Advanced Higher UM April Revision 27: 8 days to Go! - ALL CONCEPTS

There are 8 days to go until the Advanced Higher Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

Please make sure you are familiar with these concepts.

Nat 5 UM April Revision 26: 9 days to Go! - PREZI ON BASS CONCEPTS

There are 9 days to go until the Nat 5 Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

Here is a link to a prezi on bass concepts (riff, pedal, Alberti bass, ground bass, walking bass, drone). 

Higher UM April Revision 26: 9 days to Go! - STRUCTURE OF THE HIGHER PAPER

There are 9 days to go until the Higher Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

Structure of the Higher Paper

There will be multiple choice questions. Some will ask you to choose 3 options from a group of 9, like this - 

 and one asks for 4 options from a group of 10, like this - 

For the 3-choice option you will hear the music twice.

For the 4-choice option you will hear the music three times. 

Note that you should write out your answers on the lines. 

In some of the multiple choice questions, there will be supplementary questions asking you to write a word or phrase.

How to answer this question - 

• make sure you know all your concepts.

• look at the introductory phrase, e.g. 'this question features instrumental music' or 'this music is based on music from the Baroque period' - these phrases can help you identify or eliminate some of the options. 

• eliminate things which can't go together, e.g. it can't be symphony and concerto, it can't be lied and sonata, etc.

• listen carefully from the beginning to the end of the excerpt.

• don't panic if you don't hear everything right away; use the two or three playings - you are unlikely to identify everything the first time through. Take your time and think logically.

In the supplementary part of this question and others, make sure you know what they are looking for. 

If they ask for a rhythmic concept, they are looking for: 

If they ask for an instrumental technique, they are looking for: 

If they ask about tonality, they are looking for major or minor (probably) or modal or atonal (possibly). 

These questions can be about vocal music or instrumental music. Make sure you know about aria, recitative, opera, oratorio, plainchant, lied and the other vocal concepts (see Countdown 10 below).

Advanced Higher UM April Revision 26: 9 days to Go! - AH REVISION GUIDE

There are 9 days to go until the Advanced Higher Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

Click here for the Advanced Higher revision guide, which gives an overview of all revision support resources.

In addition to the above, click here for the Music Department Google site, where will you will find UM and Music Literacy videos at all levels (N5 - AH).

Nat 5 UM April Revision 25: 10 days to Go! - RESTS

There are 10 days to go until the National 5 Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

You may be asked to identify rests or to write a rest into a particular bar. Here they are. 

Check back tomorrow for more revision help.

Higher UM April Revision 25: 10 days to Go! - VOCAL & INSTRUMENTAL CONCEPTS

There are 10 days to go until the Higher Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

a) These are vocal concepts from the Nat 5 and Higher                grids. 

There will be probably be a question specifically on vocal music and some of these terms will definitely crop up as possible answers - or terms you could use - elsewhere. 

Spend some time with them and make sure you understand each concept. 

Check the ourcloud resources for further examples of the terms.

obbligato
descant
oratorio
a cappella
coloratura
aria
plainchant
da capo aria
recitative
lied
melismatic
syllabic
strophic
through composed

and types of voice - soprano, mezzo soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass.


b) Here are some terms which describe techniques used by instruments. You may have to identify these in multiple choice questions, or sometimes in a fill in the blanks-type question they will ask for the Italian term which describes how an instrument is being played. 

Make sure you know what they all mean, especially pizzicato, arco, tremolando, staccato, legato, con sordino (comes up a lot), glissando, harmonics (comes up a lot), pitch bend.

Definitions here.

Advanced Higher UM April Revision 25: 10 days to Go! - REVISION GAMES

There are 10 days to go until the Advanced Higher Understanding Music paper on Friday 5th May.

Have a look at these revision games. If you need a password, try music17.

N5 April Revision 24 - ALL REVISION VIDEOS

This week we have been looking at all of the Understanding Music revision videos, one unit at a time. 

Click here for all of the videos and concepts booklets. 

Higher April Revision 24 - HIGHER REVISION VIDEOS

This week we have been looking at the 5 Higher revision videos. 

Click here to see all of them again, along with concepts grids and definitions booklets.

Advanced Higher April Revision 24 - AH MUSIC LITERACY VIDEOS

 Click on this link to see all of the Advanced Higher Literacy videos. 

N5 April Revision 23 - MELODY, RHYTHM & HARMONY

This week we’re continuing to look at the wide range of revision materials which are available on the Music Department Google Site. 

You’ll need to be logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Today’s post looks at concepts in the Melody, Rhythm and Harmony Unit. 

Clicking on the link above takes you to the 2 videos for this unit. Watch the videos and make sure you understand the content. 

Scroll further down to the Unit booklet, which contains relevant concepts from this unit, together with definitions. 

Higher April Revision 23 - HIGHER REVISION VIDEOS

This week we have been looking at the 5 Higher revision videos. 

Click here to see all of them, along with concepts grids and definitions booklets. 

Advanced Higher April Revision 23 - AH REVISION VIDEOS

This week we have been looking at the Advanced Higher revision videos. 

