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20 listening extracts (with MIDI) and answers 

Click on the file reference to hear the MIDI file. Different computers are set up in a variety of ways and so more precise instructions cannot be given.

Make at least 5 different musical points about the extracts you hear. You should write about the most obvious elements. These can include

EXTRACTS

These extracts were taken from the internet. If any of them are found to be copy write then please inform me and I will remove them immediately.

Extract 1A

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• Classical – later a repeated broken chord bass part
• A symphony orchestra
• A rather serious mood
• Beethoven – overture (the opening to an opera or ballet)
• Dramatic opening with silences followed by short loud sections
• 4 beats in each bar moving quite quickly.
• Different orchestral instruments take the solo line.

Extract 1B

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• Sounds rather silly in mood
• Chord structure repeating. I ,IV, V, I
• A tune with a broken chord accompaniment
• A quite fast beat
• Later a much faster part is added in demisemiquavers (16^th notes)

Extract 1C

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• A slow Romantic style piano piece rather like Chopin. (19^th Century)
• Tune over a repeated chordal accompaniment. The chords are rather mid range with no definite bass notes.
• The melody sometimes cuts across the beat.
• The melody is like a vocal melody. Played rather than sung.
• The piece becomes louder and wider ranging.

Extract 1D

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• A composition for an ensemble. Slow and chordal in character.
• It begins quietly and grows in dynamic and drama.
• It sounds like a piece of film or programmatic music as the mood changes frequently.

Extract 1E

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• A piano piece played with rubato (Give and take in the tempo/speed of each bar)
• A dramatic style – played at a slow to moderate speed
• 3 beats to each bar with a quaver broken chord part in the bass and melody in the treble.
• The melody is very song like in character.
• It could be 19^th century as this was the age of the piano and it is rather dramatic in mood. There are none of the unusual harmonies or rhythms, which would indicate the20^th century.

Extract 1F

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• An orchestral composition
• Very dramatic and rather programmatic rather like film music
• Strong use of tympani (kettle drums)
• Different instruments have solos within the orchestra with some unusual harmonisation indicating 20^th century.
• The tempo is slow to moderate.
• The dynamic changes gradually as the piece moves from calm to dramatic.

Extract 1G (14^th century anon,)  

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• Sounds like a piece of music from the middle ages
• A type of dance with a drone (continuous note) in the bass
• It has a moderate pace and the dynamic remains constant throughout.
• The melodic line sounds as if it is not in the major or minor key but in a mode from the Middle Ages.
• The main instrument timbre indicates an unusual wind instrument.

Extract 1H

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• This sounds like a contrapuntal (many melodies) piece from the Renaissance (1600s)
• It could be for a consort of recorders)
• It has a moderate speed and the dynamic varies with the number of instruments.

Extract 1I (by Scriabin)

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• A piano piece for a virtuoso (technically very capable) pianist.
• It sounds dramatic and emotional taken form the late 19^th Century.
• The dynamics are very varied from very quiet to very loud.
• The rhythms of the right hand part cut across the more steady left hand part.

Extract 1J. (J.S. Bach)  

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• A baroque orchestral piece

• Sounds of a harpsichord in the background

• A soloist (concertino) and orchestra group (ripieno) make it sound like a concerto grosso. (A piece of music for soloists and orchestra)

• A steady driving rhythm.

Extracts group 2

Extract 2A  

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• A composition for acoustic guitar or lute.

• The melody is played slowly with ornamentation (decoration to the tune)

• The chords are played in a strumming broken chord manner.

• The piece does not change dynamic or waver from a slow to moderate speed.

• The phrasing is marked with pauses.

• It sounds like a lute piece from the renaissance or early baroque.

Extract 2B

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• A composition for a harpsichord, which sounds Baroque (1600-1750) in character.

• The rhythm is rather disjointed but has a steady underlying beat.

• The piece has a high level of difficulty showing it was written for a virtuoso performer.

Extract 2C

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• This sounds like a piece of swung jazz.
• It opens with a bass riff (repeated bass pattern
• More instruments are added in the style of a swing band with 3 melodies (at the same time. This includes simulated saxophones and trumpets as well as guitar.
• The bass riff is constantly repeated forming a ground over which the other parts develop.

Extract 2D

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• A rock composition with drum kit lead guitar, synch, rhythm guitar and bass guitar. There is some repetition
• The piece is short medium speed and quite short for its type.

Extract 2E

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• A pop composition for a large ensemble including electric organ and synthesisers with a rock drum accompaniment.  The melody is moved between the players.
• Late 20^th Century.
• Bright and cheerful mood.
• This is mainly a fusion style. Played by a big band consisting of sax and trumpet and trombone

Extract 2F

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• A piano piece, late 19^th century. Very clear rubato in the playing. Mainly tune right hand over a moving quaver broken chord accompaniment.
• The speed is steady 4/4/ time.
• There are some mystical elements in the higher range playing further on in the piece.
• It becomes more stilled when chords accompany the tune.

Extract 2G

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• An irregular rhythm.

• Guitar sounds with mallet percussion.

• There are ling string chords.

• A stronger drum beat joins in after the initial opening making it sound more rock-like in style.

• It becomes louder and more dramatic after the initial opening.

• It sounds late 20^th century in style with a number of electronic elements (electric guitar and synth effects.

• It sounds like a mix of jazz and pop.

Extract 2H

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• A computer composition for synths. Many synth effects including after sound.

• No defined rhythm at the start just sustained sounds and those, which enter and leave.

• The mood is mysterious rather like the backing to a sci-fi film.

• Clearly late 20^th century or early 21^st century.

• Some panning effects left to right etc and sounds with graduating dynamics.

Extract 2I

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• A marching tune lead by a horn sound.

• Military in character and mood.

• Played at marching speed.

• It sounds celebratory in character.

• It is quite loud and the tempo remains constant.

• There are clear sections but with a main tune accompanied by changing accompaniments.

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