frozen sheet music

GCSE MUSIC Examples of candidate work with

examiner commentaries

Unit 42702

CANDIDATES 1-6

Contents

The examples that follow are work submitted in 2012. Therefore the strand of learning is Popular Music of the 20th and 21st centuries. Page number Candidate 1 Appraisal 3 Annotation 5 Commentary 7 Candidate 2 Appraisal 9 Annotation 10 Commentary 11 Candidate 3 Appraisal 13 Score 17 Commentary 24 Candidate 4 Appraisal 26 Score 29 Commentary 32 Candidate 5 Appraisal 33 Score 37 Commentary 41 Candidate 6 Appraisal 43 Annotation 46 Commentary 55 There are recordings to accompany this document.

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What areas of study did you choose and what is the focus of your composition within thegiven strand?I chose structure and form, and also Harmony and Tonality. I chose the two of these simply

14because I wanted to make a song-like piec, and therefore the two of them were perfect for apiece put into strophic form, and that was something which I followed quite well. Also, I choseHarmony and Tonality because my piece of music followed a certain chord sequenc and alsothe melody was something which I concentrated quite highly on, just like a usual song writerwould do. /

Why did you choose these areas of study and the particular focus within the given strand?I chose these areas of study because I had chosen to create something new and different,though something which was slightly like a song, only without the lyrics which meant the listenerwas given some sort of freedom when listening to the piece, the freedom to think whatever theyliked about the piece and decide what sort of words they think should fit into it, which of coursemeant that these were the things I was required to focus on, as a song has a specific form to it,which cannot be strayed too far away from.

How did you go about composing your music and how was the final recording achieved? 3I began in the first few lessons, to simply listen to other songs in the pop music genre, takingnotes on the sort of instruments which were featured, the sort of lyrics which were featured ineach of the different songs, the sort of sounds which can be heard in each of the songs and alsothe sorts of patterns in each of the different songs. From the research which I had done, Idecided that I was going to create a love piece, having realised that quite a vast majority of popsongs, do feature some sort of love theme within them, which made me figure that it was eitherthe most popular thing to sing about, or that people simply liked hearing about love for somereason.l then began to write my introduction, deciding that it had to be simple, yet not too 3simple, and that it was going to have to be effective and catchy if I was wanting to gain the Vattention of the listener, and also if I was wanting the listener to continue listening to the musicall of the way through. I combined a cojiection of chords with a series of notes, choosing simple 4jJ.4j,ones, ones which would be remembered easily by the listener and catch the interest of thelistener. Once the introduction had been completed, I began working on the first part. Thesecond part of my piece, once again, this consisted of piano chords, matching bass guitar chordsand also a melody part on the piano, though of course the chord sequence was fairly differentfrom the verse and also the pattern in which it was played, though not a large enough change sothat it would sound too different from the verse, thus sounding like it could have been acompletely different song, rather than the same one. I then copied and pasted both the verseand the chorus, one after the other, so that it had the typical pattern. .

What difficulties did you encounter during the task and how did you overcome them?Overall, I didnt encounter too many difficulties and nothing really prevented me from doingmuch work on my composition. Overall, my composition went smoothly. The main problemduring my composition task, was usually when the headphones chose not to help, this meant

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EbriggsTypewritten TextCandidate 1

that I had to go into Devices on Cubase, and then I had to click on the Device Setup button,and from there, I had to click on the drop down menu on the right of the pop up window, andclick onto the ASIO E-MU 0202 I USB, rather than the ASIO DirectX Full Duplex Driver, whichcan also be selected, this did happen a fair few times and seemed to be the problem which Iencountered the most. My other difficulty was trying to fit in the melody with the chords t...rwithout making it sound like too much of a mess and while making it sound as though the twodid in fact belong together, rather than sounding like two completely different things.

What makes your composition successful in relation to the Areas of Study and the focus withinthe given strand? $I have done my piece into parts, which means that it fits perfectly with the structure and form t.L.area of study as my piece is very well structured and keeps to the structure all of the waythrough, without moving away from such a thing, which makes it catchy and also means that itwill become stuck in the listeners head fairly easily, even after only a couple of times of listeningto the piece, this also means more people are likely to listen to it. The harmony and tonality partfits well with my composition because I have followed a specific chord pattern, which meansthat it all fits well and also means that it does follow a pattern and that the pattern is kept to allof the way through.

What is the relationship of your composition to its context?My piece would be played somewhere such as a cafe or somewhere along those lines,somewhere peaceful and somewhere where the piece would be concentrated on, thoughpeople would still be able to talk over the top of it, which means people would be able to have itin the background quite casually and still be able to focus on one another while being able toenjoy the piece of music which I have created for them to listen to. Also, it does have quite acalming sound to it, which gives more reason for it to be played in a cafe, or a place which isquite similar, possibly such as a different kind of eating establishment or maybe as backgroundmusic for a film.

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Annotation for Without You

For this composition, I chose to create a song-like piece, which sounds much like a typical pop lovesong which would be heard in the 21 century and therefore it fits in well with the design brief, theonly difference being that rather than giving the piece lyrics and making it into a song, I had decided

to give it a song-like structure, however, without the lyrics which therefore allows the listener tomake up their own images, words and whatever else they may think of. I have focused a lot on usingchords along with melody, creating something which the lyrics can fit in well with and which will notsound like a clutter or sounds and therefore will be quite pleasant to the ears, something which the

listener would enjoy listening to.The piece sounds much like a soft, and almost depressing sort of song, as it has quite a slow beat toit and therefore makes it seem as though it would have quite a negative feeling to it and therefore itcould quite possibly give the listener quite negative images in their mind However, it could also beseen as quite a positive thing on the other hand as some may hear it quite differently to how Iassume it would be heard, which therefore makes it better as it becomes open to interpretationwhich means a wider range of people are likely to listen to and enjoy the piece, rather than a selectfew people listening to and enjoying itStructure was quite an important part of my piece as I have kept it to a song-like structure withouteven intending to add lyrics to the piece, as I wanted people to be able to make their own decisionsof what the piece was about, rather than handing a theme to them on a plate, and rather thanmaking them think how I was wanting them to think about the song The use of the piano gives itquite a gentle feel, where as the use of the bass gives it a bit of a harsher feel to it, which givescontrast to the song and gives the listener more reasons to be unable to decide whether they thinkthe piece is about love or whether it is more about heartbreak or something along those lines.

/

The pieces has quite a usual song structure, starting with an introduction before going onto a usualABAB structure, which gives something to be stuck in the mind of the listener and which also meansthat the listener will have something they are reminded of and something which they can enjoymultiple times, rather than having to listen to it once, and never being able to hear it again 2The piece has a 4/4 time signature, which is again much like a song would have, and it does causethe piece to be more catchy because of this point alone.

