Advanced

GCSE
Composition

This booklet is to be used after the Passing Notes Introduction to GCSE

Composition booklet and encourages you to work at the top GCSE level and
beyond. It might also be useful for Year 12 A Level pupils.

Author: Richard Bristow

Contents
Advanced Structures
• Adding to a basic form
• Sonata Form
• Top tips for structure

Advanced Harmony
• Inversions (root, 1st, 2nd inversions)
• Dominant 7th
• Inversions (3rd inversion)
• Circle of Fifths
• Diminished 7th Chords
• Chromatic Progressions
• Omnibus Progressions
• Top tips for harmony

Advanced Melody Writing

• Sequences – tonal, real, melodic, rhythmic, harmonic
• Re-harmonising
• Anacrusis
• Rests on strong beats
• Ties
• Top tips for melody writing

Advanced Textures
• Advanced use of melody and accompaniment
• Octaves and unison
• Pedal points
• Top tips for texture

All the listening tracks can be found on this Spotify playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4H6HTN7Vrli0C1CwZbfJtx?si=ptn6nwIcQb6rFGHJne_bZg

The point of this guide is to help GCSE and AL pupils to develop different defining features in their music, and to then develop
these as their piece progresses. It hopefully will provide some structure for independent learning and resources to discuss in a
remote learning environment.

Many of the extracts used here are on the current or legacy GCSE and A Level set work lists. Owing to copyright, it has not
always been possible to use the scores of more modern pieces, but these can often be referenced in your student anthology.

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 2

Advanced Structures
Adding to a basic form

Basic structural forms can be seen as:

• Binary Form AB
• Ternary Form ABA’
• Rondo Form ABACA
• Arch Form ABA’B’A”

We can enhance these structures by adding different structural devices, for example an introduction at the start, a codetta/link
at the end of a section, and a coda/outro at the end of the entire piece.

Below is a basic ternary form:

A Section B Section A' Section

And here is how these additions can help to create a more complex and sophisticated structure:

Introduction A Section Codetta B Section A' Section Coda

Planning an advanced structure at an early stage can help your composition to demonstrate high-level thinking from the
outset.

Trying to write in a more advanced form like Sonata Form is also helpful if writing a piece in a classical style, as is modelling
your composition on another piece to help you with inspiration.

The trick to effective composition is not writing lots of music but repeating your initial ideas with musical development. This
can be applied to structure, too.

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 3

Listening Example 1: Beethoven - Pathetique Sonata, movt. 1

Think about the Edexcel AOS 1 second set work – Beethoven Pathetique Sonata, movement 1. This piece is written in Sonata
Form, which is an advanced structure to compose in. However, Beethoven changes the use of sonata form in several ways to
create an advanced and individual structure. He does this by:

• Having a Grave (slow) introduction (bars 1-10)

• Bringing this introduction back as a link between the exposition and development (bars 133-136)
• Bringing this introduction back as a link between the recapitulation and coda (bars 295-298)
• Writing the second subject in the exposition (bar 51) in Eb minor, not the expected Eb major (relative major to the tonic
C minor)
• Challenging sonata form by writing the second subject in the recapitulation in the subdominant key of F minor (bar
221) rather than the tonic key of C minor

All of this has been planned before a note was written, showing how structure, tonality and melodic ideas can all be thought of
before writing a note of music.

Listening Example 2: Jeff Buckley - Grace

This piece is written in an overall verse-chorus form with some interesting additions including a Bridge (bar 49) and an
improvised outro (bar 74). However, Buckley, like Beethoven, reuses the material we hear at the very start. Have a listen to the
track and notice that the music from the opening (bars 1-7) comes back twice:

1. After the first chorus (bar 25)

2. After the bridge (bar 60)

This means that the introduction is way more than just a few bars to get us in to the music; instead, it has a structural function
to link the music together and provides a chance for the all-important musical development.

This piece was one of the set works in the Legacy 2008 Edexcel GCSE Syllabus.

