(() => { if ( document.cookie.split(';').some((item) => item.trim().indexOf('ckns_id=') > -1) ) { return; } function localStorageIsAvailable() { try { const storage = window && window.localStorage; if(typeof storage.getItem === 'function') { return true } return false } catch (error) { return false } } if(localStorageIsAvailable()) { var dismissCount = Number(window.localStorage.getItem('-banner-undefined-dismiss-count')); if (dismissCount >= 4) { return; } var lastDismissedDate = Number(window.localStorage.getItem('-banner-undefined-last-dismissed-date')); var currentTime = Date.now(); if (currentTime - lastDismissedDate < 10 * 86400000) { return; } } document.querySelector('html').classList.add('display--banner'); })()

Music

Part of Learn & revise

All your learning in one place

Add subjects and guides to My Bitesize to get learning quicker.

Sign in
or

Composing

Performing

Understanding Music

  • Melody and harmony: keys, scales, modes and ornaments

    Learn about higher concepts: keys, scales, modes and ornaments.

  • Melody and harmony: intervals, chords and cadences

    Learn about higher concepts relating to intervals, chords and cadences.

  • Rhythm and tempo

    Learn about higher concepts relating to rhythm and tempo.

  • Texture, structure and form

    Learn about higher concepts relating to texture, structure and form.

  • Timbre

    Learn about the higher concepts relating to timbre.

  • Chamber music

    Find out more about chamber music - pieces composed to be played in someone's home rather than in a church or theatre.

  • Impressionist

    Find out more about impressionist music - introduced in late 19th Century and focused was on creating shifting mood and atmosphere.

  • Jazz funk

    Find out more about jazz funk - a style of music that grew out of jazz, but brings in elements of soul music and rhythm and blues.

  • Lied and lieder

    Find out more about lied (plural lieder) - a song performed in German by a solo singer with piano accompaniment.

  • Mass

    Find out more about mass - the setting of a church service (or mass) to music.

  • Musique concrète

    Find out more about musique concrète - a style of experimental music that is composed using recorded sounds.

  • Oratorio

    Find out more about oratorio - a large scale work for voices and instruments.

  • Plainchant

    Find out more about plainchant - a style of medieval vocal music.

  • Recitative

    Find out more about recitative - a type of singing that is closer to speech than song

  • Sonata

    Find out more about sonata - a piece of instrumental music, usually for a solo instrument, or a small group

  • Soul

    Find out more about soul music - a style of African American music that developed from rhythm and blues in the USA in the 1950s and 60s.

  • String quartet

    Find out more about string quartet - a musical group made up of two violins, one viola and one cello.