The introduction is very simple as it consists of a drum beat, chords on a piano, a melody part whichis also on a piano and also a bass part which mirrors the chord piano part perfectly and there is nodifference at all between the two. The introduction is there to make the listener curious about whatis going to happen in the piece and I believe it does this quite successfully. The chords in theintroduction are E for a four beat bar, F for the same amount of time, D for the same, followed byan Ffor two beats and then a G for another two beats

//pAfter 18 seconds, the piece changes, and the introduction has a bit of variation as all of the other

4 V V V / V V V / V

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,instruments are stripped, and instead, a few chords play, one after the other, and then the versebegins after that point.Much like the introduction, the first part has the same sort of pattern of instruments, the chords onthe piano, the melody on the piano and chords are also on the bass, thus adding emphasis to thechords themselves and making the sound seem as though it is at the top of the layers of the sound.The verse begins at twenty two seconds into the song, and the chords of the verse are a B, C, A, allfor four beats, then followed by a C and also a D which cover a bar together. The chords areemphasised quite well, due to them being played by both a bass part and also as a normal pianopart, which together make the piece of music seem even more important than it would without it.

At 40 seconds into the piece, the second part starts and once again, the instruments are kept thesame and also with the music they play, which keeps the sound the same, though not too much thesame, just enough to recognise that it is all part of the same piece of music, which means that thelistener will not become confused too much by what is happening throughout the piece. The chordsin the chorus are, G, followed by the notes B and D, followed by the A chord, followed by the C andthe E notes, followed by a B chord, followed by the 0 and the F note, then the G chord, followed by aB and a D note, an F chord, and finally the A and also the C notes, this makes it different from thefirst part of the piece, which therefore makes it sound like it could be important once again.

My piece, although it is not actually a song, it is still in strophic form, as it does sound almost asthough it is a song without the lyrics, as it does copy the sort of form which a song would have,though I decided against making an actual song, as I thought that making something which soundedquite similar to a song, was something which was different and which would therefore have peoplemore interested in, as it is something which doesnt happen very often.

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Commentary Composition title: Without You Areas of Study: AoS2 Harmony & Tonality AoS5 Structure & Form Link to the strand Popular Music of the 20th & 21st Centuries: Strophic Form Note: on the Candidate Record Form (CRF) AoS3 Texture & Melody is given instead of AoS2 Composition The composition is presented by means of a recording and quite a detailed annotation. The piece is to follow a song-like structure and there are references to a soft, and almost depressing sort of song though the candidate goes on to state that it could also be seen as quite a positive thing. This does not really help to clarify the candidates intentions. The song structure is given as an introduction followed by A B A B in a 4/4 time signature. Instrumentation of piano and bass follows. The candidate gives a description of the piece, starting with its very simple introduction with chords of E, F and D each lasting a bar and followed by half bars of F and G. There is no acknowledgement of the fact that some of the chords used are minor. The verse, beginning at bar 22, has chords of B, C and A for a bar each, followed by half bars of C and D. The second part chorus? starts after 40 seconds and its chord sequence is given as G A B A B G F and A, though the additional notes listed by the candidate after each chord suggest that many are minor chords. No central tonality is established in this annotation and there is no reference to dynamics apart from the initial soft. The recording features piano, bass and some percussion, though this is not mentioned within the annotation. The form as described is aurally discernible. The left hand of the piano plays block triads while the melodic line above is very angular and often produces clashes with the underlying chord. There are silences before the start of the B section (40 seconds) and again shortly before its return (after approximately one minute 17 seconds.) These interrupt the flow of the music. There is little real evidence of understanding of Harmony and Tonality: the chords are not fully described (only a single letter is ever given, thus failing to differentiate between major and minor); there is little true sense of harmonic progress and the tonality is never fully established. The abrupt ending suggests that the piece is unfinished or that the recording is incomplete. The basic structure is evident: Intro A B A B (very much shortened), though this is not really Strophic Form. Harmonically and melodically, the piece lacks a sense of direction, of progression. At best, the piece works at a basic level, reflecting the descriptors for a mark in the 6 4 band, with only a basic understanding of the AoS and link shown, some incoherence in the handling of the musical ideas, simplistic instrumental writing and some inconsistencies and omissions within the annotation (score). To gain higher marks, the music would need to respond more fully and obviously to the chosen Areas of Study and the musical content would have to show greater imagination, with a deeper understanding of how to write for the chosen resources.

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Appraisal The six questions are dealt with in turn, with each question written out before the candidates response to it. The two AoS are identified and the use of strophic form is confirmed, although it is not identified here as the link to the strand. The response to Question 2 is much less successful, lacking in real detail or reasons. The appraisal offers only the intention to compose something which was slightly like a song. The candidate writes at length in answer to Question 3 but most of what is written lacks any specific detail. No specific songs are identified as having been listened to; the statement I combined a collection of chords with a series of notes is far removed from giving details as to the process of composition. Some information on chords is given within the annotation but this is not relevant to the marking of the appraisal: the annotation is supplied to help with the understanding of the composition; and the composition and appraisal are marked separately. There is no actual reference to the recording of the piece. As for difficulties met, the main one centred around the headphones, which is not really the focus of this question. The other difficulty was trying to fit in the melody with the chords without making it sound like too much of a mess and while making it sound as though the two did in fact belong together, rather than sounding like two completely different things. No solution is forthcoming for this difficulty. The responses to Question 5 lack specific detail. The concept of context, the focus of Question 6, is not understood: the candidate writes instead about where the piece might be played. After the first question, most of what follows is either vague or lacks understanding. This results in the Appraisal showing little understanding of the task, the process of composition, its success or its context. The relative success of the response to the first question and some details about instrumentation and chords help move it higher within the 5 1 band and a mark of 4 was awarded.

Marks awarded: 5 + 4 = 9

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Appraisa7I have decided to combine AOSI-Rhythm and Metre, AOS5-Structure aorm. My main

reasons for choosing these are: I would1be able to write a piece of music for the piano theinstrument I play and understand well1 would be able to use a wide range of chords, based onthe fact that I like to play around with different chords at the piano4may have been able to usea form such as rondo form, which would allow me to contrast different keys, moods and waysof writing for the piano. llt that it would be more appropriate for me as I find it much easier tocompose a song by through this because I can easily make a song with a chord sequence amelody and sometimes improvisation. /

First I started off trying to create the chord sequence which wasnt very hard and has nowturned out to be F C Am G.and Am F C E in section B.,7hen for the melody I didnt go too farwith the notes I kept them based around the notes of th chords. Making the melody wasslightly difficult because it had to be something original so I made it easy to remember and nottoo long. My piece is now in ternary form ABA and in Fmaj which then modulates into A minorreturns to Fmaj and ends in A minorA Section A part 1 the chords are mainly in homophonictexture an.inpart 2 the chords are played as broken chords and are arpeggiat _When Imove to the Section B introduction the chord sequence changes and is played Am F C Ewith a melody and part 2 of section B is the same chord sequence but with a different melody. -Section A then repeats then part 1 and 2 of the last secon iiave the same chords but with adifferent melody as before four times throughout each part: And the composition finishes on Aminor and the note A that is with the melody.

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As I was in the process of creating my composition I had struggled in many different areas likefinding a good chord sequence that sounded right, splitting the sections and having to findanother chord sequence for that.

The area of study I think I achieved most in composing my song was AOS5-Structure and form. This is because I have separated each section well and made it clear which section I ammoving on to. Vhe genre of my composition if I had to choose one would have to be classical ifI had associated more instruments like the violin, trumpet, cello and a clarinet.

