GCSE Music

Overview

For parents: AQA writes your child's Music course and exams. AQA writes the specifications and exams for most GCSE subjects taught in English state schools. If your school uses AQA, every topic, paper and mark scheme follows AQA's specification.

Topics

Music key terms

Original definitions for core course vocabulary, informed by the references below. Not an official or exhaustive board-specific glossary.

40 of 40 terms

Pulse

The underlying regular beat felt in music.

Rhythm and metre

Rhythm

The arrangement of note lengths and silences over time.

Rhythm and metre

Tempo

The speed of the musical beat.

Rhythm and metre

Metre

The grouping of beats into recurring patterns of stronger and weaker beats.

Rhythm and metre

Time signature

A notation showing how beats or note values are organised within each bar.

Rhythm and metre

Simple time

Metre in which each main beat normally divides into two equal parts.

Rhythm and metre

Compound time

Metre in which each main beat normally divides into three equal parts.

Rhythm and metre

Syncopation

Rhythmic emphasis on normally weak beats or parts of beats.

Rhythm and metre

Anacrusis

A note or group of notes before the first main beat of a phrase.

Rhythm and metre

Cross-rhythm

The simultaneous use of contrasting rhythmic groupings, such as three against two.

Rhythm and metre

Pitch

How high or low a musical sound is perceived to be.

Melody and harmony

Interval

The distance in pitch between two notes.

Melody and harmony

Scale

An ordered sequence of pitches following a particular interval pattern.

Melody and harmony

Arpeggio

The notes of a chord sounded successively rather than together.

Melody and harmony

Conjunct melody

A melody moving mainly by steps between neighbouring scale notes.

Melody and harmony

Disjunct melody

A melody containing frequent leaps between non-neighbouring notes.

Melody and harmony

Chord

A combination of notes sounded together or understood as a harmonic unit.

Melody and harmony

Tonic

The central note or chord of a key.

Melody and harmony

Dominant

The fifth degree of a scale, or the chord built on that degree.

Melody and harmony

Cadence

A harmonic progression that marks the end or resting point of a phrase.

Melody and harmony

Monophonic

A texture consisting of a single melodic line without harmonic accompaniment.

Texture and structure

Homophonic

A texture with a main melody supported by chords or other subordinate parts.

Texture and structure

Polyphonic

A texture combining two or more independently moving melodic lines.

Texture and structure

Unison

Two or more performers producing the same pitches together.

Texture and structure

Ostinato

A musical pattern repeated persistently.

Texture and structure

Sequence

The repetition of a musical idea at a different pitch level.

Texture and structure

Binary form

A structure with two principal sections, often labelled AB.

Texture and structure

Ternary form

A three-part structure in which opening material returns after a contrasting section, usually ABA.

Texture and structure

Rondo

A structure in which a recurring main section alternates with contrasting episodes, such as ABACA.

Texture and structure

Theme and variations

A structure presenting a theme followed by altered versions of it.

Texture and structure

Dynamics

The levels and changes of loudness in music.

Expression and performing

Crescendo

A gradual increase in loudness.

Expression and performing

Diminuendo

A gradual decrease in loudness.

Expression and performing

Articulation

The way notes begin, connect and end in performance.

Expression and performing

Legato

Playing or singing notes smoothly and connectedly.

Expression and performing

Staccato

Playing or singing notes with clear separation and shortened duration.

Expression and performing

Timbre

The tone quality that helps distinguish different instruments, voices or sound sources.

Expression and performing

Pizzicato

An instruction for string players to pluck rather than bow the strings.

Expression and performing

A cappella

Singing without instrumental accompaniment.

Expression and performing

Rubato

Expressive flexibility of timing, with subtle speeding up or slowing down of the pulse.

Expression and performing

Exams

Add your exam dates in My Exams and see a countdown for every paper on your dashboard.

Revision

Tell GCSE.es which Music topics feel weak. Your dashboard then picks a short, timed next step — learn the key idea, check yourself, review mistakes.

Practice

• ✓ Key terms you tap to reveal
• ✓ Quick multiple-choice quizzes
• ✓ 3, 6, 9 and 12-mark exam-style questions
• ✓ Marking with feedback and a model answer

Available free inside your GCSE journey. Questions are written by GCSE.es, not taken from real past papers.

Resources

Short, focused tasks for the Music topics you find hardest — learn the key idea, check yourself, then try a marked exam-style question.