Listening Example 3: Brahms – Ballade in G minor, Op. 118 No. 3

This is a great piece (it’s on the AQA A Level syllabus) as Brahms is the master of using sub-sections – smaller sections within
the overall section to give his music a real academic sense of planning.

The overall piece is in Ternary Form – ABA’ – but within each of these larger sections are smaller sections of music, each with
their own impact on the structure. It’s a great way of balancing repetition and change and allowing for musical development:

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 4

 A Section B Section A' Section
• a b.1-10 • This section • Repeats opening A
• b b.11-22 contains an arch section
• a b.23-32 form • Coda b.108
• codetta b.33-40 • abacaba

Brahms even goes further than this to create unity between his sections. If you compare the opening below (b. 1-3, from the A
Section) to the music below (from the B Section) you’ll see he reuses the opening melody (highlighted). This is odd, as this
melody defines the A Section, and here it is in the middle of the B Section.

However, the effect on the listener is very different as the accompaniment is different (running quavers, not block chords)
meaning that the listener does not directly hear this as a return to the opening. Clever!

Section A b.1-3

Section B b.52-56

Score from AQA

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 5

Writing in Sonata Form
Sonata Form is a structure defined by tonality. By having different sections in different (but often related) tonal areas,
composers can create musical tension. If you are thinking of writing in Sonata Form, consider:

• Which composer are you trying to emulate? Maybe Haydn, Mozart, or perhaps Brahms?
• What instruments are you writing for? What keys are idiomatic for these instruments?
• Sonata Form pieces are often first or last movements, meaning they are often Allegro in tempo
• Could you have a slow introduction, used as a link between sections, like Beethoven does?
• The exposition creates tension by having two subjects (melodic ideas) in different keys
• The recapitulation releases this tension by having both subjects in the tonic key

A possible outline for your composition might be:

Introduction Slow tempo Set tonality

2nd subject =
1st subject = Transition to
Exposition tonic (I) new key
related key (V
or relative)

Could start
Dominant
Development with Modulate Circle of Fifths
Preparation
introduction?

1st subject = Transition (but 2nd subject =

Recapitulation tonic (I) stays in I) tonic (I)

Could start
Coda with V - I cadences
introduction?

Tips for top marks regarding structure:

• Plan your basic structure first

• Then think how you can advance that structure, perhaps using the examples above
• Can you create a structure defined by tonality, like sonata form?
• Can you make your introduction have a greater purpose by using it as a link?
• Can you reuse your opening ideas in a new way to create a contrasting section?
• How are you balancing repetition and development of your musical ideas?

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 6

Advanced Harmony
Inversions

Often when we start to compose music we think of the melody, or the tune, first. This can mean that we do not spend that
much time thinking about the other voices/parts in our composition, especially the bass. If we are not careful, we can create a
really interesting melodic line that is let down by having a bass line which lacks the same level of melodic thought.

Take, for example, Pachelbel’s Canon. Possibly one of the most well-known pieces in the classical (and popular) world, with the
chord progression being used in so many different pieces. There’s even an entire Spotify playlist dedicated to music based on
Pachelbel’s famous piece – check it out here
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5EMUFCLRPRQB6Qv1sLIb2v?si=WMmGfmKYTFStSVl8BwOfaw

Listening Example 4: Pachelbel - Canon in D

Have a look at the opening of the piece here, based in D major with the chord chart for D major underneath:

3rd/d (V only) G

2nd/c A B C# D E F# G

1st/b F# G A B C# D E

Root D E F# G A B C#

KEY: D major I II III IV V VI VII

The bass line, whilst very functional, would get boring to play after a while. A way of making this more interesting would be to
use inversions.

