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EnglandMusic

Composing music (non-exam assessment)

3 dot points across 3 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do you compose to the AQA set brief?

Composing to a brief, including responding to the externally set AQA brief, understanding the brief and its restrictions, planning the structure and elements, meeting the minimum length, and notating or recording the finished composition.
A focused answer to composing to a brief in the AQA GCSE Music composing component, covering the externally set brief, how to interpret it, plan a response and meet the requirements.
9 min answer →

How do you develop a short musical idea into a full piece?

Developing musical ideas, including techniques such as repetition, sequence, inversion, augmentation and diminution, transposition, modulation, variation of texture and instrumentation, and how to build a coherent composition from a motif.
A focused answer to developing musical ideas in the AQA GCSE Music composing component, covering repetition, sequence, inversion, augmentation, variation and how to build a piece from a motif.
9 min answer →

How do you write a free composition of your own choice?

Free composition, including choosing your own style and resources, generating original musical ideas, the minimum length, balancing creativity with technical control, and notating or recording the piece to meet the assessment criteria.
A focused answer to free composition in the AQA GCSE Music composing component, covering choosing your own style, generating ideas, meeting the length and presenting the piece for assessment.
9 min answer →