Areas of study overview: the four AQA GCSE Music strands - AQA GCSE Music
A complete overview of the four areas of study in AQA GCSE Music, covering the Western classical tradition 1650 to 1910, popular music, traditional music and Western classical music since 1910.
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AQA GCSE Music (8271) organises its repertoire into four areas of study. Each area gives you a body of styles to recognise in the listening exam, and three of them have an AQA strand of study with set artists or works that you learn in depth. This overview maps the four areas and links to a focused page on each.
The four areas of study
- Area 1: The Western classical tradition 1650 to 1910
- The Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods, with their characteristic forms, harmony and instrumentation. The AQA strand of study is the Badinerie from Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 2.
- Area 2: Popular music
- Pop, rock, blues, jazz, musical theatre, and film and computer game music, with their band line-ups, structures and techniques. The AQA strand of study is the music of The Beatles.
- Area 3: Traditional music
- Folk and world styles, including Indian classical music, African drumming, Caribbean styles and fusion. The AQA strand of study is the music of Paul Simon.
- Area 4: Western classical tradition since 1910
- Expressionism, neoclassicism, minimalism, serialism and experimental music, which broke away from traditional tonality.
How the areas are examined
The areas of study are tested in Component 1 (Understanding music), the listening and appraising exam worth 40% of the GCSE. You answer questions on unfamiliar extracts from each area, and longer questions on the set works, sometimes comparing a set work with an unfamiliar extract. The same areas also feed the composition brief, which is usually linked to one of the four areas.
How to study the areas
- Learn the features of each style. Know the giveaway clues, for example terraced dynamics for the Baroque or phasing for minimalism.
- Study the set works in depth. Know the Badinerie, the Beatles strand and the Paul Simon strand bar by bar where possible.
- Place unfamiliar extracts fast. Use instruments, harmony and rhythm to decide the area within the first playing.
- Practise comparison. You may compare a set work with an unfamiliar piece, so rehearse element-by-element comparisons.
Test yourself
Once you have read the four area pages, try the areas of study overview quiz to check your recall.
Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Music (8271) specification — AQA (2016)