An inversion is where we play another note of the chord (not the root) in the bass. So, for example, in D major:

• D F# A with D in bass = root position

• F# A D with F# in bass = first inversion (b)
• A D F# with A in bass = second inversion (c)

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 7

Root and first inversions can be used freely. Second inversions sound dissonant and as such are only used in cadences, usually
as a Ic V I progression (sometimes called a cadential 6/4 owing to the use of figured bass). If we used inversions, it might look
like this, where the bass line now is less jumpy and more conjunct:

The Dominant 7th

This is when you take the dominant – chord V – and add an extra note, making an extended chord. This extra note is 7 higher
than the root, or a third higher than the fifth:

This chord is what makes diatonic harmony functional. It is a chord which has to resolve – usually to the tonic (I) and, on very
special occasions, to the submediant (vi). Some composers, writing in the late romantic period, would use this chord on its own
for colour rather than function, but composers in the baroque and classical period would use these chords in a functional
manner.

Inversion and the dominant 7th

Whilst a regular triad has two inversions outside of root position, extended chords have one additional inversion: the third
inversion.

This works really well on the dominant 7th chord, where the 7th is now in the bass. For example, if we were building a dominant
7th chord on an A we would need A C# E G; putting the G in the bass means this is in third inversion (d).

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 8

Remember that the 7th is a dissonant note that needs to resolve. It usually resolves to a tonic chord in first inversion:

Pupil activity 1
Listening Example 5: Purcell - Sonata for Trumpet in D, movt. II

This is an AQA A Level set work. For the score below, establish what the key of the music is, then do a chord chart. Finally
precisely analyse what chords are being used on each crotchet beat:

The key of this music is: …………………………………

3rd/d (V only)

2nd/c

1st/b

Root

KEY: I II III IV V VI VII

Score from AQA

Are there any chords that do not fit the chord chart? You might have found these chords a bit more challenging:

• Bar 3 beat 4 (what is the extra note? How much higher than the root is it?)
• Bar 4 beat 1 (if you played this, what does it sound like? What is the technical term for this device?)

Pupil activity 2
Have a look at the music below. Can you complete the bass line using the given chord symbols? Remember to work out the key
and do a chord chart, as you did in activity 1.

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 9

The key of this music is: …………………………………

3rd/d (V only)

2nd/c

1st/b

Root

KEY: I II III IV V VI VII

Given the use of chord iii7 – do you think this piece is likely to be from the baroque, classical or romantic period? Why?

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

If you want to hear how your composition compares, listen to the piece below:

Listening Example 6: Monk - Abide with Me

Circle of Fifths
The circle of fifths is a harmonic device which is used by lots of composers and artists. It uses the idea that, in tonal music, the
tonic is top of the hierarchy, and all other chords fall in underneath this order. The circle of fifths usually starts with C at the top,
and works through the 12 notes of the chromatic scale:

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 10

 • If you go clockwise, this is heading to the dominant which makes the music sharper. This makes the music more
excited in effect.
• If you go anti-clockwise, this is heading to the subdominant (the lower dominant) which makes the music flatter. This
makes the music more subdued in effect.

Diatonic Circle of Fifths

This is a great device to use if you need a transition or a bit of music to fill out between sections. It does not modulate, instead
using diatonic chords based in the tonic key.

If you look at the circle of fifths, you’ll see that out of the 12 notes available, five of them are chromatic notes (i.e. they do not
belong to the tonic scale).

If we imagine we are in C major, what are the chromatic notes from the Circle of Fifths below?

The chromatic notes are: ……………………………………………………………

To avoid these notes, we need to jump directly across the circle (the diameter) and continue in an anti-clockwise direction:

If we wrote these chords out in root position in C major, they would look like this:

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 11

 Score from Passing Notes

Solution 1: use first inversions

You can now apply what we have learnt about inversions and extensions. For example, we can make the bass line more
interesting by using alternate first inversion chords:

Score from Passing Notes

Solution 2: use 7ths

We can also add sevenths – some are major 7ths, some are minor 7ths:

Score from Passing Notes

Pupil activity 3

For the chords using sevenths above, tick the box to confirm if it is a major 7 th or a minor 7th. Hint think about which is bigger –
major or minor…

Chord Major 7th? Minor 7th?

