How do I revise Appraising music for AQA A-Level?

Ensure you can identify and explain studio effects like reverb, panning, and distortion.

What exam tips are there for Appraising music? (2)

Practice identifying chord extensions (7th, 9th, 11th, 13th) and complex chords in both aural and written forms.

What exam tips are there for Appraising music? (3)

Be prepared to discuss the role of technology in the production of pop music.

What mistakes should I avoid in Appraising music?

Failure to link musical elements to the context or purpose of the work.

What are common errors in Appraising music exams? (2)

Inaccurate use of technical terminology specific to pop music.

Appraising music

AQA

A-Level

Area of study 2: Pop music covers popular mainstream music derived from and including genres such as rock, funk, and R&B from 1960 to the present. Students study the work of named artists: Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, Muse, Beyoncé, Daft Punk, and Labrinth.

Objectives

Exam Tips

Pitfalls

Key Terms

Mark Points

Subtopics in this area

Appraising music

Topic Overview

Appraising music is a core component of the AQA A-Level Music qualification, assessed through a written exam (Component 2) worth 40% of the total A-level. This topic requires you to critically listen to unfamiliar pieces of music from a wide range of styles and genres, and to analyse and evaluate them using musical terminology. You will need to demonstrate your understanding of musical elements (such as melody, harmony, rhythm, texture, and timbre), the context of the music (including historical, social, and cultural influences), and the ways in which composers and performers create effects. This skill is essential not only for the exam but also for developing a deeper appreciation of music as a listener and performer.

The appraising component is directly linked to your own performance and composition work, as it helps you understand how different musical techniques are used in practice. By studying a diverse range of set works and unfamiliar pieces, you will build a toolkit of analytical skills that you can apply to any music you encounter. The exam includes both short-answer questions and a longer essay question, requiring you to write in detail about musical features and their effects. Mastery of this topic will enable you to articulate your musical thoughts clearly and confidently, which is invaluable for further study or a career in music.

In the AQA A-Level specification, appraising music covers three main areas: the compulsory Area of Study 1 (Western classical music 1650–1910), and two optional areas of study chosen by your school (e.g., pop music, music for media, jazz, or contemporary classical music). You will study at least six set works in depth, but the exam also tests your ability to appraise unfamiliar pieces related to these areas. This means you need to develop a broad understanding of musical styles and conventions, not just memorise facts about the set works.

What You Need to Demonstrate

Key skills and knowledge for this topic

Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar music by the named artists.
Critical appraisal of at least two published works for three of the named artists.
Analysis of how musical elements reflect the style, purpose, and intentions of the artist.
Comparison of how an artist's style has varied over time through their published works.
Application of relevant musical vocabulary and terminology.
Understanding of the complex interdependencies between musical elements.
Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar jazz music.
Critical appraisal of music through analysis of excerpts from the works of named artists.

Marking Points

Key points examiners look for in your answers

Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar music by the named artists.
Critical appraisal of at least two published works for three of the named artists.
Analysis of how musical elements reflect the style, purpose, and intentions of the artist.
Comparison of how an artist's style has varied over time through their published works.
Application of relevant musical vocabulary and terminology.
Understanding of the complex interdependencies between musical elements.
Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar jazz music.
Critical appraisal of music through analysis of excerpts from the works of named artists.
Understanding of the effect of audience, time, and place on the creation and performance of jazz.
Ability to compare and contrast the style of artists' music over time.
Application of relevant musical vocabulary and terminology specific to jazz.
Understanding of the interdependencies between musical elements in a jazz context.
Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar music from the area of study.
Critical appraisal of music through analysis of excerpts from published works.
Understanding of how musical elements reflect the style, purpose, and intentions of the artist.
Comparison of how an artist's style has varied over time through their published works.
Application of relevant musical vocabulary and terminology.
Understanding of the cultural and contextual background of the music.
Ability to identify musical elements from the relevant area of study when reading staff notation.
Ability to read short passages of unfamiliar music (up to eight bars).
Ability to read extended passages of familiar music (approximately two pages).
Accurate identification and use of standard and extended chords, including inversions and secondary dominant 7ths.
Correct application of chord symbols associated with the chosen area of study.
Accurate identification and application of musical vocabulary and terminology specific to the chosen area of study.
Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar music from the genre.
Critical appraisal of set works by named composers.
Understanding of how musical elements reflect style, purpose, and intention.
Analysis of how the style of composers' music varies over time through comparison of published works.
Application of relevant musical vocabulary and terminology.
Understanding of the use of leitmotif in media contexts.
Knowledge of harmonic features including power chords, sus4 chords, complex chord extensions, and pedal points.
Understanding of tonal, atonal, and modal tonality in media music.
Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar music from the genre
Critical appraisal of set works by Shostakovich, Messiaen, Reich, and MacMillan
Analysis of how musical elements reflect the composer's purpose and intention
Understanding of the effect of audience, time, and place on the creation and performance of the music
Application of appropriate musical vocabulary and terminology
Ability to read and identify musical elements in staff notation
Understanding of complex interdependencies between musical elements
Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar music.
Critical appraisal of music through analysis of excerpts.
Understanding of the effect of audience, time, and place on the creation and performance of music.
Ability to compare and contrast works by named composers.
Application of relevant musical vocabulary and terminology.
Understanding of the relationship between music and its theatrical context.
Ability to listen attentively to unfamiliar music from the three strands to identify and describe musical elements.
Critical appraisal of set works through analysis of excerpts.
Understanding the effect of audience, time, and place on the creation and performance of set works.
Explaining how composer purpose and intention are reflected in the use of musical elements.
Demonstrating knowledge of complex interdependencies between musical elements.
Identifying and applying appropriate musical vocabulary and terminology.
Reading and writing staff notation, including melodic and rhythmic notation in all keys and compound time.
Identifying standard and extended chords, including inversions and secondary dominant 7ths.
Ability to identify and describe musical elements in unfamiliar music.
Critical appraisal of music through analysis of set works.
Understanding of the effect of audience, time, and place on creation and performance.
Comparison of how an artist's/composer's style varies over time.
Application of relevant musical vocabulary and terminology.
Use of musical elements to reflect genre, purpose, and intention.

