GCSE Listening Practice Questions

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What type of questions will there be in the exam paper?

• Questions will ask you to IDENTIFY FEATURES of the music you hear.
• Questions will ask you to EXPLAIN how a composer has created a certain EFFECT.
• Questions will ask about CHARACTERISTICS of a style.
• You will be asked to GIVE REASONS for your answers.
• You should be able to comment on INSTRUMENTATION, TEXTURE, DYNAMICS, TEMPO, RHYTHM, TONALITY, STRUCTURE.

BUT ALL OF THESE WORDS ARE SCARY AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY MEAN!!!!!!!!

Yep, OK - they do look a bit frightening, but they're really not - they're just posh words and phrases for stuff you probably know about already.

So, take a deep breath . . .

Here's a typical question from an exam paper -

1. Listen to the excerpt which will be played three times. It is an example of popular song. List two features of the music which show that the piece was composed since 1960.

Right, break the question up.
*What does 'excerpt' mean? EASY! It's just a posh word for a chunk of music!!!!
*You're going to hear it 3 times - yippee!!
*It's a bit of pop music
*'List two features which show that the piece was composed since 1960' ?? Write down 2 things about the music that show it's modern!

BLIMEY - it really isn't that scary - its just written in evil examiner speak to scare you into panicking! DON'T LET THEM GET TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HA HA HA Mr Examiner - you're gonna lose!!!!!!!

So, let's try to sort out a bit more . . . ready?

2. Here is an excerpt of Film Music. It will be played twice. The excerpt comes from the theme tune to a film about World War II fighter pilots. Explain how the composer conveys this in the music.

LOADS OF WORDS TO SCARE YOU AGAIN SO . . .

BREAK IT DOWN!!!!

*It's a chunk of music
*Going to hear it TWICE.
*It's from a film
*It's a theme tune to a war film about flying
*EXPLAIN HOW THE COMPOSER CONVEYS THIS . . well, all that means is - how does it sound like war and flying??

So you just write down anything you hear and SAY WHY it makes it sound like war and flying. SAY WHY. SAY WHY. SAY WHY. SAY WHY. SAY WHY. SAY WHY SWY HAY. AWY SHY. . . . . oh, sorry . .

My answer might look like this . .

The tune goes higher and higher, and then drops down which sounds like planes climbing and then bombing stuff. The music gets louder and more instruments come in to make it sound exciting and like something big is going to happen.

You could ALL write something like that - and you'd get full marks if you did - LOOK AT HOW I SAID 'I HEAR BLAH AND IT SOUNDS LIKE BLAH BECAUSE . . . '

VERY IMPORTANT STUFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!