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SingaporeMusic

Elements of Music and Notation

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the most common chords, how are they built, and how do cadences make music sound finished or unfinished?

Build the primary triads in a key, name them with Roman numerals, and identify the perfect and imperfect cadences that close or open a phrase
A clear answer to the N(A)-Level Music outcome on chords. Building triads, the three primary chords I, IV and V, naming them with Roman numerals, and hearing the perfect and imperfect cadences that make a phrase sound finished or unfinished.
9 min answer →

What are major and minor scales, how are they built, and how do they give a piece its key and mood?

Build simple major and minor scales using tones and semitones, name the degrees of the scale, and explain how a key gives music a home note and a major or minor mood
A clear answer to the N(A)-Level Music outcome on scales and keys. Tones and semitones, building a major and a natural minor scale, the names of scale degrees, the home note (tonic), and how major sounds bright and minor sounds darker.
8 min answer →

How do you read notes, rests and basic markings on the staff so you can play and write simple music?

Read pitches on the treble and bass staff, name note and rest values, and identify basic markings such as clefs, time signatures and the most common dynamics
A clear, step-by-step answer to the N(A)-Level Music outcome on reading the staff. Treble and bass clef note names, note and rest values, time signatures, and the most common dynamic and tempo markings, with simple memory tricks.
8 min answer →

How do beat, metre and tempo organise music in time, and how do you count and describe rhythm?

Explain beat, metre and tempo, count simple time signatures, identify common note groupings, and describe whether music feels in twos, threes or fours
A clear answer to the N(A)-Level Music outcome on rhythm. Beat and metre, counting 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4, strong and weak beats, simple note groupings and ties, and describing tempo from slow to fast with the right words.
8 min answer →