F maj 7

B dim 7

E min 7

A min 7

D min 7

G maj 7

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 12

Solution 3: use second inversions
In addition to using 1st inversions and 7ths, we can also use second inversion chords. These are often only used in cadences, as
they sound dissonant. However, when we add the 7 th, they do not have the same dissonance, and as such we can use them. This
is a good chance to show you can use other types of inversion:

Score from Passing Notes

This means that the bass, whilst not having much movement melodically, does have lots of harmonic interest. Could you use
ties here to help make the bass line even more interesting?

Solution 4: use suspensions and sequence

The circle of fifths is also a great chance to use suspensions. Remember these are notes which are:

• Prepared in the previous chord

• Dissonant with the new chord
• Resolve downwards

Suspensions are often:

• 4 – 3 suspensions (sus4)
• 9 – 8 suspensions (sus2)

Score from Passing Notes

In this example, there is use of a double suspension – the 7th and the 9th are suspended over, and then resolved downwards in a
sequential pattern.

Over to you:
Try writing your own circle of fifths in your composition, using the devices and steps outlined above. Perhaps you could return
to this idea later in your piece, developing your progression using different techniques.

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 13

Advanced chords: diminished 7th chords
A diminished chord is a chord which has been made smaller than a standard major triad or minor triad. This means that it no
longer has a compass (range) of a perfect fifth, but instead has been made smaller – a diminished 5th:

Over the top of this, another diminished fifth is added on the third of the chord, to give a 4-note chord, all made up of minor
thirds:

This looks very complicated because of the use of a double flat. However, each interval is a minor third:

• C → Eb = minor 3rd
• Eb → Gb = minor 3rd
• Gb → Bbb = minor 3rd

Often you would write this out using enharmonics, so using an F# instead of a Gb and an A natural instead of a Bbb:

However, to the ear the diminished 7th is one of the most instantly recognizable chords because it has so much drama attached
to it. This is because it is made up of minor thirds and is used by composers in all genres to raise the musical temperature and
create dramatic tension.

Pupil activity 4
Listen to the opening Grave section of Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata, movt. I, used earlier in this guide. Listen out for the use
of diminished 7th chords. Which chord do these diminished chords tend to resolve to?

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 14

Pupil activity 5
Using the diagram of the keyboard below, try to form your own diminished 7 th chords on the given notes. You may use
enharmonics if you wish to.

Remember: a diminished 7th chord is made up of minor 3rds. A minor 3rd has 3 semitones between it:

For example:

C → C# → D → Eb

This involves 3 movements to get between the notes.

Try to make a diminished 7th chord on the given note, forming a diminished 7th chord.

Diminished 7th chords often resolve inwards – this could be to the tonic (minor) chord as in the examples below:

Sometimes composers use a diminished 7th chord to chromatically alter the subdominant chord, helping to provide chromatic
movement, resolving to chord V:

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 15

Pupil activity 6
Listen to the final scene from Mozart’s Don Giovanni which can be seen here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ajqAoWz_zM

How does Mozart use diminished 7th chords in this dramatic finale? How does this link to the plot?

Chromatic Progressions
This is a really cool progression that uses chromatic writing. Often, the bass line is treated to a falling chromatic idea
(highlighted below from tonic to dominant), giving the impression of falling and sadness – indeed in the baroque period, many
composers used this idea to represent sadness.

Listening Example 7: Purcell - Dido’s Lament, from Dido and Aeneas

Score from IMSLP

Listen out for:

• The chromatic descending bass, from tonic (G) to dominant (D) highlighted in pink
• The use of dissonance in the voice and the use of 7ths in the harmony
• The cadential progression at the end using a 4-3 suspension

Figured bass:

• These are the numbers under the bass line to help the continuo player to know what chords to play. The numbers refer
to the intervals above the bass note, so a 5/3 marking would produce a triad using the third and the fifth. An accidental
applies to the number it follows, unless it is on its own in which case it applies to the 3rd only.
• Can you work out the chords used in the 10-note ground bass above?

