Study Guides

Unit Summary

This unit develops understanding of minimalism, including the context of the style and the main musical features used in creating minimalist compositions. Pupils compose and improvise in a minimalist style, including rhythmic and melodic patterns.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to develop a complete minimalist composition through use of dynamics, texture and structure.

Key Notes

• Minimalist composers develop their compositions by varying different aspects, including dynamics and texture.
• This allows them to create some contrast, keep the music engaging while still using their repeating ostinati.
• We describe texture using the words thick or thin.
• Binary form (AB) and ternary form (ABA) are very common structures in music.

Vocabulary To Learn

• Dynamics: The dynamics of a sound are its volume.
• Structure: The structure is the order of the different sections in a piece of music.
• Binary form: A piece of music with only two sections (AB) is in binary form.
• Ternary form: A piece of music with the structure ABA is in ternary form.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

• Lots of automation changes make the dynamics effective.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

More Lessons In This Unit

• Creating a melodic ostinato Study Guide
• Creating and improvising contrasting ostinati Study Guide
• Using rhythmic ostinati in minimalism Study Guide