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Chosen Areas of Study: Structure and form

Rhythm and Metre

This table give a brief explanation of what my composition should sound like. Piece is in Fmaj whichthen modulates into Aminor returns to Fmaj and ends in Aminor

Structure Time PianoTime Signature 4/4 120 bpm Solo PianoIntroduction 00:01-00:34 Chords F C Am 6 Repeated four

times throughout with melodyPart 1 of Section A 00:35-01:05 Chords F C Am 6 with melody

repeats four timesPart 2 of Section A 01:06-01:36 Broken Chords FCF, CGC,

AEA,GDG with melody andcontinues till 02:00

Section B introduction 02:00-02:3 1 Chords Am F C E with melody

Section B ending 02:32-03:00 Chords Am F C E with melody

(Section A repeats 03:01-03:34 Chords F C Am G Repeated four.

times throughoutPart 1 of section A 03 35 03 50 Chords F C Am 6 with different

melody from first partPart 2 of section A and 03:50-04:15 Chords F C Am G with differentending of composition melody from first part

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Commentary Composition title: Bettys Song Areas of Study: AoS1 Rhythm & Metre AoS5 Structure & Form Link to the strand Popular Music of the 20th & 21st Centuries: Structure and Rhythm (indicated on the CRF) Composition The composition is presented with a recording and an annotation set out in grid format referring to timings and events. There is an introduction into Ternary Form. Unfortunately, there are some discrepancies between the timings and what is heard, although from 0301 0415 there is correlation. The composition is a solo piano piece. The sections of the piece are differentiated partly through the left hand accompaniment patterns and partly through the chord sequences used. The left hand plays either block chords (semibreves or crotchets) or broken chords. The melody is sometimes the top note of the chord sequence, sometimes more independent. At times, it seems to lack direction. Of the two chord sequences, the second has a stronger sense of progression. There is a contrast of tonality between F major (though this is not always clearly established because of the use of the chord of G) and A minor. In response to the choice of AoS1, there is no change of Metre though there is some variety of Rhythm. Ternary Form can be heard quite clearly. Section A includes some pleasant two-part playing but is quite repetitive. The use of the same chords in the Introduction and in both parts of Section A is rather limiting. Section B is in A minor but there is less melodic interest here. There is some evidence of understanding of how to write for the piano but only a limited number of possible techniques are explored. Problems with the actual performance of the piece tend to interrupt the flow of the music and, given the lack of a more detailed and precise score, this is relevant to the overall impression of the pieces success. The annotation shows only some of the musical ideas clearly but the fact that the candidate is playing means that we are hearing his / her intentions. The piece is only partially successful and this is reflected in the mark awarded. To gain higher marks, a choice of AoS other than AoS1 might have been advantageous, as there is little real response to either Rhythm or Metre. A stronger melody is needed as well as a greater understanding of how to write for piano, with its wide range of pitch and technique more fully exploited. Appraisal The candidate identifies the two AoS and goes on to explain the reasons for choosing them. No clear link to the strand is ever established. Unfortunately, most of the reasons given relate to Harmony (AoS2) the ability to use a wide range of chords, Melody (AoS3) writing a melody and perhaps using improvisation and Timbre (AoS4) being able to write for piano. The choice of AoS5 is explained through the use of Rondo form. No reasons are given for the choice of AoS1. The process of composing (Question 3) is presented more as what has happened, ie an annotation or description of the finished composition. However, some basic information about the composition is given here, though much replicates what is found in the accompanying Annotation. The candidate also acknowledges that the final composition is in Ternary Form.

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Nothing is written about the process of recording the music. The only difficulty identified is that of finding a good chord sequence: this is at odds with an earlier statement that to create the chord sequence . . . wasnt very hard. The writing about the success of the composition in relation to the chosen AoS and the link to the strand concentrates on form. The candidate correctly points out that the sections are differentiated. The response to context is to suggest that the genre might have been classical: this demonstrates a lack of understanding of what is required here. It is worth noting, although this did not affect the final mark, that the candidate refers to this composition as a song: this is an error of designation common to many GCSE candidates, with the name applied to most forms of composition, whether lyrics are present or not. This is an unbalanced appraisal with some strengths and some weaknesses and omissions. Holistically, this indicates a mark within the 10 6 band and the middle mark within this band was awarded. Much more detail within the answers to all questions would be required to move the mark substantially higher.


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Commentary Composition title: Unit 2 composition Areas of Study: AoS3 Texture & Melody AoS5 Structure & Form Link to the strand Popular Music of the 20th & 21st Centuries: Film Music Composition This is a piece of film music scored for full orchestra and realised via Sibelius 7. It is presented as a recording and a fully-notated score. There is no detail as to the film scenario / mood / emotion except for the references to two pieces of film music which had inspired this composition. Nevertheless, it has certainly captured a sense of film music in that it is broad, expansive, melodic, rhythmic and colourful. The opening 16-bar horn melody is well phrased and supported by lower strings playing sustained octave or fifth dotted minims, with the third added only occasionally. There is, in fact, a modal feel to the melody and this adds to its successful creation of the film genre. The timpani roll and increase in tempo helps a sense of build-up. The omission of some instrumental lines at certain points (eg Violin II bars 54 64, re-entering for just one note, 2nd Oboe bars 50 64, again re-entering for just one note, 1st Viola omitting bars 50 52 and 54 55) seems perhaps a little arbitrary and the fact that the harp plays only in bars 34 49 in a piece which lasts 69 bars, merely doubling what is already heard at different octaves elsewhere in the texture, does not suggest a real understanding of how best to use this instrument. The piece would have benefited from a stronger contrasting section (or two). The ending is effective. There is a sense of imagination here and the music is satisfying, building up through the addition of instruments and dynamics. Melodies are memorable and the choice of voicing is appropriate, though there is, perhaps, rather too much doubling of the melody rather than adding supportive harmonic lines. The occasional moment of harmony, as in bar 36, points to just how much more successful this could have been and, in effect, withholds a mark in the top band, although the piece fulfils all the criteria for the top mark in the 16 13 band. Therefore, to access the top mark band, this piece needs to introduce a fuller harmony of the main tune and development rather than repetition with greater instrumental forces. A clear contrasting section might well have enhanced the piece as would a clearer idea of its intended context. Although no specific mark is awarded for an appropriate title, in this case its omission mitigates against a real understanding of the candidates intentions and the context of the film theme. Appraisal The two AoS and the link to the film genre are identified. The response to Question 2 seems to address Texture only. Within the answer to Question 3 there is not really a lot about process. However, some reasons are given for the decisions made and these are worthy of credit. An example is the reference to the opening section where the minimal orchestration allows the listener to focus on the melody line. The melody is referred to as being irregular, though the meaning of this is never explained. Nothing is written about the process of recording the piece. Difficulties (Question 4) revolve around the music software, Sibelius 7, rather than the composition itself. Question 5 is not answered directly though there are some sentences which perhaps pertain to it. The context

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of the piece is addressed via its influences. This is done quite early within the appraisal and then again towards the end. The candidate concentrates on how the piece reflects the characteristics of the music heard while planning it. Holistically, the appraisal meets the 10 6 band criteria, showing some understanding of the task, its success and its context. To gain a higher mark, the link to the strand needs to be made more clearly. Reasons for choosing the AoS need to be explained in much greater detail. The actual process of composing the film theme needs a fuller explanation, including the reasons for choosing the key, time signature, tempo and instrumentation. The chosen opening melody instrument was appropriate for the theme as composed but why did the candidate favour this rather than one of the many other available instrumental timbres? How was the piece recorded? What needed to be done to ensure a good balance between the many lines of music? What were the difficulties encountered during the composing of the music itself? Question 5 needs to be answered, and the actual context of the film needs explanation.


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GCSE Unit 2 Composition Appraisal (Ballad Composition)What areas of study did you choose and what is the focus of yourcomposition within the given strand?

In my unit 2, I chose Area of study 3, Texture and Melody, and Area ofStudy 4, Timbre and Dynamics My focus on my composition is to write a piecethat is very smooth and like in a minor feel but with very interesting melody overthe top to give a easy listening Ballad type feet Into the piece, which links to thegenre of 20th21st century popular music.

Why did you choose these areas of study and the particular focus within thegiven strand?I chose these Areas of Study because these are the techniques that speak

out in the whole composition piecethe texture of thisc onis generally,polyphonic throughout The genre is 20th -21 Century Popular music Spanish-ballad guitar type creating a very smooth easy listening mood. The melody isstructured and based around C minor, A flat major 7, F minor and G sus4(add 2)chords as the guitars are both tuned to Drop C to give a sinister, Ballad sound.Theguitarafpolyphonic/contrapuntal as they layer over each other in thesong. The dynamics in this piece is very natural and not deliberate making it flowand not sound like it is planned, as it is smooth when it is soft and striking whenit is loud intriguing the listener, so it has a natural crescendos and diminuendosin certain parts of the piece as shown on the score. The timbral effect that thispiece has is that the rhythm guitar is using a Chorus, Delay, Clean an1 Reverbeffect, to make that warm airy feel, and the lead guitar is using a Delay, Clean andReverb effect to give that warm ballad feel when the piece is being heard. At thebeginning and the ending of the song, the rhythm guitar uses arpeggiatehordsto introduce and to conclude the song, and set the mood for the listener before itplays a strum patterntor the chords as the lead guitar plays the main section ofits part.

How did you go about composing your music and how was the finalrecording achieved?

In this composition, I started developing the piece by experimenting withthe four chords (CMin, AbMaj7, Fmin, GSus4 (add2)) developing this further bytrying to come up with different ways in which to convey the chord types,looking specifically at certain guitar techniques (arpeggiation/strumming). Ithen started to compose lead guitar part by improvisingt first, before choosingwhich idea wouldbest create a solid melodic part for it. I recorded the song inlayers after developing the compositional ideas within the different instrumentalparts, using professional recording software called Logic Pr6 As the ideasinitially were based around an improvised structure, the overall sound wasntachieved until all parts were composed and recorded. I used a software called:guitar pro to write the different sections and riffs of the guitars, I developed thecomposition over a period of weeks by listening to the recording, tweaking theparts and figuring out which frets to type on tablature. I recorded both guitarparts separatel5iiayering the two parts achieved the final recording.

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By

What difficulties did you encounter during the task and how did youovercome them?

In this composition, the main difficulty was trying to get the timing of thenotes of the lead guitar part and the duration of the note down on tabs with thestandard notation markings, the guitar effects and which best sounding preampto use on the software during recording to produce the end piece (the songrecording). I had also had to convert my recording file to a WAV file from an MP3file due to Logic Pro not having the option of exporting it into a WAV file, so Iused the assistance of the schools music Technician to help convert it for me.The initial tuning of the guitar parts wasnt exactly as I desired so I decided toalter the guitar tuning to make the sound heavy, lower and interesting by using aDrop Cas the 6th string is an octave lower than the 4th string on the guitar. 7What makes your composition successful in relation to the areas of studyand the focus chosen within the given strand?

My composition fits the brief of composing music in the genre of PopularMusic of the 20th 21st Centuries well. The use of having 2 guitars layering in acontrapuntal way, over each othl and, using interesting and typical stylisticeffects on the sound of the guitars, such as: Chorus and Delay, making the piecesound smooth and creative due to the guitar enabling the piece to explore uniquechords like the rhythmic effects in this piece whilst keeping familiarity by usingthe 4 chords: C minor, A flat major 7, F minor and G sus 4 (add 2), again typicallystylistic of the genre and the chosen brief.This makes my composition intriguingto the listener whilst the repetition used in the chord progressions give a warmand familiar feel.

What is the relationship of your composition to its context?In this composition, it falls into a Ballad genre as the song is in a minorkey and has a slow metronome speed of Larghetto (tempo of 60). A song called

Farewell Ballad byafamous metal guitarist called ZakkWylde has inspired meto compose this piece by its slow pace at the beginning,its natural dynamics, andthe minor tone given to it making it very interesting and nice to listen to. For themain chords that the rhythm guitarplays, I used the clean chord progression atthe middle of the song My Curse br Killswitch Engage but with a little change ofthe progression by adding the GSus4 (add 2) just to conclude that chordprogression in a minor tone giving a warm and smooth sound to the piece.

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Ballad CompositionIn this piece there are only two guitars, Rhythm guitars has a chorus, clean anddelay effect and the lead has a clean and delay effect on it.

The rhythm guitar starts off with arpeggiated chords to set the feel of the songand goes to a strummed chord pattern then back to the arpeggiated chords, overthat structure, the lead guitar plays a clean solo in a minor C key to give awarm/Spanish/ballad feel to the piece making it smooth and easy to listen to.

Instruments:- Rhythm Guitar (Clean, Delay, Reverb and Chorus effects)- Lead Guitar (Clean, Delay and Reverb effects)

Software used:- Composition

Guitar Pro 5 as it has a wider range of sounds and tuningsand is perfect for my composition

- Recording Logic Pro 8 as it is a professional recording software whichhas a vast variety of recording capabilities such as sequencing drums and

many effects for guitars with in the software

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Commentary Composition title: Ballad Composition Areas of Study: AoS3 Texture & Melody AoS4 Timbre & Dynamics Link to the strand Popular Music of the 20th & 21st Centuries: layering of guitars (polyphonic / contrapuntal) Composition The music is for two guitars and, as well as the recording, there is a brief annotation and a tab score of the separate parts. Details are given as to the effects used on the two guitars and there is a brief outline of the piece. The candidate has inputted both parts into the software and has applied the effects, so we can be confident that we are hearing final intentions. The piece shows a good understanding of the chosen AoS, with variety of Texture, Timbre and Dynamics. The Melody is very effective and both parts contain idiomatic writing. There is some development of the musical ideas and the score is appropriate to the chosen style of music. The piece is imaginative and satisfying, fulfilling all the criteria for a mark in the 16 13 band and a little more, indicating a mark at the lower end of the 20 17 band. Further development and variety would have helped ensure a higher mark within this band. Appraisal The candidate tackles the six questions in turn, prefacing each answer with the question written out in full. The two AoS are identified but, instead of what was written on the CRF(see above), the focus is described as writing a piece that is very smooth and like a minor feel but with an interesting melody over the top to give an easy listening Ballad type feel to the piece. Reasons for choosing the AoS and link are given, dealing with each element in turn and the last point is rather more to do with the next question, the process of composing. The response to Question 3 is rather repetitive and, despite identifying specific chords, the actual process of developing the piece is dealt with in rather vague terms. Difficulties revolve around the intricacies of tab notation and how to produce particular guitar effects (no solutions are given to either problem), the limitations within the software and guitar tuning, though this last point is a little confusingly presented. The need to convert the file from MP3 to WAV is the only other real reference to the recording of the composition. In terms of answering Question 5, the only evaluation of success is a reference to Texture. There is some understanding of the Ballad context and a reference to a particular guitar piece in this style. Another song is identified as having been influential in the choice of chords to be used. This is rather an uneven response and much more detail is needed on the process of composition and the evaluation of success in order to gain a mark in the higher bands.


