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Arrangement 01
Descant, the high-pitched counter-melody, is found in hymns.

Arrangement 01

One of the topics studied in KS3 music is arrangement. An arrangement is a reworking of a previously composed piece. It may be different to the original work in many ways and often involves adding new thematic material, In essence, an arrangement gives an existing melody more musical variety.

Interludes and codas are two of the things found in the arrangement of music. Composers are not always against arrangements of their works. Due to a poor grasp of the ability to do so himself, the American composer George Gershwin had his Rhapsody in Blue orchestrated and arranged by Ferde Grofe.

This quiz will test your knowledge of some of the terms used in musical arrangements. Take your time and read each question carefully before deciding which of the four given answers is correct. And don't forget the helpful comments. These come after each question and may help to clarify anything you were unsure of. Now, let's see if you can 'arrange' a score of 10-out-of-ten!

1.
A harmonic accompaniment is mainly provided by .......
several instruments with underlying chord progressions
very loud dynamics
fast playing
None of the above
The harmonic accompaniment provides support for the melody or main themes of a piece of music
2.
What is an interlude?
A 16-bar section which features a drone
A long composition comparable to a symphony
A short piece in-between parts of longer compositions
None of the above
Interludes are shorter pieces of music which are inserted between longer sections
3.
Which of the following is the bass line?
A mid-pitched line played usually a 3rd below the melody
A high-pitched line which plays out the tune
A low-pitched line played by rhythm section instruments
All of the above
You'll find basslines in a lot of popular music, from jazz and blues to funk and electronic. But wherever it is, a bassline is played by the low-pitched instruments in the rhythm section
4.
What high-pitched counter-melody is found in hymns?
Bass line
Descant
Falsetto
Tenor line
Descant means 'voice above'
5.
What is a descant?
A counter-melody at a higher pitch than the main melody
A fast section of music
A loud and accented bass line
A piece in the key of D major
Descants are commonly found in church hymns
6.
What type of passage brings a section to a conclusion?
A Coda
A pause
A ritardando
An accelerando
The word Coda is Italian for 'tail'
7.
What kinds of music feature improvisation?
Jazz solo sections
Rock guitar solo sections
Classical recitative sections
All of the above
Most commonly found in music from 1900+ but still found in many classical pieces and modern day recordings
8.
A Coda is .......
a quiet kind of dynamic marking
a passage which brings a movement to a conclusion
a type of accelerando
a type of classical movement
Often consists of a few bars, sometimes a section!
9.
'Tone quality' or 'Tone colour' specifically relates to .......
dynamic markings
key signatures
timbre
time signatures
Timbre is what makes each musical sound different, even when they have the same pitch and loudness. For example, a trumpet and a piano playing the same note at the same volume still sound 'different'
10.
What does 'Question and Answer' mean?
Dominant-to-tonic resolution by a different (B) voice
A 4-bar section which is constantly repeated
A section which is constantly at a loud dynamic
All of the above
Remember, A to B, dominant to tonic passages
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Music

Author:  Thomas Daish

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