Page 67 - Year 10 Knowledge Organiser

BTEC Music: 3 of 9 BTEC Music: 4 of 9

Harmony Rhythm

Harmony refers to the combinations of chords in a piece of music. Usually, music will have a sequence of chords playing one after the other. This sequence is called the chord Rhythm is how the sounds in music are organised according to their length. That sounds complicated, but think about the timing of different parts of a drum beat, or the lengths of notes
progression or harmonic progression. in a melody, or the speed at which chords are played. These events usually follow patterns, and rhythm is the study of these patterns.
1 Listen to the Song 1 Listen to the Song

• Start by listening to the song attentively. Pay close attention to the chord progressions and how they support the melody and overall feel of the song. • Start by listening to the song attentively. Pay close attention to the rhythmic elements, including the beat, tempo, and overall feel of the music.

2 Identify the Chords and Key 2 Identify the Beat, Meter and Tempo

•Determine the underlying beat of the song. The beat is the steady pulse or rhythm that you can tap your foot to.
•Listen for the basic chords that accompany the melody. These are typically played by instruments like guitar, piano, or synthesizers. •Identify the meter, which is the pattern of strong and weak beats that organises the rhythm. This is often indicated by the time signature. The easiest way to
•Use your instrument (if you play one) or a keyboard/piano to figure out the chords by ear. Alternatively, you can find chord charts or tutorials online that •work this out is to try to count along to the beat in the song. The number that you get to before repeating will usually tell you how many beats there are in
•provide chord progressions for popular songs. •each bar. In pop music, there is nearly always 4 beats per bar (occasionally 3).
•Write down the chords in the order they appear throughout the song. Use chord symbols (e.g., C, G, Am, F) to represent each chord •Work out the tempo (speed) of the song. This is usually given as beats per minute, or bpm. The easiest way to do this is to use an online tool (search “tap
•Work out which key the chords belong to (this is nearly always the first chord of your sequence. If you need more help with this, check the Harmony and •tempo”) that allows you to click/press a button on the keyboard on each beat to calculate the bpm.
•Tonality Booklets or ask for help). At this point it can be useful to write out the chords usually found in your key. This will make the next step much easier.
3 Analyse the Chord Progressions

3 Analyse the Chord Progressions •Look for patterns or recurring chord progressions in the song. Common progressions in pop music include the I-IV-V-I progression in major keys and the i-VI- IV-V
progression in minor keys.
•Identify cadences within the song.
•Look for patterns or recurring chord progressions in the song. Common progressions in pop music include the I-IV-V-I progression in major keys and the i-VI- IV-V •Look for any key changes or modulations in the song (where the song changes key). This often happens during the chorus or during the bridge of the
progression in minor keys. •song. Another place to look for modulations is if the song feels like it “lifts” towards the end.
•Identify cadences within the song. •Identify any borrowed chords. This is where a song uses chords that are not from the original key. These usually make a progression more interesting by
•Look for any key changes or modulations in the song (where the song changes key). This often happens during the chorus or during the bridge of the •adding colour or tension.
•song. Another place to look for modulations is if the song feels like it “lifts” towards the end.
•Identify any borrowed chords. This is where a song uses chords that are not from the original key. These usually make a progression more interesting by 4 Summarise your Analysis
•adding colour or tension.
• Describe how what you have discussed above impacts on the sound of the piece. For instance, modulations can add contrast, or the composer choosing a minor key
can create a dark mood.
4 Summarise your Analysis

• Describe how what you have discussed above impacts on the sound of the piece. For instance, modulations can add contrast, or the composer choosing a minor key
can create a dark mood.