gcse music homework

Music Lesson Plans

Download over twenty pages of free music theory lesson plans now.

Integrate with school or college IT Systems

Allow your students to access the materials on their own devices for remote learning and revision

Note Naming Worksheets

Free note naming worksheet to download.

If our students don't "get" whole and half step intervals then scales, chords and keys will always be confusing

Constructing Scales

Download a free major and minor scale spelling handout.

Music Theory "Mini Exams"

Print a FREE test paper and answer sheet

Free Tracking and Marking System

Download a free music theory progress and tracking system

Guitar Resources

Music theory resources for those "difficult to reach" guitar players

Chord Construction

Constructing Major and minor Chords.

Key Signatures

Help your students to understand all Key Signatures.

Blues Scale Worksheets

Knowledge of and familiarity with Blues Scales is essential for the modern musician

Integrate the resources with your school's technology and systems

Using the resources with smartboards and phones

Diatonic Harmony

Diatonic harmony explained.

Teaching Pop Song Forms

Teach Pop Song Forms To Your Music Students

Music Worksheets

300 Music Theory Worksheets to use over and over again.

Music Teaching Handouts

Music Teaching Resources

Gcse music worksheets and resources.

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Download over 300 Music Worksheets for your GCSE Music Theory Lessons Today

"do our gcse students understand the "nuts and bolts" of music theory", effective music theory at gcse level, correctly name notes.... define whole step and half step intervals.... use those intervals to create major and minor scales.... scales so that they can construct and identify chords.... arrange chords into keys......., "if we are realistic about it then we have to take into account the fact that for many students music theory is a completely new language. like any language it needs to be learned from the absolute basics".

Printable Music Theory Worksheets The worksheets dont have to stay on the hard drive of your computer.You can store this material on an ipad, phone or memory stick and take the resources to where they are needed. The material has been devised so as to introduce principles and then test and reinforce understanding of those principles. The music worksheets and handouts provide a simple, flexible and powerful resource to music educators and help with the development of a functionable and workable understanding of the principles of music theory. Whatever suits the way you work? Any way you choose you can be sure that for the rest of your teaching career you will always have access to first class music worksheets. DOWNLOAD 400+ Music Theory Worksheets NOW! A lifetime of re-usable resources for only $18.00

How to access your simple "one click" download It's not just about GCSE Worksheets though. This site is about the subject and not the syllabus and we cover an awful lot of ground here. You can buy your music theory worksheets in complete safety via any major credit card (through paypal) or directly through your paypal account if you have one. If you choose to use a credit card, rest assured that we never see your credit card details as paypal do all of that for us. When Paypal receive your payment you will be immediately invited to click a "RETURN TO MERCHANT" button. You will be taken to a page from where you can download all of the music theory worksheets that you have paid for NOW! In the (rare) event that something should go wrong with the order/download process just email me at [email protected] I will check the order and send you the links that will get you to your stuff. Cheers! Rob!

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• Centre Services
• Associate Extranet
• All About Maths
• Specification
• Planning resources

Teaching resources

• Assessment resources
• Command words (1)
• Community links (17)
• Resource lists (2)
• Schemes of work (5)
• Subject specific vocabularies (1)
• Teaching guides (5)

Showing 31 results

Scheme of work: pointers for success

Published 28 Sep 2023 | DOCX | 314 KB

Scheme of work: two years

Published 28 Sep 2023 | DOCX | 458 KB

Community link: Black History Month [icancompose.com]

Published 27 Jun 2022

Community link: Black history in music [ism.org]

Community link: helpful resources for music teachers [nateholdermusic.com]

Community link: Diversity & Inclusion in Music Teaching [musiciansunion.org.uk]

Subject specific vocabulary

Published 18 Mar 2022

Teaching guide: area of study 3 (summer 2022 series onwards)

Published 22 Nov 2021 | PDF | 631 KB

Teaching guide: listening library and musical elements

Published 27 Jul 2021 | PPTX | 633 KB

Teaching guide: area of study 2 (summer 2022 series onwards)

Published 29 Apr 2021 | PDF | 245 KB

Teaching guide: area of study 4 (summer 2022 series onwards)

Published 16 Dec 2020 | PDF | 3.3 MB

Teaching guide: area of study 1 (summer 2022 series onwards)

Published 23 Jul 2020 | PDF | 1.6 MB

Resource list: study pieces and listening list

Published 21 Mar 2019

Community link: BBC Bitesize [bbc.com]

Published 22 Aug 2018

Community link: The British Music Experience [britishmusicexperience.com]

Community link: Handel and Hendrix in London [handelhendrix.org]

Community link: Future DJs - services for schools [futuredjs.org]

Community link: BBC Music Ten pieces [bbc.co.uk]

Community link: Royal Opera House - resources [roh.org.uk]

Community link: DJ School UK - resources for schools [djschooluk.org.uk]

Theme & Variations 

Gcse composing resources.

