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Composing
Quick questions on Creating rhythm and accompaniment explained: N(A)-Level Music
7short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is turning chords into an accompaniment?Show answer
If you have a melody with chords underneath, you can play those chords in different ways to make an accompaniment:
What are creating rhythmic patterns?Show answer
A good accompaniment has its own rhythmic pattern, a steady, repeating figure that drives the music. An ostinato is a short pattern (rhythmic or melodic) repeated throughout a section. Using a clear pattern, rather than random notes, gives the accompaniment a groove and makes it easy to follow.
What is matching the style?Show answer
Choose an accompaniment that suits the style of the piece: gentle broken chords for a calm song, a driving bass-and-riff for an upbeat one, steady block chords for a hymn-like feel. The accompaniment helps set the mood as well as the harmony.
What is random notes with no pattern?Show answer
A good accompaniment uses a clear, repeating rhythmic pattern (often an ostinato), not random chords.
What is q1?Show answer
Name three ways to turn chords into an accompaniment. [2 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Define an ostinato. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
State two ways to make sure an accompaniment supports rather than competes with the melody. [3 marks]
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