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 16

Listening Example 8: Chopin – Prelude in E minor

Score from IMSLP

Listen out for:

• The descending chromatic bass line – starting on a G and meandering to a B (the dominant) 12 bars later
• The inner parts having chromatic movement which helps to keep the harmonic rhythm (the number of chords per bar)
varied
• The static melodic line – the interest is in the harmony in the accompaniment
• The break in texture as we reach the dominant in b.12 – the harmony stops and we have a new ornamented melodic
idea using a wider compass (range) and a triplet – a new defining feature.

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 17

Omnibus Progression
The omnibus progression adds another chromatic line over the top of the descending bass line, giving contrary motion. As the
chromatic movement is in more than one part it has the name ‘omnibus’ meaning ‘for all’:

This is sometimes called a ‘Wedge Progression’ and features in Jazz, Blues and Pop alongside classical music. Because it has
chromatic movement up and down simultaneously, it is often used for moments of real musical excitement – for example in a
transition between first and second subjects in a sonata form piece.

Tips for top marks regarding harmony:

• Be bold in your harmonic choices – avoid just using root position triads
• Use inversions
• Use dominant 7ths
• Use diminished 7ths in minor sections
• Try to write using a chromatic bass and/or an omnibus progression
• Modulate to different keys to sustain interest

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 18

Advanced Melody Writing
Sequences – an overview
A sequence is where a small selection of music is repeated, but rather than staying on the same pitch (which would be direct
repetition) it ascends (goes up a note) or descends (goes down a note). This means that a melodic sequence is an excellent way
of developing your ideas.

Tonal sequences
A tonal sequence is where the idea is repeated but only tonal, diatonic notes of the given key are used. In the example below, in
C major, you can see that the semitone (in the brackets) moves as the pattern is repeated, meaning that each repetition is not
identical in the progression of tones and semitones.

Score from Wikipedia

Real sequences
Sometimes composers use sequences to exactly match the order of tones and semitones. In the example below, each pattern
of four notes follows the tone – tone – semitone pattern, meaning that we now have a range of notes that are chromatic to C
major (i.e. we have changed key – C major, D major, E major, F major). This is not a modulation though, since we are not on a
journey to the new key, rather we are moving there by parallel movement.

Score from Wikipedia

Another great example of a real sequence can be seen in the opening bar of Purcell’s Music for a While. Here the ground bass
ascends by a fifth then a semitone, then falling back down a sixth (real sequence, in green). Notice how the shape changes in
the second bar (tonal sequence, marked in red) to subtly change the intervals to modulate and eventually cadence:

Listening Example 9: Purcell – Music for a While

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 19

Melodic sequences
The benefit of both tonal and real melodic sequences is that you can combine them to great effect, perhaps to modulate
(change key). Green highlighter below shows real sequences, and red shows tonal sequences (where there are slight differences
in the intervals)

Listening Example 10: J.S. Bach – Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, movt. I

Score from Wikipedia

Pupil activity 7
Listening Example 11: J.S. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, movt. III

Listen to another piece by J.S. Bach, marking in when you can hear sequences. Can you work out if they are tonal or real? Pay
particular attention to:

• Solo Violin b.79-82 and b.83-84

• Concertino b.107-109
• Harpsichord b.42-44

Rhythmic sequences
These are sequences where the pitches and harmony might not work in repetition or sequence, but the rhythmic ideas are
repeated. This is different to an ostinato or riff, where ideas are directly repeated:

Listening Example 12: Stafford-Smith – The Star-Spangled Banner

Score from Wikipedia

Notice how:

• The same rhythms are used for ‘Oh say can you see’ and ‘by the dawn’s early light’
• That the melodic pitches are different

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 20

 • That the harmony changes – ‘see’ ends on the tonic C, whereas ‘light’ has modulated to the dominant G

Harmonic sequences - using sequences to modulate

Baroque composers like Purcell and Bach often use sequences to facilitate a modulation; this is often why their melodic lines
are described as being ‘harmonically charged’. Indeed, the examples above and below show this to good effect.