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Appraisal

I chose to write my composition for the piano because it is the instrument I play and understandmost. It also meant I could use the piano to get ideas for my composition and play it, rather thanjust using Sibelius. My composition is written for a childrens adventure film and is based on toys

coming alive and out of their toy box, returning back to the toy box at the end of the piece.What Areas of Study did you choose and what is the focus of your composition within the givenstrand? and Why did you choose these Areas of study and the particular focus within the givenstrand?

I found that dynamics were an important part of rt,y composition because they helped to portray thetoys feelings and also the whole atmosphere e. danger, security. TEure and melody helped toadd more complex feelings in the piece and structure and form were important in bringing my ideasinto a finished, structured composition. I found that my composition also linked in with other areasof study, like rhythm and metre. All the areas of study were necessary in some part of mycomposition to bring it together.

Rhythm and Metre

My composition is in simple quadruple time (4/4), and for most of the piece the right hand playssemiquavers and the left hand plays crotchets. In the first phrase, I used accents on every 7th note togive a sense of on-beat rhythm in the piece. My ideas are in 2 and 4 bar structure so that there is asense of continuity.

I chose to write my piece in c minor and in 4/4 time because it is a feature used in popular and filmmusic. I also wrote it in 4/4 time because the ideas I came up with initially fitted into that timesignature better than any other.

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Harmony and Tonality

I chose to write it in C minor, although occasionally the piece goes into the relative major: f major,but not for long. 11e first phrase is a chromatic scale, starting on middle c, going up in semiquaversfor 2 octaves. ltthen pauses, descends to f sharp and continues up a third octave, finishing on thetonic note: c. A chromatic scale is repeated at the end of the piece to reflect the beginning. I used achromatic scale to add colour to the music. The rest of the piece is mostly diatonicMost of the cadences in my piece are perfect cadences, for example at the end of the first phrase inbar 4. Occasionally I used an imperfect cadence to create suspense, like in bar 23.ln the left hand, Imainly used the tonictriad: c, e flat and g. In the first phrase, the note c is followed by e flat and gplayed as a chord. In bar 9, this becomes a broken chord and each note is played separately. I thenchanged this at bar 21 and played double octaves in the left hand. I did this to give a bold, strongeffect. At some points in my composition, like in bars 32- 35, the left hand and right hand play inunison. This is also to give it a bold effect.

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Texture and Melody

Throughout my composition, 4 ideas are used. I developed the ideas by repeating them at differentoctaveiSometimes, I used the same structure for a phrase but on different notes. Fhe first idea,after the introduction, uses the first 3 notes of the c minor scale. 2 staccato crotchets are followedby 3 legato semiquavers. This idea is then imitated an octave lower, forming a 4 bar phrase. I thenused this 4 bar structure and same idea to create the next phrase, which begins in bar 9. I used fourconjunct semiquavers to each part of the phrase, going down in steps .The left hand uses the samenotes as it did in the introduction but in a broken chord and is made of staccato crotchets, unlike theright hand which is legato, to contrast the right hand and add a better texture to the piecelrepeated this is the next idea, as well, which starts in bar 19. The idea is based on the first 5 notes ofc minor- c,cJ, e flat, f and g. In the right hand I played these notes in ascending order with g a g inbetweeniln the left hand, I used the idea of an arpegiated, broken chord but changed the order. Inthe last idea, in bar 29, the left hand repeats the idea played that the right hand plays, whilst theright hand takes on what the left hand plays. ITimbre and Dynamics

I used dynamics in my composition because dynamics are injportant in the strand I have chosen butmore importantly, enhances the composition as a whole-.rescendos are used to build up to a climaxand create suspense, like in bar 1 and 2 and also from bar 19 up to bar 24. Piano is used to create afeeling of cautiousness from bars 5 to 8.The following phrase is mezzo forte to portray moreconfidence and boldness j4e dynamics are frequently changing because the actions and feelings ofthe toys in the film are changing often and the dynamics are used to emphasize and sometimesexaggerate their emotions. From bar 27 to bar 31, l,used dynamics for a different reason.,Jhis part isa light-hearted point in the film so the dynamics, although they change, they come back to the aboutthe same volume as they are in the start of the phrase. When the toys are more distant, thedynamics are softer and when the toys are nearer, the dynamics increases.

/Structure and Form

My piece best fits Intro ABACA (rondo) form.The introduction continues for 4 bars, before Iintroduce my first idea .At bar 19, I introduce a different idea but then return to the first idea afterthe glissando at the end df bar 24.! then briefly introduce a new idea at bar 29, although this islinked to the previous idea because an arpegiated chord is used again. I then return to the first ideabefore bringing all the ideas together at the end of the piece and then use the same phrase as I didfor the introduction to finish the piece.

I used this from because it suits the strand I chose, linking different events occurring in the film but itis always based around the same theme so I returned to A after each idea. The film takes place in achilds bedroom but different things happen at different points which is why I used a 1st 2nd and 3ididea.

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What makes you composition successful in relation to the Areas of Study and the focus chosenwithin the given strand?

My piece relates to the strand which I have chosen because it portrays what is happening in achildrens adventure film.dAt the beginning, the toy box lid is cautiously opened further and furtherand then suddenly the toys halter, thinking they hear someone coming and so they begin to closethe toy box lid again as the toys think they hear someone coming. However, they hear the noise fadeaway and continue to open the toy box lid .At the end of bar 4, the box is fully open and I used a trilland the pedal to emphasize this and also to show that the toys are considering whether to go out ornot.

Other examples of why my composition is successful in relation to the Area of Study are:

In bars 5 and 6, a toy mouse is bolder than the others and so creeps out tiptoeing. For this, I played itat a higher pitch and soft dynamics. Thn, the rest of the toys follow, so to make it sound more noisyand heavy, I repeated the idea- because they are copying the mouse- but at a octave lower andmezzo forte. I made the notes staccato to show they are tiptoeing and 3 semiquavers followed by arest to show that the toys quickly run forward a few steps.

Then, at bar 9, the mouse becpmes more confident and runs across the bedroom, so I used 12semiquavers with no rests. The other toys then follow in bar 10.At the end of this bar, the pitchsuddenly falls as an elephant that had been left behind comes clumsily out the box1 then repeatedthe first idea in the bass to show the elephant creeping and then running along, whilst the chords inthe right hand show the other toys, slightly impatient, waiting for him. I then modulated into therelative major as the toys begin to relax and start to play around and become quite lively.In bar 19 however, the toys begin to panic as they hear someone outside.The footsteps becomelouder and louder s the dynamics increases and during bar 19 and 20 the toys are rushing to hide inthe toy box agair(ln bar 22, I used accents to show how the footsteps are getting bolder and louderand on the trill the noise suddenly stops and the toys are confused. The toys then all tumble out ofthe toy box. I used a glissando to make this effective. In bar 25, I used call and response to show 2toys interacting.

