing to do with pedals on the piano!)
Know the key signatures of the different sections
Give the meaning for all the Italian terms on the score. See your textbook for these words and their
meanings.
Understand that C# is the enharmonic equivalent note of Db.
Remember that at bar 3 the melody is harmonised in 6ths (unlike the saxes n All Blues that play
their riff in 3rds)
Understand the meaning of rubato
Understand the ornaments acciccatura
Understand how the piano developed during the 19th century (see p36)
Electric Counterpoint
Give a musical reason for why you think this piece is called Electric Counterpoint
Be able to describe, and hear in the music, key minimalist techniques:
resultant melody
Ostinato
Layering
Phasing
Looping
Augmentation/diminution
Understand further key features of minimalism as stated in your textbook
Focus on aspects of texture and how the texture changes throughout the piece
Be able to write out the rhythm of the phrase played at the start
Understand how the piece was put together and the role technology played
Know how many instruments are involved in this particular movement
Know about tonality and metre in this piece

Schoenberg
Know the name of another style of music Schoenberg used later on
Give three typical features of expressionist music
Understand the meanings of klangfarbenmelodie, hauptstimme, hexachord, compliment and principal
voice
Know the key features of serialism (prime row, inversion, retrograde). Ive never seen an exam
question on all of this but the textbook covers in a fair bit of detail so be prepared...

West Side Story

Explain how the music displays a sense of underlying tension
Explain the ways that the music sounds positive and hopeful
Know when it was written and how the musical was so different from other musicals at the time
Explain three ways that there are jazz influences in the music
Understand what a triton is and how it is used in the music
Know the modulations and the structure of the song
Know how the music has been influenced by Latin-America
Moby
Know the chord sequences of the song
Know how the tonality changes between verse and chorus
Know how this song was put together (hint: it wasnt recorded live in a studio!) and name one piece of
technological equipment used
Name two effects that have been added to the music (tip: using samples is not an effectthe effects
have been added to the samples)
Know that background noise has been left in the samples (even though he could have removed it), and
understand why he might have left the noise in
Understand how lops have been used in this piece
Be able to hear when different instrumental parts enter the texture (piano rhythmic chords, sub-bass,
synth strings playing melody line, synth strings playing long held notes, synth organ at the very end)
Know where the samples came from and explain how the two samples are different
Explain how you know that the music has been made electronically rather than recorded live

All Blues
Know the interval between the two saxophones that play the riff
Be able to describe what is used to change the timbre of the trumpet at the start
Be able to explain the performing technique on the drums at the start (hint: it begins with m)
De able to describe the melody of the head and of the solos
Know which instruments are playing the head, each solo, the riff, the rhythm part
Know the performing technique played by the piano at the start of the piece (hint: it begins with t)
Know the chord sequence used
Understand (briefly) why modal jazz came about and how it was different from bebop
Know what the frontline instruments are
Know how this is slightly different from typical 12 bar blues sequence (which chords have been altered?)

Jeff Buckley
Know the chord sequences of the music
Know what effects Jeff Buckley has used on the guitar
Know the album it has come from
Know two vocal techniques Jeff Buckley uses, that are not typical of rock music
Give the meaning of drop-D tuning and power chords and for each, explain the effect they have on the
music
Capercaillie
Know the chord sequences used
Know aspects of the performance that are typical of a) folk music and b) pop music
Now how the tradition of a waulking song are shown in the music
As you listen to the song, make sure you can name every instrument playing
Give a possible reason for the use of nonsense syllables
Know the language of the words
Know what kinds of scale the vocal line is based on (see p134 for the answer)

Rag Desh
Be able to give two facts about Rag Desh
Know the notes of Rag Desh
Give three features of a raga.
If a random extract from one of the three performances is played, be confident you can describe
the instruments playing
What section of the performance it is
What section comes next
What tal is used for this performance and what the rhythmic cycle is (2+2+2+2 etc)
Understand bols, meend, tal, tintal, tan, gharana
Know key features of different sections of a performance (alap, jhor, jhalla etc)
The name of the section that contains a pre-composed melody - and what this is called for a vocal
performance
They will ask something about the fact that the music is improvised around the raga
Know what instrument plays the drone and how it is played
Give one fact about how the following instruments are played: sitar, table, tambura

Yiri
Describe what the djembe drums play throughout. Be able to write out this rhythm.
Know the playing technique used on the balaphone at the start
Instrument categories and the names of the instruments that fit in these categories
Key features of music from Africa
The country this piece is from
The word used to describe a texture where there are many different rhythms playing
Further revision you can do:
It almost goes without saying that you should use Miss Firmans special revision guide to be sure you
know the key features of every set work. Ask someone to test you and treat yourself when you get 5
questions right in a row!
From your notes dig out all work you have done on essay questions- I modelled many for you. Try
writing the essay without the notes, then look to see what aspects you missed out/got wrong
Make sure you can answer a 3 mark question on describing the texture or dynamics of any given ex-
tract from any set work
Dictationdig out the dictation sheets we used in class. Theres one sheet I produced that simply
had all the answers written out. Memorise what the melody shapes look like and test yourself on
manuscript paper
Listen to all the set works and make sure you can recognise any instruments playing a solo line/
melody. Use Youtube to listen to any instruments you are less familiar with.
Come up with one reason to like or dislike each set work (it does not need to be the truth!). Remem-
ber that your answer should have three parts to it...