Theme & Variations Composition Guide

Theme & variations model chord progressions, example piano accompaniment textures, inspiration.

Click here then listen to and study example Theme and Variations compositions by other composers here.

Preparation

Create a score with 2 pianos. The first piano will play your composition. The second piano will be your 'guide stave'. 

Copy your chosen chord progression (including letter names and roman numerals) from the worksheet onto your guide stave.

Repeat this chord progression a number of times (each repetition represents one variation). Your composition will be based on this chord progression.

Compose the Melody of your Theme

On the treble (right hand) piano stave, compose a melody. 

On beats 1 and 3 of each bar, use a note from the guide chords.

Move mainly by step and by small jumps, creating scales in long arch shapes.

When moving by jump, jump to a note from the chord.

Avoid repeating the same pitch consecutively.

Use distinctive rhythmic motifs.

Repeat motifs as sequences (higher/lower in pitch).

Create phrases by using a longer note at the end of even numbered bars (especially 4, 8, 12, 16 etc.).

Repeat motifs in antecedent and consequent (call and answer) phrases.

When the chord pattern repeats, the melody should repeat.

Compose the Accompaniment of your Theme

On the bass (left hand) piano stave, compose an accompaniment. It should closely follow the bass line of the guide chords.

On beat 1 of each bar use the bass note from the guide chords.

After this, use notes mainly from the chord.

Use a pattern which repeats every bar, such as an arpeggio, broken chord, alberti bass or 'um-cha' stride bass pattern.

The lowest pitched notes should not be used close together: avoid low 3rds, use low 5ths or octaves instead.

Note: most chords will be in root position. If the GUIDE CHORD is in root position, keep YOUR CHORD in root position. (i.e. in a CEG chord, the bass note should be C).

Develop the Theme Texture

Look at example theme and variations by Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Rachmaninov found here . Sometimes these composers use two part textures. However, their textures are normally 3-part or more.

Develop your texture by adding a second line of music (known as a 'second voice') to the treble stave. (Select a bar and press 'L' to create a lower voice).

The second voice should fill in the 'missing' harmony, using mainly notes from the chord in simple rhythms. (If the 3rd of the chord is missing [E in CEG] it should fill in this note first).

When the melody is simple (crotchets, quavers) the second voice can move in parallel 3rds and 6ths (avoid parallel 4ths and 5ths)

When the melody is more complex (quavers, semi-quavers), the second voice should remain simple (minims).

Compose Variations

Compose each variation following EXACTLY THE SAME METHOD as you used to compose your theme.

Beneath each variation, copy EXACTLY THE SAME CHORD PROGRESSION (including letter names and roman numerals) from the worksheet onto your guide stave.

For each variation, compose a melody and accompaniment following EXACTLY THE SAME METHOD as you used to compose the melody and accompaniment of your theme.

WITHIN each variation there should be UNITY. Each variation should be unified by a distinctive, recurring motif or texture.

BETWEEN each variation there should be CONTRAST. Each variation must use a distinctive motif or texture which CONTRASTS with the variations before and after it.

Techniques for Composing Variations

To compose each variation, consider using one of the following models. Use a different model for each variation.

1. Repeat the accompaniment, compose a new melody

Repeat the accompaniment from your theme or from another variation with small additions/changes. Above this, compose a new melody with a new, distinctive, recurring, motif, moving mainly by step . A new, recurring dotted , triplet , dactyl (long-short-short) or anapest (short-short-long) rhythmic motif, using quavers and/or semiquavers, will make your melody distinctive.

2. Repeat the melody, compose a new accompaniment

Repeat the melody from your theme or from another variation with small additions/changes. Beneath this, compose a new accompaniment with a new, distinctive recurring motif and texture. It should closely follow the bass line of the guide chords. On beat 1 of each bar use the bass note from the guide chords. After this, use notes mainly from the chord. Use a distinctive pattern which repeats every bar, such as an arpeggio , broken chord , alberti bass or 'um-cha-cha' stride bass pattern.

3. Invert the melody and accompaniment

Repeat the melody from your theme or from another variation on the bass stave . Compose a new accompaniment on the treble stave .  The melody alone should be copied to the bass stave (without a second voice or accompaniment) and transposed to a suitable octave (Ctrl down). On the treble stave, compose a new accompaniment, using a distinctive pattern which repeats every bar, such as an arpeggio, broken chord or alberti pattern.

4. Antiphony between left and right hands

Compose a variation in which the musical line is 'passed' between the left and right hands in antiphony: whilst the left hand plays, the right hand rests and vice versa. Use scale and arpeggio patterns which ascend in the left hand and descend in the right hand, creating a single line of music.

5. Scales in moto perpetuo

'Moto perpetuo' means 'constantly moving'. On the treble or bass stave, compose a melody line from continuous quaver, triplet or semiquaver scales . Combine major, minor and chromatic scales to arrive at a note from the chord on beat 1 of each bar. Accompany the melody with a light accompaniment (such as a single staccato chord on the first and last beats of each bar, separated by rests).

6. Treble block chords with bass broken chord accompaniment

Copy the block chords from your guide stave onto your treble stave. Repeat these chords in a simple, repeating, rhythmic pattern. When repeated, rearrange each chord, placing a different note at the top (e.g. CGE becomes ECG). Accompany these block chords with broken chords on the bass stave.

7. Modulation*

Repeat your guide chords on the guide stave and transpose them to a new, related key. To modulate to the tonic minor, change the key signature and remove/add accidentals as required (shortcut: shift, select all, arrow up, arrow down). To modulate to the dominant, subdominant or relative minor keys, select and transpose the chords, including the key signature. In minor keys, remember to raise the 7th.

Use any of the techniques above to compose a variation on this new chord pattern. Use the harmonic minor to compose chords (raised 7th) and melodic minor (raised 6th and 7th ascending, normal 6th and 7th descending) where possible to compose melodies, avoiding augmented intervals.

To modulate from one key to another, you will need to modify the end of each chord progression. Use a 'pivot chord' (a chord which belongs to both keys) followed by the dominant chord of the new key. This, in turn, will lead to the new tonic chord.

 8. Reharmonisation*

If the melody of your theme is very distinctive, consider repeating and reharmonising it to create a variation. Consider reharmonising the theme with non-functional, non-diatonic, dissonant harmony. Use many extended chords, chromatic chords and added note chords to help you to avoid functional progressions.

*Extension tasks

Manwaring Music Education Blog

Life in a Music Department

Long Answer Question 1 – Bach

Bach & Handel

This is the first question in my Long Answer Question series. Hopefully you have seen the first part in this blog series that explains how to approach these questions. Let me explain how these question blogs will work.

This post will introduce the question and look at some of the ways of approaching it. I will give some of the key information needed to complete the question and then the question can be downloaded. This is a 12 Mark Edexcel GCSE Music style question, however it is relevant to anyone studying music.

Each question will look at two pieces of music. One of them is an Edexcel set work and the other will be an “unfamiliar” piece. These questions could easily be adapted if you are not with that board. But everything is useful in terms of studying music and Wider Listening .

Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5

For every set work there are accompanying notes on the Edexcel website. It might be good to download these notes and read them ahead of answering this question. Here is the link to the Bach Set Work Notes .

But I want to add some further thoughts and some ideas for you to more fully understand this piece of music.

When learning about a piece of music it is important to understand:

• Who Composed it?
• When They Composed it?
• For what reason, event or place did they compose it?
• What is the Genre, Style & Structure of the piece?

For the Bach Set work it is crucial to have a good understanding of the Baroque Period. This piece was composed around 1720-1721. What was going on in 1720/1 that might have affected this piece of music? What was happening in music making at the time.

One way of understanding more about 1720-1721 is to listen to some other pieces composed in the same year:

• Handel – Keyboard Sonatina in G minor, HWV 583
• Rameau – Orphée , RCT 27
• Giovanni Bononcini –   Cantate e Duetti

Listening to these pieces will give you even more Wider Listening work and also help you to understand the period in musical history more clearly. Once you have completed this additional Wider Listening you can start to fill out the sheet from my previous blog , this is a planning document for the Long Answer Question.

Handel Water Music – No. 5, Air

This piece is an example of an Unfamiliar piece. You may have heard it before, but, this is the term used in the Edexcel GSCE Music Exam. Firstly you need to listen to this piece of music, either on Apple Music & YouTube .

Composed in or around 1717, this piece is fairly close to the date of the Bach Set Work. This piece of music is part of a Suite, and there are three Suites in this Water Music series. A suite is a collection of orchestral pieces, often dances, and suites date back to the 14th Century.

An Orchestra Suite in the Barouque period would often have the following movements:

• Overture – slow movement to start the suite
• Allemande – Moderate tempo dance
• Courante – A lively dance in triple metre
• Sarabande – Spanish, Slow & Serious
• Gigue – Upbeat and lively dance
• Gavotte – Starts on the third beat of the bar, in 4/4 time.
• Bourrée – 2/2 time Moderate tempo
• Minuet – Triple metre dance

It might be good to read up on these dances and listen to the other pieces that make up Water Music. Here are some other pieces composed in 1717 that will support understanding even further:

• Bach – Violin Sonata in E major, BWV 1016
• Handel – Concerto Grosso in G major , HWV 314
• Vivaldi – Concerto for Strings in C major, RV 114

Here is a link to the score on IMSLP

The Question

Each question is laid out in a similar style to the Edexcel GCSE Music Section B. Feel free to adapt these questions or change the elements of music. There is a PDF document for the question that can be downloaded and filled in. A full mark-scheme is not provided, but I am sure that teachers & students can work out what should or could be included. Skeleton scores are not provided for copyright reasons.

The generic mark-scheme for this question is really useful and so I have that here for you to use:

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GCSE AQA Unfamiliar Listening Homeworks

10 ready-to-use homeworks specially designed to boost skills for Section A of the AQA GCSE Music Exam.

Provides a bank of questions to aid teacher preparation ... It caters to a demand , and will be beneficial for teachers J Reevell, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

• Links to recordings on Spotify and/or YouTube so that students can access these at home
• Self-contained homeworks including score extracts
• Questions written using exam command words and in exam style to build confidence
• Clear tasks which students can complete independently at home
• Key GCSE vocabulary emphasised throughout for continual reinforcement

This would make life so much easier! J DAmiral, Head of Music & Peer Reviewer

• Full answers for easy marking
• Covers all styles and genres listed in the spec!

Share with others:

What do teachers say about this resource (9948).

Really useful for my GCSE students... It contains questions clearly laid out in the exam style and are appropriate to use for homework exercises, mock exams and general teachin g/introduction to a musical style as it gives a great starting point for discussion. I felt that care had gone into making sure that the tracks used covered a range of the musical genres identified in the specification... I particularly like the fact that the questions cover a range of musical elements. A lot of my students struggle to answer questions on texture and there are a number of questions here, covering a range of different musical genres which I felt was really useful. I also like the fact that you have included a lot of the 3/4 mark questions that ask students to identify the features of the music that make it typical of Blues/Reggae etc. This is again a question that they do find difficult and so to have some ready made questions with a mark scheme is really useful... I like the fact that it gives students the option of the multiple choice answers, thus emphasising my teaching that they MUST learn all of their key vocabulary so that if it comes up as a multiple choice answer they at least recognise the term and understand what it means! They also have the option of the slightly longer questions too which is good and reflective of the actual exam paper... , These are ready to use in the classroom, so useful! An excellent resource for students to work on as homework/independent study at home. K Wolfe, Customer & Teacher

Broad range of questioning ... Good range of extracts from the different styles... Closely linked to the types of questions currently found in exam papers... Providing students with the opportunity to answer exam questions at home is highly valuable to students and prepares them well for the examination L Williams, Music Teacher & Peer Reviewer

Very clear and concise. Easy language for students for understand with focused tasks to break up the knowledge delivery. Excellent resource for staff and students.   S Fake, Teacher and Customer

What do teachers say about this resource? (8905)

Really useful both in the classroom, to use as a teaching resource, and to set as a homework task for students to work on independently to reinforce their learning and understanding. Honestly, this is the area of study that students tend to dislike the most, and so it is useful to have a ready made resource to use with them... There is a good mix of longer questions, multiple choice questions, one mark answer questions, melodic/rhythmic identification and melodic/rhythmic dictation questions... These are a great set of homework activities and really useful for students to be able to check their understanding. It also allows them to identify the areas that they then need to revise more carefully... It saves lot of time as the resource is literally ready to go! There is a balance of musical genres included in the listening tracks and this has given them good scope for reinforcing their learning and checking their musical understanding. K Wolfe, Customer & Teacher

Really useful for teachers to set meaningful listening homework for GCSE homework without the hassle of planning and preparing these... This would make life so much easier! J DAmiral, Head of Music & Peer Reviewer

The resource definitely enhances learning and gives excellent opportunities to practice and develop aural skills learned in the classroom. R Birtles, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