How did you go about composing your music and how was the final recording achieved? and Whatdifficulties did you encounter during the task and how did you overcome them?

I began to get ideas for my composition by choosing a key and then playing in this key on the piano. Icame up with 1 idea initially and then came up with a 2 idea a while later. *(owever, the mainproblem was transferring my ideas from just musical phrases into a piece, where all the ideas linkedin and flowed together. To do this, I ended most of my phrases on a cadence rather than goingstraight into the next phrase. Other times, like in bar 10 and 11, I a scale to link the 2 phrasestogether. Another problem I had was extending ideas. The first draft of my composition was only apage long and there were only a couple of ideas which lasted about 2 bars long.After being givensuggestions for how to repeat the ideas but in different ways, I made them longer by repeating thephrases at different octaves, like in bar 5 8.1 also changed the notes from crotchets tosemiquavers, like in bar 25 and rearranging the structure of the phrase .For example, in bar 34 and35, I used the same idea as in bar 25, but in a different order. (

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Film music is an important part in the history of popular music. My composition relates to popularmusic in the way it uses rhythm and metre, harmony and tonality, texture and melody, timbre anddynamics and structure and form to create a film music composition. Techniques are used in filmmusic that are used in other strands of popular music and other techniques are used that makes filmmusic different. I have used these techniques to relate my composition to its context and link it topopular music and more specifically film music.

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Commentary Composition title: Childrens Adventure Film Areas of Study: AoS1 Rhythm & Metre AoS2 Harmony & Tonality AoS3 Texture & Melody AoS4 Timbre & Dynamics AoS5 Structure & Form Link to the strand Popular Music of the 20th & 21st Centuries: on the Candidate Record Form it is stated as being that the piece is in 4/4 time and uses a change of time signature within the piece. However, in the Appraisal, the focus is given as a childrens adventure film based on toys coming alive. Despite this apparent confusion, it is readily apparent from the rest of the appraisal that the focus is indeed the childrens adventure film. Composition The piece is written for piano, the instrument played by the candidate. Despite being written in Common Time, the opening bars have a distinct feel of 6/8: though it looks a little odd, the aural effect is good and provides a contrast with the ensuing music, which is firmly in simple time. This is part of the pieces response to AoS1 Rhythm & Metre. Although much of the harmony depends on primary chords, there are more sophisticated harmonies used, including diminished sevenths. Tonality is mostly centred in C minor although there is a quasi-modal feel to the F minor / E flat alternation in bars 13 14 and 17 - 18. The harmonic minor scale is used consistently and effectively. A five-octave range of pitch is used, thus exploiting the timbre of the piano. Textures used include monophony, melody and accompaniment, octave writing and chordal movement. Melodic movement includes stepwise / scalic, chromatic, sequential, imitative, triadic. Trills, mordents and a glissando are also incorporated. Dynamics are well contrasted and the structure is clear, following the outline described by the candidate within the appraisal. The music is well written for the piano and the score includes a lot of performance detail in terms of articulation and use of the sustain pedal. Overall, the music is interesting and satisfying. It is imaginative and there is a clear understanding of the Areas of Study and chosen link to the strand (Film Music.) There is some evidence of development of the musical ideas and a final mark to reflect this would place the piece just in the top band (20 17.) It is worth reflecting whether or not the decision to choose to identify all five AoS was the correct one: although it is obvious that all five are represented within this music, perhaps a more judicious choice could have better reflected the musics areas of strength. Appraisal The candidate does not follow the six questions in order. Nevertheless, there is a lot of relevant information here. Having stated why the piano was chosen and outlined the film scenario, the candidate proceeds to explain first why all the AoS were chosen. Following this, there are more focussed explanations for each AoS and, at the same time, details about the process of composition. Appropriate examples of the use of the different AoS are given very precisely. Difficulties encountered are mentioned briefly and, although Question 6 (context) is never directly answered, the candidates intentions are clear regarding the use of musical ideas to tell a story relating to a childs adventure film. There are some obvious inconsistencies within the appraisal (eg the music does not go to F major, which is certainly

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not the relative major of C minor.) However, there is a lot of detail contained in the written submission and there is sufficient to warrant a mark in the top (20 16) band but nearer the lower end.


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Music Appraisal

My two chosen areas of study are: AoS2 Harmony and Tonality and AoS3 Texture /

and Melody. My link to the music of the 20th and 21st century is through a composition Icreated reminiscent of the Britpop/Rock-Pop genre of the early to mid 1990s. It isinspired by bands such as Pulp and Blur, predominantly the latter. I have achieved asound similar to those artists by my choice of chord progressions; melody and often-

, /simple drum beats, which is clearly very common in the aforementioned bands

The reason I chose these areas of study was due to the fact I play the guitar and bassguitar. I also play piano at a reasonable, self-taught level and can play drums well on theMIDI keyboard. Recently, I was listening to a lot of Blur, particularly the Parklife era ofthe band. On the album is a song called Jubilee and in the verse there is a chordprogression that is; A to E to D to F to G. I liked the sound, in particular, of thetransition from D to F and the unpredictability of how it sounded, therefore instead ofcopying the whole progression, I just used that transition in what turned out to be my prechorus. Listening to that particular section now, I like how it compliments the ostinatomelody I have used. I wanted to write a piece of music like Blur and Pulp as I havealways enjoyed their experimental melodies and most importantly, how they write in amajor key with upbeat tempos due to it giving the music an exciting feel.

Initially, after working out my whole composition on acoustic guitar, I began recording 3the drumbeat, something that I value very highly in a catchy, up-beat song. I tried tomake it simplistic at the verses, and I believe I achieved that. The rhythm is a simplistic 8beat rock, with a double bass drum on the third beat, followed by a floor torn immediatelyafter. At the section before the chorus (where the guitar is playing the E chord), acrescendo is used on the drums, as the snare, bass drum and floor torn gradually build upto the chorus. I then used a similar drumbeat to the verse, however I used an open hi-hatto give the composition texture, which links to my second area of study Texture andMelody. The drums also give the song a very clear structure, by gradually building up toa climax at the chorus. This could therefore be also linked to the area of study; Structureand Form. After the drums were completed, I commenced with the bass, the riff is fairlycomplex (and again, influenced by Alex James from Blur) and, as my first area of studywas AoS2 Harmony and Tonality, it plays notes from the A Major scale, as I wantedto write in a major key. At the pre-chorus, the bass then becomes quite simplistic, simplyplaying the root notes and then a short riff after the F note is played. At the sectionbefore the chorus, the bass, once again, plays a root note, however this time on the noteE. As the crescendo climaxes on the drums the bass then goes up an octave. Thecombination of the 2 bar drum fill and the increasing octave gives the section a real senseof texture as it feels as if the music is about to climax dynamically. This links to my areaof study; AoS3 Texture and Melody. The chorus then returns to root notes of the A,G, D, F and E chords. The fact I played root notes instead of a bass riff at thechorus compliments my melody well (A0S3 Texture and Melody) and gives a senseof completion as the transition from E to A is a perfect cadence. Again, this could be /linked to Structure and Form. I then began recording piano, an instrument I felt suitable