Examiner Tips

Expert advice for maximising your marks

💡Ensure you can identify and explain studio effects like reverb, panning, and distortion.
💡Practice identifying chord extensions (7th, 9th, 11th, 13th) and complex chords in both aural and written forms.
💡Be prepared to discuss the role of technology in the production of pop music.
💡Use the specific musical elements table for Pop music to structure your analysis in essays.
💡Ensure you are familiar with the specific vocal timbres and instrumental techniques listed in the specification.
💡Ensure familiarity with the specific musical elements listed for Jazz (Melody, Harmony, Tonality, Structure, Sonority).
💡Be prepared to identify and apply jazz-specific terminology in both listening and essay questions.
💡Practice identifying chord symbols and extended chords in aural and written forms.
💡Use the provided digital excerpts to control listening during the exam to ensure thorough analysis.
💡Ensure essay responses demonstrate sophisticated connections between the music and its cultural/historical context.
💡Ensure you can identify specific instruments like the bandoneon, kora, sitar, and Portuguese guitar.
💡Be prepared to discuss specific techniques such as chicharra, latigo, arrestre, and tambor.
💡Practice identifying rhythmic features like the habanera rhythm, tala, and polyrhythms.
💡Focus on the fusion aspect: explain how traditional features (e.g., raga, drone) interact with contemporary elements (e.g., studio effects, fusion).
💡Use the provided tables of musical elements as a checklist for your revision.
💡Ensure you are familiar with the specific chord symbols and terminology tables provided for your chosen areas of study.
💡Practice reading staff notation for both short unfamiliar excerpts and longer familiar scores.
💡Focus on identifying musical elements in aural excerpts that link directly to the vocabulary required for your specific area of study.
💡Use the provided score excerpts in the exam to support your analysis of musical elements.
💡Ensure you can identify and explain the function of a leitmotif in a given excerpt.
💡Practice identifying complex chords (e.g., half-diminished 7th, added 6th) aurally and in written form.
💡Focus on the relationship between the music and the visual/narrative elements it supports.
💡Use the provided score excerpts to support your analysis in Section B.
💡Ensure you are familiar with the specific musical elements listed in the specification table for this area of study.
💡Practice identifying modes of limited transposition, whole tone, and octatonic scales aurally
💡Ensure you can explain the difference between non-functional harmony and traditional functional harmony
💡Use the set works to practice comparing and contrasting different compositional approaches within the genre
💡Familiarize yourself with the specific timbral effects of unusual instruments like the ondes Martenot
💡Practice writing short passages of staff notation to improve accuracy in dictation tasks
💡Ensure familiarity with the specific musical elements listed for this area of study.
💡Practice identifying diegetic vs non-diegetic music in theatrical contexts.
💡Focus on how musical devices like leitmotif are used to support theatrical narrative.
💡Use the provided score excerpts to identify structural and harmonic features.
💡Ensure essay responses demonstrate sophisticated connections between the music and its context.
💡Use the digital access to excerpts to control playback and listen carefully to specific details.
💡Ensure essay responses demonstrate sophisticated connections between the music and its context.
💡Practice identifying intervals, chords, and melodic/rhythmic dictation regularly.
💡Focus on the specific musical elements listed in the specification tables for this area of study.
💡When analyzing set works, ensure you address the interdependencies between different musical elements.
💡Ensure you can identify and apply the specific musical elements listed for each chosen area of study.
💡Practice listening to unfamiliar music and identifying elements from the relevant tables.
💡Focus on making critical judgements rather than just describing the music.
💡Ensure you have studied three named artists/composers for each of your two chosen areas of study.
💡Use the provided tables of musical elements as a checklist for revision.

