Music GCSE
Leitmotif
What Leitmotif means in Music GCSE, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Leitmotif
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
A short, recurring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, or idea.
A recurring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, or idea.
Topics that use Leitmotif
- J Williams: Main Title/Rebel Blockade Runner (Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope) (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
- S Schwartz: Defying Gravity (from the cast recording of Wicked) (Pearson Edexcel GCSE)
Related terms
- Ostinato
- Syncopation
- Bitonality
- Colla Voce
- Inverted Pedal
- Melody-dominated homophony
- Modulation
- Polyphonic Texture
Using Leitmotif in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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