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as it complimented the major tonality of my composition. In terms of its use, it is again,fairly simplistic, as, when it is used, I play only the standard chords. At the section /immediately before the chorus, the piano has a transition from E to E7 which is playedwithout the fifth note; a B. I like the sound of this as it creates tension and feels as if itis building up to something, and, coupled with the increase in octave in the bass and the 2bar drum fill, it makes the music more interesting in terms of its texture, this links toAoS3 Texture and Melody. After all of the piano was recorded, I used a MIDIacoustic guitar, this instrument plays exactly the same as the piano, however, when thepiano stops at each of the verse sections, the acoustic guitar continues to play the chordsA to D to D minor. The simplistic acoustic sound and rhythm compliments thecomplex bass riff well by not over-complicating the piece, therefore capturing what I loveabout the music of Blur. Next I recorded my melody, it is initially played on a MIDIelectric guitar, it is based around the A major scale as that was my desired tonality, thislinks to my area of study AoS2 Harmony and Tonality. It is also idiomatic, as Icreated the riff on an actual guitar before recording it. After the guitar riff the melody isthen played on a piano; I like how it compliments the upbeat drums and acoustic guitar. /There is an ostinato played at the pre-chorus with the three notes of Fsharp, Csharpand E. I have developed the second verse melody by harmonizing it with another MIDIpiano track. The last chorus of the song (which has a different melody to the otherchorus) is also harmonized with another MIDI piano track, and another playing a highA chord. The harmonization, again links to my first area of study, AoS2 Harmonyand Tonality.

During the recording of my composition, however, I had some difficulties. Initially, Istruggled to compose an introduction to the song after I had tried several things that Ididnt like. I overcame this by listening to the song that was so influential in mycomposition; Blur Jubilee. I liked how, in that song, all instruments commencesimultaneously, I felt that it sounded complete and wholesome and so I wanted a similarfeel. I then worked out an introduction on the acoustic guitar and made sure allinstruments came in together on the second bar of my recording. Listening back to myintroduction, I like how it sounds and how I overcame my difficulties. Another problem Icame across was the timing of the melody on the piano, due to my lack of experience.However, I overcame this by using the enhance timing feature on Garageband. My /melody is now perfectly in time and it is complimented by the acoustic chords.

I believe my composition is successful in relation to my areas of study within the givenstrand, firstly, and most simply, because of its instrumentation. A feature0f20th and 21stcentury music, and more specifically, rock music, is its use of guitars, drum kits, bassguitars and pianos. I related to my first area of study, namely; AoS2 Harmony andTonality, by deliberately writing in a major key, I also developed my melody line in the Vsecond verse and final chorus/outro by harmonizing with another track of the sameinstrument. This links to my second area of study, AoS3 Texture and Melody, as wellas my first area of study. Another link to my given strand was the use of an ostinato in thepre-chorus. This is a common feature of popular music in the 20th and 21st century andthat is why I incorporated it into my piece. My final link to my aforementioned given

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strand, is the use of simplistic rhythms, this is found in music of the 20th and 21St centuryand, more specifically, in rock and pop music that influenced my composition.

In terms of my compositions context, which in this case is the Britpop/Rock-Pop genre ofthe 1990s influenced by bands such as Blur, Pulp and Oasis, I deliberately wrote torelate to that style of music. Something that I associate with that genre is a catchy, yetsimple melody, often played on an electric guitar, a vocal part or a piano. In order tocapture this style, my piece incorporates a piano ostinato and a guitar riff at the beginningof each verse. As I have previously mentioned, I also associate this style of music withsimple, upbeat rhythms. I incorporated this into my composition by writing in 4/4 timingat a speed of 120 beats per minute. More specifically, I was influenced by the bassplaying of Alex James from Blur and I particularly enjoyed the riff in the song Girls andBoys. I liked how he follows the synthesizer by playing the root notes of the chords, buthow he plays a riff based around the scales to give the piece an upbeat feel. I replicatedthis by creating a fairly complex bass riff based around the A major scale, I believe it isreminiscent of the work of Alex James and I am happy with how it sounds.

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1 i

Music Annotation

Song Title- Polly Tetrafluorethene

My song was written and composed solely by myself, it is influenced by theBritpop era of the 1990s, particularly bands such as Blur and Pulp. Allinstruments played were performed on the MIDI keyboard and thoseinstruments are; drums, bass guitars, pianos, acoustic guitars and electricguitars. My score is a mixture of staff notation and written description. Ihave also included some screenshots from Garageband.

- As a feature of the music I was trying to createis its simple timing rather than compound, Iwrote in 4/4 timing to achieve that.

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Here is the score for the drums for my intro; it was played on the MIDI rockkit. Dynamically, I wanted it to be forte to begin with to give an energeticstart, hence why, in total, there are six hits of the crash in the intro.

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The drum beat for the verse (as pictured above) follows the simplisticdrumming style I was aiming to capture. There is a crash on the opening beatand from thereon in, in the verse, the hi-hat plays quaver notes. On theopening beat of every two bars, however, instead of a crash, there is an openhi-hat. Additionally, on the third beat the bass drum is hit twice.

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As my verse progresses intothe pre-chorus, halfwaythrough the 25th bar there is ashort drum fill. In total, thereare 6 hits of the lowest floortorn, and on beats 3 and 4there is a bass drum. I usedthis particular drum fill as itcreates tension well and feelsas if the music is about tochange.

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Image from bar 25. Played on RockKit.

Then, after 8 bars of the pre-chorus, the drums change as the only things hitare the snare drum, floor torn and bass drum. Also, as you can see above, acrescendo is used, again, to give the music a sense of building up tosomething. They also play quaver notes.

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Imageaboveplayed onthe MIDIRock kitbetweenbars 26-28.

Then, at the pre-chorus, similar to the verse, the ride symbol plays quavernotes rather than the hi-hat. This gives the piece a sense of structure, and asense of building up to something, and thats why I chose to use it.

Imageplayed onthe rockkitbetweenbars 34-36.

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Playedonrockkit.Bars38- 40.

After the 2 beats of the crescendo, a drum fill is then used for 2 bars; thisfurther builds up the song before the chorus. k:A-.

On the contrary to other sections of the song, the open hi-hats are played incrotchets here rather than quavers. This gives the drums a lazy feel, which issomething I like about it.

The intro drums are then repeated after the chorus, however this time it istwice rather than just the once.

The verse drums then repeat for 15 and V2 bars, and for the last half of thatbar the same drum fill is used as the end of the last verse.

The drums used for the pre-chorus, crescendo, drum fill, and chorus are allthen repeated exactly to give the piece a sense of structure.

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After the second chorus, there is a bridge, the hi-hat is hit twice, and then anopen hi-hat is hit. Dynamically, this section is much more piano, I like howit differs from other sections of the song in terms of the drums.

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On the 94th bar, as the bridge is coming to an end, another crescendo is used,again this gives the piece a sense of building up to something.

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The drums from the chorus are then repeated from bar 96, to bar 104.

The intro drums are then repeated twice again.

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Then, at the end of the song, on the 110th bar, the drum plays staccato noteson the floor torn, snare and bass drum. It then ends with a crash, open hi-hatand bass drum on the first beat of the 111th bar. I ended with a crash, as thatis how the piece begins, dynamically, and to end like this gives a real sense

of completion.