Click here to see all of them, along with concepts grids and definitions booklets. 

N5 April Revision 22 - STYLES & TYPES OF COMPOSITION

This week we’re continuing to look at the wide range of revision materials which are available on the Music Department Google Site. 

You’ll need to be logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Today’s post looks at concepts in the Styles and Types of Composition Unit. 

Clicking on the link above takes you to the 3 videos for this unit. Watch the videos and make sure you understand the content. 

Scroll further down to the Unit booklet, which contains relevant concepts from this unit, together with definitions. 

Higher April Revision 22 - TEXTURE, STRUCTURE, FORM & DYNAMICS

Today we are continuing to look at Higher revision videos.  

Click here for the Higher video on TEXTURE, STRUCTURE, FORM & DYNAMICS concepts. 

Make sure you at logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Advanced Higher April Revision 22 - AH REVISION VIDEOS

This week we have been looking at the 4 Advanced Higher revision videos. 

Click here to see all of them, along with concepts grids and definitions booklets. 

N5 April Revision 21 - TEXTURE, STRUCTURE & FORM

This week we’re continuing to look at the wide range of revision materials which are available on the Music Department Google Site. 

You’ll need to be logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Today’s post looks at concepts in the Texture, Structure and Form Unit. 

Clicking on the link above takes you to the 2 videos for this unit. Watch the videos and make sure you understand the content. 

Scroll further down to the Unit booklet, which contains relevant concepts from this unit, together with definitions. 

Higher April Revision 21 - MELODY, HARMONY, RHYTHM and TEMPO

This week’s Higher posts are looking at revision videos.  

Click here for the Higher video on MELODY, HARMONY, RHYTHM and TEMPO concepts. 

Make sure you are logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Advanced Higher April Revision 21 - ROMANTIC & 20th CENTURY / CONTEMPORARY

 This week’s Advanced Higher posts are continuing to focus on  revision videos. 

Today, a video on ROMANTIC & 20th CENTURY / CONTEMPORARY concepts. 

N5 April Revision 20 - TEMPO AND DYNAMICS

 This week we’re continuing to look at the wide range of revision materials which are available on the Music Department Google Site. 

You’ll need to be logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Today’s post looks at concepts in the Tempo and Dynamics Unit. 

Clicking on the link above takes you to the video for this unit. Scroll down to the Unit booklet, which contains relevant concepts from this unit, together with definitions. 

Higher April Revision 20 - ROMANTIC & 20th CENTURY / CONTEMPORARY

This week’s Higher posts are looking at revision videos. Today, a video on Romantic and 20th Century / Contemporary concepts. 

Advanced Higher April Revision 20 - CLASSICAL

This week’s Advanced Higher posts are continuing to focus on revision videos. 

Today, this video on Classical concepts. 

N5 April Revision 19 - HISTORY OF MUSIC

This week we’re focusing on revision materials which are available on the Music Department Google Site. 

You’ll need to be logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Today’s post looks at concepts in the History of Music Unit. 

Clicking on the link above takes you to the 3 videos for this unit. Take your time with these: make sure you understand everything which is covered. Scroll down to the Unit booklet, which contains relevant concepts from this unit, together with definitions. 

Higher April Revision 19 - CLASSICAL

This week’s Higher posts are looking at revision videos. 

Today, take a look at this video on Classical concepts. 

Advanced Higher April Revision 19 - BAROQUE

This week’s Advanced Higher posts are looking at revision videos. 

Today, take a look at this video on Baroque concepts. 

N5 April Revision 18 - INSTRUMENTS & VOICES

This week we’ll focus on revision materials which are available on the Music Department Google Site. 

You’ll need to be logged in with your ourcloud details. 

Today’s post looks at concepts in the Instruments and Voices Unit. 

Clicking on the link above takes you to the 3 videos for this unit. Take your time with these: make sure you understand everything which is covered. Scroll down to the Unit booklet, which contains relevant concepts from this unit, together with definitions. 

Higher April Revision 18 - BAROQUE

This week’s Higher posts will look at revision videos. Today, take a look at this video on Baroque concepts. 

Advanced Higher April Revision 18 - MEDIEVAL and RENAISSANCE

This week’s Advanced Higher posts will look at revision videos. 

Today, take a look at this video on Medieval and Renaissance concepts. 

N5 April Revision 17 - ANACRUSIS

Anacrusis                

A note or note which appears before the first

beat of a musical phrase, particularly at the 

start of a piece.

  

The song ‘Happy Birthday To You’ has an anacrusis. The word ‘Happy’ appears before the first beat of the bar, so this is the anacrusis. The syllable ‘birth’ lands on the first beat of the bar.

                 

Click here to test yourself with some quiz questions on anacrusis.

Higher April Revision 17 - DIMINUTION

Diminution 

This occurs when a group of notes is heard in a particular rhythm, following which the same notes are heard again with the note values halved. For example, a tune made up of semibreves (4 beat notes) could then be heard moving in minims (2 beat notes). The music is not faster - it is the length of the notes which has changed.

Click here for more