Higher UM May Revision 2: 3 days to Go! - Things They Ask About a Lot Part 2

There are 3 days to go until the Nat 5 Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

Things They Ask About a Lot Part 2

Strophic

Through composed

Melismatic

Syllabic

Suspension

Walking bass

Alberti bass

‘Describe the tonality’ – major, minor, atonal

Gospel

String quartet

Chamber music

Obbligato

Passacaglia

‘Describe the texture’ – polyphonic, homophonic

‘Describe the form’ – AB (binary) ABA (ternary), rondo, theme and variations, middle 8


Some more things to know about -


If you are asked about the texture of a piece of music you are being asked if it is polyphonic or homophonic.

If you are asked about the tonality of a piece of music you are being asked if it is major, minor, atonal or modal.

If you are asked to describe a playing technique, e.g. on a string instrument, the answer could be arco, pizzicato, harmonics, con sordino, tremolando.

On a brass instrument, a playing technique could be flutter tonguing (also possible on a flute) or con sordino (using a mute).

If you are asked to identify a type of scale, this could be major scale, harmonic minor scale, melodic minor scale, pentatonic scale, chromatic scale.

If you are asked to identify a type of chord, this could be major, minor, dominant 7th, diminished 7th, added 6th.

If you are asked to identify a cadence, this could be perfect, plagal, imperfect or interrupted.