Common Mistakes

Pitfalls to avoid in your exam answers

Failure to link musical elements to the context or purpose of the work.
Inaccurate use of technical terminology specific to pop music.
Superficial analysis that does not explore the development of an artist's style over time.
Inability to identify specific studio or technological effects in aural excerpts.
Failure to use specific musical terminology relevant to the area of study.
Inability to link musical elements to the artist's purpose or context.
Lack of critical judgement in essay responses.
Inaccurate identification of instruments or techniques specific to the genre.
Superficial analysis that does not explore the fusion of traditional and contemporary elements.
Confusing chord symbols or terminology between different areas of study.
Inability to identify chords in both aural and written forms.
Failure to apply area-specific vocabulary when analyzing unfamiliar music.
Inaccurate reading of rhythmic or melodic notation in unfamiliar excerpts.
Failure to link musical elements to the specific context of the media (film, TV, or gaming).
Inaccurate use of technical terminology when describing harmonic or structural features.
Lack of comparative analysis when discussing the development of a composer's style.
Insufficient focus on the 'purpose and intention' of the music in relation to the media brief.
Inaccurate use of musical terminology specific to 20th and 21st-century art music
Failure to link musical elements to the historical or cultural context of the works
Superficial analysis of set works without considering the composer's specific intentions
Inability to identify specific scales or modes (e.g., modes of limited transposition) in aural excerpts
Misinterpreting the structural features of minimalist or experimental works
Failure to use specific musical terminology when describing elements.
Lack of focus on the theatrical context or purpose of the music.
Inability to link musical elements to the composer's intentions.
Superficial analysis that does not address the interdependencies between musical elements.
Inaccurate identification of musical elements in unfamiliar excerpts.
Failure to link musical analysis to the historical and cultural context of the set works.
Inconsistent use of appropriate musical terminology.
Lack of precision when writing staff notation or identifying chord symbols.
Superficial analysis that fails to address the composer's purpose or intention.
Failure to use appropriate musical vocabulary and terminology.
Inability to link musical elements to the context of the work.
Insufficient comparison of works when analysing an artist's style over time.
Selecting works that are not easily accessible to examiners.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions students ask about this topic

Key Terminology

Essential terms to know

Sonority and Studio Production (Reverb, Panning, Distortion)

Structural Conventions (Middle 8, Breakdowns, Drum Fills)

Harmonic Language (Modes, Blues Scales, Pentatonicism)

Improvisational Frameworks and Motivic Development

Harmonic Extension and Substitution

Rhythmic Displacement and Swing Feel

Structural Evolution from Ragtime to Fusion

Fusion of traditional instrumentation with electronic studio production

Rhythmic complexity and cross-cultural metrical structures

Evolution of sonority through extended techniques and digital manipulation

Harmonic Vocabulary and Functional Chordal Analysis

Stylistic Fingerprints and Genre-Specific Terminology

Aural Perception and Notational Accuracy

Leitmotif and Thematic Transformation

Orchestration and Sonic Textures

Temporal Synchronization and Pacing

Diegetic vs. Non-diegetic Soundscapes

Atonality and Serialism: The abandonment of traditional tonal centers and the implementation of Schoenberg’s twelve-tone technique and pitch-class set theory.

Minimalism and Post-Minimalism: The use of repetitive patterns, phase shifting, and gradual process-driven transformations as seen in works by Reich, Glass, and Adams.

Electronic and Experimental Music: The incorporation of musique concrète, synthesized timbres, and indeterminate elements to redefine the boundaries of sound and performance.

Leitmotif and thematic transformation

Word-painting and prosody

Structural conventions including AABA, Verse-Chorus, and Through-composed forms

Orchestration and timbral characterisation

Harmonic language and tonal shifts for dramatic effect

Likely Command Words

How questions on this topic are typically asked

Analyse

Evaluate

Compare

Identify

Describe

Explain

Contrast

Analyze

Discuss

Ready to test yourself?

Practice questions tailored to this topic

Appraising music

Subtopics in this area

Topic Overview

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Key Terminology

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in AQA A-Level Music

Composition

E2E stub topic

Performance

Appraising music

Subtopics in this area

Topic Overview

What You Need to Demonstrate

Marking Points

Examiner Tips

Common Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I analyse an unfamiliar piece of music in the exam?

What are the best ways to revise for the appraising music exam?

How do I write a good essay for the appraising question?

What is the difference between analysis and evaluation in appraising?

How can I improve my listening skills for unfamiliar pieces?

Do I need to memorise all the set works in detail?

Key Terminology

Likely Command Words

Ready to test yourself?

Related Topics in AQA A-Level Music

Composition

E2E stub topic

Performance