Name:

EDEXCEL
AS-LEVEL
Music
Handbook

Course Outline
Unit 1: Performing Music (6MU01)
Internally Assessed 30% of AS Mark (15% of A2)
Mrs Perkins
This unit gives you the opportunity to perform as soloists and/or as part of an ensemble. You can choose
music from any style. Any instrument and/or voice is acceptable as part of a 5-6 minute assessed
performance.

Unit 2: Composing (6MU02)

Externally Assessed 30% of AS Mark (15% of A2)
Mrs Perkins
You will develop your composition skills leading to the creation of a 3-minute piece in response to a
chosen brief. You will write a CD sleeve note to describe aspects of their final composition and explain
how other pieces of music have influenced it.
Assessment:
Section A In September, you will be given four composition briefs from which you can choose one.
Section B You will answer three questions to provide information that could be used for a CD sleeve to
accompany your composition.
Each section needs to be completed under controlled conditions.

Unit 3: Developing Musical Understanding (6MU03)

Externally Assessed 40% of AS Mark (20% of A2)
Mrs Macleod
This unit focuses on listening to familiar music and understanding how it works. Set works from the
anthology provide the focus for the first two sections, through listening and studying scores. It is
recommended that students familiarise themselves which each work as a whole, before learning how to
identify important musical features and social and historical contexts.
In the third section, students use a score to identify harmonic and tonal features and then apply this
knowledge in the completion of a short and simple passage for SATB.
Assessment:
2 hour examination paper set and marked by Edexcel.
There are 3 sections:
Section A Listening
Section B Investigating Musical Styles
Section C Understanding Chords and Lines

Deadlines
Deadline Date

Exam/Coursework

Completed

Glossary
Photocopy from Revision Guide.

Listening Diary

Complete this listening diary at least once a week, describing your listening experience and what
you have learned/identified.

Date

Name of
Piece

Composer

Date of
Composition

Reflection

Targets
Date

Target

Target Review

Teacher

Unit 3 (6MU03)
What do you need to learn?
1. Set Works:
It is recommended that you familiarise yourself with each set work as a whole before you identify
important musical features, context and/or elements of continuity and change.
Important musical features include: resources, form, texture, tonality, harmony, melody and
rhythm and metre. These help identify social and historical context.
You need to learn how to write perceptively about music in particular describing, explaining,
comparing and contrasting musical features and placing the music in context.
2. Understanding Chords & Lines:
You need to understand the hierarchy of triads within a key and identify a range of keys, chords
and modulations when reading a score.
You also need to understand the fundamental principles of harmonisation and voice leading
when completing a short SATB texture, including the spacing of chords, doubling of notes, voice
leading and the use of non harmonic notes.
3. Harmonic and Tonal Vocabulary
You should learn to identify (aurally and using a score) major and minor keys, modulations to
closely-related keys, chords and non-harmonic notes.
You should be familiar with chords I, V, V7 in root position and all inversions, II and IV in root
position and first inversion, VI in root position, II7 in first inversion, diminished chords in first
inversion, and diminished 7th chords.
You must be able to recognise non-harmonic notes such as passing notes, auxiliary notes,
anticipations, suspensions and appoggiaturas.
When writing SATB texture, you should be familiar with writing in major and minor keys up to 3
sharps and flats. Chords I, II, IV and V in root position and first inversion and chord IV in root
position.

How will I be assessed?

A 2-hour examination and marked by Edexcel, with 5 minutes reading time at the beginning of the exam.
The examination is organised into three sections. You will NOT be provided with an Anthology.
Section A Listening 32 marks
You will have to answer two questions:
These questions require you to listen to two excerpts of music from Instrumental music and Vocal
music set works (one from each area). You will demonstrate your skills of analysis by aurally
identifying key musical features.
Section B Investigating Musical Styles 28 marks
You will have to answer two questions. You can choose either Instrumental or Vocal set works.
Question 1 will ask you comment on how musical features in the set work help you to place the work in a
social or historical context. (10 marks).
Question 2 will ask you to compare and contrast given musical features between two set works. (18
marks).
Answers can be written in note form you should aim for continuous prose.
You should aim to give yourself 20 minutes for question 1 and 40 minutes for question 2.
Section C Understanding Chords and Lines 20 marks
You will have to answer two questions:
Question 1 will require you to analyse a score of unfamiliar music, answering questions on keys, chords,
cadences, modulations and non-harmonic notes. (8 marks).
Question 2 will ask you to complete an SATB texture. You will be given a soprano part. (12 marks).
You should aim to give yourself 30 minutes to answer this question.