Listening Example 13: J.S. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, movt. I

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 21

 Score from Edexcel

This is all based around perfect cadences in ascending keys: B7 – E, C#7 – F#, D7 – G – each is a tone higher using the same
progression; a harmonic sequence.

Re-harmonising
This is where we can keep the same melodic shape, but reharmonise the music to have a different harmony. This is a really
effective way to develop your ideas.

Listening Example 14: Brahms – Intermezzo in A, Op.118, No. 2

Score from AQA

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 22

As you listen, notice:
• How the green melodic line stays the same
• How the blue highlighted chords are changed – first a tonic chord in root position (I in A major), then a more dissonant
chord suggesting the modal dominant (v – E minor)
• How the orange chord changes – first suggesting a D major 7 chord in second inversion (IV7c), then an A major chord in
second inversion (Ic)
• Finally how the purple chords are re-harmonised; first as a D major chord in second inversion (IVc) then as a new chord
of B major 7 first inversion, acting as the secondary dominant (think circle of fifths – B – E – A). This really does develop
the otherwise simple melodic line to change the effect of the music.

Pupil activity 8
Have a look at the short melody below. Try to harmonise it in different ways, perhaps thinking about:

• Only using primary chords in root position

• Using primary chords with inversions
• Adding dominant 7ths
• Could you modulate to a different key? Perhaps the relative minor?
• Could you use a diminished 7th?

If you have found this part easier, maybe then think about how this melody might be played in contrasting styles – for example,
how might this melody sound in:

• The style of a tango?

• A Purcell-inspired lament?
• A solo character song from a musical?
• A Beethoven piano piece?
• A style of your own choice?

You could plan your ideas or record them onto your device to allow others to listen.

Anacrusis
This is one of the most powerful things you can do to inject rhythmic vitality to your melodic lines; not starting your melody on
the strong, first beat of the bar, but on the weaker beat before it.

One way of doing this is to show anacrusic thinking – using an anacrusis. This is where the melody starts before the first beat of
the bar, giving greater accent to the first beat. A good example is Happy Birthday, where the anacrusis is on the word ‘happy’:

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 23

 Score from Wikipedia

An anacrusis can just be one note, as used in the following example:

Listening Example 15: J.S. Bach – Violin Concerto in A minor, movt. I

Score from AQA

As you listen, notice how Bach has the bass working antiphonally against the other instruments, creating constant quaver
movement and rhythmic drive. Another good example would be the opening of Bach’s Brandenburg 5, last movement (Edexcel
GCSE Set Work), where the dotted rhythms and anacrusis help to create the gigue-like dance. This piece was used in listening
example 11.

Use of rests on the strong beat

This is one of the most simple and effective strategies for effective melodic writing; by not starting the melody on the beat, we
create rhythmic verve and excitement.

Listening Example 16: Piazzolla – Libertango

As you listen, see if you can spot:

• The energising effect of the quaver rest at the start of each bar in the melody
• The use of an exciting additive rhythm in the bass – 3+3+2 quavers

Ties
Ties are used to join two notes together so that they sound as one note value. They allow you to have notes that go over bar
lines. They can also be useful to subvert the beat, perhaps by syncopation. Ties, like anacrusis and quaver rests, allow us to
create rhythmic variety and keep the listener interested. They are different to slurs which tell us how to phrase (shape) music.

