Spring 2

BTEC composition portfolio 

This half term, students will be focussing on Unit 4: Composition. Last half term, pupils developed a portfolio of ideas, two of which have been developed. This half term, pupils will choose one of their extended pieces to complete.

Pupils will discover a range of compositional techniques and produce contrasting musical ideas to develop compositional expertise. Ideas will be formed by using short melodic motifs, chord progressions and rhythmic ideas. Pupils can create ideas that can be short or long, and pupils will consider the different ways in which ideas could form the basis for a complete piece of music. Pupils will be introduced to ways to extend, develop and shape music that suits different situations. Briefs will be used to present pupils with real-life compositional challenges that professionals will be faced with in the music industry.

How parents can get involved:

• Ask your child about their portfolio and why they chose to develop their extended pieces

Spring 1

Composition

This term, students will be focussing on composition. Pupils develop a portfolio of ideas, some of which will be developed, and one of which will be completed. Pupils will discover a range of compositional techniques and produce contrasting musical ideas to develop compositional expertise. Ideas will be formed by using short melodic motifs, chord progressions and rhythmic ideas. Pupils can create ideas that can be short or long, and pupils will consider the different ways in which ideas could form the basis for a complete piece of music. Pupils will be introduced to ways to extend, develop and shape music that suits different situations. Briefs will be used to present pupils with real-life compositional challenges that professionals will be faced with in the music industry.

Autumn 2

John Williams ‘Star Wars’ (set work)

This unit focusses on the set work by John Williams, ‘Star Wars’. Pupils will analyse the set work and how the work uses harmony, metre and rhythm as well as leitmotif to represent characters. Pupils will also begin to perform on their chosen instrument and prepare solo and ensemble performances, as well as preparing for their free compositions.

• Structure - Melody = AABA in 4-bar phrases, no musical structure as the music matches the action on screen (intro, main theme, contrasting section, link, transition)
• Melody/Pitch - Fanfare, repeated pitches (F Bb Eb), arpeggio-like, leitmotif, intervals (4th, rising perfect 5th, minor 7th, octave), 4-bar phrases, sequence, lower auxiliary notes
• Harmony and tonality - Harmony: Mainly tonal, major and minor chords in root position and first inversion, dissonance, unusual chord progressions, chromaticism, tritone, note clusters, quartal harmon Tonality: Bb major, then C major (with added Ab) pedal notes(bass/tonic/dominant/inverted), atonal, bitonal
• Texture - Homophonic, block chords, octave doubling in melody, pedal textures (inverted tonic, dominant), ostinato, imitation, arpeggio figures 
• Tempo, rhythm and metre - Tempo: fast, ritardando, very fast Rhythm: Triplet quavers, anacrusis, syncopation, off-beat quavers, sextuplet, frequent rests, homorhythmic chords Metre: 4/4, march-style, changes to 3/4
• Sonority (performing forces and playing techniques) - Symphony orchestra (60+ players of strings, woodwind, brass and percussion, including piccolo, trumpet, celeste, harp), doubling in octaves, thickly scored Staccato, tremolando, glissando, pp, mf, ff, diminuendo, crescendo
• Context - Film music, underscoring

Autumn 1

Bridging Unit – Henry Purcell ‘Music for a While’ 

This unit will bridge the gap between KS3 music and GCSE music. Pupils will recap the musical building blocks of music, the elements, and use these to analyse, compose and perform music expressively. Pupils will perform simple arrangements of pieces of music as a class on their specialist instrument (or keyboard), compose ground basses, chord sequences and melodies, and refine listening and analytical skills in order to successfully begin their GCSE music course!