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Component 1 Appraising: areas of study

10 dot points across 10 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the conventions of art music since 1910, and how do you analyse it in the appraising exam?

Area of Study 7 (optional): art music since 1910, covering the breakdown of tonality, atonality and serialism, modernist rhythm and timbre, minimalism and the named composers Shostakovich, Messiaen, Reich and MacMillan.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 7, art music since 1910, covering the breakdown of tonality, atonality and serialism, modernist rhythm and orchestration, minimalism and the named composers Shostakovich, Messiaen, Reich and MacMillan, with guidance on analysing twentieth and twenty-first century extracts in the appraising exam.
13 min answer →

What are the conventions of the Baroque solo concerto, and how do you analyse one in the appraising exam?

Area of Study 1, strand 1 (compulsory): the Baroque solo concerto, covering ritornello form, the contrast of tutti and solo, the basso continuo, the fast-slow-fast three-movement plan and the named composers Vivaldi, Bach and Handel.
A focused answer to the Baroque solo concerto, the first compulsory strand of AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 1, covering ritornello form, the tutti and solo contrast, the basso continuo, the three-movement fast-slow-fast plan and Baroque idioms, with guidance on analysing concerto extracts in the appraising exam.
13 min answer →

What are the conventions of contemporary traditional music, and how do you analyse them in the exam?

Area of Study 6 (optional): contemporary traditional music, covering folk and world traditions, the conventions of named styles, traditional and fusion instruments, modal harmony and characteristic rhythms.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 6, contemporary traditional music, covering folk and world traditions, the conventions of named styles, traditional and fusion instruments, modal harmony and characteristic rhythms, with guidance on analysing extracts in the appraising exam.
8 min answer →

What are the defining features of jazz styles, and how do you analyse jazz in the exam?

Area of Study 5 (optional): jazz, covering styles from early jazz to bebop and beyond, improvisation, swing, blues harmony, instrumentation and the named performers.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 5, jazz, covering styles from early jazz to bebop and beyond, improvisation, swing, blues harmony, instrumentation and the named performers, with guidance on analysing jazz extracts in the appraising exam.
9 min answer →

How does music for media support image and action, and how do you analyse it in the exam?

Area of Study 3 (optional): music for media, covering film, television and video-game music, leitmotif, mood and atmosphere, synchronisation with action and the named composers and styles.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 3, music for media, covering film, television and video-game music, leitmotif, mood, synchronisation with on-screen action and the named composers, with guidance on analysing media extracts in the appraising exam.
8 min answer →

How does music for theatre convey character and drama, and how do you analyse it in the exam?

Area of Study 4 (optional): music for theatre, covering musical theatre and named composers, song types, how music conveys character and drama, orchestration and dramatic structure.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 4, music for theatre, covering musical theatre and the named composers, song types, how music conveys character and drama, orchestration and structure, with guidance on analysing theatre extracts in the appraising exam.
8 min answer →

What are the conventions of Romantic piano music by Chopin, Brahms and Grieg, and how do you analyse it in the appraising exam?

Area of Study 1, strand 3 (compulsory): the piano music of Chopin, Brahms and Grieg, covering character pieces, rubato and lyrical melody, rich chromatic harmony, pianistic textures and idiomatic writing, and how to analyse Romantic piano extracts.
A focused answer to the piano music of Chopin, Brahms and Grieg, the third compulsory strand of AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 1, covering Romantic character pieces, rubato and lyrical melody, chromatic harmony, idiomatic piano textures and the three composers' styles, with guidance on analysing piano extracts in the appraising exam.
13 min answer →

What are the conventions of pop music, and how do you analyse them in the appraising exam?

Area of Study 2 (optional): pop music, covering named artists, song structures such as verse and chorus, riffs and hooks, instrumentation, production techniques and how to analyse pop extracts.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 2, pop music, covering verse-chorus structure, riffs, hooks, instrumentation, production techniques and the named artists, with guidance on analysing pop extracts in the appraising exam.
8 min answer →

What are the conventions of Mozart's operas, and how do you analyse one in the appraising exam?

Area of Study 1, strand 2 (compulsory): the operas of Mozart, covering recitative and aria, ensembles and the overture, voice types, the Classical orchestra and how music conveys character and drama in works such as Le nozze di Figaro, Don Giovanni and Die Zauberflote.
A focused answer to the operas of Mozart, the second compulsory strand of AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 1, covering recitative and aria, ensembles, the overture, voice types, the Classical orchestra and how the music characterises and drives drama, with guidance on analysing operatic extracts in the appraising exam.
13 min answer →

What defines the Western classical tradition from 1650 to 1910, and how do you analyse it in the exam?

Area of Study 1 (compulsory): the Western classical tradition 1650 to 1910, covering Baroque, Classical and Romantic style features, the development of tonal harmony, form and the orchestra, and the named set works.
A focused answer to AQA A-Level Music Area of Study 1, the compulsory Western classical tradition 1650 to 1910, covering Baroque, Classical and Romantic style features, the growth of tonal harmony, form and the orchestra, and how to analyse set works in the appraising exam.
9 min answer →