Unit 3 Checklist...
Set works:
Instrumental Music:
J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No.4 in G: Movement I
Shostakovich String Quartet No.8, Op.110: movement I
Poulenc Sonata for Horn, Trumpet and Trombone: movement I
Mozart Piano Sonata in B flat, K.333: movement I
Vocal Works:
Tavener the Lamb
Monteverdi Ohime, se tanto amate
Faure Apres un reve
The Kinks Waterloo Sunset
Van Morrison Tupelo Honey
Familia Valera Miranda (Cuba) Se quema la chumbamba

Listening Techniques:

Chords and Inversions

Scales
Texture
Cadences
Dissonance/consonance
Styles of Music
Harmonic Devices
Structure
Instruments
Rhythmic Devices
Dates
Performance Techniques
Intervals

Analysis Skills:

Melody: shape, description, style, phrasing

Rhythm: time signatures, hemiola, anacrusis, rhythmic devices
Harmony: harmonic devices
Structure: range of forms
Texture: monophonic, homophonic, homorhythmic, melody dominated homophony, melody and
accompaniment, polyphonic/contrapuntal, imitative, antiphonal, heterophonic.
Tonality: circle of 5ths, modulations
Forces: timbre, instrumental and vocal techniques, clefs for all instruments.
Styles: periods and dates of music, styles of music (e.g. Waltz).

Assessment in Music
1. Personal Learning and Thinking Skills (PLTs):

2. Effort of your Work:

3. Mark schemes:

Music Department
Student Teacher Contract...

SIXTH FORM STUDENT CONTRACT

As a Sixth Former my responsibilities are:

punctual attendance at registration, scheduled lessons, study periods and other

school appointments

a well-motivated independent interest in my courses

wholehearted study habits and time-management to reach work deadlines and the
best of my own potential

a sensible balance between work, paid employment, social activities and recreation

to avoid clashes with lessons wherever possible (eg medical appointments, driving
tuition) and to consult subject teachers about all missed work and lessons

to exemplify in manners, dress and general behaviour that the school is primarily a
working environment where all have the right to learn in an orderly, considerate
atmosphere

for the safety and well-being of all, to accept school restrictions on smoking, bringing
cars into school, excessive noise and litter, etc.

to show a mature and caring respect for and involvement with the activities and
people that make up the life of the school, particularly younger students (eg being a
Custodian or Learning Partner, helping with school events, sport, drama, music,
visits, etc)

Signed (Student): __________________________________________________________________

Signed (Parent/Carer): _________________________________________________________________

Music Department
Monitoring Procedure...
Usually, you all work exceptionally hard but there are sometime students who, for a variety of
reasons, do not make the best of their time in the Sixth form. For their sake, and that of others, we
may feel it necessary to monitor their progress and on the rare occasion ask them to leave the
course.
Below is the procedure followed by your teachers should such monitoring be felt essential.

Level of Concern
Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Level 4

Reason
Two pieces of work
overdue.
Persistent lateness.
Persisten non-legitimate
absence.
Inappropriate behaviour
in class.
Failure to complete
overdue work.
Further pieces of work
overdue.
Continued unexplained
lateness or absence.
Continued inappropriate
behaviour.
Failure to complete
overdue work.
Further pieces of work
overdue.
Continued unexplained
lateness or absence.
Continued inappropriate
behaviour.
No improvement made.

Action
Notification to Head of
Sixth Form.
Verbal warning.
Tutor informed.

Review Arrangements
Date set for 2-3 weeks.
If improvement is made
then Level 1 is
cancelled.

Notification to Head of
Sixth Form.
Tutor informed.
Verbal warning.
Letter to parents.

Date set for 2-3 weeks.

If improvement is made
then Level 2 is
cancelled.
Return to level 1.

Written warning to
student.
Copy to Tutor and Head
of Sixth Form and
Parents.

Date set for 2-3 weeks.

If improvement is made
then Level 3 will be
cancelled.
Return to level 2.

Place on Music course is

terminated.
Letter to student, copied
to Tutor, Head of Sixth
Form and Parents.