COMPOSITIONAL TECHNIQUES
S2 UNIT 2 CONCEPTS
MELODIC
pentatonic
grace notes
CONTEXTS
HARMONIC
RHYTHMIC
STRUCTURAL
TIMBRE
chord
chord change
drone
vamp
modulation
anacrusis
Scotch snap
simple time
compound time
binary (AB)
ternary (ABA)
accompanied
unaccompanied
programme music
fiddle
pipes
accordion
clarsach
bodhran
acoustic guitar
electric guitar
bass guitar
sitar
tabla
Ghanaian drum ensemble
gamelan ensemble
Latin percussion ensemble
folk group
Scottish dance band
pipe band
steel band
STYLES / FORMS
Scottish
reel
jig
strathspey
waltz
slow air
Celtic rock
Latin American
samba
Salsa
jazz
rock
Ghanaian
Indonesian
gamelan
Spanish
Indian
Definitions
pentatonic
a 5 note scale
grace notes
a type of ornament played as a quick note before the main melodic note. Often heard in traditional music
(bagpipe, Scottish fiddle, etc.)
chord
a group of notes played together
chord change
(or chord progression) moving from one chord to another
drone
a low note or notes, held or repeated. Scottish bagpipes have a drone pipe which will be heard throughout a
piece.
vamp
an accompaniment pattern, usually on piano or guitar, which alternates a low note on the beat with a chord off
the beat.
modulation
a change of key
anacrusis
a note or notes which appear at the start of a piece or phrase, before the first beat of the bar. The note or notes
will sound like an upbeat.
Scotch snap
a very short, accented note heard before a longer note. A common feature in a strathspey.
compound time
music with a time signature, for example, of 6/8 (like a jig). Beats divide into groups of 3.
simple time
music with a time signature of 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4.
binary (AB)
a musical form in which there are 2 sections (Section A and Section B). Section A will be heard first, followed
by Section B. Each section can be repeated.
ternary (ABA)
a musical form in which the A section is repeated after the B section (hence ABA).
accompanied
instruments or voices supporting the main melody
unaccompanied
solo instrument or voice, no supporting instruments or voices
fiddle
violin
pipes
bagpipes
accordion
a keyboard instrument. Bellows are squeezed with one arm while the other hand plays the keys.
clarsach
a small harp, used in Scottish and Celtic music
bodhran
a hand held drum used in Celtic music, played with a wooden beater
acoustic guitar
a guitar which does not require an amplifier to produce sound
electric guitar
a guitar which requires an amplifier to produce sound
bass guitar
a 4 string electric guitar, usually playing single notes, low in pitch
sitar
an Indian string instrument
tabla
a set of two Indian hand drums
Ghanaian drum ensemble
a group of musicians from Ghana in West Africa, playing drums, shakers and other untuned
percussion instruments
gamelan
an Indonesian ensemble, made up of tuned metal percussion instruments
Latin percussion ensemble a group of musicians playing percussion instruments in a Latin American style, popular in Brazil and
Cuba.
folk group
a group of musicians and/or singers performing usually traditional music associated with a particular
country
Scottish dance band
a band - which may include fiddle, accordion, piano, drums and bass – playing music for Scottish dancing,
e.g. Dashing White Sergeant, Gay Gordons, St Bernard’s Waltz, etc.
pipe band
a band of bagpipes and drums
steel band
West Indian ensemble playing ‘pans’, originally tuned metal oil drums
Scottish
music or instrumentation associated with Scotland
reel
a fast Scottish dance with 2 or 4 beats in a bar (simple time)
jig
a fast Scottish dance in 6/8 (compound time)
strathspey
a Scottish dance, slower than reel and jig, featuring Scotch snap rhythms
waltz
a Scottish dance with 3 beats in a bar
slow air
a slow, Scottish melody, usually played on fiddle or bagpipes
Celtic rock
a style of music which mixes elements of rock music (instrumentation, rhythm)
with traditional folk music influences
Latin American
music from South America. Usually very rhythmic, with a lot of percussion.
samba
Brazilian dance music. Very rhythmic, with lots of untuned percussion.
salsa
style of energetic Latin American and jazz–influenced music featuring prominent percussion including
hand drums (congas, etc.) and brass. Any vocals are usually in Spanish.
jazz
rhythmic, syncopated music making use of improvisation – features can include drums using swing
rhythm, walking bass, piano and brass (e.g. trumpet) and woodwind (e.g. saxophone) instruments.
rock
a style of popular music, usually in 4/4 time and with a driving beat. Uses electric guitars, bass guitar,
drumkit, (sometimes) keyboards and (usually) vocals.