WJEC/Eduqas GCSE Music Revision Guide Sample

CHAPTER 5: EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS 57 EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS What Do I Need To Know? For some of the questions in the Appraising paper, you need to write longer, more extended answers in response to the musical extracts that are played in the examination. You will have to show that you can make accurate musical observations and, where appropriate, your answers must show understanding of: The musical elements such as: • dynamics • harmony • instruments/voice • melody • rhythm/metre • structure • tempo • texture • timbre • tonality The musical contexts such as: • the effect of the occasion/ venue • the purpose and intention of the music • the social, historical and cultural background The musical language such as: • treble notation • bass notation • viola clef (prepared extracts on AoS 1) • chord symbols • key signatures • musical vocabulary • rhythm notation • time signatures In both the WJEC and Eduqas examinations, there are basically two types of questions. 1 Short answer questions : your answer needs to be precise, as you may be asked to name, state, identify, underline, give, pick, insert or define something. This often includes a type of multiple-choice question, where you have to select the correct answer. 2 Longer answer questions : you may be asked to describe, explain, compare, contrast, complete the missing pitch or rhythm, or point out the musical differences between the extracts of music played in the examination. You will see examples of the short answer questions elsewhere in this book, so in this chapter we will look at the longer answer questions. There are two types. 1 The first requires an answer which will be a long paragraph 2 The second will be more of an essay-style answer. For many students, this can be more challenging. Writing a long paragraph-style answer These questions may be worth anything from 2 to 6 marks, with 1 mark awarded for each correct comment or observation. No room for irrelevant details here! Let us look at an example. Most of the questions in the examination are to do with the elements of music and the language of music. This is why it is so important that you know exactly what to include in your answers. Revision tip CHAPTER 5: EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS