The free composition and notating: choosing a style and starting idea, developing material across sections and a clear structure, and notating or recording the folio (staff notation, lead sheet, tab or recording with documentation) for submission.

What this dot point is asking

This dot point covers the free composition and notating the folio: choosing a style and starting idea, developing material across sections and a clear structure, and notating or recording your work (staff notation, a lead sheet, tab, or a recording with documentation) for submission. The free composition shows your own creative voice, and good notation or recording is how the moderator reads your work, so both matter. Always confirm the current requirements with your centre.

The free composition

The free composition is your chance to write in a style you love and are good at. Because it is marked on craft (development, control, structure), not the style, choose a style where you can develop ideas convincingly and write idiomatically. Many candidates choose a style linked to their performing instrument, so they can write playable, effective parts.

Developing the material

This is the same principle as the set composition: development is what scores. A piece that takes a good idea and transforms it (varying, contrasting, extending, structuring it) feels built and musical; a piece that lists many unrelated ideas feels thin. Use the techniques you have studied in the Areas of Study (forms and devices, ensemble textures, film scoring, pop conventions) to develop and structure your music.

Notating and submitting the folio

The notation or recording is how the moderator reads your work, so it must be clear and accurate. For notated styles, give a complete score (pitches, rhythms, signatures, dynamics, articulation, tempo, instrument names); for song or pop styles, a lead sheet plus a recording is common; for electronic or improvised styles, a recording with documentation may suit. Whatever the form, the recording and the score should agree, and you should follow your centre's process for labelling and submission.

Examples in context

A candidate who plays guitar might write a free composition as a song in a pop or rock style: a riff, a verse and chorus structure, developed sections, and a lead sheet plus a recording for submission. A candidate who composes for piano might write a ternary piano piece, developing a lyrical theme through a contrasting middle and a varied return, submitted as a staff-notation score. A candidate who works with technology might write an electronic piece, developed in layers, submitted as a recording with documentation. Each shows a developed, well-structured piece in a chosen style, clearly notated or recorded.

Try this

Q1. What does the free composition let you choose? [2 marks]

• Cue. The style, the forces (instruments or voices), and the starting idea; it shows your own creative voice.

Q2. Name two ways a composition can be submitted. [2 marks]

• Cue. Any two of: a staff-notation score, a lead sheet (melody and chord symbols), guitar or drum tab, or a recording with supporting documentation. Confirm the process with your centre.

Q3. Explain how a student can develop ideas effectively in the free composition. [5 marks]

• What the marker wants. Starting with a strong simple idea and developing it (repetition, variation, change of key or texture, contrasting sections, a clear structure), written idiomatically for the chosen forces, rather than stringing together unconnected ideas.