What do teachers say about this resource? (8568)

Very well written, appropriately targeted and develops students aural skills very effectively for the WCT Area of Study. It caters to a demand, and will be beneficial for teachers at a time when there are limited exemplar materials and past papers for the 9-1 GCSE courses... It enables students to develop their aural skills and provides a bank of questions to aid teacher preparation... The detailed and comprehensive mark schemes also save planning time and clearly signpost to students how they can improve the language and terminology they are using to answer the exam questions... A valuable teacher resource! J Reevell, Teacher & Peer Reviewer

• GCSE 9-1 AQA Music (8271)
• GCSE Homeworks
• GCSE Music Unfamiliar Listening Homeworks
• Popular Music
• Understanding Music
• Listening Homeworks Traditional
• Traditional Music
• Western Classical Tradition 1650–1910
• Western Classical Tradition since 1910

We follow the Eduqas exam board. 

The GCSE has three components: Performing, Composing and Appraising (exam).

Exam component refers to four Areas of Study or AOS.

Area of study 1: Musical Forms and Devices

Focus on Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras and different musical structures

Area of study 2: Music for Ensemble

Focus on texture and sonority. Music from any musical ensemble, including Jazz, Musical Theatre and Chamber Music

Area of study 3: Film Music

Matching musical choices to mood

Area of study 4: Popular Music

Focus on all popular music in a wide range of styles

Performance 30%

Students must record:.

At least two pieces in any style

Lasting 4 - 6 minutes in total

One Ensemble piece

Of at least 1 minutes in length of ensemble playing

The ensemble part played must not be the melody for at least 1 minute of the piece

This can be achieved by performing a harmony line or accompaniment, or through polyphony

Between 2 and 8 performers

Other performers can be anyone

No conductor

One other piece

Pieces must be recorded with a Teacher (class or peripatetic) present

All recordings require a score with rhythm, pitch and dynamics, in order to be marked

Optional 3rd/4th piece to meet time requirement

Performances are internally marked and externally moderated

To help with performance, Students are advised to:

Attend all instrumental/vocal lessons

Practice!!!!!

Attend as many extra curricular opportunities that you can

Remember dynamics!

Remember articulation!

Check the difficulty grade carefully

Pick your pieces for recording carefully!

Pick an easier piece you can play well over a harder one that you struggle with

Pieces are marked against the criteria below, and then scaled according to difficulty.

Pieces of below Grade 3 are marked as Easier

You will loose marks for playing an easier piece

Pieces of Grade 3 are marked as Standard

You will neither gain or loose marks for a Grade 3 piece

Pieces of Grade 4 or higher are marked as More Difficult

You can gain extra marks for playing a harder pieces

Composition: 30%

Students must compose:.

Two pieces in total

Lasting 3-6 minutes

One piece in response to a brief, published in September of Year 11

One piece completed in Year 10

Compositions are internally marked and externally moderated

To help with Composition, Students are advised to:

Get used to using Noteflight and/or Cubase

Plan the piece out using chord charts

Create catchy melodies

Use the assessment criteria carefully to meet the requirements

Use DEVELOPMENT and CONTRAST

Pieces are marked against the criteria below

Appraising exam 40%.

Total marks: 96

Length: 1hr 30 approx (depending on the lengh of music)

What things you can expect to find in the exam:

Eight sets of Questions in total

Two on each Area of Study

One set on a Set Work from AOS1 

Badinerie by J.S. Bach

One set on a Set Work from AOS4

Africa by Toto

Lots of sub questions of various types, including:

Describing musical features

Compare and Contrasting musical features

Placing music in a context

Identifying instruments

Identifying Keys

Identifying Structure

Identifying Key Signatures

Identifying Cadences

Finding chords

Typical Features of different styles

Melodic dictation

Rhythmic dictation

Long answer question giving a musical description and giving reasons

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Cover worksheet or Homework task for GCSE Music students

Subject: Music

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Audio, music & video

Last updated

4 January 2024

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This is PowerPoint presentation work, so students will need access to computers. This is suitable for a double lesson cover [or two single lessons] or homework. GCSE students are required to show an understanding of the capabilities of their instrument; some understanding of the composer’s intentions regarding cultural influences and the performance venue. They also need to show some understanding of the effect of audience, time and place when performing or composing. This work covers some of the background knowledge they need regarding their instrument and performance techniques. There is an extension task for discussing the relationship between music, and its cultural context, that has been performed over time. 8 slides are asked for - clear task instructions are provided for each slide, as well as ideas to help students focus in the right area.

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