5th
3rd
Root
GCSE Free Composition Checklist
Things you MUST Examples
have
A minimum of 3 ¨ Melody
parts ¨ Chordal Accompaniment
¨ Piano
¨ Chords in brass / strings
¨ Bass line / Riff
¨ Counter melody
¨ Drum beat
Structure ¨ Minimum of TWO contrasting sections
¨ Binary/Ternary/Rondo
¨ Pop song structure
¨ Through composed
Compositional/ ¨ Sequences
Musical devices ¨ Ostinato
¨ Call and response
¨ Imitation
¨ Melodic devices – Repetition, ornaments, scalic passages
¨ Dotted rhythms
¨ Syncopation
¨ Broken Chords
¨ Pedal
¨ Drone
¨ Modulation (Change key)
¨ Tonality - Major key in one section, minor in another & vice versa)
¨ Texture - Thick in one section, thinner in another. A mixture of
homophonic, polyphonic, monophonic and unison.
¨ Dynamics - Loud and then quiet, crescendo then diminuendo
¨ Tempo - speed up/slowdown in different sections
Develop ideas ¨ Duration – If you have lots of short notes in 1 section, have longer
notes in another.
&
¨ Instrumentation– change the melody instrument in different sections
Contrast ideas and possibly have other instruments take on different roles.
¨ Pitch – If a melody/phrase features high pitched notes in 1 section, use
lower pitch notes in another.
¨ Simply change the way you play accompaniment patterns. Take chords
for example, if you have broken chords in 1 section, change these to
block chords in another.
Key Terms
Melodic devices
Conjunct A melody which moves by step
Disjunct A melody which has mainly leaps
Riff/Ostinato A short repeated catchy tune in modern music (an ostinato is exactly the same thing
but we use the word ‘ostinato’ for older/classical music)
Counter melody A new melody that is played at the same time as the original melody
Sequence A phrase/pattern that is repeated at a higher or lower pitch.
Ornamentation Adding extra notes to ‘decorate’ the melody. A trill is an example of an ornament where
two notes alternate rapidly.
Imitation Another instrument copies a melody/phrase that has just been played by an
instrument. It can sometimes copy the melody/phrase just after the original starts.
Call & A melody/phrase is played and a SIMILAR melody/phrase answers it straight after.
Response/Question& Think of ‘OGGY OGGY OGGY’ and then ‘OI OI OI’
Answer
Structure
Binary A piece of music in TWO sections. A B. The sections are contrasting.
Ternary A piece of music which consists of 2 main sections where A returns at the end. The A section
therefore acts as ‘glue’ giving the piece ‘unity’. In letters it looks like this – ABA.
Rondo A piece of music which consists of an A section which contrasts with various sections by
repeating in between. The A section creates the ‘unity’ with the sections in between,
providing the ‘variety’. In letters it looks ike this – ABACA etc.
Pop Song Intro, Verse, Pre chorus, Chorus, Verse 2, Bridge/Middle 8, Chorus, Outro (Is a common
example of a pop song structure but it can be varied) A bridge is a new section in the song
like the middle 8. The middle 8 however, will only last for 8 bars.
Through When every section is different so if we were to use letter to represent the structure it
Composed would look like this; ABCD etc. I DON’T ADVISE this type of structure!
Compositional/Musical Devices
Dotted Rhythms Adding a dot to a note increases its length by half the value – if you then decrease the
length of the next note by a half you get a jumpy long/ short pattern – a ‘dotted rhythm’
– long followed by short, then long again etc.
Syncopation Strongly accented notes playing on the weakest beat of a bar. For example in 4/4, beats
1 and 3 are the strongest. So by accenting/emphasising beats 2 and 4, you’d be creating
syncopation.
Broken Playing the individual notes of a chord one at a time (separately) ascending or
Chords/Arpeggios descending
Pedal A sustained note in the bass that keeps playing throughout the piece. This note is often
the tonic note.
Drone Repeated notes (usually notes belonging to a chord) that continue throughout the
music.
Modulation Changing key – Major to minor or minor to Major, this is great for trying to create
contrast!
Do’s and Don’ts!
Developing Ideas
Don’t Do
Don’t just repeat ideas! Having one pattern play DO vary ideas…..Example: In a verse/chorus structure, don’t
for the entire composition or having a riff play just copy and paste verse 1 over so it becomes verse 2. You
for 45 seconds will not get you high marks. It is will lose marks – change the melody that you had in verse 1
very boring to listen to which means the slightly, so you’re showing you’re not just copying/repeating
examiner will get bored too! Don’t have any ideas. Or try adding something completely new that hasn’t
idea go on for too long before developing it or been heard before, (like a new bass line) in a new section.
adding something new.
Contrast
Don’t Do
Don’t have the same type of texture all the way DO vary the texture….. Example: If you have lots of
through – you will lose marks for not creating instruments playing at the same time, later on in a different
contrast. section, take some out. Or have some join in/enter and
finish at different times; ‘stagger’ them.
Do vary other elements – articulation, dynamics, pitch,
instrumentation, rhythms, tempo.
Balance of Instruments (Sibelius)
Don’t Do
Don’t have some instruments ‘drown out’ DO pay attention to dynamics….. Example: When an instrument
the others. This will ensure you don’t lose has a melody, this should always be prominent (louder) over
marks for not having very good balance. something like a bass line.
Think about the volume of individual parts – Think carefully and sensibly when making decisions. Example:
what should be louder – melody or chords? what would be best to play a melody….bass guitar or flute?
Think about the pitch of your instrument. Example: A flute can
go higher in pitch than a trombone. Remember – the bigger the
Don’t have instruments play at the extreme instrument, the lower in pitch the instrument can go. When
end of their registers – either really low or choosing your instruments, work out at which pitch the
really high. instrument sounds best. A really high trumpet does not sound
good!
Structure
Don’t Do
Don’t start composing without some rough DO choose a structure that suits your style…Example: A pop
idea of what the structure is going to be. style would suit an Intro/verse/chorus structure.
Do think about all of the above (contrast/elements etc) in terms
Don’t pick a random structure – it needs to of structure….Example: Bring in strings in Section B, if you only
suit your style of music. had woodwind and brass in Section A. Have Section A in a major
key and Section B in a minor key etc.
