How does the practical performing component work and how do you prepare for it?
Component 1 Performing and Appraising overview: the solo and ensemble performance and the viva voce, and how this practical, non-examined component is assessed.
A concise CCEA GCSE Music overview of Component 1, Performing and Appraising. Explains the solo and ensemble performance and the viva voce discussion, how this practical component is assessed and weighted, and how to prepare, as orientation rather than examinable listening content.
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What this overview covers
Component 1, Performing and Appraising, is one of CCEA GCSE Music's two practical components. It is not a written listening exam, so this page is a concise overview for orientation, not examinable Component 3 content. The component is assessed by a visiting examiner and combines a solo performance, an ensemble performance and a short viva voce discussion. Together the practical performing element makes up a large share of the qualification, with the rest split between composing and the listening exam.
If you are revising for the written exam, study the Component 3 listening pages instead. This page exists so you understand how the whole GCSE fits together.
The two performances
The solo lets you show your individual technique and interpretation on your chosen instrument or voice. The ensemble shows a different skill: playing a part within a group, keeping together, balancing with the other musicians, and listening as you play. Much of the preparation happens in your own instrumental or vocal lessons, with guidance on choosing appropriate repertoire that suits your level and shows your playing at its best. Choosing pieces that are secure rather than over-ambitious is usually the wiser path.
The viva voce
In the viva you should be ready to discuss your repertoire with confidence: the composer and style, what the piece is about or how it is structured, the musical elements in it (such as tempo, dynamics and articulation), the techniques you used, and the interpretation choices you made. Using correct musical vocabulary about your own pieces, the same vocabulary you learn for the listening exam, makes a strong impression. Preparing a few sentences about each piece in advance helps you speak fluently on the day.
How it is assessed and prepared
The component is assessed by a visiting examiner, and centres organise an assessed performance occasion for candidates and their ensemble accompanists. Because it is practical and progressive, the best preparation is steady: regular practice, early choice of repertoire, and rehearsal with your ensemble so the group is secure well before the assessment. The detailed rules on timing, repertoire and the viva are set out in the CCEA specification, which you should read with your teacher.
How to prepare
Try this
Q1. What are the two performances required in Component 1? [2 marks]
- Cue. One solo piece (at least about two minutes, may be accompanied) and one ensemble piece (at least about one minute, featuring at least two musicians).
Q2. What is the viva voce? [2 marks]
- Cue. A short spoken discussion with the visiting examiner about your performance, its music and features, and your interpretation choices.
Q3. Why is choosing secure repertoire usually better than choosing very difficult pieces? [2 marks]
- Cue. Because a confident, musical performance of a simpler piece scores better than a shaky attempt at a harder one.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of CCEA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
CCEA Component 1 (style)5 marksIn the viva voce, the examiner asks you to talk about your solo piece. What should you be ready to discuss?Show worked answer →
The viva voce is a short spoken discussion with the visiting examiner about your performance, not a written question, so prepare to speak fluently about your music.
Context: be ready to name the composer, the style or period, and what the piece is about or how it is structured.
Musical features: discuss the techniques you used and the musical elements in the piece, such as its tempo, dynamics, articulation and any expressive choices you made.
Your preparation and interpretation: explain the choices you made in shaping the performance and how you practised difficult passages.
A confident, musical discussion that uses correct vocabulary about your own repertoire is what the viva rewards.
CCEA Component 1 (style)6 marksExplain what is required for the performing component and how the two performances differ.Show worked answer →
A requirements question testing understanding of the component structure.
Solo performance: one solo piece of at least about two minutes, which may be accompanied, performed on the candidate's chosen instrument or voice.
Ensemble performance: one ensemble piece of at least about one minute that must feature at least two musicians, so the candidate plays a part within a group and must keep together and balance with others.
Difference: the solo shows individual technique and interpretation; the ensemble shows the ability to listen and fit a part into a group. Together with the viva voce, they make up the performing component.
Related dot points
- Component 2 Composing overview: the two compositions, the free brief and the stimulus brief, and how this practical, controlled-assessment component is submitted.
A concise CCEA GCSE Music overview of Component 2, Composing. Explains the two compositions, the free composition and the composition to a CCEA stimulus, how they are submitted as recording plus score, lead sheet or written account, and how to prepare, as orientation rather than examinable listening content.
- Listening exam technique: how the Component 3 written paper works and how to answer short-feature, comparison and extended-response questions on played extracts.
A focused CCEA GCSE Music guide to answering Component 3, the 90-minute Listening and Appraising written exam. Covers how the paper works with played extracts, the question types from short feature-spotting to extended responses, how to use the repeated playings, and how to write answers that reach the top band.
- The musical elements: the shared vocabulary of melody, harmony, tonality, structure, texture, timbre, tempo, metre, rhythm, dynamics and articulation used to appraise every Area of Study.
A focused CCEA GCSE Music guide to the musical elements used to appraise every Area of Study in Component 3. Covers melody, harmony, tonality, structure, texture, timbre, tempo, metre, rhythm, dynamics and articulation, with the correct vocabulary the listening exam rewards.
- Area of Study 1 Western Classical Music 1600 to 1910: appraising the Baroque, Classical and Romantic styles and their three set works.
A focused CCEA GCSE Music guide to Area of Study 1, Western Classical Music 1600 to 1910. Covers the features of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, the three set works by Handel, Mozart and Berlioz, and how to appraise this music using the musical elements in the listening exam.
- Area of Study 4 Popular Music 1980 to present: appraising song structure, the rhythm section, technology and vocal style in pop, rock and related genres.
A focused CCEA GCSE Music guide to Area of Study 4, Popular Music 1980 to present. Covers verse-chorus structure, the rhythm section, riffs and hooks, music technology and vocal style, the set works by Eurythmics, Ash and Florence and the Machine, and how to appraise pop and rock in the listening exam.
Sources & how we know this
- CCEA GCSE Music specification — CCEA (2017)