Year 11 - Music
Adding detail with performance directions
Composition exemplars: completing a composition
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils analyse exemplar compositions to understand how composers complete and refine a finished piece. They explore idiomatic writing, performance directions, instrumental writing and use of technology to produce effective, polished compositions.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to analyse how performance directions add detail to a composition, and can use some of these in your own composition.
Key Notes
- Performance directions are an important aspect of a composition.
- They allow composers to precisely communicate their intentions to the performer.
- These include tempo markings, dynamics, articulation, mood terms and instrument-specific techniques.
- You can add more detail by using terms like 'subito' (suddenly) and 'poco a poco' (little by little).
Vocabulary To Learn
- sustain pedal: the pedal that sustains notes on a piano; its use is indicated by markings below the stave
- rubato: an Italian term indicating that a performer can change the tempo slightly to add expression
- subito: an Italian term indicating that something should happen 'suddenly'
- poco a poco: an Italian term meaning 'little by little', indicating that something should happen gradually
- slur: a marking that means that notes should be played legato, and that shows their phrasing
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- You can only use Italian terms for performance directions.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Performance directions are an important aspect of a composition. They allow composers to precisely communicate their intentions to the performer.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'sustain pedal'
the pedal that sustains notes on a piano; its use is indicated by markings below the stave.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: You can only use Italian terms for performance directions. Correction: Usually in classical styles this is the norm for aspects like tempo, dynamics and expressive terms. In some cases, however, it can be useful to describe effects in detail in English for the performer if you can't find a suitable Italian term.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 11 Music guide library.