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My intro bass part, is based around the A major scale, it lasts 2 bars. Iparticularly like the transition from the low A note to the G in a higher

octave.

This is the bass riff played throughout each verse, it is based around the Amajor scale and influenced, in particular, by Alex James from Blur.

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This is the bass riff from thdchoms,

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As you can see from the image above, the bass begins playing a low B,however after 2 bars, the bass goes up an octave, this gives the piece a

texture I like when combined with the crescendo on the drums.

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The bass riff featured in the chorus, is almost all played on the root notes ofthe chords, this gives the piece a sense of completion and a feeling of climaxin the music, which is something I wanted to achieve.

At the second verse, the bass comes in on the 60th bar rather than the 50thThis gives the piece a feeling of development from the first verse as the basscomes in immediately on the first verse.

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The bass riff at the bridge, is played much higher than the rest of the songbefore returning to the root A note. I like how it compliments the discordantsound of the section and was again influenced by the bass riffs of Blur.

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The intro piano plays the A major chord, then plays adds the 7th note withoutthe 5th as the bass plays the G on a high octave. This polyphonic feel givesthe piece the texture I was looking for.

At the verses, the piano ceases to play.

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At the pre-chorus, the right hand plays simple A, D and F chords,whilst the left hand plays those notes on the lower octave.

Again, at the chorus, the left hand plays the lower octave, whilst the righthand plays the chords. This gives the piece the simplistic feel I was aimingto achieve.

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I,

The acoustic guitar, which I played in on the MIDI keyboard, mirrors thepiano exactly, however at the verse where the piano doesnt play, theacoustic guitar does.

The melody is first played on electric guitar, it is based around the A majorscale. I decided to use this choice of instrument, as a key feature of themusic I was influenced by, is simple, catchy guitar melodies and riffs.

Throughout the song, at the pre-chorus and the chorus, the electric guitarplays the root note of the piano chords. I decided to do this to give the piecea sense of structure, and, dynamically, make the parts where that instrumentis used, more forte. I did this, as another feature of my influences is thereinstantly recognisable choruses, solely from their structure.

P1

zL:zz:.:...z::zzz.. iz:zL..:

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The melody throughout the verses is played on the piano; I chose thatinstrument as it compliments the major tonality of the piece.

-

E

IM

1k .Vb

.1.

The melody above is the ostinato featured in my pre-chorus, which is again afeature of my influences music. The notes are; Fsharp, Csharp and E. Ilike how it compliments my chord progression of A to D to F.

: i MeIod

The melody is then developed in the second verse by harmonising themelody with a separate track of the same instrument, in this case a piano.The contrapuntal, polyphonic sound of the piece during that second verse issomething I particularly enjoy about my composition. I have also used thesame idea in the last section of the song that has the same chords as thechorus, but a different melody. I used a contrapuntal melody to show, interms of texture, that the piece has climaxed.

I

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Commentary Composition title: Polly Tetrafluorethene Areas of Study: AoS2 Harmony & Tonality AoS3 Texture & Melody Link to the strand Popular Music of the 20th & 21st Centuries: Genre. Rock / Pop music was popular during the 20th and 21st centuries Note: the link as stated on the Candidate Record Form lacks precision. However, it is clarified within the Appraisal document. Composition The composition is presented by means of a recording and a detailed annotation. The candidate has played all parts into Garageband and, therefore, we can be sure that the work submitted represents his / her clear and final intentions. The piece is written for acoustic guitar, electric guitars, bass guitar, piano and drums. As far as AoS2 is concerned, there is a sure sense of tonality with strong, clear harmonic progressions; varied textures and a range of melodic shapes and phrase lengths amply justify the choice of AoS3. This is a well-constructed, imaginative piece of music, written idiomatically for the chosen instruments and demonstrating a real understanding of their range and capabilities. There is a sense of completeness about the overall composition, reflecting its clearly-defined form. Musical ideas are developed. Within the appraisal, the candidate specifies the intended link within the strand and this is clearly demonstrated within this very successful piece. The annotation is a mixture of description, staff notation and screen shots. It is extremely detailed and this, coupled with the fact that candidate has actually played in all the music and done the editing, enables to listener to follow the music and understand the composers intentions. As a small point, given that there is no complete score; references to bar numbers might be better replaced with timings. It is clear that the piece fulfils all the criteria within the top mark band (20 17) and, therefore, full marks are justified. Appraisal The appraisal deals with the six questions in turn. Initially, the AoS are identified and the link clarified as being by the choice of chords progressions, melody and often-simple drum beats as found in the Britpop / Rock-Pop genre of the early to mid-1990s and the music of Pulp and Blur. Reasons for the choice of the AoS are clearly stated as part of the response to Question 2 and the reasons for choosing the link are explained in detail, with specific references to chord progressions, melody and tempo. Question 3 asks about the process of composition and how the piece was recorded. In response to the first part, the candidate writes at length about the reasons for the decisions made in many of the areas which determined the progress of the composition, justifying the choices and taking care, at all stages, to refer to the chosen AoS and the link. As the process of recording is integral to the compositions development, the two are treated largely side by side. Development of the musical ideas is highlighted, for example, where the candidate writes:

I have developed the second verse melody by harmonising it with another MIDI piano track. The last chorus of the song (which has a different melody to the other chorus) is also harmonised with another MIDI piano track, and another playing a high A chord.

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Difficulties the focus of Question 4 are dealt with next. They are explained, as are the steps to overcome them. An evaluation of the success of the composition in terms of the chosen AoS and the link to the strand follows. The ways in which the composition successfully demonstrates links to the particular links chosen are well explained. There is some reference to the use of harmony, tonality and texture and a mention of melody by way of its development. The context of this composition Question 6 is clearly understood and the candidate links this piece to specific features of Blurs Girls and Boys. Overall, this is a detailed, well-organised appraisal which gives a lot of information clearly, if a little repetitively at times. It deals with all questions in detail and, despite one or two shortcomings, it can confidently be judged a thorough appraisal in terms of its response to the descriptors within the 20 - 16 band of marks. Overall, it warrants the top mark.


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42702 - Candidate 1_RedactedADP32A6.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

ADP831C.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

42702 - Candidate 2_RedactedADP9B1C.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

42702 - Candidate 3_RedactedADP30F5.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

42702 - Candidate 4_RedactedADPF369.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

42702 - Candidate 5_RedactedADPBCCF.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

42702 - Candidate 6_RedactedADP7FB0.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

ADPEDE9.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

ADP4E0E.tmpCommentaryCompositionAppraisalMarks awarded: 5 + 4 = 9

ADP3449.tmpCommentaryCompositionAppraisalMarks awarded: 8 + 8 = 16

ADP89A.tmpCommentaryCompositionAppraisalMarks awarded: 16 + 8 = 24

ADPAA1A.tmpCommentaryCompositionAppraisalMarks awarded: 17 + 17 = 34

ADP39BE.tmpCommentaryCompositionAppraisalMarks awarded: 17 + 17 = 34

ADPF7D1.tmpCommentaryCompositionAppraisalMarks awarded: 20 + 20 = 40

ADP2B22.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

ADPCC14.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702

ADP70DD.tmpGCSE MUSICUnit 42702