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 24

Listening Example 17: Grieg – Norwegian March

Score from AQA

As you listen, see if you can spot:

• The 6/8 time signature with two strong beats per bar
• The anacrusis starting on the 4th quaver in bar 1 – the weak beat (marked in yellow)
• The use of ties in the melodic line over the second beat (marked in green)
• The use of accented syncopation in the melody (marked in red)
• The beat being kept by the alto and tenor line in 6ths in the left hand (marked in blue)
• The sustained (tied) tonic pedal (marked in pink)

Listening Example 18: J.S. Bach – Violin Concerto in A minor, movt. I

This is a continuation of listening example 15. Here, notice how Bach uses ties over the bar lines in the melody and inner parts
to create rhythmic, harmonic and melodic drive. The tied note often becomes a dissonant note with the harmony, creating
tension as marked in green below:

And from later in the same movement, including the energising semiquaver rest in the solo violin line (marked in pink):

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 25

 Score from AQA

Pupil activity 9

Look at the melody below.

1. How would you harmonise this melodic line?

2. Do a chord chart for this melody.
3. Can you use inversions and dominant 7ths?
4. Rewrite it, using a combination of:
a. anacrusis
b. quaver rests on strong beats
c. ties over bar lines
5. Could you extend it, perhaps using sequence?
6. Compare both melodic lines; which demonstrates more imagination? Why?

Tips for top marks regarding melody and rhythm:

• Balance your use of repetition and change; small developments are central to success
• Try to use different types of sequence in your melodic lines
• Think anacrusically to give rhythmic verve
• Use ties, quaver rests and syncopation to add melodic and rhythmic interest to a line
• Try these things in a countermelody, too, to develop your initial ideas

ADVANCED GCSE COMPOSITION 26

Advanced Textures
All too often we do not think about texture, and the huge impact it has on our music, until the very last minute. Often by then it
is too late, and we are left with music that has the same texture all the way through our piece. Texture is an element where we
really can afford to be creative to enable us to compose music that has variety, developing our ideas.

Advanced use of melody and accompaniment

All instruments, instrumentalists and vocalists need to breathe. Some require this to play their instrument or sing, but even
strings and percussionists need to breathe when playing music. It is this breath that makes the ensemble, no matter how large
or small, work as one.

When composing, the trick is to allow each individual part to breathe without impacting the overall fluency and flow of the
music. There are many examples of this in all types of music, from baroque concerti to opera, musical theatre and pop music.

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Listening Example 19: Queen – Killer Queen

This extract looks at Chorus 1 and Instrumental of this piece, running from bar 15 to bar 26 in the Edexcel Anthology Score.
Consider the following question:

How is texture used in this section?

Have a look at the table below which outlines the textural changes in this section – the purple boxes indicate that a particular
instrument/voice is active. This textural variety is central to sustaining musical interest and making the chorus have a different
feel to the verses.

Forces b.15 b.16 b.17 b.18 b.19 b.20 b.21 b.22 b.23 b.24 b.25 b.26
Lead Vocal
Independent
B. Vocals
Full vocals
Solo Guitar

As you listen, see if you can spot how texture is used in bar 19 to act as a climax (‘anytime’ in the backing vocals) as the lead
vocalist has chance to catch his breath. How is this moment prepared in bar 18?

The control of all the different elements of music in this section are central to balancing the musical climax that happens in bar
19. Consider marking your score up with the info in the table to show the textural variety in this section.

How might this section help your own free composition work?

Listening Example 20: Mozart – The Marriage of Figaro, end of Act I

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 Score from AQA

• What texture is used in bars 6-7?

• What is the texture in bar 8?
• What happens in bar 9 when the bass vocalist comes to the end of his phrase? How is the musical gap filled?

Listening Example 21: Spalding – Samba Em Preludio

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 • In bar 35 the voice has a rhythmically interesting line; what is the guitar (treble clef) doing at this point?
• How does this compliment the vocal line?
• In bar 36 the vocalist comes to the end of her phrase. What does the guitar do?

This links to the activity with Queen’s Killer Queen on page 27. Consider highlighting in your score on page 86 where you look as
the music progresses, thinking about:

• Do you always follow the vocal line?

• What happens when the vocalist comes to the end of the phrase?
• Is the guitar part more interesting melodically and rhythmically when the voice is singing, or when the voice is silent/on
a long note?

Consider if you can put this learning in to the way you use your instruments in your free composition.

Use of octaves, use of unison

There is a big difference between these two musical terms:

• Octaves – where the same note (e.g. the note A) is played by different instruments and/or voices at different pitches
an octave apart
• Unison – where the exact same note at the same pitch is sung

Unison writing is therefore quite rare, since it creates a very thin sound. However, this could be exploited to produce new
sounds and timbres. Octave writing is far more common, and this is often found between orchestral parts to thicken the texture
and make the different lines stand out.

Listening Example 22: Debussy – Sarabande

Score from IMSLP

• Use of octave writing for 4 beats, then moving into gradually thicker chords using up to 7 notes

Listening Example 23: Ravel – Pavane pour une infant défunte

Ravel was a master of orchestration, using the orchestra in new a different ways to blend sounds and create exciting new
textures. In this piece (score below) look out for:

• The melody in octaves in the 2 flutes, doubled by the 2 clarinets in Bb

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 • The oboe joining in 2 bars later to further add to the sound
• How the bassoons and violin I add supporting chords
• How the other strings have pizzicato (plucked) accompaniment, sometimes with double or triple stopping, to give the
effect of a harp

Score from IMSLP

Listening Example 24: Messiaen – Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes, from Quartet for the End of Time

This entire movement is in octaves – the violin and clarinet in unison with the right hand of the piano, and the cello and left
hand of the piano in unison an octave lower than the other parts.

Given the lack of time signature and the complex rhythms, this piece is exceptionally difficult to get together as an ensemble!

Use of pedal
A pedal is a harmonic device where the same note, often in the bass, is repeated as the chords above it change. It is particularly
impressive when this note is the dominant just before we return to the tonic key.

In sonata form, a development section often ends with a dominant preparation – that is a dominant pedal with changing chords
and melodic ideas over the top.

Listening Example 25: Mozart – Symphony No. 40 in G minor, movt. I

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 Score from IMSLP

• The highlighted green section is all the note D – the dominant of G minor. Note that the two horns are crooked in Bb
(so the E is actually played as a concert D, a second below) and in G (so the G is actually a D a fourth below). This is a
dominant pedal.
• The pink section is where we resolve back to the tonic (G minor). This is where the recapitulation starts in this
movement and the memorable first subject returns.

Sometimes the pedal can be inverted – placing it at the top of the texture and allowing the bass instruments to take the
melodic idea:

Listening Example 26: Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5 in D minor, movt. I

This example is taken from the opening part of the exposition, when the opening idea (a rising 6th idea) comes back in the
bassoons and lower strings against a high pedal C in the violins. The impact of this inverted pedal is stark; the energy of the
opening bars is significantly reduced, with the pedal acting as a stabilising force as the opening canon idea is removed.

Listen out for:

• The violins playing the inverted pedal on octave Cs

• The bassoons, celli and double basses having the melodic line in octaves
• The removal of the opening canon

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Pupil activity 10
Watch the following video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0REIJNCILE which looks at the main theme to Tchaikovsky’s
Symphony No. 5. This shows how the theme is treated to different musical developments including a march and a waltz, as well
as the contrast between the sad opening and triumphant finale.

As you listen, think about answering the following question, noting your ideas in the box below:

How has Tchaikovsky used texture to develop this theme?

Consider:
• Which instrument has the melody? What range is it in? How does this impact the texture?
• Who is playing the accompaniment? What is the accompaniment like?
• Are there any countermelodies? Who is playing them?
• How about octaves, unison or other intervals like 3rds and 6ths?

Movt. I – main theme

Movt. II - fanfare

Movt. III - waltz

Movt. IV - march

Tips for top marks regarding texture:

• Be sure to consider textural variety when planning your composition
• Think about how you can bring in a second voice to ‘fill’ when the main melody is breathing
• Think about using octaves to make a bold statement
• Consider using a dominant pedal to raise the musical tension before heading back to the tonic
• This might be an inverted pedal, giving the bass register a chance to shine

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